Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Nissan Maxima 2009 Nissan Maxima
681 messages, Last post on Oct 08, 2009 at 11:05 AM
You are in the Nissan Maxima Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
|
Replying to: carnut35 (Dec 12, 2008 10:24 pm) As I begin to see more 09s on the road I imagine that I will begin to like it more but the trouble again is, I have not seen one in a color that makes me fall in love with it. Most dealers only carry variations of grey and the few blue/maroon/green ones all have black seats which I HATE. So far I am drawn towards the Tuscan Sun exterior color with Cafe Latte leather seats, have not seen one on the road yet. I can also tell you from experience that it is a difficult color to keep clean especially here in the north with no garage and cold winters. I am puzzled by the variety in color availability in cheaper Nissans but the flagship is restricted to a sea of grey tones and only 3 colors that are not. More to come when I test drive the 09 as per your suggestion, wow 290 HP, I may never give the darn thing back to the dealer. |
|
|
2009 3.5 SV Premium + Technology, Dark Slate / Charcoal $39,302 MSRP $35,473 Final Price I've had my new Maxima for a little more than two weeks now (and 600 miles), and I have to say that I am absolutely thrilled with it. I considered a number of different cars: 2008 Lexus GS 350: I almost bought this car, I negotiated $2,500 below dealer invoice, and the interest rate on the lease was only about 0.5%. When I went to pick it up, I drove it first and realized that the seat comfort just didn't compare to most of the other cars I had tried, there just isn't enough padding in the driver's seat back. Even my wife's 2008 Highlander Limited has a better seat. And you have to pay another $500 to get iPod connectivity? Come on Lexus, let's move into 2006 already. (if you're wondering why I get such good pricing, I'm a licensed Auto Broker in California and I know all the fleet guys professionally). 2009 BMW 535i Sport + Premium: I was on the verge of buying this one as well, at $500 over invoice and the mfr buy rate for the lease. This car has the best seat in the business, the 20-way adjustable one included in the sport pkg. I loved everything about this car except the price. At about $63K I finally realized that I could get something satisfactory for a lot less money - the BMW is very nice, I think it's way overpriced though. At $50K I would have gone for it. 2009 Jaguar XF - This was nice, and gorgeous - plus I was going to get about $10K off the sticker price. I just didn't want another V8 - too bad they don't make it with a V6 in the U.S. 2009 Acura TL - I like the new TL from almost every perspective, except for the front end - I just couldn't see myself looking at that ugly-ass shield grill every day for the next three years. BMW 335i, Infiniti G37 - Both excellent drives (the 335i coupe was a hoot in particular), but a little smaller than what I really want. I think the G37 coupe is absolutely beautiful though. Over a period of six months, I looked at and considered a lot of cars. Every time I would try out something new, I found myself coming back to the Maxima and finally realized that the car fit me like a glove, more than any other car (except the 535i). I love the comfortable seat, the style of the interior, the sporty exterior and all the cutting edge technology features. This is a handsome car, very luxurious, but with a sporty soul. It has plenty of power for everyday driving, and the sport shift mode is a lot of fun. Yes, it has front wheel drive, and a CVT. Those wouldn't be my first choice, but in everyday driving these have becoome a non-issue for me. The Max takes freeway onramps at speed with aplomb, and windy roads in the mountains just fine. It feels planted. It's steering and suspension are not BMW caliber, but the cost is much less. It's very quiet on the freeway, yet has a sporty soul when winding it up. Do I care about Nissan's "4DSC" marketing slogan? Hell no, it's just the marketing department at work. Don't let that bother you, it's just marketing, and who really cares about that? The stereo is excellent, way better than the standard stereos in the Lexus and BMW. The iPod interface is wonderful. The Navi works great, way better than our Highlander. There are a few regular contributors on this site whose only reason for being here is to try to talk people out of the Maxima. I personally wouldn't have the time to spend on such an endeavor, but to each their own - and they are certainly welcome to voice their opinions here for whatever reasons motivate them. My opinion is that owning a certain expensive sports car or having a history of driving other cars or whatever doesn't make someone an expert on cars in general, or on the new Maxima in particular. It's easy to talk down the Maxima because it's not rear-wheel-drive, or doesn't have a manual transmission, or whatever. From age 16 to 46 I drove nothing but manual transmissions, and just got tired of shifting in traffic. Some people feel better about themselves when they are able to focus on being negative. Look out for them and take what they say with a grain of salt. Question their motivation for spending so much time on a forum for a car that they have no intention of buying. If you are attracted to the Maxima, and it feels good to drive it, then go for it. This is a fine car, and I'm really glad I have it. Don't worry about what other people say, especially on an Internet forum. Go and drive all the cars for yourself and make up your own mind. By the way, the dark gray exterior/black interior looks especially sporty - give it a look. I considered the sport package, but one of the auto mags said they feel not having the sport package improves the ride without hurting the handling. After trying both I agree. You can always get a spoiler added on, and it really is hard to tell the 18" from the 19" wheels. I don't have a lot of time to spend on this site posting, but I wanted to be sure that for those who are interested in a Maxima and come here to see what others have to say, that I was able to give my perspective on this excellent new car.
|
|
|
Replying to: redbull (Dec 13, 2008 8:54 pm) I am not on the market for a new car at this time, but 09 maxima actually looks great but as a person in the business what made you chose a 1st year car?
|
|
|
Replying to: redbull (Dec 13, 2008 8:54 pm) I have doubts about someone not getting the lexus GS simply because of the seat cushion, especially an auto broker. I doubt the X5's only attribute is the seat and suddenly the price was the reason for not going forward, an auto broker should have known the price going in. By the way, these X5s are being built in America and priced as an import, no wonder BMW does not need a bail out, America is getting duped and BMW is laughing all the way to the bank. Woops, same goes for Nissan, the Maxima is built right here and you paid import price, no matter what the discount is. No-1 is trying to talk anyone out of buying the Maxima, the final decision is that of the person who has to live with the choice. We simply express our views and move on. Personally I do not like the color scheme you chose, it has no life in such a dark color scheme, almost funeral-like. But the bottom line is, if you like it, then it is a good choice for you. I am still puzzled by the "sporty" classification of a vehicle, what do wheels and metallic interior trim have to do with sports? The views will continue to be expressed on these pages and the Blog will go on. If GM gets its act together, maybe I will pull up next to you in a V8 Pontiac G8 which discounts for about 29K and rumble away ahead of you in my comfy leather seats and 400 H.P. with enough leftover cash in my pocket to have it detailed monthly. U.S. built Nissans are NOT equal to Lexus, Acura, Jaguars, or Infinitys; no way no how. |
|
|
Replying to: out4cat (Dec 14, 2008 10:17 am) Being an auto broker really has nothing to do with how I consider a vehicle for myself, professionally I just get deals for other people and have a detailed knowledge about vehicle configurations. Comfort should be at the top of the list for anyone considering a daily driver; if the Lexus seat is not comfortable, I think it's obvious that I would disclude that car from my consideration. You mention the X5 several times, yet I didn't even look at it, or any other SUV. We already have a new Highlander, and that's enough for our family. I mention the 535i several times though, a very nice car. Also, I never metioned metallic interior trim...? In my mind, "sporty" is a feel you get from all your sensory input when driving and or looking at a car - the Lexus for example, while somewhat planted in the handling department, sounds like a sewing machine - there is no soul there. It's a beautiful car on the exterior though. I wanted a car for me, so looked at all the cars that have some appeal to me - there were no rules, i.e. has to be a sedan or big or small. I think the Jag XF is gorgeous. If when trying it out I were to totally fall in love with it, then I would have discounted the fact that it has a V8. That didn't happen though. Same with the G37 coupe - a beautiful car with soul. It was just a bit too cramped for me, and I think the exhaust noise would be irritating after awhile. The BMW 3 series is a very appealing car, I had to try it out to realize that it was just too small, and way too expensive. Although as I was leasing, the cost wouldn't have been too prohibitive all other things considered. Your final statement about the equality of Nissans vs. a number of brands is puzzling. How do you quantify that? Do you mean quality? Nissan generally finishes very high up in the quality ratings every year, usually beating Honda by a few places. After trying the new TL I thought the interior of the Maxima was much nicer, and the fit and finish is certainly no better on the TL. Same with the Lexus, I couldn't see a difference in quality between the GS350 and the Maxima. Jags are known for electrical glitches and other problems, but they have supposedly improved quality tremendously. My new Max is very well buttoned down, no rattles, and the fit and finish of everything is suberb - I believe just as good as our Japanese-made Toyota Highlander. Given the improvement of Ford and GM in quality over the past few years, I think a statement that Japanese or German cars are better in quality is fast becoming a myth. I stopped racing at stoplights years ago, so if you do come up next to me in a G8, I'll give you a friendly wave as you go by - I don't care about bragging rights, performance specs or wining races. I do appreciate your response though, thanks for your time.
|
|
|
Replying to: alexstore (Dec 14, 2008 5:54 am) I'm leasing for a period that's less than the warranty period, and I didn't want to wait. I also have faith in the JD Power quality ratings that put Nissan so high every year (this includes all of their cars, whether made in the US or Japan). So there you are - being in the business gives me the perspective that this is a safe bet for me. Thanks for your response. |
|
|
Replying to: out4cat (Dec 14, 2008 10:17 am) As far as I can tell, you do not own a new Max yet this is about the only board you post on. Nearly all, if not all, of your posts are bashing the Max in some way. What is your extreme negative interest in this car? In your last post you criticized the poster for his post being too long...and your reply was about as long as his was ! What's up with that?
|
|
|
Replying to: houdini1 (Dec 14, 2008 12:20 pm) I previously wrote that I should drive the Max in order to really see what they have done with the new CVT, I also wrote that I am waiting to see one in the right color to catch my eye and go for. Good points made by others on this blog have be thinking differently. I am not going to be in the market for this or any vehicle until 2010-2011 because of my present lease agreement. That is really different than bashing the car, just simple observations based on subjectivity, I think you can read real bashing earlier in the blog and not from me. My point, even though drawn out in a long reply, was that liking a car, without a care for other's opinion, or a 200+ justification of it, is what it is all about. In watching the show "Car Crazy, Barry Maguire speaks of passion, which transcends justifications and goes to the heart of the matter, liking the car. I admire those who have the car and love it, I am simply not there yet even if the lease agreement allowed me to switch right at this moment. After reading the cars and criteria (HP, size, RWD vs FWD, price...etc) others on this post consider when making their decision, I wanted to know what Redbull, as a broker took into consideration and why, just to have a more diverse perspective when I start looking again, it is that simple. Did you really read all of my posts, wow thanks... |
|
|
Outcat, I found the colors not the greatest either, as I would really love to get a lighter green for my next ride--nothing doing with the Max. Yours does sound beautiful in the coral sand. I particularly like the tailamps and rear view on the '07. BTW, I found that the new one looks better on the road somehow than when it's jammed into the showroom. It may grow on you. If I could change something on the '09, I would like them to put the 3.7 that's now in the '09 G37 sedan, and possible the 7 speed also from the G37, as the CVT seems to cause some controversy. But since that's not available, it's hard to argue with the 3.5 and the CVT sounds pretty decent now. Not sure how much it would cost to replace that transmission though if you keep the car a long time and it goes... Just my 2 cents.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Sedans Nissan Maxima 2009 Nissan Maxima
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2010 Nissan Maxima
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
