Piston Slap: Crystal Ballin' the Bling-Free Altima!

Peter writes:

Hi Sajeev,

I drive a 97 Nissan Altima GLE with a leather interior and 180,000 miles on it. I’m wondering:

1. How much longer will this car be a reliable daily driver? It is immaculate. I am the 2nd owner, and I have the receipts going back to the window sticker.

2. What car is most similar to my Altima that will be five years old at the time I need to replace it? I drive 15,000 miles a year. A new car is not an option, because I can’t take the new car stench.

The best trait about my car is that it has a muted interior with no brightwork. This makes it good for Southern California and great for my trips across the desert. With my next car, I am willing to forget the leather interior and the sunroof. I am also not averse to replacing it with a manual. A muted interior, however, is a must. If I’m stuck with brightwork and chromed plastic, I will black it out myself.

Sajeev answers:

While I admire your attention to detail with this vehicle and your appreciation for anti-bling vehicles, I can only do so much when presented with generic questions. Yeah, they are pretty generic. But let me get my crystal ball and see what it says:

1. Eventually something labor intensive will fail and you’ll tire of this beast. Maybe it’ll be the motor or transmission, or the A/C evaporator or heater core blows: these cost a fair chunk of change, involve days of downtime, and will cost more than the Altima’s trade-in value. Which is totally not fair to such a seemingly nice car.

I say this because I spent plenty of money on my Lincoln Mark VIII in the same manner. A grand on air suspension one year. A new tranny (high performance) at $1500. And other crap that I don’t even bat an eye at when it fails. That’s because I can’t imagine not having this in my garage as a daily driver, if needed. That’s a higher automotive love. Or stupidity…either way!

2. Oh man, another wicked crystal ball moment! I think the most “Altimistic” vehicle is a 2008-ish Mazda 6. When I think of a timeless–yet mainstream–family sedan, that’s always my go-to vehicle. Sit in one and I am sure you will agree. Plus, you won’t need to black out much of anything, its design harkens back to a time when BMWs were mostly made of high grade black plastic inside.

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry.