<br>"But the real news comes in the 2002 model year, when the Altima gets a new platform and grows to battle the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Altima will come with either a 2.4-liter four-cylinder or 3.0-liter V-6 engine.<p>Maxima: Although the Maxima sedan has been redesigned for the 2000 model year, more changes are on the horizon. When the new Altima arrives in 2002, the Maxima will get bumped to a standard 3.5-liter V-6 engine that will generate around 260 hp. In 2004, it will be put on a stretched version of the new Altima platform and become Nissan's sporty equivalent of the Toyota Avalon."<p>Taken from an article in Cars.com

When both the Volkswagn Jetta and Nissan Altima is the same size. If Altima really put Maxima's sweet V6 into it, Jetta should be worry when they are comparable in size and price. If Nissan really wants to do things right here in North America, they should import a Nissan Skyline GT-R (or the whole Skyline line-up) without changing their names into Infiniti. Also, there are couple Nissan sports cars in Japanese that are really sweet.<br>Tom<br>97 A4 1.8TQMS<br>99 JETTA IV GLS 2.0

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Their cars will still be boring and have cheap plasticky interiors. Nissan needs to hire new designers, their cars lack flair and are ugly. The New Altima will compete with The Accord and Camry not the A4. The A4 competes with the BMW 3 series and the Mercedes C-class. I doubt that any Altima could hang with that crowd. The G20 can't even do it. Plain boring cars, a lack of identity, and the worst business decisions in the history of the automobile industry almost bankrupted Nissan. Renault had to bail them out. I think that the U.S will start to see Renaults re-badged as Nissans. <p> The New Maxima "A sporty equivalent of the Toyota Avalon." Any car that's being compared to a Toyota Avalon is going to be boring. Just take a look at the Avalon, no excitement whatsoever. If you want to blend in with the masses go ahead, I'll stick to the European brands thank you.<br>

nt<br>

Last night I saw the new Maxima commercial using The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" damn well guaranteed that I will NEVER buy a Nissan. Besides the fact that the car has never looked as good as it did when introduced. I can't stand it when music that I love, is subverted by coporations to sell stuff. I never really had a problem with it 'cuz it was always te Beetle's or Bob Seger's music being used. But now it's The Who, and Ozzy Osbourne (Isuzu), and Bob Marley (Budweiser), and Jimi (Adidas) for chrissake. Damn i'm finally growing old.<p>My Demographic?<br>White Male 30-35 Suburban Married White Collar<br><ul><li><a href="http://www.peter.rauch.com">The Lamest Site in the World</a></li></ul>

Why Nissan vehicles have to sell $3-4K below MSRP here in North America? Because it made a lot of mistakes in the past. Discontinued the intriguing 300 ZX Twin-turbo. The 200SX lacks the sporty flair as the original Sentra SE-R, only a Sentra coupe personality. Even since the introduction of the last Maxima (95), they never got the styling right until the latest redesign. Yes, the mini-ute Xterra wins a lot of comparison tests on both Edmuds and Car & Driver. Yes, they will redesign the Altima that always been criticized as lacks of a V6 engine. Yes, they will bring the recarination of the 240ZX in year 2000. But the biggest mistake is bringing the once-sporty Maxima to the Grand Marquis softness competition of Toyota Avalon. Nissan originally placed the Maxima as "4-door sports coupe" when it first introduced, now its gettting softer each generations. The most horrible thing is getting a car that should be sporty competes with the ultimate soft competition. Avalon is blend-as-a-toast, too Americanzied and ugly, most of all, its SOFT. Just wondering what those marketing/product planners are thinking inside their brain?<br>Tom<br>97 A4 1.8TQMS<br>99 JETTA IV GLS 2.0

They already did. They got into bed wth Renault...

No email, so I have to post.<p>Cactus A320?

I had a 96 I30 5speed but Nissan discontinued the 5 speed for the new 2000 model. I got an A4 instead and I'm real happy. I'll be even happier when I chip it...I did enjoy that Nissan six.<p>Mitch 99.5 1.8tqmsa

The Japanese had the new Maxima last year, under the name Cefiro and it was *very* attractive IMO. Nissan took that model and gave it to their CA design studio. In every review I've seen the chief designer is the only guy who says he likes the looks. The best thing the mags say on the looks is: 'its certainly unique'.<br>

An Aluminum Silver P3 Orion? I just want to know if it comes with leather memory seats. I could care less about that special "electronic surveillance package". :-)<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM