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Sedans Nissan Maxima 2009 Nissan Maxima
681 messages, Last post on Oct 08, 2009 at 11:05 AM
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Replying to: redbull (Dec 14, 2008 11:24 am) I also saw the comment specifically to the 335i coupe but in general to the G37 and assumed (I know what happens when one assumes) that you meant the sedan. I agree with and share your opinion of the coupe G37. I considered moving from Nissan up to the G but with 3 grown children the car did not have enough space, something in common with your assessment. My question about sporty and steel interior trim comes from noticing that some vehicles that are marketed as the "de-luxe" version, as yours, are trimmed with wood or imitation wood interior trim and then the same car in its "sport version" suddenly switches the interior trim to some cold metal pieces. If you look at the 09 Max with the Sport Package, the interior trim does just what I mentioned, I believe yours with the premium package has a wood-tone or wood-like trim. The logic behind that is unbeknown to me. Good thing that www.autoanything.com offers replacement trims options. The quality statement comes from having driven the 04 and now the 07 version of the Maxima.Take a close look at one if you run across one. In the 04 and 07 you will notice that you can look through the gap between the front driver door and front fender and see the screw that holds it in place, you can run your finger along the upper part of the door forward and see where your finger will come to a complete stop when you reach the front fender because they do not match up, you can look at the trunk and see the gap with the rear fenders varies in separation especially as you approach the separate piece next to the tail light, and finally you can look at where the interior upper section of the doors meet the dash board and see that they do not line up. These are all major failures in quality control for a Japanese car, and especially a flagship car. Specifically In my 07 model, the interior trim on the top section of the passenger door has a gap with the dash board that far exceeds the same gap on the driver side. It is all about attention to detail, whoever let these faults get to the consumer should not be in the car business. Is it because they are built here, maybe not because my daughter's $17,000.00 Pontiac G6 does not suffer from any such failure sin quality. I think American cars have come a long way, they deserve a look these days. I thought the electrical problems with Jaguars had gone away with the Ford influence, am I wrong on that? What was Acura thinking when they designed that front grille? Gee you gave up racing at stop lights at a young age of 46, come on man are you serious? Actually so have I, the comment was meant as a joke. I did that with a partner Maxima a few weeks ago and got clobbered because my 07 had the CVT and his 05 did not. Hey on a serious note, since you are in the car business, why do I not get the scent of leather in my Maxima that I notice in German cars, some American cars, and other Japanese premium brands? There is something wonderfully intoxicating about the scent of good leather, yet my Maxima does not exude such a scent, neither do any of the 09 versions I have sat in. I love the dialogue redbull, thanks for the exchange of opinions. As I stated in a previous post, I will test drive the 09 and then provide my opinion on the blog. Happy motoring to you and all... |
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Replying to: carnut35 (Dec 14, 2008 5:13 pm) In my 07, I chose the precision grey because they did away with the coral sand. Luckily for me, I found one with frost color seats instead of black ones, it makes such a difference. Who knows, as time goes by maybe the CVT will be re-tuned and become enthusiast friendly. I will let you know what I think of the new CVT when I test drive the 09, I will make sure it has the sport package which includes shift paddles. Your 2 cents count, just like all of ours. Bottom line is to have fun with the car we all drive, I do so with mine.
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Replying to: alexstore (Dec 14, 2008 5:54 am) I too drove many vehicles before buying the new Maxima. (Ie G35, M35 Lexus IS, Mercedes) I found the handling and pick up to be much better than all cars listed for the price, not to mention I wanted something that no one had on the road. I now have 6k miles on my Maxima and LOVE it just as much as I did the day I drove it off the lot. To date 6 months later have seen only 1 maxima in the greater Houston area which is cool because no one even know what I am driving unless they stare. I would suggest neg. for a lower price with the market and all, I paid 35k including TTL for Silver Maxima with no nav the weekend they came out. I hope this helps in your car search. I agree with Redbull dont listen to everyone bashing the Maxima, go drive it or listen to someone that has owned one for 6,000 miles not someone who just has too much time on their hands. 
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Replying to: out4cat (Dec 14, 2008 6:11 pm) There is no difference in the engine or transmission with the Sport package; the suspension tuning is stiffer, the 19" wheels, spoiler and metal instead of wood in the interior I believe are the only differences. With the Sport package you can't get the air conditioned driver's seat, the dual sunroof, the heated steering wheel (this is paying off big for me right now). Most of the car magazines say this is the best interation of the CVT they have seen, but having said that it's still a CVT. I don't mind it, and it supposedly enables better gas mileage, but I would have much preferred Nissan's new seven speed AT that's in the Infinitis for 2009. The reason why dealers stock mostly white, silver, gray and black cars (not just with the Maxima), is that those are the biggest selling colors (in that order) in the U.S. This increases their chances of having a car in stock that will be suitable to someone coming in off the street, and them getting an impulse sale. The other colors are out there though, one of the dealers near to where I live has two green Maximas with sport package in stock right now. The green looks more like silver though, it just has a bit of a greenish tint if you look at it in a certain light. It's a nice color. |
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Replying to: brirogan (Dec 15, 2008 8:30 am) Glad you are enjoying your Max! |
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| It's good to hear the positive stories about the new purchases, and it seems Nissan did a better job w/the CVT than on the previous version. I've decided not to buy now (old car runs fast and well), but after reading and looking for me it would come down to the Max, the '09 TL SHWD, or the new G37 sedan with the 7 speed and big horsepower (I think it's over 300). It seems like the Max has a distinct price advantage in this comparison, although the warranty is 1 year shorter and I don't know if Nissan service is as good as Infinity or Acura. Acura is excellent, I can say from experience, and I imagine Infiniti is. Anyone have substantial experience with Nissan service departments? | |
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Replying to: carnut35 (Dec 11, 2008 7:09 pm) Sorry it's taken awhile to respond, but better late than never. Regarding performance, Edmunds tested the 2009 Maxima SV sport at 6.3 seconds 0-60. Edmunds Test. That Edmunds number feels just about right based upon my buttmeter and comparisons to two cars I own: a 2004 Acura TL 6-speed that is in the 6.0 second range and a 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed that was tested by virtually every automotive rag at 6.6-6.7 seconds. So, on the one hand, you can make the claim that the Maxima certainly isn't slow. But, look at it another way. It now takes 100 more horsepower (290 vs. 190) for the CVT Maxima to shave a whopping 0.3-0.4 seconds off of my 14 year old Maxima's time. By comparison, a 300 hp 335i is in the 4.9 second range, so calling the Maxima "class leading" is absurd, unless you are picking a different class than "sport sedan". Even the (70 fewer horsepower) 328i is quicker. How much does the CVT have to do with underachieving performance? A lot. Surely FWD vs RWD is a factor when comparing to BMW. But the weight of a 2009 Maxima and 335i are neck and neck. Fuel efficiency is another weakness of the CVT. It get's decent EPA ratings (as did my 2004 TL). But the actual fuel efficiency reports I've heard back on the 2009 Maxima are pitiful - according to my Nissan dealer, the 2009 executive demo that he drives has averaged 17.8 mpg in 6,500 miles in highway biased mixed driving. Test drives account for less than 200 miles, so that's not much of a factor. By comparison, my 1995, with only 5 gears and running at 3,000+ rpms on the highway has averaged 24.1 mpg over 155k miles. 20-22 in the city, 28-29 on the highway. That said, my biggest gripe isn't with the "numbers". I just can't accept the numbness, hesitation and disconnected feel the CVT causes in what is supposed to be a "sports" sedan. It's not just evident in hard accceleration, it rears its ugly head when I'm taking a left turn at 10 mph. I simply want a transmission to feel more direct and responsive. I'm not asking Nissan to punt the CVT against the wishes of buyers that don't care about responsiveness and direct control. I'm simply asking for the option of a short throw 6-speed manual on behalf of those of us that do. Is that really to much to ask for in a car that labeled as a 4DSC?
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Replying to: habitat1 (Dec 16, 2008 7:00 am) Mileagewise I'm geting 23 in city/freeway driving (1100 miles) and I'll post my highway mileage after I take a longer trip. As far as the CVT it has been very smooth. As far as I'm concerned the CVT is never in the wrong gear like an auto can be when you slow down to 30, the trannys in 5th and you punch it. There's always a hestitaion as it drops 3 gears to catch up. |
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I am all up to speed feedback about colors, CVT, quality, avg mileage and looks of the new MAX but have 1 question for new owners, does the exhaust note sound like the note in the 350/370 Z or G37 coupe? I noticed the new design of the exhaust tip on the 09 Maxima is similar to the one on the Z and G, just wonder if it sounds the same. In my 07 I get a pretty nice engine sound from the cabin but outside the car is just as silent as a Buick. Priced an SV in a local dealer stickering at 37k and red tagged at 31,500 plus tax. I am shocked this price is better than the broker price that red-bull got on his. I did not go for it because these cars all had charcoal seats. The dealer had 27 Maximas in stock, 8 of them were set at 31,500.
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