In August 2020, I saw a beat up newer Altima in a parking lot. Thought it was odd but whatever. As I left the store, I went to slowly back up and said Altima came flying through the lot. To this day still the fastest is ever seen someone go through a busy parking lot. And that’s where it started. I called it early and here we are 3 years later.
They don't call the Altima the "baby mama Hellcat" for nothing lol. But as a side note, the first and second generation Altimas and the third generation SE-R were established in the group awhile ago as being exempt from BAE. Third generation cars are part of BAE, but not really. It usually applies to the 4-cylinder ones. The peak of BAE is the fourth generation 2.5s with a CVT on its way out, various forms of body damage and with one of its windows being a Hefty bag. But when you mentioned the Pontiac Grand Am as being the "pre-BAE" that was dead accurate along with the last generation Chevy Cavalier. The G35, Chrysler 200, V6 Chargers and even the W-Body Chevrolet Impalas also fall under BAE but each have their own subcategories
@@mbach2826 Exactly! 2007 was when Nissan started shoving that shitty JATCO CVT into everything they made, ironically enough that was when Nissan build quality/reliability started to take a nosedive with the mid-2010s being the peak of it and ironically the peak of BAE. My friend bought a 2015 Nissan Sentra SV new and it's CVT shit itself at 30,000 miles which shows you how far they have fallen in recent years where now they're called the "Chrysler of Japan" 😂
@@EmanL8758 oh, wow!! Did your friend get rid of the car, or get a new transmission put in?? And yeah, Chryslers aren't much better. Especially the Chrysler 200s, the base model minivans and the Chargers
@@mbach2826 He got rid of it and bought a Prius which he still has to this day and has over 100,000 miles on it and he actually sued Nissan over it which IIRC was settled out of court. Yeah, with Chrysler the words "build quality" and "reliability" don't exactly go in the sentence. Especially their transmissions which have the build quality of a week old salad 😂. OMG, the recent Chrysler 200 with it's faulty nine-speed automatic and Dodge Dart and even some other "Murican BAE" contenders like the Dodge Journey were POSes from the factory. Also you know it's bad when you don't see a Dart or 200 recent memory because they pretty much disappear once Chrysler stopped making them lol.
@@EmanL8758 That's good. Wayyyy better choice as far as reliability and eco-friendly go!! And oh man!! I never understood how dodge can make such a big SUV (Journey) and put such a garbage engine/transmission combo in it :( Like really?? A 2010+ vehicle with a 4 speed?? I don't think they ever upgraded their transmission with the 4cyl Journey. And yeah, the 9 speeds in the 200 weren't any better
I had to get OUT of the '12 Altima my dad loaned me for getting to and from work, needless to say as soon as i had enough to be the owner of an accord i took that chance
I think you hit the nail on the head for BAE. It’s a car that they made millions of, they’re reliable enough to last, and cheap enough for people who make bad financial and personal choices. Edit: The manual transmission Altima is exempt from BAE because it’s a rarity and most younger drivers don’t know or bother to learn to drive manual. Think of it as a performance version, I guess.
The 2002 Altima was more than sensible transportation. It was the most sporting fwd midsize sedan(other than nissans own maxima haha). Altima was the first tohave 240horsepower and an available 6MT when the competition still only had 200 with no available manual.
Having credit score is the official "we totally don't live in a dystopia haha guys"
10 днів тому
@ ileutur6863 it’s a terrifying thought that a humans social value matters so much to them that creating nearly any way to segment the population in this way will be widely accepted due to the innate need to survive.
Let me tell you Philadelphia has alarming amounts of Big Altima Energy. Going 55 in a traffic filled 25, windows tinted darker than the depths of space, both bumpers hanging on by a thread and smoke pouring from both ends.
From working at a large used car dealer, I can attest to the fact that the Altimas we got in, both for inventory and for wholesale, were ratty as could be! Even like new models had odd damage and questionable histories that can only be explained as BAE
The only reason Altimas aren't at the top of the reported accidents list is because they don't get reported. Edit: also, I just saw an altima with the door falling off. I took a picture 😂
2002 - 2006 still had a traditional automatic, no CVT. 2007 on - have the crap CVT. I have a 06 Altima as a second car and love it! It’s been a great car; it’s been in the family since new.
Same with the Sentra- I just let go of my 2006 Sentra, I’ve had it for 3 years and it was relatively trouble free. Bought it for $1700 and it had 130K miles on it at the time
@@garmarrod I get what you wanted to say as these transmissions were designed for maximum efficiency and never built to be raced and abused, but Nissan CVTs are among the worst to exist, mechanically speaking.
As an owner of an Altima... I have to say I love it. Efficient, comfortable, reliable. I have a CVT. If you change the fluid once in a blue moon you won't have issues. But most people don't.
I think that might be a big part of the problem. If someone isn't replacing the missing headlight or busted bumper, they sure aren't changing the transmission fluid!
Wtf is “once in a blue moon” i dont think you know what that means being that you imply that you change the fluid more regularly 😂 That term is for something very rare which is in fact a problem
It's not enough to get the bolt pattern right. Also gotta make sure the centering bore is correct. Too small, and they won't mount to your hubs without reboring the wheel. Too large, and they'll need centering rings to prevent vibration
I had an 07 altima sedan with the 4 cylinder and a 6 speed that also had the convenience package which had a sunroof , power seats, and the steering wheel radio controls. Definitely a rare combination.
I was behind a classic BAE yesterday in Dallas. - Light silver color - Driving 45 on the highway - Was raining like crazy and probably had bald tires and looked like the wipers didn't work. - passenger side rear bumper was flapping in the wind - rear shocks were blown causing any minor dip to shuck and dive - i thought the right turn signal was left on, but realized it was their hazards and the left side was just burned out - i bet the interior was in shambles
2016, Minnesota, my wife, a cautious driver in a bright red 2012 VW Jetta was slowly backing out of a parking space wedged between two SUVs. All of a sudden, a black blur along with crunching noises fly past the rear of the Jetta. The Nissan had red paint all down the side and Jetta was now sporting black scrapes across the back of the rear bumper. My wife was distraught, the Altima owner was unfazed, and at least not angry. Insurance was exchanged. Since my wife was in the process of backing up, she was blamed, and the repairs cost the exact amount as our deductible. To this day we watch out for B.A.E. and it has saved us from additional accidents.
Possibility of accidents like that are why I never park between big SUVs and always reverse park so I’m guaranteed visibility before I pull out of a spot. Fortunately it’s kept me from being victimized by BAEs so far
With the exception of the flaming Altima at the end, I don't think a single B.A.E. pic or clip was repeated throughout this 9 minute video... I'm impressed and terrified all at the same time!
I didn't know about the Altima's bad reputation until I got hit head on by one that was going 105mph. I didn't even know they could go that fast. Luckily I was in my 4x4 that day because my daily driver had broken down. I don't think I could've survived that wreck in a smaller vehicle.
@@mr.perfectcell3236 my truck didn't have airbags or shoulder belts, so my face took the brunt of the impact. I hit the steering wheel hard enough to break the steering column at the tilt joint. Most of my teeth were knocked out and my entire face had to be reconstructed. The Altima went underneath me and pushed the floorboard up, pinning my legs under the dash and breaking them both in multiple places. My pelvis was broken and my spine dislocated from folding around the lap belt. I had a torn intestine and a broken arm as well. Four days in a coma and two months in the hospital. It was bad. Could've been worse though. I could've been in the Altima. The other driver didn't make it.
Up here in Wisconsin, the Altimas that are road rockets are NEW(er) models, without any body damage. (The older used ones are babied to keep the cvt from blowing up while the owner saves up for a better car)
I bought my 2005 Altima back in 2016 for 1k and it had over 200k miles. Still going strong at 280k mile and besides needing to replace struts and s few other random things its been pretty great.
I discovered this B.A.E One night when, I was going 130mph in my C8 and an altima was staying with me. It seemed that was its limit and I played with them a bit as they recorded me by speeding away and slowing down over and over next to them until taking off. It was honestly more exiting for me to see this sedan next to me at 130mph than i think it was for them seing me take off after. (also thier front bumper was hanging half off 😂 literally perfect "B.A.E")
Honestly I think you wouldn’t have kept up with an Altima going the same speed. Chances you would have to slow down cause of the gas you’ll be wasting really quick.
@@TomTheCat. That's non-sense. A Corvette could easily cruise along at 130mph. An Altima would be screaming at that speed trying to make enough horsepower (and wasting lots of fuel doing so). 🤦
Just so everyone knows a little bit of history before the Altima came to be in this position, the Chevy Malibu existed in it's place. Malibu's Most Unwanted baby!
a bit of a story of how Altima's ended up with the worst drivers possible. You mentioned sub prime auto loans but for Altima's there was a very big reason for this in the early to mid 2000's. At that time the Altima was the top airport rental car in the country, and many many Altima's were used as rental cars and then sold wholesale for almost nothing, think like sub 2k per car at auction if you bought like 20+ of them at once. They then went back on dealer lots with prices like 15k for a 19k mile last year example, and then let someone talk them down to say 12k and put them on a 7 year subprime loan because even if you only paid for two years, they were technically still ahead. Repeat this for 10's of thousands of a single model of car, and down the road it can do some real reputation damage. Oh and btw, the reason why they had such crazy low auction prices was due to tax reasons they couldn't sell them for more.
I had an Altima on rent some 8 years ago. Coming from abroad, I didn't know any of this, and it was honestly a big comfortable relaxing car. I had no gripes with the CVT and actually that car inspired my next purchase, a 2011 Subaru Outback. Similar size and behavior on the road and I loved it. Maybe I got the Altima luck though, as after 2 years a lady looked at her phone too much and crashed into me in a traffic jam. Unfortunately she crashed so hard it totaled my Subaru.
That's how my dad totalled his unreasonably clean Crown Vic (no it wasn't a cop car). Some lady rear-ended him at a stop sign, and because my dad's car had a trailer hitch (long story short, unreliable riding mower), it bent the living shit out of the frame.
The Altima stereotypes are so true. I been a mechanic and car guy for nearly 20 years now and can vouch. BAE is very real. There is a reason I refuse to work on them without even needing to, since Altima owners dont maintain them anyway. I have had maybe 3 Altima customers that were regulars and they were so cheap was always a hassle. They insist on me using their supplied parts, so I just banned Altimas along with Audis and Mersatan's Benz. Dont gotta deny working on P/T cruisers, no one repairs them anyway once grandma gives them to her Juggalo grandkids.
My old roommate (who was very conservative, good credit, not a car guy) had the same classic Altima we all know. It was clean though and completely stock, no damage. That was BEFORE I knew about BAE though. He's certainly an outlier. I think the reason these cars are aggressively picked on now is because you can pick them up DIRT CHEAP and they usually are beat to hell and back. The owners just usually do not care for them and treat them as disposables. I think generally with more boring Toyotas (at least in the past) you get a lot more conservative drivers who are less likely to trash them and are probably not kids.
Disclaimer: I have an 88' Supra, 94' Camry, and a 01' Celica GT-S. All extremely nice, no damage. The MKIII Supra believe it or not has the same exact issue for a while now the Altima does. they are sort of cheap to get into, but they are still expensive top-tier Toyota cars and keeping up with them costs a lot of time, effort, and money. Most are not willing to go that far so it's EXCEEDINGLY rare to find nice ones at all now.
Elderly couple next door bought a new one in 2013. They own their own home, I'm sure have decent credit given their age and homeowner status. After ten years it looks great because it stays in a garage and, well, is driven by older folks (of which I'm rapidly on my way to becoming). But yeah, there are always the outliers like them. Literally two days ago I had one pull out in front of me without looking. I discovered my brakes work well - hardest I've come down on them in the two years I've owned my car. Pro tip - on a 50 MPH road don't pull out in front of someone only a hundred feet from you. Your head turns both ways ese. 😑
Had an 06 Altima as a work vehicle and absolutely loved it. This was the year before they put in the CVT. The 4 cycl engine actually sounded decent unlike most mainstream cars today with GDI that sounds like a diesel. And it was quite spacious and comfortable on long drives! Worked perfectly with my daily 150+ mile trips.
I've found that asking if someone is familiar with "Altima energy" tends to get exactly the same reaction as asking if they know what the inside of a Dollar General is like. It's such a consistent phenomenon that you never have to explain what you mean, even though it's bizarrely specific.
I mean what's wrong with the inside of an average Dollar General? Feel like I'm missing out on what 'consistent phenomenons' happen at them considering I've barely been to any in my life and that they just built one up near me after years of living here 😭
@@Arbaz3102They're liminal spaces, and constantly in a state of disarray that feels uncanny in a commercial setting. They don't pay anyone to organize anything, just to keep merchandise on/near vaguely relevant shelves and to make sure people don't steal the cash register. It's hell for Doordash drivers btw, because they can't substitute "close-enough" products without the customer manually approving the exact SKU (and they can't scan a product to request substitution approval, it has to be done verbally over call/text with the customer). You may find three brands of 4-packs of AA batteries, but you found Duracell and Energizer, and the customer wanted a 4-pack of AA Rayovacs which is nowhere to be seen, and you ask an employee for help and they suggest three locations halfway across the store from each other, and then it turns out that brand is actually out of stock so you need to keep calling the customer hoping they finally answer their stupid phone.
A few weeks ago I was backing of a parking space at Walmart. Both ways were clear and safe. Then out of the blue an Altima blows past at about 40mph almost hitting me, didn’t stop for two stop signs and ran a red light. And all of that happened in less than roughly a minute...
I owned 2 nissans with CVT transmissions, a 2010 Altima 2.5s and a 2012 Versa 1.6s and both lasted well into 200,000 miles. The versa got a little over 205,000 before it was totaled by someone hitting it at the rear going 40mph and i sold the Altima with over 190,000 miles to a friend who is still driving it today. Just replaced normal easy to service parts like spark plugs, catalytic converter on both cars after 100,000 both went out which is not unusual for Nissans and Honda's, and 1 set of motor mounts and thats it. Literally no problems with transmissions etc. Regular maintenance oil changes etc is the key in my opinion. They have easy serviceable CVTs with drain plugs and easy to access filters that should be changed every 40,000 to 60,000 miles. I did this and they both run and ran like new...
Owner of a 13 Altima here, let me assure you, sometimes it’s just other people hitting your Altima that gives it that big Altima energy look. Seriously I’ve had mine for about 5 years and it’s been rear ended, backed into in a parking lot, rocks launched at the windshield by motorcycles, and backed into while parked at my fucking house! (and that one nearly totaled it) I honestly think Altima’s just have a big target painted on them! P.S. it has been repaired and looks mint now. But for how long?
The one car you don’t want to mess with, I was driving my Mclaren and had one of these behind me, about 8 inches from my rear bumper… the guy had massive BAE and had one headlight working and some tape on the mirror… anyways I floor it to about 110-120 to put a gap between us… anyways, next moment this Altima comes flying past me after I slowed to 70, he must’ve been doing about 130-140. To make it even more classic, his rear light was missing and the other was cracked. I never saw that car again… he just kept it pinned for miles. No Fucks to give and probably told everyone he smoked a Mclaren. Yes, yes he did.
My Sister had a 16, she once went 65 in a 45 blasting Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride and ended up later on falling asleep behind the wheel and crashing it in 2020, she apparently kind of misses it and wants another despite the CVT going out at 50k.
I think Nissans in general are cars that take the most abuse, but keep on going. That’s honestly what convinced me to buy a new Titan a few years ago. I still see plenty of 04-06 Titans in my area being used as work trucks. Every one has 300k+ miles, is beat to hell, neglected and clearly overloaded. But every day, they still start up and get the job done.
From my experience, that has a lot more to do with the type of people who buy Nissans than the cars themselves. From what I've seen, people who value quality and reliability tend to buy things like Hondas and Toyotas instead of Nissans if at all possible. People who spend extra money on cars known for being well made and reliable tend take better care of them and and not trash them like someone who buys a cheap beater. At least where I am, there are WAY more trashed Altimas than Camrys or Accords. Of course that's not entirely because Honda and Toyota make/made better cars than Nissan, the way the owner treats the car matters more than anything else. I don't have much experience with Nissan's trucks, but the few I have worked on for friends and neighbors seemed to be decent and holding up pretty well.
I had a 2005 Altima that I maintained and drove for 13 years and hit 285k miles. Unfortunately the floor boards rusted out and the head gasket blow. I was trying so hard to hit 300k. Oh well, I got everything I could out of that car and have only good things to say about it.
My family actually used to have this generation Altima in a very similar color. It was a 2003 that we bought used in 2006 and kept until 2008. It was actually a very nice car. It was comfortable, reliable, and didn't look half bad. Of course this was years before the BAE was even a thing. What made the exterior even cooler was that the original owner put a set of American Racing wheels on it that gave it a sporty, low profile look. I actually liked it and we kept good care of it.
Most people don’t know this but, the Nissan Altima is designed to, and performs best, when one of four tires is missing and the rim is exposed. This is especially true when it is one of the front wheels.
I was driving a semi-truck through Dallas one night; the speed limit on the Woodall Rogers Freeway is 45 miles an hour. Naturally, an Altima came screaming past me, my truck's forward collision radar caught him doing 125 for the millisecond he was in my truck's radar range.
My older sister had a 2009 Altima for years. She babied that car a lot and it showed. Even though she did hit a deer and had to replace the whole front bumper. It soldiered onward till she traded it in. Last I remember, it had 236k miles on the original transmission and motor (at which started to fall apart) and was then (likely) scrapped. She loved that little blue car.
My mom, she knows a friend that owns an Altima. I know her too but she's is the exact opposite of having BAE. That car in particular looks great with no damage whatsoever. I'm honestly surprised that she's one of the only Altima drivers that's a good driver
The PT Cruiser immediately brings up a mental image of a leathery woman coming out of a trailerpark, pall malls in one hand, beating her kid in the back seat with the other, nearly getting hit by a tractor trailer in the process.
My sister has big altima energy lmao, she totalled the first one and stopped making payments on the newer one and got it repoed, being in the passenger seat when she was behind the wheel of her own car is terrifying. (Edit: after hearing what you said about only finding them in junkyards 20 years from now, thats IF we even have junk yards at that point, our right to repair our own vehicles is being stripped from us.)
The original 2.5 in the Altima are prone to head gasket failures at high mileage, but the 3.5 was better, despite it having maximum B.A.E. for being so powerful
The original QR25DEs were also paired with shitty cat converters were the filtration can break off and cause catastrophic engine failure. They revised this engine with the fourth gen Altima.
Never heard of BAE until 3 days ago when watching Sofyan Bey's review on the new Altima. I had a 2002 when it first came out, and I loved it. I had the 4 cyl, but you could get the 240 HP V6, for under 24k. That was AMAZING at that time. It actually had a Lexus GS shape to it, was bigger, for virtally half the price.
I just did a nation wide search for Altimas on Car Gurus, specifying manual transmission. Less than 20 came up, but after reviewing photos only 3 were actual manuals. Unicorn! 🤣
It’s a shame bc the first gen Altima was a hidden gem! Mine was a SE with the wing sunroof and side skirts. Plus I turbo’d mine and gave it full intake and exhaust and wheels and tires. I loved it. Wish I woulda never sold it
@@mach1mustangguy992 5MT was a bit rare drove many but don't think I ever tried out a manual shoulda been some fun as the K24DE had 150hp and these weren't all that heavy.
Funny you mentioned the Chrysler 200. I'm seeing more and more clapped out 200's driving aggressively with "Big Altima Energy" and said to my wife the other day that they must be the new generation of BAE.
I think you're thinking of the 300. Lol I find it interesting that he said the 200 because I don't really see a lot of bad 200 drivers but a lot of bad 300 drivers
@@engineer_alv it’s a 2015 where could they have gone? Maybe in your state yes but here I see them every 4th car 😂. Much like How I see more Malibu’s and fusions than camrys and accords yet those sale better. It’s state by state but just because YOU don’t see them doesn’t mean they are rare. You can’t see the whole earths roads at once lol. You’re only one person
I helped my older sister buy her first car a 07 Altima 2.5 s, within 4 months (full disclosure we live in the city btw) a clown knocked off her passenger side mirror and so for the past week I’ve been driving the car since I’m used to driving cars that are more or less beat up. I almost got into an accident we’re a crazy Lady in a Range Rover blew past a school zone almost hit me going 45 in a 20. Keep in mind this is an active school day, kids are out, crossing guard had the sign out and everything. She wasn’t planning on stopping. I was pulling out cause the crossing guard gave me the all clear, and here comes this crazy bat. Long story short. She had the nerve to call me an “incompetent driver” due to the fact of my missing mirrior. Since that day I replaced the mirror and honestly haven’t driven since. I just walk now. This video made me laugh my ass off. I should go for a drive.😂
My housemate has a 2012 Altima. Has ~150k miles, runs smoothly, minor cosmetic damage. He just bought a new Tesla and he didn’t even trade in the Altima, he still drives it! The CVT is a ticking time bomb though.
I just recently got a new car and still held onto my 2015 Altima because I love it so much. It’s extremely comfortable, smooth, excellent gas mileage and has always been reliable for me. I maintain it well, full synthetic oil changes every 4-5k miles and MOST IMPORTANTLY after engine oil, I get the transmission serviced every 40k miles with Nissan specific transmission fluid!! 140k trouble free miles so far. These cars get ran into the ground and never receive proper maintenance then get shit on when they finally give out after years of abuse. They’re good cars if you treat them decent.
Bought an 07 Altima 2.5 SL with leather seats and Bose stereo but also had a phone connection so I could attend conference calls while driving half way around DC. The SL only came with automatic transmission. I still own it but no longer as my primary mode of transport as I'm retired. Altima has over 140,000 miles and the only expense has been standard servicing, tires and brakes. You know the usual wear. Even my CVT is original with no maintenance other than regular servicing. I now drive a toy (geese, a 2017 Miata which is the most enjoyable car I've oned). I also have an 04 Sentra SER Specv with the Altima engine, and 6 speed manual and front wheel drive. I believe the drive train was carved out of an anvil. 100k miles but it needs painting.
Over here on my part of the east coast it seems like the Altimas are being traded in on older Rogues and now they are being driven as poorly as the old Altimas.
I owned an Altima for 10 months. I can assure you, Altima energy has nothing to do with the car, but everything to do with fighting off the demon voices that are audible from the CVT. In all seriousness though the car was actually pretty good, but I was overpaying like crazy on it so I traded it in for a 2023 Mazda 3
Welcome to the Mazda3 club. Hatchback AWD for me. Got brake checked by a BAE a few weeks ago. Midnight, no cars around, I had cruise on 67mph, and randomly a clapped out Altima brake checked me and swerved to prevent me from passing. Did it to the other 2 cars that caught up to me since he was doing 40 mph on a 65 on I-95. It's the new ghetto hooptie. Used to be those old Chevy Luminas and Camrys, now it's the Altima. Saw one with 2 blown tires and still driving. Car full of weed smoking girls, like 6 of them packed in with junk all over the place. Offered to help until I realized they blew two tires clean off the rims. So they drove off on the rim. Good thing it was the start of C19 and there was no cars on the road.
Oh my god I'm loving the zip ties holding the hub caps on. Been there, done that on my '09 CVT Altima! With that said, the thing has gotten me to and from work for 10 years now and counting. It may be my least favorite car I've owned in my life lol, but oddly enough, it's been strangely reliable (transmission definitely stinks but it is what it is).
You say people don't have nostalgia for the Altima, but I do. I don't want to go out and buy a used one, I acknowledge it's a bad car to drive in 2023. But my mom bought a 2002 Nissan Altima that was the car of my childhood. It was the car I learned to drive in, the car which eventually became my car, the car I put everything I owned in and drove off to college. For me at least it was very reliable, had a huge 20 gallon gas tank, was comfortable, big trunk, and lots of space for passengers. It may not be a collectable, but I still smile when I see one going down the road.
My wife & I turned the trash tv show "on patrol live" into a drinking game. Whenever an Altima appears on screen, take a shot. I'm usually hammered around 45 minutes in...
I…I can’t believe it. Someone, someone who has a measured, intelligent response on the ignorant Big Altima Energy fad. I thought I’d be alone forever. Thank you 🥲 When it comes to people subscribing to BAE, I can’t help but sense a level of classism when they’re hating on people with damaged cars. Life happens to most drivers and the instinct is to ridicule. Simply because their in one of the most common cars in North America. And this is comming from a chap who really likes his Altima. That car is what made me into a car enthusiast
I drive a 2013 Chrysler 200,I was lucky enough to pay it off in like 6 months. Two months later,my mom is driving in a parking lot and some asshole in a work truck smashed into the side behind the rear wheels,and sped off. Every body shop in Phoenix wanted like 1,700 to replace the bumper and side quarter panel. As the light wasn’t smashed,I can’t afford to spend 1,700 or have the time to save up 1,700 just to make it look pretty,especially as it’s a used car I’m not shelling 3 weeks of pay for a cosmetic procedure on a vehicle that could realistically die in the near future.
As someone with a 2007 3.5 SE CVT Altima, there is likely a reputation to unreliability because there is nothing in the service manual about fluid change intervals for it (mine has around 140k miles with an original transmission and it runs perfect)
I have sometimes been surprised altima drivers that were not as agressive as I thought they would be but do see a lot going fast. I wonder if the stress of poverty and how lower income employees are treated when late for work causes way more problems in lives.
It probably does, the low cost of purchase and the high tolerance for neglect make the Altima a great car to navigate the sprawling suburban hells of America.
2020 I was driving my Lexus GX460 to BJJ class at 5:00 a.m. in St. Louis, Missouri on Highway 40. A black altima was sitting in the middle of the road with its lights off. I was able to slow down enought to not have my air bags deploy, but my front end smashed the back of the altima so that the truck was smashed up. The operator of the altima semi woke up and then drove off onto the shoulder. He then proceeded to drive over a 3-5 foot embankment and drive off a side road, while my car was undriveable. This was probably a 2008 Altima. The cop who arrived on scene and I walked the embankment and we were both impressed with the build quality of the Altima.
The clip of the Altima going through the gas station is part of a longer balls-out Arkansas Trooper chase where the driver pulled the absolute sickest ditch move I’ve ever seen.
Fun fact: insurance rates on Altimas are disproportionately higher than it’s rivals (Camry, Accord, etc) bc of the way they are driven / the people who buy them
I mean I was on the left lane around 83 to 84 but yeah a crazy Altima is definitely going 120 plus using the emergency lane to pass everyone in a heavy traffic situation.
Not gonna lie. I drive a 2016 Maxima like a bat out of hell. Got it 6 months ago, 120k miles ,it's on loan, I have bad credit, I'm behind on maintenance, and I've scraped my rims. Just going through some stuff and money definitely is an issue. But I really, really love this car. The safety features in it are fantastic, like emergency braking, radar, sonar; and the CVT in it is honestly really good (It is their flagship after all) it's not dented, and I always make sure I have open space for fast maneuvers. My first big paycheck will all be going into this car. Funny thing is, I drove an Altima before the Maxima, and never heard of BAE until I was watching reviews of the Maxima.
All the points you make are well thought out, instead of jumping on a hate bandwagon you bring a sensible set of facts to make sense of the mayhem that is the Nissan Altima
I actually owned that generation of Altima (L31) even in that same color and 2.5L engine too. It's a bit of a shame with #BAE because it was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned when my life wasn't so great. It was cheap to run, relatively comfortable and never left me stranded for the four years I drove it. The only thing killed it after about 248,000 miles was colliding with a deer on the highway.
I’m so glad we don’t have these problems here in Germany 😂 if your car is not roadworthy and you are endangering others, you will be arrested and you lose your license. Of course, license tests are much harder here too. As they should
Once upon a time in a California far, far away there were road side vehicle checks performed by the Highway Patrol. If you're car didn't pass they gave you a ticket-to-fix-it. Kept hoopties off the road.
@@lawnmowerdude AS it should be, America, land of the Free...if we want to be dumb, we shouldn't be punished for it....and if we are too poor to fix our cars, we shouldn't be punished for it...Germany sounds like hell, besides the superior beer.
@@fortheloveofnoise See, the problem with americans is that you think freedom means being a loud asshole and a danger to people around you. Europeans understand that their freedom ends where another's begins.
I think you were on the right track when you pointed out what a big deal the Altima was at launch. For a lot of people, it probably remained a "cool" car that they think is fast.
My grandparents owned a Nissan Altima. They had an old ugly one, then they bought a new one in like 2005 or so. It was a good car. My grandfather took me for rides in it. My dad and my aunts had driven it a couple times. It did what it was supposed to. Nobody in my family ever displayed that Big Altima Energy.
The 1st and 2nd Gen Altimas were great driving cars and reliable. They were definitely worthy competition for Toyota and Honda but the styling wasn’t great. My mom had a 07 2.5 with the CVT. The car was nearly perfect for 150,000 miles until it was totaled. CVT was flawless. I didn’t like them at first but after spending a week with the car I grew to like it. It worked well. That car only needed 1 ignition coil and 1 blower motor relay before it was wrecked.
In August 2020, I saw a beat up newer Altima in a parking lot. Thought it was odd but whatever. As I left the store, I went to slowly back up and said Altima came flying through the lot. To this day still the fastest is ever seen someone go through a busy parking lot. And that’s where it started. I called it early and here we are 3 years later.
A beat up new Altima is nothing new for me.
We’ve seen them a lot. Some of them rich, BMW drivers, or having an Altima .
2 years 10 months*
I've been hit by Altimas way before that.
Since I've had a dashcam I've been rear ended twice by Altimas and T boned by a outlander.
All before 2020 🎉
😆😂😂
They don't call the Altima the "baby mama Hellcat" for nothing lol. But as a side note, the first and second generation Altimas and the third generation SE-R were established in the group awhile ago as being exempt from BAE. Third generation cars are part of BAE, but not really. It usually applies to the 4-cylinder ones. The peak of BAE is the fourth generation 2.5s with a CVT on its way out, various forms of body damage and with one of its windows being a Hefty bag. But when you mentioned the Pontiac Grand Am as being the "pre-BAE" that was dead accurate along with the last generation Chevy Cavalier. The G35, Chrysler 200, V6 Chargers and even the W-Body Chevrolet Impalas also fall under BAE but each have their own subcategories
I came here to say most of this!! Altimas didn't really become BAE until Nissan started putting CVTs in them
@@mbach2826 Exactly! 2007 was when Nissan started shoving that shitty JATCO CVT into everything they made, ironically enough that was when Nissan build quality/reliability started to take a nosedive with the mid-2010s being the peak of it and ironically the peak of BAE. My friend bought a 2015 Nissan Sentra SV new and it's CVT shit itself at 30,000 miles which shows you how far they have fallen in recent years where now they're called the "Chrysler of Japan" 😂
@@EmanL8758 oh, wow!! Did your friend get rid of the car, or get a new transmission put in?? And yeah, Chryslers aren't much better. Especially the Chrysler 200s, the base model minivans and the Chargers
@@mbach2826 He got rid of it and bought a Prius which he still has to this day and has over 100,000 miles on it and he actually sued Nissan over it which IIRC was settled out of court. Yeah, with Chrysler the words "build quality" and "reliability" don't exactly go in the sentence. Especially their transmissions which have the build quality of a week old salad 😂. OMG, the recent Chrysler 200 with it's faulty nine-speed automatic and Dodge Dart and even some other "Murican BAE" contenders like the Dodge Journey were POSes from the factory. Also you know it's bad when you don't see a Dart or 200 recent memory because they pretty much disappear once Chrysler stopped making them lol.
@@EmanL8758 That's good. Wayyyy better choice as far as reliability and eco-friendly go!! And oh man!! I never understood how dodge can make such a big SUV (Journey) and put such a garbage engine/transmission combo in it :( Like really?? A 2010+ vehicle with a 4 speed?? I don't think they ever upgraded their transmission with the 4cyl Journey. And yeah, the 9 speeds in the 200 weren't any better
I see a white Altima all the time in my neighborhood that has no tail lights. Not "burned out", they aren't physically there.
The llegend is then true!!
All I know is, when I'm around Altimas I never relax...
🍉
Make this the cleanest Altima in LA, polish the headlights and give the paint a good once-over, and throw on some new hubcaps if you're feeling crazy
Nah, alloys ftw.
@@jacobrzeszewski6527 stolen 3.5 wheels, with skinny tires pls
Spinning hubcaps?
@@SoY_7 nah, that's for GMs
love this idea, i don’t think i’ve ever seen a clean altima 😂 they’re always clapped out with LED’s and straight piped
As an 05 Altima owner I agree.
BAE is a dark power that not many can control
I had to get OUT of the '12 Altima my dad loaned me for getting to and from work, needless to say as soon as i had enough to be the owner of an accord i took that chance
I'm buying my a road missile altima myself here soon just for the stereotype reasons lmao
I think you hit the nail on the head for BAE. It’s a car that they made millions of, they’re reliable enough to last, and cheap enough for people who make bad financial and personal choices.
Edit: The manual transmission Altima is exempt from BAE because it’s a rarity and most younger drivers don’t know or bother to learn to drive manual. Think of it as a performance version, I guess.
Not necessarily performance, just shows a level of thoughtfulness and planning that often doesn't exist in people with BAE
The 2002 Altima was more than sensible transportation. It was the most sporting fwd midsize sedan(other than nissans own maxima haha). Altima was the first tohave 240horsepower and an available 6MT when the competition still only had 200 with no available manual.
@@CRAPO2011 interior build quality was lower than Toyota and Honda, so while it was a decent choice, it wasn't the most sensible.
@@CRAPO2011 in 2002 the Camry and Accord both offered manuals
@@alexandertebo4011 but they were not 6 spd
Altima. Official car of a 514 credit score. Official car of the black and mild.
Too fancy for my blood, I got 0 credit score and a Sentra
Little Trees Black Ice
Having credit score is the official "we totally don't live in a dystopia haha guys"
@ ileutur6863 it’s a terrifying thought that a humans social value matters so much to them that creating nearly any way to segment the population in this way will be widely accepted due to the innate need to survive.
Let me tell you Philadelphia has alarming amounts of Big Altima Energy. Going 55 in a traffic filled 25, windows tinted darker than the depths of space, both bumpers hanging on by a thread and smoke pouring from both ends.
And Hondas around Philly here.
got ran into the barrier by an altima that clipped me while he was flying past in the should of the Surekill lol
From working at a large used car dealer, I can attest to the fact that the Altimas we got in, both for inventory and for wholesale, were ratty as could be! Even like new models had odd damage and questionable histories that can only be explained as BAE
Sub Prime cars for Sub Prime customers.
Bro is afraid to mention the uhhh urban male demographic for BAE with an affinity to basketball and menthols.
I'm glad that more people are becoming aware of this Altima epidemic
Altima:
Always
Leave
This
Insane
Motorist
Alone
The only reason Altimas aren't at the top of the reported accidents list is because they don't get reported. Edit: also, I just saw an altima with the door falling off. I took a picture 😂
Sounds like a magnificent sight 🤣
2002 - 2006 still had a traditional automatic, no CVT. 2007 on - have the crap CVT.
I have a 06 Altima as a second car and love it! It’s been a great car; it’s been in the family since new.
Yep! That's why the third gen doesn't quite have as much B.A.E. as the later gens. It's a decent car!! :) :)
How many people have you killed with it
Same with the Sentra- I just let go of my 2006 Sentra, I’ve had it for 3 years and it was relatively trouble free. Bought it for $1700 and it had 130K miles on it at the time
There is no crap CVT, only crap drivers.
@@garmarrod I get what you wanted to say as these transmissions were designed for maximum efficiency and never built to be raced and abused, but Nissan CVTs are among the worst to exist, mechanically speaking.
As an owner of an Altima... I have to say I love it. Efficient, comfortable, reliable. I have a CVT. If you change the fluid once in a blue moon you won't have issues. But most people don't.
I think that might be a big part of the problem. If someone isn't replacing the missing headlight or busted bumper, they sure aren't changing the transmission fluid!
@@HelloRoad amen!
Getting one
Wtf is “once in a blue moon” i dont think you know what that means being that you imply that you change the fluid more regularly 😂
That term is for something very rare which is in fact a problem
@@thegreat9481 picking nits, there. You know what he means.
Fun episode! Polish the headlights, find a nice set of junkyard alloy wheels (lots of cars use the same 5x114.3 bolt pattern) and drive it with pride!
It's not enough to get the bolt pattern right. Also gotta make sure the centering bore is correct. Too small, and they won't mount to your hubs without reboring the wheel. Too large, and they'll need centering rings to prevent vibration
You ask too much. Just embrace the BAE like a dignified human being 😂
I had an 07 altima sedan with the 4 cylinder and a 6 speed that also had the convenience package which had a sunroof , power seats, and the steering wheel radio controls. Definitely a rare combination.
That's pretty much the last year for the 6sp in a sedan, if I remember correctly. (US market)
Bro your channel is underrated asf, I absolutely love your vids and forget that you only have 36k subs! Should def have more.
@@EMdemo incorrect the last year of the 6speeds is 2012.
@@thqt_max for the sedan?
The coupe was still available as a 6sp as late as '12
@EMdemo I thought so I know the coupes were always offered in 6mt, if have to do more research
I've been in two crashes with Altimas over the years, one totaled my truck. Definitely an Altima driver victim.
I was behind a classic BAE yesterday in Dallas.
- Light silver color
- Driving 45 on the highway
- Was raining like crazy and probably had bald tires and looked like the wipers didn't work.
- passenger side rear bumper was flapping in the wind
- rear shocks were blown causing any minor dip to shuck and dive
- i thought the right turn signal was left on, but realized it was their hazards and the left side was just burned out
- i bet the interior was in shambles
2016, Minnesota, my wife, a cautious driver in a bright red 2012 VW Jetta was slowly backing out of a parking space wedged between two SUVs. All of a sudden, a black blur along with crunching noises fly past the rear of the Jetta. The Nissan had red paint all down the side and Jetta was now sporting black scrapes across the back of the rear bumper. My wife was distraught, the Altima owner was unfazed, and at least not angry. Insurance was exchanged. Since my wife was in the process of backing up, she was blamed, and the repairs cost the exact amount as our deductible. To this day we watch out for B.A.E. and it has saved us from additional accidents.
Possibility of accidents like that are why I never park between big SUVs and always reverse park so I’m guaranteed visibility before I pull out of a spot. Fortunately it’s kept me from being victimized by BAEs so far
The fact that the Nissan had scraps across the side of the car tells me that they should have been at fault.
Exactly why I have a rear and front dashcam
With the exception of the flaming Altima at the end, I don't think a single B.A.E. pic or clip was repeated throughout this 9 minute video... I'm impressed and terrified all at the same time!
I didn't even come close to using all of the photos I found. It's insane
I didn't know about the Altima's bad reputation until I got hit head on by one that was going 105mph. I didn't even know they could go that fast. Luckily I was in my 4x4 that day because my daily driver had broken down. I don't think I could've survived that wreck in a smaller vehicle.
Damn dude did you make it out okay without any injuries? Usually any crash over 50 mph can cause serious bodily harm or death.
@@mr.perfectcell3236 my truck didn't have airbags or shoulder belts, so my face took the brunt of the impact. I hit the steering wheel hard enough to break the steering column at the tilt joint. Most of my teeth were knocked out and my entire face had to be reconstructed. The Altima went underneath me and pushed the floorboard up, pinning my legs under the dash and breaking them both in multiple places. My pelvis was broken and my spine dislocated from folding around the lap belt. I had a torn intestine and a broken arm as well. Four days in a coma and two months in the hospital. It was bad. Could've been worse though. I could've been in the Altima. The other driver didn't make it.
@@qwerty2008100 damn, that's crazy.
@@qwerty2008100❤goes to you. Good thing it wasn't a g35 going 125....
@@qwerty2008100 God bless your soul bro. That's tough man. cant imagine what that was like
Up here in Wisconsin, the Altimas that are road rockets are NEW(er) models, without any body damage.
(The older used ones are babied to keep the cvt from blowing up while the owner saves up for a better car)
Wisconsin really out here fulfilling stereotypes in the most flattering way possible 😂
I bought my 2005 Altima back in 2016 for 1k and it had over 200k miles. Still going strong at 280k mile and besides needing to replace struts and s few other random things its been pretty great.
I discovered this B.A.E One night when, I was going 130mph in my C8 and an altima was staying with me. It seemed that was its limit and I played with them a bit as they recorded me by speeding away and slowing down over and over next to them until taking off. It was honestly more exiting for me to see this sedan next to me at 130mph than i think it was for them seing me take off after. (also thier front bumper was hanging half off 😂 literally perfect "B.A.E")
Probably was a v6. The maximas could hit about 149mph top speed backin 1992.
I'm surprised it wasn't electronically limited to 110 like most cars.
Honestly I think you wouldn’t have kept up with an Altima going the same speed. Chances you would have to slow down cause of the gas you’ll be wasting really quick.
That's just normal driving for them.
@@TomTheCat. That's non-sense. A Corvette could easily cruise along at 130mph.
An Altima would be screaming at that speed trying to make enough horsepower (and wasting lots of fuel doing so). 🤦
Driving through Oakland is epitome of BAE.
Hate-Eighty
Good lord
I can confirm, car totaled by a chick w BAE just two months ago
Just so everyone knows a little bit of history before the Altima came to be in this position, the Chevy Malibu existed in it's place. Malibu's Most Unwanted baby!
a bit of a story of how Altima's ended up with the worst drivers possible. You mentioned sub prime auto loans but for Altima's there was a very big reason for this in the early to mid 2000's. At that time the Altima was the top airport rental car in the country, and many many Altima's were used as rental cars and then sold wholesale for almost nothing, think like sub 2k per car at auction if you bought like 20+ of them at once. They then went back on dealer lots with prices like 15k for a 19k mile last year example, and then let someone talk them down to say 12k and put them on a 7 year subprime loan because even if you only paid for two years, they were technically still ahead. Repeat this for 10's of thousands of a single model of car, and down the road it can do some real reputation damage. Oh and btw, the reason why they had such crazy low auction prices was due to tax reasons they couldn't sell them for more.
I had an Altima on rent some 8 years ago. Coming from abroad, I didn't know any of this, and it was honestly a big comfortable relaxing car.
I had no gripes with the CVT and actually that car inspired my next purchase, a 2011 Subaru Outback. Similar size and behavior on the road and I loved it.
Maybe I got the Altima luck though, as after 2 years a lady looked at her phone too much and crashed into me in a traffic jam. Unfortunately she crashed so hard it totaled my Subaru.
That's how my dad totalled his unreasonably clean Crown Vic (no it wasn't a cop car). Some lady rear-ended him at a stop sign, and because my dad's car had a trailer hitch (long story short, unreliable riding mower), it bent the living shit out of the frame.
@@twotailedavenger it's always female rear ending old dudes
@@twotailedavenger sorry to hear that, bro. Crown Vics are disappearing from the street rapidly.
The Altima stereotypes are so true. I been a mechanic and car guy for nearly 20 years now and can vouch. BAE is very real. There is a reason I refuse to work on them without even needing to, since Altima owners dont maintain them anyway. I have had maybe 3 Altima customers that were regulars and they were so cheap was always a hassle. They insist on me using their supplied parts, so I just banned Altimas along with Audis and Mersatan's Benz. Dont gotta deny working on P/T cruisers, no one repairs them anyway once grandma gives them to her Juggalo grandkids.
My old roommate (who was very conservative, good credit, not a car guy) had the same classic Altima we all know. It was clean though and completely stock, no damage.
That was BEFORE I knew about BAE though. He's certainly an outlier. I think the reason these cars are aggressively picked on now is because you can pick them up DIRT CHEAP and they usually are beat to hell and back. The owners just usually do not care for them and treat them as disposables.
I think generally with more boring Toyotas (at least in the past) you get a lot more conservative drivers who are less likely to trash them and are probably not kids.
Disclaimer: I have an 88' Supra, 94' Camry, and a 01' Celica GT-S. All extremely nice, no damage.
The MKIII Supra believe it or not has the same exact issue for a while now the Altima does. they are sort of cheap to get into, but they are still expensive top-tier Toyota cars and keeping up with them costs a lot of time, effort, and money. Most are not willing to go that far so it's EXCEEDINGLY rare to find nice ones at all now.
Elderly couple next door bought a new one in 2013. They own their own home, I'm sure have decent credit given their age and homeowner status. After ten years it looks great because it stays in a garage and, well, is driven by older folks (of which I'm rapidly on my way to becoming). But yeah, there are always the outliers like them. Literally two days ago I had one pull out in front of me without looking. I discovered my brakes work well - hardest I've come down on them in the two years I've owned my car. Pro tip - on a 50 MPH road don't pull out in front of someone only a hundred feet from you. Your head turns both ways ese. 😑
Had an 06 Altima as a work vehicle and absolutely loved it. This was the year before they put in the CVT. The 4 cycl engine actually sounded decent unlike most mainstream cars today with GDI that sounds like a diesel. And it was quite spacious and comfortable on long drives! Worked perfectly with my daily 150+ mile trips.
I've found that asking if someone is familiar with "Altima energy" tends to get exactly the same reaction as asking if they know what the inside of a Dollar General is like. It's such a consistent phenomenon that you never have to explain what you mean, even though it's bizarrely specific.
I mean what's wrong with the inside of an average Dollar General? Feel like I'm missing out on what 'consistent phenomenons' happen at them considering I've barely been to any in my life and that they just built one up near me after years of living here 😭
@@Arbaz3102They're liminal spaces, and constantly in a state of disarray that feels uncanny in a commercial setting. They don't pay anyone to organize anything, just to keep merchandise on/near vaguely relevant shelves and to make sure people don't steal the cash register.
It's hell for Doordash drivers btw, because they can't substitute "close-enough" products without the customer manually approving the exact SKU (and they can't scan a product to request substitution approval, it has to be done verbally over call/text with the customer). You may find three brands of 4-packs of AA batteries, but you found Duracell and Energizer, and the customer wanted a 4-pack of AA Rayovacs which is nowhere to be seen, and you ask an employee for help and they suggest three locations halfway across the store from each other, and then it turns out that brand is actually out of stock so you need to keep calling the customer hoping they finally answer their stupid phone.
A few weeks ago I was backing of a parking space at Walmart. Both ways were clear and safe. Then out of the blue an Altima blows past at about 40mph almost hitting me, didn’t stop for two stop signs and ran a red light. And all of that happened in less than roughly a minute...
I owned 2 nissans with CVT transmissions, a 2010 Altima 2.5s and a 2012 Versa 1.6s and both lasted well into 200,000 miles. The versa got a little over 205,000 before it was totaled by someone hitting it at the rear going 40mph and i sold the Altima with over 190,000 miles to a friend who is still driving it today. Just replaced normal easy to service parts like spark plugs, catalytic converter on both cars after 100,000 both went out which is not unusual for Nissans and Honda's, and 1 set of motor mounts and thats it. Literally no problems with transmissions etc. Regular maintenance oil changes etc is the key in my opinion. They have easy serviceable CVTs with drain plugs and easy to access filters that should be changed every 40,000 to 60,000 miles. I did this and they both run and ran like new...
Ever since I first watched this video, I can’t help but chuckle whenever I see an Altima - and I see them a LOT.
Owner of a 13 Altima here, let me assure you, sometimes it’s just other people hitting your Altima that gives it that big Altima energy look. Seriously I’ve had mine for about 5 years and it’s been rear ended, backed into in a parking lot, rocks launched at the windshield by motorcycles, and backed into while parked at my fucking house! (and that one nearly totaled it) I honestly think Altima’s just have a big target painted on them!
P.S. it has been repaired and looks mint now. But for how long?
The one car you don’t want to mess with, I was driving my Mclaren and had one of these behind me, about 8 inches from my rear bumper… the guy had massive BAE and had one headlight working and some tape on the mirror… anyways I floor it to about 110-120 to put a gap between us… anyways, next moment this Altima comes flying past me after I slowed to 70, he must’ve been doing about 130-140. To make it even more classic, his rear light was missing and the other was cracked. I never saw that car again… he just kept it pinned for miles. No Fucks to give and probably told everyone he smoked a Mclaren. Yes, yes he did.
Too "small" to buy a nice car, too "poor" to buy a lifted pickup! 🤣
My Sister had a 16, she once went 65 in a 45 blasting Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride and ended up later on falling asleep behind the wheel and crashing it in 2020, she apparently kind of misses it and wants another despite the CVT going out at 50k.
Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Throw the whole sibling away.
@@RedSet_Diancie Woman of culture
Currently sitting in an Altima listening to this 😅😅😅😂😅😂😅
I think Nissans in general are cars that take the most abuse, but keep on going. That’s honestly what convinced me to buy a new Titan a few years ago. I still see plenty of 04-06 Titans in my area being used as work trucks. Every one has 300k+ miles, is beat to hell, neglected and clearly overloaded. But every day, they still start up and get the job done.
From my experience, that has a lot more to do with the type of people who buy Nissans than the cars themselves. From what I've seen, people who value quality and reliability tend to buy things like Hondas and Toyotas instead of Nissans if at all possible. People who spend extra money on cars known for being well made and reliable tend take better care of them and and not trash them like someone who buys a cheap beater. At least where I am, there are WAY more trashed Altimas than Camrys or Accords. Of course that's not entirely because Honda and Toyota make/made better cars than Nissan, the way the owner treats the car matters more than anything else. I don't have much experience with Nissan's trucks, but the few I have worked on for friends and neighbors seemed to be decent and holding up pretty well.
They WERE a long time ago. 2010 and up, with CVTs, they are nowhere near as good as older generations.
I had a 2005 Altima that I maintained and drove for 13 years and hit 285k miles. Unfortunately the floor boards rusted out and the head gasket blow. I was trying so hard to hit 300k.
Oh well, I got everything I could out of that car and have only good things to say about it.
My Altima is actually very good and reliable.
Love the early 2000’s Altima. Has geared transmissions. Watch out for cats being sucked into the 2.5 engine
3.5 too.
I got the big frontier energy. 2nd gen never dies. The 3.5 v6 and 4.0 v6 are both same the family of VQ engines.
My family actually used to have this generation Altima in a very similar color. It was a 2003 that we bought used in 2006 and kept until 2008. It was actually a very nice car. It was comfortable, reliable, and didn't look half bad. Of course this was years before the BAE was even a thing. What made the exterior even cooler was that the original owner put a set of American Racing wheels on it that gave it a sporty, low profile look. I actually liked it and we kept good care of it.
You know you’re in trouble if a certain demographic is driving an Altima next to you
lol I was thinking the same😂
The Florida of the car world
Most people don’t know this but, the Nissan Altima is designed to, and performs best, when one of four tires is missing and the rim is exposed. This is especially true when it is one of the front wheels.
I was driving a semi-truck through Dallas one night; the speed limit on the Woodall Rogers Freeway is 45 miles an hour.
Naturally, an Altima came screaming past me, my truck's forward collision radar caught him doing 125 for the millisecond he was in my truck's radar range.
My older sister had a 2009 Altima for years. She babied that car a lot and it showed. Even though she did hit a deer and had to replace the whole front bumper. It soldiered onward till she traded it in. Last I remember, it had 236k miles on the original transmission and motor (at which started to fall apart) and was then (likely) scrapped. She loved that little blue car.
My mom, she knows a friend that owns an Altima. I know her too but she's is the exact opposite of having BAE. That car in particular looks great with no damage whatsoever. I'm honestly surprised that she's one of the only Altima drivers that's a good driver
This is great. The Altima has been a joke for awhile, but never knew it had a name until this video!
Nice dig at the old Grand Am as well. But there are so many other cars you could've knocked. The PT Loser immediately springs to mind.
The PT Cruiser immediately brings up a mental image of a leathery woman coming out of a trailerpark, pall malls in one hand, beating her kid in the back seat with the other, nearly getting hit by a tractor trailer in the process.
That chopped and screwed “your cars on fire” mix at the end had me rolling
My sister has big altima energy lmao, she totalled the first one and stopped making payments on the newer one and got it repoed, being in the passenger seat when she was behind the wheel of her own car is terrifying. (Edit: after hearing what you said about only finding them in junkyards 20 years from now, thats IF we even have junk yards at that point, our right to repair our own vehicles is being stripped from us.)
The original 2.5 in the Altima are prone to head gasket failures at high mileage, but the 3.5 was better, despite it having maximum B.A.E. for being so powerful
The original QR25DEs were also paired with shitty cat converters were the filtration can break off and cause catastrophic engine failure. They revised this engine with the fourth gen Altima.
@ezellbroome6313 proof
Friend of mine got a used one back in 09/10. I got to drive it once and it was surprisingly comfortable, and had more giddy-yup than I was expecting.
Never heard of BAE until 3 days ago when watching Sofyan Bey's review on the new Altima. I had a 2002 when it first came out, and I loved it. I had the 4 cyl, but you could get the 240 HP V6, for under 24k. That was AMAZING at that time. It actually had a Lexus GS shape to it, was bigger, for virtally half the price.
I just did a nation wide search for Altimas on Car Gurus, specifying manual transmission. Less than 20 came up, but after reviewing photos only 3 were actual manuals. Unicorn! 🤣
It’s a shame bc the first gen Altima was a hidden gem! Mine was a SE with the wing sunroof and side skirts. Plus I turbo’d mine and gave it full intake and exhaust and wheels and tires. I loved it. Wish I woulda never sold it
Wish the usa had the Jdm SR20DET engine. 1st gen altima had a certain jdm-eness about it and the interior was very nice.
Yea it did. Plus mine was a 5 speed! I rly do miss that car
@@mach1mustangguy992 5MT was a bit rare drove many but don't think I ever tried out a manual shoulda been some fun as the K24DE had 150hp and these weren't all that heavy.
Funny you mentioned the Chrysler 200. I'm seeing more and more clapped out 200's driving aggressively with "Big Altima Energy" and said to my wife the other day that they must be the new generation of BAE.
I think you're thinking of the 300. Lol I find it interesting that he said the 200 because I don't really see a lot of bad 200 drivers but a lot of bad 300 drivers
@@drivinginthedcbaarea Chrysler 200 was short lived and low volume. BAE on those ones is quickly fading
@@engineer_alv why would it be fading?
@@Natethegreat200c maybe because they're not a common sight anymore
@@engineer_alv it’s a 2015 where could they have gone? Maybe in your state yes but here I see them every 4th car 😂. Much like
How I see more Malibu’s and fusions than camrys and accords yet those sale better. It’s state by state but just because YOU don’t see them doesn’t mean they are rare. You can’t see the whole earths roads at once lol. You’re only one person
I helped my older sister buy her first car a 07 Altima 2.5 s, within 4 months (full disclosure we live in the city btw) a clown knocked off her passenger side mirror and so for the past week I’ve been driving the car since I’m used to driving cars that are more or less beat up. I almost got into an accident we’re a crazy Lady in a Range Rover blew past a school zone almost hit me going 45 in a 20. Keep in mind this is an active school day, kids are out, crossing guard had the sign out and everything. She wasn’t planning on stopping. I was pulling out cause the crossing guard gave me the all clear, and here comes this crazy bat. Long story short. She had the nerve to call me an “incompetent driver” due to the fact of my missing mirrior. Since that day I replaced the mirror and honestly haven’t driven since. I just walk now. This video made me laugh my ass off. I should go for a drive.😂
My housemate has a 2012 Altima. Has ~150k miles, runs smoothly, minor cosmetic damage. He just bought a new Tesla and he didn’t even trade in the Altima, he still drives it! The CVT is a ticking time bomb though.
sooo ….It’s been 2 months since this guy posted a video, I’m gonna go ahead and assume an Altima driver saw this and GOT em. 💀
I just recently got a new car and still held onto my 2015 Altima because I love it so much. It’s extremely comfortable, smooth, excellent gas mileage and has always been reliable for me. I maintain it well, full synthetic oil changes every 4-5k miles and MOST IMPORTANTLY after engine oil, I get the transmission serviced every 40k miles with Nissan specific transmission fluid!! 140k trouble free miles so far. These cars get ran into the ground and never receive proper maintenance then get shit on when they finally give out after years of abuse. They’re good cars if you treat them decent.
Bought an 07 Altima 2.5 SL with leather seats and Bose stereo but also had a phone connection so I could attend conference calls while driving half way around DC. The SL only came with automatic transmission. I still own it but no longer as my primary mode of transport as I'm retired. Altima has over 140,000 miles and the only expense has been standard servicing, tires and brakes. You know the usual wear. Even my CVT is original with no maintenance other than regular servicing. I now drive a toy (geese, a 2017 Miata which is the most enjoyable car I've oned). I also have an 04 Sentra SER Specv with the Altima engine, and 6 speed manual and front wheel drive. I believe the drive train was carved out of an anvil. 100k miles but it needs painting.
I have a 2005 2.5 altima since brand new i love it, 200xxx miles and runs very smooth.
Over here on my part of the east coast it seems like the Altimas are being traded in on older Rogues and now they are being driven as poorly as the old Altimas.
I once "raced" an Altima with giant 22" rims on it... It lost.
I was driving a Buick Regal... The one WITHOUT the supercharger! 🤣
I daily drive a 2003 Nissan Altima with a manual. I love mine and is quite reliable.
I owned an Altima for 10 months.
I can assure you, Altima energy has nothing to do with the car, but everything to do with fighting off the demon voices that are audible from the CVT.
In all seriousness though the car was actually pretty good, but I was overpaying like crazy on it so I traded it in for a 2023 Mazda 3
Welcome to the Mazda3 club. Hatchback AWD for me. Got brake checked by a BAE a few weeks ago. Midnight, no cars around, I had cruise on 67mph, and randomly a clapped out Altima brake checked me and swerved to prevent me from passing. Did it to the other 2 cars that caught up to me since he was doing 40 mph on a 65 on I-95. It's the new ghetto hooptie. Used to be those old Chevy Luminas and Camrys, now it's the Altima. Saw one with 2 blown tires and still driving. Car full of weed smoking girls, like 6 of them packed in with junk all over the place. Offered to help until I realized they blew two tires clean off the rims. So they drove off on the rim. Good thing it was the start of C19 and there was no cars on the road.
Okay, those ZIP TIES ON ALL FOUR HUBCAPS 😂are definitely Big Altima Energy!
Haha yes! Previous owner put them on right before I drove it home. They rattled like hell on the test drive, he was just trying to be helpful :) :)
@@HelloRoad TEXTBOOK B.A.E...Instead of spending 40 bucks for new hubcaps...ZIPTIE THEM ON!
@@RetroCarsForever Any money spent on an Altima is not recoupable when you go to sell it! :) :)
Oh my god I'm loving the zip ties holding the hub caps on. Been there, done that on my '09 CVT Altima! With that said, the thing has gotten me to and from work for 10 years now and counting. It may be my least favorite car I've owned in my life lol, but oddly enough, it's been strangely reliable (transmission definitely stinks but it is what it is).
You say people don't have nostalgia for the Altima, but I do. I don't want to go out and buy a used one, I acknowledge it's a bad car to drive in 2023. But my mom bought a 2002 Nissan Altima that was the car of my childhood. It was the car I learned to drive in, the car which eventually became my car, the car I put everything I owned in and drove off to college. For me at least it was very reliable, had a huge 20 gallon gas tank, was comfortable, big trunk, and lots of space for passengers. It may not be a collectable, but I still smile when I see one going down the road.
My wife & I turned the trash tv show "on patrol live" into a drinking game. Whenever an Altima appears on screen, take a shot. I'm usually hammered around 45 minutes in...
Man! I can't believe that you seriously take my comment on your car fleet about the Big Altima Energy! I like this episode soooo much!
The truth about Altimas is very politically incorrect
I…I can’t believe it. Someone, someone who has a measured, intelligent response on the ignorant Big Altima Energy fad. I thought I’d be alone forever. Thank you 🥲
When it comes to people subscribing to BAE, I can’t help but sense a level of classism when they’re hating on people with damaged cars. Life happens to most drivers and the instinct is to ridicule. Simply because their in one of the most common cars in North America. And this is comming from a chap who really likes his Altima. That car is what made me into a car enthusiast
I drive a 2013 Chrysler 200,I was lucky enough to pay it off in like 6 months. Two months later,my mom is driving in a parking lot and some asshole in a work truck smashed into the side behind the rear wheels,and sped off. Every body shop in Phoenix wanted like 1,700 to replace the bumper and side quarter panel. As the light wasn’t smashed,I can’t afford to spend 1,700 or have the time to save up 1,700 just to make it look pretty,especially as it’s a used car I’m not shelling 3 weeks of pay for a cosmetic procedure on a vehicle that could realistically die in the near future.
Don't have to go far to see the classim; just read the comments on this video!
Can confirm that Big Altima Energy is a real thing.
As someone with a 2007 3.5 SE CVT Altima, there is likely a reputation to unreliability because there is nothing in the service manual about fluid change intervals for it (mine has around 140k miles with an original transmission and it runs perfect)
I have sometimes been surprised altima drivers that were not as agressive as I thought they would be but do see a lot going fast. I wonder if the stress of poverty and how lower income employees are treated when late for work causes way more problems in lives.
I think you might be onto something
It probably does, the low cost of purchase and the high tolerance for neglect make the Altima a great car to navigate the sprawling suburban hells of America.
being poor sure does make me angry on a daily basis
Not an excuse to put yours amd other driver's lives in danger
@@ileutur6863 This is more something I think we need systemic than individual change to protect lives.
I honestly think you should keep her and fully take care of her. Give her what the other altimas don't get.
2020 I was driving my Lexus GX460 to BJJ class at 5:00 a.m. in St. Louis, Missouri on Highway 40. A black altima was sitting in the middle of the road with its lights off. I was able to slow down enought to not have my air bags deploy, but my front end smashed the back of the altima so that the truck was smashed up. The operator of the altima semi woke up and then drove off onto the shoulder. He then proceeded to drive over a 3-5 foot embankment and drive off a side road, while my car was undriveable. This was probably a 2008 Altima. The cop who arrived on scene and I walked the embankment and we were both impressed with the build quality of the Altima.
The clip of the Altima going through the gas station is part of a longer balls-out Arkansas Trooper chase where the driver pulled the absolute sickest ditch move I’ve ever seen.
Fun fact: insurance rates on Altimas are disproportionately higher than it’s rivals (Camry, Accord, etc) bc of the way they are driven / the people who buy them
I mean I was on the left lane around 83 to 84 but yeah a crazy Altima is definitely going 120 plus using the emergency lane to pass everyone in a heavy traffic situation.
Not gonna lie. I drive a 2016 Maxima like a bat out of hell. Got it 6 months ago, 120k miles ,it's on loan, I have bad credit, I'm behind on maintenance, and I've scraped my rims. Just going through some stuff and money definitely is an issue.
But I really, really love this car. The safety features in it are fantastic, like emergency braking, radar, sonar; and the CVT in it is honestly really good (It is their flagship after all) it's not dented, and I always make sure I have open space for fast maneuvers. My first big paycheck will all be going into this car.
Funny thing is, I drove an Altima before the Maxima, and never heard of BAE until I was watching reviews of the Maxima.
All the points you make are well thought out, instead of jumping on a hate bandwagon you bring a sensible set of facts to make sense of the mayhem that is the Nissan Altima
I actually owned that generation of Altima (L31) even in that same color and 2.5L engine too.
It's a bit of a shame with #BAE because it was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned when my life wasn't so great. It was cheap to run, relatively comfortable and never left me stranded for the four years I drove it. The only thing killed it after about 248,000 miles was colliding with a deer on the highway.
Not old enough to have nostalgia meanwhile the Crown Vic just 12 years ago gets nostalgia & love
Altimas deserve love too 😢🧡
I’m so glad we don’t have these problems here in Germany 😂 if your car is not roadworthy and you are endangering others, you will be arrested and you lose your license. Of course, license tests are much harder here too. As they should
Once upon a time in a California far, far away there were road side vehicle checks performed by the Highway Patrol. If you're car didn't pass they gave you a ticket-to-fix-it. Kept hoopties off the road.
Yeah a lot of states here in the USA don’t even have annual vehicle safety inspections.
@@lawnmowerdude AS it should be, America, land of the Free...if we want to be dumb, we shouldn't be punished for it....and if we are too poor to fix our cars, we shouldn't be punished for it...Germany sounds like hell, besides the superior beer.
That's awful
@@fortheloveofnoise See, the problem with americans is that you think freedom means being a loud asshole and a danger to people around you. Europeans understand that their freedom ends where another's begins.
I think you were on the right track when you pointed out what a big deal the Altima was at launch. For a lot of people, it probably remained a "cool" car that they think is fast.
"That third one is true" hahaha had me dying over here LOL
My grandparents owned a Nissan Altima. They had an old ugly one, then they bought a new one in like 2005 or so. It was a good car. My grandfather took me for rides in it. My dad and my aunts had driven it a couple times. It did what it was supposed to. Nobody in my family ever displayed that Big Altima Energy.
I thought I was the only one who noticed how often Altimas and other nissans catch on fire.
The 1st and 2nd Gen Altimas were great driving cars and reliable. They were definitely worthy competition for Toyota and Honda but the styling wasn’t great.
My mom had a 07 2.5 with the CVT. The car was nearly perfect for 150,000 miles until it was totaled. CVT was flawless. I didn’t like them at first but after spending a week with the car I grew to like it. It worked well.
That car only needed 1 ignition coil and 1 blower motor relay before it was wrecked.
As an Altima driver this is spot on
Totaled my 2005 Nissan Altima SE with V6 in 2015. However it wasn’t my fault. Had a lot of fun with that car.