The Nissan Maxima is a 4-door, 5-passenger sports sedan, and is redesigned for 2009.
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The Nissan Maxima is a 4-door, 5-passenger sports sedan, and is redesigned for 2009.
Both trims are equipped with a standard 3.5-liter, V6, 290-horsepower engine that achieves 19-mpg in the city and 26-mpg on the highway. A variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
Summary: I like the styling, but the interior ergonomics need a little work. Just not as intuitive as Toyota interiors. Power is fair and factory tires need to be replaced with something quieter.
Year / Model Reviewed: 2009 Nissan Maxima SV/Sport
Strengths: Engine power and sound. Seat comfort. Programmable CVT transmission sport mode. Styling is brilliant and unusual (take a note Acura designers). Quiet road manners that allow the engine note to be heard. Great Nav system and backup camera. Large trunk. Great iPod interface. Huge glove box. Rattle free interior. Xenon headlights. Sensuous view out the windshield of the fender line and hood bulge.
Weaknesses: Suspension is set up a 1/2" too high. Rear seats on the Sport/Premium packages only have a pass through and don't drop down completely. Plastic on the lower door panels doesn't seem as nice as the rest of the car. Sunroof buffets a slow to moderate speeds, needs a wind baffle.
Summary: A powerful sedan that has multiple personalities, which are conveyed by its interesting transmission and powerful engine (with a great Z engine note). Sportingly comfortable and entertaining handling. The Sport package has 19" wheels, stiffer springs and antiroll bars. Always insist on having the summer Bridgestone rubber, it is quieter and adds steering feel at the wheel (same wheel as the Z). Seats are very supportive and for the driver, thigh extensions, ala BMW. Sport package also includes heated seats, but counterintuitively, leaves out the cooling function available in the "premium" package. Exterior styling is fascinatingly sensuous, masculine and menacing from some angles. The fluid fenders emphasize the beautifully styled wheels. Headlights echo the Z and GTR. GTR touches also in the "haunches" of the rear which is better emphasized by the rear spoiler available in the sport package. So far, no service issues, the car is quiet and rattle free. Mileage is improving with each tank. Standard "D" for around town is best for mileage and takes advantage of the CVT's efficiency. Open highways and curvy roads are definitely enhanced by the "Ds" mode, where the car suddenly has a six speed transmission, that will downshift while braking into turns and the flappy paddles will hold a gear. Mileage on long trips has been about 24 mpg, while combined in town, 20, not bad for a nearly 300 horsepower car! The Tech package adds back up camera with predicted path grid, bluetooth, iPod interconnection cable, nav, 9 GB internal drive (it can record CD's) and a compact flash transfer point, which I used to listen to music off of a friend's computer...The nav/talk function is more deliberate than Acura's system, but there are shortcuts that are in the manual. Further, the Infinit-based nav system is intuitive and has good tactile feel. What would be really nice is to set up various computer mapping functions on this system, which would help program how the engine, transmission and traction control interact. One thing I haven't mentioned is torque steer: that is because it is so minimal it is not worth mentioning, Nissan has dropped the engine further down into the subframe support structure and used equal length half-shafts to keep the axles from canting at extreme steering angles.
Similar Products Used: In shopping for a mid sized (and mid priced) performance sedan, I drove an Acura TL (too ugly), Audi A4 (moaning 2.0T engine), Infiniti G37S (bone jarring ride, too narrow), Cadillac CTS (uncomfortable), Mazda 6 (too loud and tinny, ugly interior), Hyundai Genesis 3.8 sedan (too heavy), VW CC 2.0T & VR6 (turbo, loud and peaky, VR6 better but engine moaned like it was being punished). BMW 328i (you could only buy a stripped one to compare with this group, too small inside).
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Strengths: Beautiful, horsepower, comfortable to travel in.
Weaknesses: Gas, turning ratio, radio system (Bose speakers) not the best quality for a 36K vehicle.
Summary: I purchased a 2006 Nissan Maxima SE Elite Edition. The Elite addition is very over priced, it is basically just a bucket back seat and seat heaters for the back seat. It jumped the Maxima price like 3K. The Maxima has excellent pick up, yet terrible at gas. I have driven cars similar in its category and they do not waste as much fuel. The Maxima has a terrible turning ratio, when making U-Turns you can barely turn without hitting the curb or backing up.
Similar Products Used: Lexus ES330
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Strengths: Good power, nice styling, and roomy inside and trunk.
Weaknesses: Mechanically unsound, poor quality control, poor fit and finish, terrible turning radius. Dealer service and support from Nissan are horrible.
Summary: This car has been nothing but a headache from day one. For a 26K car it is not built to quality standards. Problems so far...Suspension noise sounds like something is loose and banging around on the front end, dealer replaced struts but it didn't help, We took it in to the dealer 5 times to fix the headlight that kept going out (we finally paid our ouwn mechanic $300 to rewire it Because Nissan couldn't seem to fix it), The dash was installed improperly and needed to be replaced, the goodyear tires on this car are terrible, the sidewalls have blown out on 9 so far (they cost $325 a piece) We did finally get money from goodyear and put dunlops on it, then the final straw was at 50000 miles the engine started knocking, took it in to the dealer and the idoits said it was a broken timing chain and not covered (funny that the engine still ran), after 9 weeks we finally got the car back with a new factory long block in it, what happened you ask? spun the main bearing. The new engine leaks all over my garage floor and runs terrible. Please do not buy this car, I would expect more from a mid twenty thousand vehicle. I've had Fords that are more dependable. We bought this car because we bought a 1993 Sentra new and has been a trouble free car, Good thing we still have the sentra because when we need reliable transportation we jump in the sentra and go. I always buy BMW's, and the wife will be driving one soon.
Similar Products Used: 1999 bmw m3, 1993 nissan sentra, 1993 honda accord, 1993 bmw 325i
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Rating Reviewed by: JW(Unregistered User)
Review Date August 14, 2006
Overall Rating 3 of 5
Value Rating 2 of 5
Used product for More than 1 year
Visitors rate this review 5.00 of 5,
1.00 votes
Review 5 of 443
Price Paid:
$33000.00
from Ft. Collins, CO
Year / Model Reviewed: 2004 Nissan Maxima SL
Strengths: Engine, equipment list, roomy interior
Weaknesses: Rattles, squeaks, thumps, bangs...you get the picture; sub-par paint job (at least on mine); questionable reliability; body panel fit and finish
Summary: When I first purchased my dark blue 2004 Maxima SL, I was very happy with it. As time went by, however, the honeymoon was over and I realized that, at least mine, was simply an average car at best. The power, roominess, and equipment list is what first caught my attention and I still enjoy both of those aspects even today. It is the other, less noticable things that have now caught the majority of my attention (and ire).
After only about 4000 miles, the car developed a very loud rattle/thump in the right rear of the vehicle. After 19 (yes, nineteen) trips to the shop, the noise is still there at 50,000 miles and is worse than ever. All of the suspension was replaced..some pieces were replaced twice. The rear subframe was replaced, the back window was removed and resealed, the seatbelt mechanism was replaced. The list goes on and on. The dealer heard the noise every time and, everytime, they said they fixed it. We went for a test drive and, guess what, they were wrong. The noise is so loud at times it literally sounds like the ass-end of the car is going to fall off. Nissan Customer Service has refused to do anything about it citing the problem is not serious enough to warrant trading me out of the car.
In addition to the noise mentioned above, noise from potholes, uneven pavement, and other road abnormalities intrude far too much into the cabin of the car. Instead of a nice low rumble that you hear in other cars, there is a thump and whack as if the suspension has bottomed out (which it has not). It is very harsh and jarring and mine is even the SL version with the "luxury", smoother riding suspension.
The paint is peeling in several locations on the car...up by the right mirror and on the right front door moulding are the two worst areas. An area approximately 10 inches long has peeled completely off the moulding. Again, Nissan North America really came through...they claim it to be NORMAL wear and tear and won't cover it even though the car is only 2 years old.
These are annoyance items to be sure and really don't effect the safety or drivability (although it has also been in for several recalls, idling problems, stalling problems, emmision problems, brake problems, and steering problems), a person should not have to deal with them on a $33,000+ vehicle.
For me, my one experience with the Maxima is enough. I still use it as a daily driver and for my business and will continue to do so for a while. I was considering buying a vehicle from Nissan's Infiniti lineup, but Nissan North America's unwillingness to step up and remedy the problems after the dealership couldn't was the final straw. Instead, I bought a new BMW as my "weekend" car.
The bottom line for me is this- after owning an Altima (which was absolutely trouble free) I expected the Maxima to be even better. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Overall, the Altima is a better car and I could have saved about $10,000 by buying another one instead of the Maxima.
Similar Products Used: 2006 BMW 330xi Sedan, 2002 Nissan Altima, 2005 Toyota Camry, 2004 Mazda 6
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