your opinions of altima's "torque steer issues"?

nahidiot · Dec 29th, 2003, 02:40 PM

the Altima 3.5se is on my small list of potential new cars, along with perhaps a pre-owned audi a4 3.0.

the primary "complaints" at review sites say the torque steer is a problem, that the seats are "not well-supported," and that the interior feels 'chinsey"

i ask any 2002, 2003, or 2004 altima owners to tell me their opinions on these matters. from as far as i can tell, a little torque steer is worth the acceleration.

thanks

Coco · Dec 29th, 2003, 03:50 PM

you're definately right. a little torque steer is well worth the extra acceleration. its not bad anyway. i don't even notice it anymore and i'm at 37,000 miles.

the seats are big and comfy...no complaints. the only thing that maybe a problem is for small people who are used to racing seats. the altima seats don't have as much side support for the legs/hips as other cars.

the interior...the 2002 interior does feel a little cheap primarily because of all the plastic. the 2003 interior is upgraded and feels a whole lot better. i haven't seen the 04's interior.

hope this helps.

MakoMeat · Dec 30th, 2003, 09:54 AM

Coco pretty much sums it up.

Blank · Jan 1st, 2004, 04:01 PM

04 is identical to 03, 05 "should" be a big upgrade, or complete redo according to a nissan rep, look for 05's in april/may

dadster · Jan 7th, 2004, 01:43 PM

If I drove and compared cars for a living it would be easy to make these kinds of generalizations!

After close to two years and 40K miles my outlook is different:

the torque steer is a problem? I'd say the lack of torque steer in a 240HP front wheel drive car would be a bigger problem! I have an auto which will pull hard when the throttle is wide open at low speed and lower gears.

that the seats are "not well-supported"? They support my 230lbs just fine! With leather seats and seat warmers the Alty has provided excellent 11-12 hour trip support

and that the interior feels "chinsey"? Its not an Infiniti. I like the interior! With a few inexpensive mods you can easily personalize it and add more comfort and style. My list includes a brushed aluminum dash kit and the 03 leather armrest. I already replaced the rubber shift knob with a $10 leather knob which has gotten positive remarks from all who have ridden in the car.

Bottom line, if you want your car to perform, handle and turn heads, get an Alty!

Fred

altimateone · Jan 25th, 2004, 09:58 PM

Any front wheel drive car that has alot of hp and torque will have torque steer. It can catch you off guard if your not ready for it, especially if you have a manual trans as you will only be holding on to the steering wheel with one hand.

**ALTYHOLIC** · Jan 27th, 2004, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by altimateone

Any front wheel drive car that has alot of hp and torque will have torque steer. It can catch you off guard if your not ready for it, especially if you have a manual trans as you will only be holding on to the steering wheel with one hand.

I agree, esp. when you're at a light getting ready for combat and the road
ahead is grooved. Talk about white knuckle racing...

Altima-02 · Mar 12th, 2004, 10:32 AM

I like it!!

Actually it took a little to get used to......