2008 Nissan Altima User Reviews

Pros

Car looks great!

Cons

CVT Transmission

Purchased As New

We leased our 2008 Altima 2.5s in March of 08. In January of 09 with 15,000 miles on it the transmission went out after several complaints to NIssan about it not shifting correctly and bogging the motor out. We were given a 2007 Altima to drive while it was being fixed. The 2007 performed perfectly. When I picked up our 08 it was back to the same problems even with a brand new trany. I took it back to Nissan and told them I wanted the trans to perform like the 07. They said Nissan changed things on the 08 and that wasn't possible. I can honestly say I hate this car and can't wait to give it back in 2 more years. I wouldn't be surprised if we go through another trans this year as well. I can't stand watching the Nissan commercials about how solid this car is. It rattles more than any work truck I've driven and Nissan swears they can find the rattles. This is the worst car I have ever driven in snow! I have had to pull it out of the road in front of my house 4 times in 1 winter. This is the last time I buy a car based on Consumer Reports!...read morehide

Pros

comfort, power, acceleration and handling are awesome

Cons

None so far

Purchased As New

I bought my '08 Altima 3.5 SE in November, 2007 and I have driven it for almost 20,000 miles now. So far, I've had no mechanical issues with it other than routine maintenance. Considering I have the V6 engine (with the 6-speed manual transmission -- I love sticks), I am getting very good gas mileage (25 local, 30 highway).

I have gone on several long trips in this car, and the comfort experienced is second to none. I absolutely love driving long distances in this car, and the handling on the windy roads is fantastic. There's plenty of room for me, my wife, and my two growing kids, and there's plenty of trunk space.

With the 270 HP engine, it has plenty of acceleration, which it good since the on-ramp to the highway by my house has no acceleration lane. I step on the accelerator and I have no trouble getting up to highway speed quickly, and the engine still has more to give. Once up to highway speeds, the ride is smooth and relatively quiet.

The appearance of the car is an eye-catcher, too. My wife has a 2007 Honda Accord, and while that is a great car and a nice ride, the Altima is better.

I can't say enough about this car. I plan on owning it until it can no longer run....read morehide

Pros

35 M.P.G. on highway @ 70 with 100% gasoline

Cons

Had to replace the smartkey, Brakes squeak, a bit noisier than the Ford Fusion

I really like the performance for a 4 cylinder. Traded a 1998 Altima for it that only required regular maintainance and an alternator in 153,000 miles. I like the no feel automatic shift Extremely good braking distance.

Pros

Liquid Smooth Acceleration - Excellent Handling - Fuel Efficient - Beautiful Styling -

Cons

Occasional Road Noise, Interior Could Be Better, Need Better Trim Packages

Purchased As Used

I was originally going to to purchase this vehicle in late 2007, as I was initially interested in the new CVT engine and the cool new body style that was introduced then. After test driving the vehicle at the Nissan dealership, I pretty much knew that this was the first car that I wanted to buy after graduating from college.

I ended up waiting 6 months until April 2008, in which I got lucky and found a barely used 2008 2.5S model in a really great charcoal color...at an unbelievable price. I was leery about even purchasing a used vehicle, but after doing much research on the reliability of the most recent Altima and the maintenance history of the specific vehicle, I decided that I had very little to worry about. After finishing the paperwork, and finally knowing that the car was mine, I felt like a little kid on Christmas day while driving the vehicle home (cheesy but true!).

I have now owned this vehicle for approximately 1 year and I can report that my experience has been fully satisfactory. I still cannot think of a better vehicle on the market today, that offers this much power, style, great handling - all at a reasonable price!

Engine:
This vehicle truly handles like a V6 sedan, but uses gas like a 4 cylinder. It still surprises me that this 4 cylinder CVT engine can produce 175 horsepower with supportive torque, and allow me to get about 28 MPG combined city highway driving...which translates to about 550 miles to a 20 gallon tank. If I were to be taking the highway more often, I am certain that I would be exceeding 600 miles between fill ups! The CVT, which can be a little weird to get used to, actually has grown on me to the point, where I cannot stand the gear changes that occur in non-CVT engines. And sometimes when I feel like driving with more control, the implementation of the manual stick is great.

IntelliKey Push Start:
I will never ever go back to the standard "turn-the-key" ignitions, as always having the key in the pocket is just more efficient...and COOL. This should and will be the standard for any vehicle in the future.

Handling:
When taking tight curves on the road, I have no fear to take them even faster, as the steering is responsive and accurate. In short, the car goes where I want it to go. The brakes can be sensitive at times, but grab tight very quickly and bring the car to a quick stop. There is little to none torque steer.

Styling:
It is my opinion that the jet inspired rear lamps, and the overall shape of the vehicle is more interesting than its direct competitors (Camry, Accord, Mazada6, Fusion etc.).

Interior:
I am generally happy with the interior, and find the standard cloth seats to be comfortable and supportive. The rear headroom can be a little tight for taller folks, but I have not seen anyone complain about it. The dash is very simple to operate, with a constant theme throughout that is a little boring, but not distracting. The speedometer display is very easy to read.

Reliability:
I have not had any major or minor issues since my purchase. The only recall was for a faulty passenger airbag light, which was fixed easily by my local dealership. The rumors of possible major problems with this engine, I have discovered, have been unfounded.

The audio system, even in the standard 2.5S package is something that pleasantly surprised me...the sound quality when connected to my portable satellite radio is rock solid.

I have driven both the Camry and Accord, which are direct competitors to this vehicle and have come to the conclusion, that these, while great vehicles, are just way too boring of a drive, and possibly overpriced. The Altima handling characteristics are more inline with a sports car than a family sedan! Not many people know, that because of the CVT, the Altima is actually the MORE efficient than either of these vehicles!

I hope to own this vehicle for many years to come, and I am glad that this was my first purchase of any vehicle....read morehide

Pros

Awesome 4 cyl performer, best manual mode for auto transmission, Awesome suspension for this class

Cons

front looks outdated and needs a facelift.

Purchased As Not Purchased

I rented this car for the weekend to go from LA to San Francisco and back and I fell in love with how it drives! I'm totally impressed by its performance without breaking the bank. It's a great car for twisty roads which I drove on the way back (with 2 passengers! and 150lbs of gear). It eats up the turns and the manual mode on the auto trans is so intuitive I couldn't help but use it all the way. In my opinion, it's the best part of the car, in addition to the suspension. Also, the car is so comfortable that I didn't have any back or neck problems after driving for 12 hours (rear pass mentioned how comfortable it was as well). So after coming back home, the next morning I took the car to the local mountain to drive some more, I just couldn't get enough of it. If you like driving aggressively on twisty roads this car is made for you. BTW, did I mentioned that I drove the car when it was raining cats and dogs and I never lost control of the car?...read morehide

Pros

Style, Value, Fuel economy, rewarding drive

Cons

Nissan's service

Purchased As New

No other company lets you get a 4 cylinder mid size sedan with so many options for the price. Fuel economy is great, realizing 26.5 real world mpgs. I'm 6'5 and can get very comfortable in the drivers seat w/ sliding center arm rest, telescoping steering and 8 way power seat. A/C died after 1month and was one service call away from envoking lemon law, not that the car was a lemon but just b/c it took Nissan so long to realize how to fix it the A/C, not to mention it took them several weeks to get the part in the middle of summer. All parts take forever to get in. Had the mirror knocked off by another driver, took 3 weeks to get part in. For my A/C warranty claim, forget about a loner car. Press your local dealer if your considering buying when they mention loner cars avialable for service. The two local dealers only have a couple cars and they are always out! Get the spoiler on this car, makes it look a lot sweeter, and usually easy to get dealer to throw it in for free when buying....read morehide

Pros

FUEL ECONOMY, Style, CVT, Intelligent Key, Technology features, power for a 4cl.

Cons

Rough ride on bumpy roads

I am enjoying my new Altima 2008. It has excellent handling on the road (except for being a little bumpy on rough road). It amazes me the mileage i get on a tankful. Traded a Suzuki XL7 for it, and believe me, the diff. in fuel consumption is quite noticeable. I love all the nice technological features. I don't appreciate the seat cushion though. It's rather hard, and combined with the rough ride offered by the rather sturdy suspension system, it can become a bit uneasy on long rides. Other than that, I'm quite please with the purchase. I do recomend this vehicle....read morehide

Pros

Fuel economy, keyless start, nice appearance

Cons

Noisy Engine, brakes squeaks

The engine is not quiet as I expected for a Nissan. I love the appearance and the keyless start is really cool

Pros

Love the leather, heated seats, navi, turn signal , comfort

Cons

Different with the cvt, cant hear the gears shift, gas not getting th gas mileage as I wanted.

Great car overall. Love everything about it. The ride, the feels, great appearance. Gas wise...needs some time to kick in. If you add a intake it will improve it by by five to six miles per gallon . it really works. this car by far is better then accord and camry. had both nothing compares to the altima....read morehide

Pros

good acceleration on 4 cylinder

Cons

touchy brakes, bad snow performance

I have only been driving this car for a 2 weeks but have been impressed. It has plenty of power for a 4 cylinder. CVT takes some getting used to, I was annoyed by it at first but now am into it. It will engine brake for you going down hills and when letting off accelerator saving your brakes a bit.

The only thing I don't like is it's performance in the snow I live in MI and am considering snow tires. I also have an annoying rattle in the back but image I can get that fixed or just ignore it.

Pros: good engine, acceleration, nice interior, nice handling
Cons:
-seats are hard, I have back issues so I notice
-somewhat touchy brakes (just new car though can get used to it) -stock tires slide on the snow and ice

Feels like a sporty car but not all that, then I remember it's just an Altima, but then I also remember that it's also a good value and reliable car for a good price......read morehide