The Altima — inheritor of the much-loved Bluebird’s place in Nissan’s lineup — has always been a fairly popular car for its size class. However, popular doesn’t always mean "great," and there’s no doubt the Altima went through a case of the ho-hums in its second generation. But with its third-generation debut in 2002, the Altima was back in fine form, with both a spirited four- and a muscular six-cylinder engine, and enough standard and optional amenities to make its German rivals very nervous.
Adding Oil
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The standard 2003 Altima came with Nissan’s 2.5-liter QR35DE, which produced 175 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 180 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. The QR35DE was a fine enough engine for what it was, but the 3.5-liter VQ35DE V-6 is the real legend in this lineup. The VQ35DE was the same used in both contemporary 350Z sports cars and Japanese-market Skylines, and evolved from the same turbo monsters that powered some of Nissans best sports- and race-cars. On both engines, you’ll find the oil filler cap located in a circular recess in the plastic engine cover, offset slightly to the passenger side. Both engines call for a 5W-30 synthetic blend. If you’re changing the oil, the 2.5-liter takes 4.5 liters of synthetic blend, and the 3.5-liter takes 4.3 liters of engine oil.