Its rounded features make the 2008 Nissan Altima both a good looking and welcoming car to take out onto the road. It is a gift of the Nissan name that keeps on giving, with a stylish durability that is great for families who need a sedan or midsize coupe that has something more to it than sturdy, stain proof upholstery–this coupe has style. Just because you’re packing kids doesn’t mean you have to settle for second best anymore. The 2008 Nissan Altima is fun to drive and well designed both inside and out.
The Good:
- engine is unbeatable
- continuously variable transmission is competent
- responsive steering
- well designed interior
- great sporty looks
The Bad:
- if you get the four cylinder engine, no option for stability control
- backseat only moderately comfortable
- options packages organized weirdly
The 2008 model year brings a few changes to the old Nissan friend, the Altima. This year it goes from only offering the sedan body style to adding a new coupe body style for those more interested in getting the same quality but branching out. The engines and transmissions stay the same this year, although that is no insult because they’re strong enough to stick around. New styling designs, improved suspension and more intelligent weight proportioning make the 2008 Nissan Altima seem almost like a whole new car.
With either the body style of a midsize sedan or a coupe, the 2008 Nissan Altima comes in four trim levels, which are designated according to the engine they come with. These trim levels are base 2.5, 2.5 S, 3.5 SE, and 3.5 SL. The base 2.5 trim level, which can only be gotten on request, comes standard with:
- 16 inch wheels
- tilt and telescope steering wheel
- keyless entry
- cruse control
- keyless start
- full power accessories
The 2.5 S takes things up a notch with the addition of:
- AC
- CD player
- trip computer
- intermittent wipers
The 3.5 SE, with its 3.5 liter engine, is where the sportiness of the vehicle starts to really come into play. It joins the 2.5s with:
- automatic headlights
- sport tuned suspension
- 17 inch alloy wheels
- leather wrapped steering wheel
Then, the top of the line trim, which takes things a little further than its brother trim, the 3.5 SE, is the 3.5 SL, which adds:
- leather seating
- moon roof
- automatic climate control
- auto dimming rear view mirror
- 16 inch alloy wheels
- Bluetooth connectivity
- xenon HID headlights
The packaging of the options for the 2008 Nissan Altima can get confusing. One of the packages is the Premium Package. This one comes either with the coupe or the 3.5 SE sedan. This comes with pretty much everything that the SL edition adds. Every trim level and body style, except for the 2.5, can be gotten with the Technology Package, which adds a navigation system with traffic updates and a rear view monitor. In order to get it, though, you have to get the Premium Package, too, and it ain’t cheap.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.