my moms got an 2002 altima 3.5 SE but with an auto tranny
the newer ones have a little more power & nicer consoles.
Its a nice car, very roomy, good tourque(yes tq steer too)
comfy seats (heated), nice sound system (bose)
no major problems…changed brakes, new tires, couple recalls (rear subframe & some gas tank thing that had to do with if it freezes ice crystals doesn;t get sucked in) also had a problem with the fuel door sticking & one of the power windows messing up…nothing really major
gearhead, dirt georg & turdteg, have all been in it & gearhead & george drove it.
so they might chime in too.
i would seriously consider the SE-R model if i was buying a new car.