New to the car mods. I have a 2006 nissan altima. Should I buy just a muffler or a whole new exhaust system?
Hmmm. Depends on what you want out of the car and your budget. Putting an entire exhaust system can be pricey. If it's the sound you are going for I would just get a good muffler. Having a full exhaust system put in can give you a better sound, not much performanceactually if not any. Personally the first mod I would ALWAYS do is chipping, then engine work, then worry about the exhaust (unless engine work requires exhaust upgrade). You don't want to have a sweet sounding car and when you gun it that's all you getis sweet sound. If you still want an exhaust system, I love Borla exhaust.
It all depends on what you are looking for. If you just want sound then a muffler will do this in most cases. If you are looking for performance and sound then a full exhaust is the way to go. With a cat-back exhaust you will be getting a system that has been dyno proven to provide an increase, well known brands at least, bandrel bent piping, and a muffler that is designed to sound better without being to raspy. Currently most oem systems are designed to keep the car quiet and not for performance to appeal to a greater audience. Most muffler shops around here would charge about $150 - $200 for a muffler and to weld it in, and most cat-back systems are bolt up but vary largely in price. The previous post mentioned a chip. Unfortunately, a chip is typically just a resistor that will not give you any real gains. Check OKorder and you will find them for a couple dollars on up. Note that there is a difference between a chip and a programmer or a tune. A programmer will actually altering your vehicle's settings to improve performance. Like I mentioned before it depends on what your are looking for. I personally will always upgrade my exhaust and intake on any car.
