No Heater, except when driving fast!
Car only produces heat when traveling at a constant speed (highway travel). As soon as the car slow or stops heat changes to blowing cold air.
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2002 Nissan Altima Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The Altima was redesigned for 2002. It grew significantly, bumping it out of the compact car class and into the midsized sedan range. It was even larger than Nissan's flagship Maxima. For the first time, a V6 engine was available.
The 2002 Altima came in four trims: the base model, the midrange S, the plush SL, and the top-of-the-line SE. The SE came standard with a 3.5-liter, 240-horsepower V6, and the others had a 2.5-liter, 175-horsepower four cylinder engine. All models came with a folding rear seat, power doors, and a tilting steering wheel. Upgrading to the S got air conditioning, cruise control, remote keyless entry, and a CD player. The SL included a power driver's seat and an upgraded sound system. Upgrading to the SE got the bigger engine, foglamps, and bigger wheels.
Drivers found the new Nissan Altima to be much better looking than the previous version. Owners still praise the car's value and reliability, and say that while the V6 engine is a nice addition, the four cylinder offers so much pep a bigger one isn't necessary. Many find the interior to be unpolished, and the addition of optional features can cause the Altima's price to approach that of the Maxima.
Published Aug 8, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 2002 Nissan Altima
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by Gloria R
Mar 13, 2022
Very nice car from the picture I saw. And a good price.Mar 13, 2022
by Anonymous
Feb 09, 2015
Had car 4 years and it was very reliable. No major work to be done. Regular maintenance is all it needed. Parts are easily found. Great body. Gives u that good pepp when u need it to go fast without delayFeb 09, 2015
by Mary Jo C
Dec 21, 2014
Todos los servicios realizado en regla, carro muy confortable, placas 2015, 4 cilindros, asientos confortables, en color verdes, llantas nuevas se puede pasar a ver previa cita con el Sr Eduardo al 6503154592, precio a tratar ofrezca usted, no se arrepentirá.
Dec 21, 2014
User rating:
by Gloria R
Mar 13, 2022
Very nice car from the picture I saw. And a good price.Mar 13, 2022
by Anonymous
Feb 09, 2015
Had car 4 years and it was very reliable. No major work to be done. Regular maintenance is all it needed. Parts are easily found. Great body. Gives u that good pepp when u need it to go fast without delayFeb 09, 2015
by Mary Jo C
Dec 21, 2014
Todos los servicios realizado en regla, carro muy confortable, placas 2015, 4 cilindros, asientos confortables, en color verdes, llantas nuevas se puede pasar a ver previa cita con el Sr Eduardo al 6503154592, precio a tratar ofrezca usted, no se arrepentirá.
Dec 21, 2014
by Antuan M
Feb 13, 2013
ok looks if you treat it like a sports car the ride is good but on rhode island roads its not that good road noise is loud but the stereo helped with that and the blind spots were average. it was not in the shop often only for a motor swap and that was because of the nature the job it had to perform. it averaged 26 but trip to maine it got 28, sadly in winter it dropped to about 21-23mpg. for this car the mechanic was my father so naturally costs were down but again other than the engine swap and routine maintenance the car was golden. performance wise i couldn't ask for more i love the car for that the most the only performance problem was in the snow even with new all season tires i could not go more than 25 mph with out the car fighting meFeb 13, 2013
by Edward D
Nov 27, 2012
Performance- enough for day to day commuting
Build Quality- Only factory recall repairs other wise reliable
Appearance- Interior basic but nice and exterior is the same
Cost of Ownership- around 24 mpg and less then 1500 for maintenance
Fun Factor- Sorta fun to driveNov 27, 2012
by Ronel C
Jul 08, 2012
my first car i bought when i was going to college. It rides very smoothly and if you changes you oil every month you shouldn't have any problems. This car is great if you travelling long distances. Its a great car.Jul 08, 2012
by Travis K
Mar 21, 2011
First of all the car is very roomy, it can seat five passengers easily and comfortably. It has a telescoping steering wheel and a okay factory sound system.
The car comes with a 2.5l 4 cylinder engine that puts out about 170+ horsepower. Even though it is such a large car it has great acceleration. The steering is super responsive which may make feel as if the car moves to suddenly sometimes.
Overall this is a great car to have.Mar 21, 2011
by Adam S
Mar 17, 2010
Performance - Great acceleration, fast brakes, smooth handling
Build Quality - Blown head gasket recently
Appearance - Clean inside and out
Cost of ownership - 20+ mpg, Low maintenance cost
Fun Factor - Fun to drive despite its tendency to look like an older carMar 17, 2010
by Michael R
Dec 21, 2009
I love my car! It's better than some of the luxury sedans I've ridden in. It has a driver's power seat, 6 disc changer, Bose system, and power everything else. This car is AWESOME! You should get one. It's fun to drive, has fast acceleration, looks good inside and out, and doesn't cost much at all.Dec 21, 2009
by Collin J
Nov 25, 2009
There is some recall issues but other than that it is a good car. It has nice acceleration and the 5 speed transmission makes it fun to drive. It has good gas mileage and requires little work. The brakes work well and it handles like a small car.Nov 25, 2009
by Brian S
Nov 13, 2009
Great car, fast acceleration for a 4 cylinder, Great looks, Brakes are pretty solid, Interior could be better, cheep plastic and somewhat britle, With the way i drive i get about 25 miles to the gallon, i've gotten 30 at the most. Constant hard acceleration led to the head gasket being blow, and a month later the alternator went $2,400 all together, but a great car and the repair was worth it.Nov 13, 2009
by Anonymous
Oct 22, 2009
Great Motor, the car pulls like a freight train. Excellent torque and decent MPG as long as you stay out of the pedal Very poor build quality and materials used by Nissan. Plenty of recalls and TSB's out on this car Need for Premium fuel is not a positive. Oct 22, 2009
by Ed L
Sep 22, 2009
Good comfortable car. Quality is nice all the features are well located. For 4 Cylinder decent go power. Fuel costs where reasonable had no real issue that require repair. Only replaced thermostat to address heating issue. Other then that this car was fun to drive.Sep 22, 2009
by Anonymous
Aug 20, 2009
fast smooth ride leather interior heated seats BOSE soundsystem good repsonse time with the engine and horespower. Subwoofers in the back large trunk space cant complain its a fun car to drive nice and big however I like the nissan 350 Z or the Nissan GTR Aug 20, 2009
by Owen M
Aug 16, 2009
love it, looks great, and goes well. Had to replace the engine, but now she purrs.
Installed a brand new engine, clutch, cold air intake, and exhaust, and a few other
parts along the way. Car is great through the twisty roads, and perfect for long
hauls( given you keep the stock exhaust on, mine is too loud!) oh and whatever
you do, take the upper cat/manifold off IT WILL KILL YOUR ENGINE!Aug 16, 2009
by Krista M
Jul 31, 2009
Good rating,good on gas, reliable little 4cyl. Not really fast or powerful, but looks nice and clean and still newer looking even though its 7yrs old. more???? Air conditioning that works? still more????? 6 more words ? Seriously? This app must be for men. Jul 31, 2009
by Emily R
Jul 24, 2009
The clutch is crap-tastic. It's really fast. It's pretty. The gas mileage is of that of a lifted 1990 Ford Pick up. It's ridiculous fun to drive. I like having tinted windows. I need four more words. ARE THESE ENOUGH WORDS ALREADY?Jul 24, 2009
by Cornelious S
Jul 21, 2009
my car note; of course the wheels should have been bigger 18's or beter. must get one with lether or ur cheating ur self. i loved da car but i could have had my lexus instead. don't buy unless it 2001-2004Jul 21, 2009
by Andrew L
Jun 30, 2009
It's fun to drive, gets good gas mileage, and looks kind of cool. There are a few scratches on it (due to ass holes in parking lots) and the engine makes a funny squeaking noise sometimes, especially after it's rained. Jun 30, 2009
by James P
Jun 25, 2009
The car was awesome. I got the 2.5s and the little 4 banger would burn perellis up to a bark in second gear. For a car this size thats pretty impressive. The car was fun to drive in a manual and had a few basic little luxuries that didn't have to be there but were.Jun 25, 2009
by Fernando L
Dec 18, 2008
performance is awesome more than u would expect from a family sedan...took it to the track did pretty good i think for the type of car ... really inexpensive car if you think about it... one bad thing is that if u get the se gas is kinda bad on it u get in the low 20's per gallonDec 18, 2008
by Zach H
Sep 30, 2008
horrible build all around except on the look. decent looking, but everything else was horrible. Even the tests on the car were not much past passing. At first the car was a decent ride, nice driving and looked nice and every one said the car was a good buy. ha what a jokeSep 30, 2008
by Harry T
Sep 08, 2008
This car is on the average of for the performances (6cyl)
I never had trouble with the mechanic exept for maintenance. Now I have 130 000 kms and It's a 2002. I bought it for 16k in 2006. I invested 6k in the last 2 years now she's gorgeous!
It's no more a altima but a Dubtima.Sep 08, 2008
by Chris N
Jul 31, 2008
got it in 04 great car for the pirce just got the rear end recalled so had a new one put in. the one t5hing that anoys me a lot is that the oil pan rattles but its tight the car is really fast even though its a 4 banger but hey who carsJul 31, 2008
by Bernard H
Jul 31, 2008
The engine is very potent. Tons of power under your right foot. It also sounds amazing, has a nice raspy sound, with a hint of a whine...
Unfortunately, I hate the shifter and some of the cheap plastic. The shifter does feel as nice as other cars. The interior has some cheap plastic, which I could do without.Jul 31, 2008
by Anonymous
Jul 03, 2008
very large, 23 mpg, v6 170 hores,Jul 03, 2008
by Holly K
Jun 18, 2008
I love my car its fastJun 18, 2008
by Edith A. F
Jun 16, 2008
Safe, reliable, practical and luxurious! I love it!Jun 16, 2008
by Maria C
Jun 15, 2008
I love my Altima!Jun 15, 2008
by Arthur L
Jun 09, 2008
i dun have it yet but i willJun 09, 2008
by Bill Y
May 15, 2008
A nice car from A to B
Very comfortable to sit inside
Auto tansmission is not smooth enoughMay 15, 2008
by Dianne V
Apr 24, 2008
get ur ownApr 24, 2008
by Tracey L
Apr 17, 2008
Great looking and great running car!Apr 17, 2008
by Anonymous
Apr 05, 2008
Replaced MAF twice. Big V6 is fun. Little sloppy in the handling department. Dash reflects off of the windsheild in bright sunlight. Already have sag in the driver door. Rear suspension squeaks and rattles. 130,000Km on car.Apr 05, 2008
by Arnold C
Mar 28, 2008
Dependable and fuel efficientMar 28, 2008
by Rehan T
Mar 26, 2008
This car was my favorite, fully loaded and spacious I really miss this one.Mar 26, 2008
by Bianca B
Mar 09, 2008
*sun roof
*16" alloy rims
*fog lights
*keyless entry
*automatic windows & locksMar 09, 2008
by Jesus A
Feb 21, 2008
Great Car to just drive.. And, even with my 2.5 Liters of fury.. I still get like 30mpg!Feb 21, 2008
by Shane L
Feb 19, 2008
takes a beating for a jap crap car... little four-cylinder has some umph, and is very roomy. nothing fancy, no frills, straight to the point.Feb 19, 2008
by Colby F
Jan 07, 2008
0-60 in 5.9 was faster then a Porsche Boxster. A lot of car for the money, and very roomey. Jan 07, 2008
by Greg T
Jan 06, 2008
The Aluminum Engine Block is to delicate for every day driving. I hope they
improve the car.Jan 06, 2008
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Top Comparisons
Have you driven a 2002 Nissan Altima?Compare this car
2002 Nissan Altima Pricing
Original MSRP
$17,189 to $23,189Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: electrochromic
Rear Seats
Type: split-bench
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: steel
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Front and rear head airbags · Front side airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps · Headlights: Auto on/off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: electrochromic
Rear Seats
Type: split-bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: steel
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Front and rear head airbags · Front side airbags
Audio System
6 disc in-dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps · Headlights: Auto on/off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Rear Seats
Type: split-bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Front and rear head airbags · Front side airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps · Headlights: Auto on/off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: heated · Inside rearview mirror: electrochromic
Rear Seats
Type: split-bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent