2000 Nissan Altima - Y2K Compliant & Then Some!

So if you’ve been keeping up with my reviews, you’ll know that our family is currently in a new-car buying frenzy. This happens every couple of years and helps to keep things fresh and new. So this review is about the 2000 Nissan Altima GXE. We were (actually, still are) owners of the original 1993 Nissan “Stanza-Altima” and Nissan has made many
improvements on their number one best seller since. It really is a luxury car for the amount of comfort and convenience it offers. Unfortunately, too many people have also realized this and owning an Altima is just like owning an Accord or a Taurus...everybody has one. Owning an Altima at one point was like having something that nobody else had. Now the car is virtually nondescript. Nevertheless, Nissan have outdone themselves in crafting this automobile and I believe that it truly is a forerunner in its class thus making it Y2K compliant...and then some!

The Altima comes with a standard inline four cylinder engine. What strikes me most about it is when I drove the Altima against the V-6 Taurus, this little four cylinder wonder had better pick-up and shifting than the ubiquitous Taurus. After the initial 1000 mile break-in
period, the Altima adapts to your driving habits and offers acceleration whenever you need it. In addition, the automatic transmission has been re-engineered so that shifting is less jerky and five additional horsepower have been added to the engine. Merging and overtaking are a joy in this vehicle.

The exterior has been redesigned enough to make it distinguishable to the casual observer from the 1999 model. The honeycomb grill has finally been replaced by a new nose that resembles Altima's older sibling, Maxima. The whole front end has been dipped-down a bit to give the car a sleeker profile. The rear end also looks fuller than the 1999 model year version, but perhaps there really is no difference and that’s my imagination.

The interior ergonomics have been totally redesigned for a more driver-friendly atmosphere. Cup holders are now found behind the gearshift instead of virtually on top of the radio. The radio controls are idiot-proof and easy to operate. The climate control dials are easy to see and easy to reach while driving. The odometer is digital and comes with an
integrated dual trip meter. The optional factory 6-speaker stereo system is quite a treat and when optimally tweaked, produces sound quality just as good as a brand name system. Finally, the seats are more comfortable. On our “original” 1993 Altima, the bottom of the seats offered little thigh support and long drives became torturous. The trunk is also spacious, though the overlift is a bit high for people who might have back problems.

The car doesn't come though without its faults. For example, a cigarette lighter is an option that must be bought separately. I'm no smoker but what if there's even an instance when I'd need to start a fire? I'd be left high and dry. If you ask me, there are a million things that they could have sacrificed besides the cigarette lighter. The other big thing is that when coins or sunglasses are placed into any of the plastic-molded recesses in the doors or consoles, they tend to vibrate and make noise in the cabin. Once I thought that there was something wrong with the car because I heard excess vibrations. Turns out that my sunglasses in the overhead console were vibrating because I had the bass too high on the radio. Surely Nissan engineers could figure out a way to reduce noise on the inside. They did quite a nice job reducing exterior noise by using technology borrowed from their Infiniti luxury line.

EVERY other car that has ever come into our house has had to go back to the dealer within a week or two of delivery because of one manufacturing defect or another. Yes, this includes our old Lexus ES250 and our 2000 Jaguar S-Type (Please see my reviews on the Lexus GS and the Jaguar). Both our 1993 and 2000 Altimas have made it beyond that two week period. In fact, the first one made it all the way to its first oil-change without any hassles and we're hoping that the same will hold true for the new one.

Overall this is a handsome car to own and a pleasure to ride. Why, might you ask, do I think this car is so Y2K compliant? A standard CD player, cheap option packages, and a fast engine for its size are all that any serious car driver needs to speed into the next millenium. I just wish my dealer had some 5-speeds on hand at the time of purchase...would that have been something!!