I currently drive a 2003 Nissan Maxima. As some of you may or may not know, this is a 3.5L V6 rated for 255hp at the time. According to the new EPA guidelines, it gets a combined 20mpg highway. My main concerns are maintenance (since I won't have a warranty anymore) and cost of filling it up. Premium fuel + 'average fuel economy'...

Economically, the breakdown is as follows:
Fuel Economics
Cost to Drive 25 Miles
$3.89

Fuel to Drive 25 Miles
1.25 gal

Annual Fuel Cost*
$2333

By comparison, the 08 Altima Hybrid I have been looking at gets a combined 34mpg. This is an increase of 70% and really just blows my mind away. The economics on the Altima are:
Fuel Economics

Cost to Drive 25 Miles
$2.29

Fuel to Drive 25 Miles
0.74 gal

Annual Fuel Cost*
$1372

So really I save a dollar sixty for every 25 miles I go. Over 5 years I will have paid 6860 in gas with the hybrid instead of 11665 with the Maxima. That's a huge chunk of cash and doesn't even factor into account the expected increase of gas to $4/gallon this year.

I do want a car with some sportiness to it and from what I've read, the Altima hybrid is the most sporty sedan on the market right now. Do you think I will be happy with the CVT overall? The main complaint I have about the transmission in the Maxima is that it sometimes shifts hard from one gear to another (4 speed auto).

I have never driven a stick. All the auto enthusiasts I know swear by it. Long Island other than major parkways / highways is all stop and go traffic so a stick could really be a pain.

The Altima I would get is as follows: 05018
2008 ALTIMA HYBRID 4DR AUTO
K12-G
RADIANT SILVER, CHARCOAL
AKP ALUMINUM KICK PLA
CAL CALIFORNIA EMISSI
CNV CONVENIENCE PACKA
FLO FLOOR MATS
SRF MOONROOF
WDF SUNROOF WIND DEFL

The technology package looks appealing to me with leather seats, bose system, nav system built-in, etc but it sort of negates the economic benefits of buying a hybrid. I have not yet spoke with my carsdirect.com contact in detail about the financing, but based on what I see on their website it will run me around $26807, then subtract the tax credit of $2350 and that drops to $24457.

At the same time, I see used non-hybrid 07s for around $18k with not that many miles on them. I want to be good to the environment just as much as the next guy, but when you can make some compromises and save a third of the price on a vehicle it really makes you think about the right choice. Feedback appreciated.

if the price 26807 is real u should go for it.. go to carspace.com u'll see what other had paid for the Tech. PKG

The Nissan CVT in the Maxima and most other Nissan cars is a belt and pulley driven, Nissan creation that is not used on the Altima Hybrid. The NAH uses an eCVT which is nowhere near as complicated or finicky. It's not much more then an electronic switch box with a few moving parts.

The NAH is great.

How long is your daily commute?

What kind of commute is it (speeds, etc...)?

Take one for a long test drive. There's less hp than your Maxima, and sometimes I think the eCVT is kinda mushy, and sometimes the ICE turning on and off can be weird, and a few other small nit-picky things, but I love it. Your test drive will surely have the tires at 35psi, and that'll likely also be too mushy.

If your daily commute is long, and is basically at speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour, then with a little coaching, you could easily get mileage in the mid to high 40s (in the temperate seasons). If your commute is very very short, then it will be more difficult to get fantastic mileage. Highway speeds are more a function of speed and how close you tailgate (drafting). My commute is very short, and I can still get 34mpg without even trying.

And it's nice to know that 200hp is there when I need it. Or want it...

Another thing to consider is how long you keep your cars, and what you think gasoline will cost over that time period.

-Gren

RealMac, there's nothing to be worried about. I just picked up my brand new NAH with Tech yesterday, and it's GREAT! I'm coming from an Infiniti G35x with the same engine as your Maxima, and I just averaged 36.4 mpg on my drive home from Philly.

I got a really good deal on the Tech Package too, and it's almost like I paid MSRP for a Connection. If you have leather in the Maxima now, I would try to find a Connection Package. They're selling for high $29xxx

Dark Slate Altima Hybrid
Technology Package
33mpg!

I ultimately went with a Nissan Altima 2.5SL (non-hybrid). With all the options I wanted and a 100k powertrain warranty, the hybrid was still a bit out of my price range. I love the car even though my initial mpg is taking a big hit with the cold weather we've been having. Car was about 24,000 + $5k for 7yr/100k Security Plus Gold warranty, 5yr/75k Maintenance Plus Silver package (don't pay for oil changes), LoJack, remote start built into the keyfob.

Been idling the car a bit with the weather and I'm not yet switched over to synthetic oil. Averaging 21.1mpg for the last two tanks with mostly 15 minute trips to and from work each morning. Temperature here is between 15 and 30°F. The Altima feels like a very solid car. A much more solid feel than the Maxima I had. I wrote a little review in my blog if anyone is interested.

http://www.therealmac.net/blog/?p=24

Congratulations,

I hope it serves you well. Price was the reason we went with the base Altima Hybrid. Of course when we purchased ours, no one was offering any kind of deal. I can't believe it will be one year already next month.

Best Wishes

I was at the dealer today and they still had a 2007 Altima Hybrid with Connection Package available at what I was told was a hot price. Let me know if anyone is interested and I will put in you contact.

I e-mailed my dealer today to ask them if they'd let me trade my 2.5SL in for a hybrid with technology package while only adding $5k to my total amount financed. I didn't care too much about the remote start or lojack since I can get those installed on my own for much less. We'll see what happens. I can seriously see gas getting to $5/gal this year and possibly 6 in the next two years. At those prices, every gallon is precious. I also really want a Bose system after hearing two friends with one let me listen to their systems.