Car Review: 2006 Nissan Altima

On a recent vacation I rented a 2006 Nissan Altima. A car rental is cheaper than flying a family of four. We packed the Altima full loading the trunk with various suitcases and luggage. One negative we were not able to it our large 60 quart Igloo Ice Cube in the trunk and the Altima was classified by the rental agency as a full size car. However, the car was able to fit two adults, a car seat, and a nearly six foot tall teenager comfortably.

Performance

Our rental had the standard 2.5 four cylinder engine. However, the four cylinders provided the Altima plenty of pep with 175 horsepower. The 2006 Altima reached highway speeds of 70 miles per hours easily and cruised at 75 mile per hour with little effort. Push the gas pedal a little harder and the car responded with plenty of power to handle the speeds needed for passing or to keep up with the traffic in the hammer lane.

We were able to get 400 miles per 15 gallon fill up consistently on our trip. Our gas mileage was closer to 27 miles per gallon than the 23 miles per gallon Edmunds.com suggested for 2006 Nissan Altima with an automatic transmission. However, the majority of the driving was done on the highway.

Features

The gas gauges appeared to be accurate. I did not run out of gas fueling mostly when the fuel light appeared on the dash. I did like the design of the cockpit as the speedometer was out of sight of those riding shotgun. In other words my wife wasn't able to tell how fast or slow I was driving and vise versa. The power windows and locks worked fine. The panic alarm worked as a great noise maker as my three year old daughter discovered. The car offered a comfortable ride for my family in the four door sedan model. The red color also gave the Altima a sportier look for a sedan and was pleasant to drive.

Overall

The 2006 Nissan Altima performed great and the four cylinder performed so adequately there is no need for the six cylinder version. The price of a used 2006 Nissan Altima would range between $10,000 and $12,000. Of course the vehicle tested was a well maintained rental rented at a dealership. Like all used vehicles it is wise to research the vehicles history and service records. The Altima delivered a consistent, comfortable, fuel efficient ride with pep. After traveling over 2500 miles in the vehicle I would recommend the 2006 Nissan Altima to anyone looking for a great used family car.

Sources:

Edmunds.com