# 4cyl Altima or Spec v? What should I get?



## Next Level (May 18, 2004)

I have an option to either get a 4 cyl altima or a sentra spec v? Which is faster?

Also, how much faster are the v6 altimas than the 4cyl?


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

well, if i had a choice between the altima and spec v, i personally would go with the altima. its a better looking car imo and its decently quick. you didnt specify whether you wanted a standard or auto transmission. the difference in "speed" between the two is pretty noticeable. with an auto 4 cylinder altima, youre looking at a 1/4 mile time of mid-high 16's stock. with the 6 cylinder, youre looking at mid-high 14's. ive seen 6 cylinder auto altimas with an intake and headers runnin 14.4's. 13.9's if its a standard trans. its all going to come down to what you want to pay. ultimately if it was me, id get a 5 spd v6 altima over a 4 cylinder altima or spec v.


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## Next Level (May 18, 2004)

.....There is like a $9000 difference. I can get an altima 4 cyl here for about $19000, the v6 ar like $28,000


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

Next Level said:


> .....There is like a $9000 difference. I can get an altima 4 cyl here for about $19000, the v6 ar like $28,000


thats not too bad for the 4 banger. the one thing i would suggest then, is get it in standard. much quicker and it will last longer. good luck with whichever you choose... *altima* *altima*


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## Coco (Apr 30, 2002)

I got my V6 for $23,500 back in 2002. You can get a fully loaded V6 for way less than $28K.


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

Coco said:


> I got my V6 for $23,500 back in 2002. You can get a fully loaded V6 for way less than $28K.


yea i got my 04 v6 for 25,500, fully loaded in december 03 so yea u can get an 05 for like 28 fully loaded but the 02-04 are way lower than 28! and get an auto cuz i got an auto and if u get stick ima be jelaous!!


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

I just picked up my sparkle red '05 V6 5sp today... man is this a quick car. Certainly faster than what I was driving before (it was a 2001, but don't ask). I'm going to have to watch my speed.. could lose your license pretty quickly with this car me thinks.

So yeah, I'd vote for the Altima V6... more expensive, but way more fun too.

Anyway, I've perfected the launch technique.. I find every car is a bit different with respect to clutch takeup and throttle response. Basically I don't want to leap-frog through the streets when I've got passengers or fragile items onboard.

What amazed me about my new altima is how quiet it is on the highway.. it's like a tomb. I'm used to my company car ('03 Protege5), which has a choppy ride and a loud engine (3500 rpm) at 120km/h.

I'll post pics as soon as I steal back my digital camera from a friend...


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## ALTYHOLIC (Oct 19, 2002)

blitzboi said:


> I just picked up my sparkle red '05 V6 5sp today.


Another 3rd gen V6 MT. We're a rare bunch...congrats on your purchase! :cheers:


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

ALTYHOLIC said:


> Another 3rd gen V6 MT. We're a rare bunch...congrats on your purchase! :cheers:


Thanks... I love it so far, although I've spent my day taking various family and friends out in it.. *sigh*

And isn't it always the way, I caught a guy attempting to turn around an intrepid (ick!) in a small parking lot where I was parked, and in the process coming about 2 inches from my bumper! I got out and gave him shit, asked him why he just didn't back out of the lot the way he came in.... He already had damage to the back of his car, so I figured this must be a regular thing for him and all...New car paranoia anyone?


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

blitzboi said:


> Thanks... I love it so far, although I've spent my day taking various family and friends out in it.. *sigh*
> 
> And isn't it always the way, I caught a guy attempting to turn around an intrepid (ick!) in a small parking lot where I was parked, and in the process coming about 2 inches from my bumper! I got out and gave him shit, asked him why he just didn't back out of the lot the way he came in.... He already had damage to the back of his car, so I figured this must be a regular thing for him and all...New car paranoia anyone?


oh hell yea man when i first got my baby whoo buddy u even look at it the wrong way and i would get on u!! but since ive had it for like a lil over 5 months now its starting to go away! i know how u feel man and congrats on the purchase good choice so how much u pay and did u get it loaded?


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Their both nice. I own an SE-R but if you have the cash go Altima. IMO they are one of the best looking cars around, very comftrable, and the SE version is the shite.


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## Ruben (Oct 15, 2002)

I've got an 03 Specv and a 02 Altima 2.5s, and used to have a 02 Altima 3.5se

You can't go wrong with any of them, although the size of the Altima is a big plus.


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

Do you want to haul passengers ... or haul @$$? 

*SpecV:*
Cheaper
Faster (500lbs lighter)


*Altima:*
Better looking
More expensive, even in 4cyl trim.
Haul more buddies (not always a good thing)


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

altima04 said:


> so how much u pay and did u get it loaded?


I paid CDN$26,979 + freight ($935) + taxes. Grand total was $32,470 (we have 15% in sales taxes up here ya know!). But I probably only got that deal because I "custom ordered" it from the factory.

As for its configuration, no it's not loaded... It's a base '05 3.5 SE MT, but I think our base in Canada is a higher trim level than in the U.S., but I could be wrong on that. Ours comes with ABS, curtain airbags, etc.. 

We only have three packages that can be added to a 3.5 SE: 1. Sunroof; 2. Leather + Bose; 3. Navi. And they have to be applied in sequential order. I think in the U.S. you can mix 'n' match the options a bit more.. right?

Anyhow, I'm lovin' my car so far... to be honest I'm not one who cares much about leather and sunroofs, as nice as those things are.. I just wanted BIG POWER, a fairly big car, and a manual tranny, for less than $30k. The only other for me was a Mazda6, but it's not big enough (we have quite a few 6-footers in my family.. including me).


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

_"I just wanted BIG POWER, a fairly big car, and a manual tranny, for less than $30k. The only other for me was a Mazda6, but it's not big enough (we have quite a few 6-footers in my family.. including me)." _

I'm just the opposite. I really liked the tossable nature of my old Civic. The Sentra and Mazda 6 are actually _bigger_ than I'd ideally want. 

I'd be happy in a Mini if I thought it was a reliable car ... and wasn't so foolishly over-priced.


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

Bror Jace said:


> I'm just the opposite. I really liked the tossable nature of my old Civic. The Sentra and Mazda 6 are actually _bigger_ than I'd ideally want.
> 
> I'd be happy in a Mini if I thought it was a reliable car ... and wasn't so foolishly over-priced.


I do like a good handler with a tight suspension and sticky tires, but just not for my daily driver. Those kind of cars are fun when I want to play, but it gets a bit annoying after a while... like my company car, which is an '03 Protege5. It handles like a go-cart, but the choppy ride and directional instability are annoying on long highway trips.

As for the MINI pricing, I'm with you on that.. too freakin' much. Besides which I'm not sure I could comforably pilot one of those for more than 5 minutes. I'm 6 feet tall and equally distributed betwen legs and torsoe. Even the sunroof in the Altima bothered me during a test drive, which is why I opted not to order it on mine.


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

Bror Jace said:


> Do you want to haul passengers ... or haul @$$?


So, uhm, which exactly is faster.. an SE-R Spec-V or an Altima 3.5 SE MT? Just wondering...


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

blitzboi said:


> So, uhm, which exactly is faster.. an SE-R Spec-V or an Altima 3.5 SE MT? Just wondering...


alty... by far... 7.2ish to 5.9ish...


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

i like the look of the spec-v as long as its not an 04 model. but damn, 6 speeds is ridiculous. every time ive been to the track and have raced them, theyre shifting twice before im getting to my second shift. they can keep that shit. im still saying, go for the altima and spend the extra money for the 6. the 4 is just a waste of money if power is what youre looking for.


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

blitzboi said:


> So, uhm, which exactly is faster.. an SE-R Spec-V or an Altima 3.5 SE MT? Just wondering...


how can u even ask such a question?? the alti 3.5 will demolish the spec. the spec. suck like shit!!


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## SpecVeezy (Aug 16, 2003)

altima04 said:


> how can u even ask such a question?? the alti 3.5 will demolish the spec. the spec. suck like shit!!


you cant really say they suck i have 3 friends that have 3.5 altima's, 1 auto and the other 2 are sticks and only the 5 spd modded one could beat the other 2 are stock and the auto i beat more than 5 cars and the other 5 spd i beat him by 2 cars , and all i have on my spec is an air filter and a muffler and im in the 14s right with them. Its not like the altima is a six spd maxima or something


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## Ruben (Oct 15, 2002)

In a straight line the Altima wins.... get me on a road course and get SPANKED...


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## SpecVeezy (Aug 16, 2003)

Ruben said:


> In a straight line the Altima wins.... get me on a road course and get SPANKED...


not with me, i have been pass 100mph with them


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

Ruben said:


> In a straight line the Altima wins.... get me on a road course and get SPANKED...


anyways i still say the altima can be a spec-v


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## Ruben (Oct 15, 2002)

SpecVeezy said:


> not with me, i have been pass 100mph with them



Must have been a stock spec.... my "super" spec ownz all 02+ altimas on a road couse. :thumbup:


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## SpecVeezy (Aug 16, 2003)

Ruben said:


> Must have been a stock spec.... my "super" spec ownz all 02+ altimas on a road couse. :thumbup:


my spec does to and in a straight line


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

hrmmm, somehow i dont see a spec being that fast with just those "mods".


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

SpecVeezy said:


> my spec does to and in a straight line


ok wat mods u got done to urs? and is urs auto or manual?


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

_"... but damn, 6 speeds is ridiculous. Every time I've been to the track and have raced them, they're shifting twice before I'm getting to my second shift. they can keep that shit."_

For many of us purists, to shift is to live. :thumbup: 

Slushboxes? You can keep 'em. 

Yeah, I'd say the 3.5 Altima is faster in a drag race ... but the original topic asked for a comparison of the two 4-cylinder cars.

My Spec cost around $16,500, does the 1/4 mile in 15.5 seconds and gets 30.5mpg in mixed driving. Hard combo to beat!


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## SpecVeezy (Aug 16, 2003)

altima04 said:


> ok wat mods u got done to urs? and is urs auto or manual?


i have a pop charger and a muffler, they only come in 6 speed


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

Bror Jace said:


> _"... but damn, 6 speeds is ridiculous. Every time I've been to the track and have raced them, they're shifting twice before I'm getting to my second shift. they can keep that shit."_
> 
> For many of us purists, to shift is to live. :thumbup:
> 
> ...


slushboxes have their place as well as manuals, but to shift is to lose time. id rather have my close ratio'd 5 speed and stay in my powerband than to shift all the time and fight to stay in it... ya know?


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

Asleep_94_Altima said:


> slushboxes have their place as well as manuals, but to shift is to lose time. id rather have my close ratio'd 5 speed and stay in my powerband than to shift all the time and fight to stay in it... ya know?


wats a slushbox?


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

common slang for an automatic transmission since its entire operation relies on fluid.


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

*Asleep*, I hear ya hummin', yo!

But race cars usually go up in the number of gears to stay in the power band ... like Formula 1. I think most are 7 speeds ... I know Ferrari at least _used to_ have a 7 speed box ... the first of the paddle-shifted electro-trannies.

I haven't compared the gear ratios in the various Nissans, so I can't comment on shift points in various manual trannies. Personally, I hate a really short first. If the day comes when I use my car to pull out tree stumps, I'll change my mind. Until then ...

Anyway, I like 5 closely-spaced gears ... and a really lazy, over-driven 6th to make highway cruising quiet and efficient. In my SpecV, 3,000 RPMs = 80mph


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

i recently changed the transmission in my altima (now my brothers altima) to the 2000 trans. that gave me a final drive of 3.8x : 1 with a completely different ratio of gearing with first thru fourth and fifth staying exactly the same as it was before. the car accelerates so much better now its not even funny. as far as daily driving goes and this guys decision and needs, im still sticking with the altima idea. im die hard, what can i say? 
**even though i drive a 240 now... ***


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## SpecVeezy (Aug 16, 2003)

Bror Jace said:


> *Asleep*, I hear ya hummin', yo!
> 
> But race cars usually go up in the number of gears to stay in the power band ... like Formula 1. I think most are 7 speeds ... I know Ferrari at least _used to_ have a 7 speed box ... the first of the paddle-shifted electro-trannies.
> 
> ...


you must have loud exhuast


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

Asleep_94_Altima said:


> common slang for an automatic transmission since its entire operation relies on fluid.


o ok thanx well bottom line altima can punish spec-v


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

*altima04*: _"well bottom line, (an) Altima can punish (a) SpecV."_

Um, no. Bottom line is that the car which is 500 lbs lighter will win every time, all things being equal. The V6 Altima is a very different car. Nice, but in a diffwerent class altogether.

*SpecVeezy* I don't get what you're saying ... loud exhaust? My SpecV is stock (for now). Much quieter than my old Civic with a DC Sports cat-back.


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

Bror Jace said:


> *altima04*: _"well bottom line, (an) Altima can punish (a) SpecV."_
> 
> Um, no. Bottom line is that the car which is 500 lbs lighter will win every time, all things being equal. The V6 Altima is a very different car. Nice, but in a diffwerent class altogether.
> 
> *SpecVeezy* I don't get what you're saying ... loud exhaust? My SpecV is stock (for now). Much quieter than my old Civic with a DC Sports cat-back.


uh no do u have a speck v? if u do lets go then!


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

_"uh no do u have a speck v? if u do lets go then!"_

I have my information clearly posted; what I drive and the area I live in.

I don't know what a "speck v" is, sorry. 

As for performance, it's simple physics. Given the same motor, a car which is 500lbs lighter (a SpecV vs. Altima) will accelerate faster, corner better and brake shorter. All are key performance parameters.


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

lets try and keep this on topic. he wants to know what is better for HIM. not a personal race between you guys. this isnt going to turn into the 240 forums and be filled with flame wars.


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## altima04 (Feb 28, 2004)

Asleep_94_Altima said:


> lets try and keep this on topic. he wants to know what is better for HIM. not a personal race between you guys. this isnt going to turn into the 240 forums and be filled with flame wars.[/QUOTE
> hahaha yea he right forget it!


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

altima04 said:


> Asleep_94_Altima said:
> 
> 
> > lets try and keep this on topic. he wants to know what is better for HIM. not a personal race between you guys. this isnt going to turn into the 240 forums and be filled with flame wars.
> ...


hehe, youre in my world now grandma, read the nametag. Now go to sleep or I will *put* you to sleep.


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