Nissan Altima Hybrid Test Drive - Give us Your Report!

76 messages, Last post on Jun 21, 2009 at 9:22 AM

You are in the Nissan Altima Hybrid Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Nissan Altima Hybrid, Car Buying, Sedan

This is the place to post your test drive review of the new Nissan Altima Hybrid!

Outline

Messages Page 9 of 9: 1; ...; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; Prev; Next; Last

#74 of 76 Re: purchased out-of-state [townboy325] by mrav8r Sep 09, 2007 (6:33 am)
Replying to: townboy325 (Sep 09, 2007 2:12 am) Rest assured townboy325, this is being corrected asap.
#75 of 76 2009 Hybrid Test Drive and Purchase Experience by sonicagamemnon Jun 13, 2009 (2:07 pm)
I just purchased a 2009 NAH fitted with the technology package at Tonkin Nissan in Wilsonville, Oregon. The final cost was about $24K after a fat $3,500 Nissan rebate, a $2,350 federal tax credit, along with a $1,500 state tax credit, and there is no sales tax in Oregon. The dealership experience was very good. The staff was friendly, professional and well informed. The only issue was simply availability: There was just one NAH in stock when I arrived for a test drive. My fully appointed Altima is very comfortable, handles well on the road, accelerates strongly for a hybrid, and produces very low (AT-PZEV) emissions with good fuel economy, averaging 34 MPG so far. The car is fun to drive and has an overall sporty feel. Steering is accurate and it corners well, with very strong brakes and an overall solid feel on the road. Noise levels in the cabin remain fairly low in nearly all paved driving conditions, except when gunning the engine all-out. The electric motor is eerily quiet as the car begins to roll, and there is a distinct growl whenever the gas engine eventually starts. Inside the cabin, the first thing I notice is how comfortable the leather seats are, and the car’s excellent front, side and rear visibility. There are 6 air bags and most impacts zones have a 5-star safety rating. The navigation system works well, especially XM traffic monitoring and the rear-view video camera. The Bose sound system uses 9 speakers to produce strong and clear sound throughout the cabin. I trained two Bluetooth phones and downloaded both contact lists in less than 10 minutes. Communicating with others hands-free is now safe and simple: When a call arrives, the XM radio programming fades away automatically; after the call finishes, the radio quickly returns. Small misses include the lack of fog lights in the hybrid model, the lack of a full iPod docking bay, and available trunk space is limited because the main battery is stored there. I also test drove the Toyota Camry hybrid and Prius, Honda Civic and the new Ford Fusion all on the same day. In general, the prices, warranties and incentives are approximately the same for these vehicles when similarly equipped, so my final judgment mostly depended on the test drive. For me, the Nissan Altima hybrid was the clear choice. Replies to this message: occking (Jun 21, 2009 9:22 am)
#76 of 76 Re: 2009 Hybrid Test Drive and Purchase Experience [sonicagamemnon] by occking Jun 21, 2009 (9:22 am)
Replying to: sonicagamemnon (Jun 13, 2009 2:07 pm) Congrats on your purchase! I purchased two 08 NAH's March 08. One loaded with everything tech, bluetooth, etc., that I kept for exactly one year put on 35k, and traded in as I needed something with more space, plus wanted AWD (got 09 Subaru Forster) The second load had just the convenience package w/roof. That is my wife's car & is presently has approx 7500 miles on it. I must say I do miss my vehicle, it was so much more quiet, much "peppier" and smooth riding than the Forster. MPG was pretty consistent at around 34 - 35 mpg, except in the winter it dropped to around 30. Now that the weather is warmer I can see that my wife's NAH, the mpg has improved to 35 - 36 again. Have had absolutely no problems with either vehicle. Only complaint was on the bluetooth; although it worked fine as you decsribed, people on the other end could never understand what I was saying and I would invariably turn it off (have to be careful in NY and CT they will nail you with a steep fine if caught talking to a handheld) I even had the control unit replaced but that did not make things any better. I did like the Nav system in the Nissan better than the one I have in the Subaru, more options & less prone to errors. Also, loved the long range with 20 gallon tank could go almost 700 miles. Even though my Forster, which now has 9000 miles in 3 months is getting better mileage (now up to 28mpg on a trip) with the 16.9 gallon tank hard to squeeze more than 450 miles. Sounds like you got a great deal! Watch out, the Fed Refund for Hybrid can be affected by your income. Even though I did not qualify for AMT, for the two Hybrids I purchased last year should have gotten $2350 x two but got only $4050. I guess it can start to phase out as your income gets higher.