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. from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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