Vehicle: 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5SE with Xtronic CVT pkg and Premium Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$36698

Performance: The Altima Coupe, just like its popular sedan silibing, is available with 2 engines. The base engine is VQ25DE, which is good for 175 horses and 180 lb/ft of torque. This powerplant is more than enough for most daily driving thanks to its maximum torque arrives at 3900rpm. Although its not as refined as its competitor’s 4 bangers, it got its job done pretty well. The optional engine is Nissan’s excellent VQ35DE. Without a doubt, this has to be the world’s best V6 powerplant. Unlike the QR; VQ is refined, smooth and flexible at any rpm. Its also surprisingly quiet when its needed. In Altima’s application, VQ35DE has 270hp and 258 lb/ft of torque. Power has never been an issue with VQ, so does this one. There are just plenty of torque at low rpm without losing the drama at high revs. Nissan’s CVVTCS, or what the rest of the world called variable valve timing, helps in this regard. Throttle response is quick and linear.

The only problem is the transmission. While I have always been a huge fan of CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission, it doesn’t seem to mate well with Altima Coupe’s sporting intentions. While we reviewed Sentra SE-R Spec-V, we already questioned how Nissan is going to communicate with consumers on CVT for an econosport. Its even harder to convince consumers CVT is the proper way to go in a touring coupe with sporty intentions. Yes, Nissan’s Xtronic is an efficient one that works relatively well with both QR25DE and VQ35DE. Xtronic’s character produces refined and sporty drive thanks to manumatic mode. The fuel economy is impressive when combining VQ and Xtronic together. The issue is Nissan has never known for innovations in the past, by “past” I meant since Renault purchase. Its a difficult task to promote CVT with a sports coupe in the same sentence. However, if you are going with its standard 6-speed manual gearbox. Prepare for a clutch that has an unprogressive grabbing point and a long throw shifter. CVT would be the better solution if you are considering an Altima Coupe, the same goes for sedan too!

Handling: Since the introduction of the 3rd generation, Altima has always been regarded as one of the better handlers in its class. With the Altima Coupe, Nissan has taken one step further. The steering is sharp and precise without being too twitchy on the highway. There are plenty of feedback without losing its light precision. As expected from a touring coupe, there is a safe understeer and body rolls are well controlled. The VDC is a fairly uninstrusive type which is a godsent. Best of all, it rides as good as anything else in its class. Nissan engineers finally cured previous Altima’s torque steer in V6 version. For a front-drive touring coupe, Altima is one of the best drives in this segment.

Brakes: With standard 4-wheel discs and ABS, Altima’s braking prowess is as good as its dynamic abilities. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels solid.

Interior: The backseat legroom is spacious for a sports coupe. However, C-pillar has cut some of its headroom.

The use of materials have been improved over Nissan of previous years. However, there are still plenty of hard plastic in major and minor areas along the dashboard and door panels.

The gauges are clear and analog. With stereo placed above the automatic climate control, one doesn’t need to take the eyes off the road while adjusting them. ACC works relatively well during the hot weather. It quickly detects the outside tempeature while adjusting the interior temperature for maximum cooling. The leather seats are well-foamed and comfortable.

Conclusion: With the introduction of the Altima Coupe, Nissan finally have an affordable entrant into the sports coupe market. It has nice powertrains, handles relatively well, seats 4 comfortably and priced competitively. Best of all, this is the first front-drive sports coupe that I have driven that gives Accord coupe a-run-for-its-money.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE
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Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5