Celidor

I am looking to buy a used Maxima to replace my current one and I found a good one in particular, a 2012, SV.
Now, my current car is a 2009 Max fully loaded. I was told when buying used that it had the Sport package as well as the "Premium/Tech" (and Winter luxury or something) package. Facts are it came with 18" wheels, paddles, pano-roof, pass-through trunk, cooled driver seat, heated steering wheel, rear sunshade, nav, rear seat controls... and everything else.

Now I need help because it seems like almost every year the packages have changed. This 2012 SV I'm looking to buy has the fold-down rear seats. Which I assume means it is not sport package and has softer suspension.


Everything else interior wise is the same as my car now minus: rear seat controls, auto windows in the rear, and it has USB ipod connector (instead of the Nissan connector).

So my question is: Since it has fold-down rear seats...
1.
Does that mean that the front reinforcement bar will be missing or "less" than the sport would have?
Are there reinforcement upgrades easily available or should I take it out of my current car? (if it truly has it.)
2.
What kind of aftermarket upgrade can I install to make up for the lack of rear reinforcement? Would a rear sway-bar alone do it? (I don't care much about the rear folding seats)
3.
My car I believe has the sport suspension. If I test drive this car with the softer suspension and I find myself missing my 09's sport suspension how easy/affordable is it to upgrade?
Would I need to change out the shocks/struts or just the springs? (Also I am not really looking to lower it very much if at all for the sake of driving on rough dirt roads and snow.)

And what about Racingline end links?


A lot of questions I know. I have not done any real modding to my car before but my plan is to buy a new 7th gen to replace my current one and upgrade it. With exhaust, stillen parts, etc. And I want to make sure this car is the right one to buy as there are not many that have all of the features and is the right colour around where I live.

zappasian

This PressKit will clear things up.

If you really like the ride of the sport package. I would suggest to buy a car with this package already install by the factory. It will be cheaper.

Celidor

I plan to do some upgrades/mods to the car regardless of which version I get. And it is surprisingly hard to find a black maxima with everything. It seems like 1 in a 100. And this one I'm looking at is a good price with low kms. If it is just missing a sport suspension and extra rear reinforcement it may be cheap to upgrade. Problem is I just don't know. Tomorrow I go to check it out. And see first hand what the suspension and handling will feel like. Unfortunately it has the stock eagles and not performance tires so I'll have to feel it out best I can... But my three questions remain unanswered. Also I don't really want the stock spoiler that seems to come with sport package. If anything I was thinking stillen spoiler and add high mount brake light to top of rear window like Audi A7 or Bentley continental.

The press kit cleared up what packages had what for the most part. But it didn't specify if the front reinforcement bar was different and larger in the sport trim. ??

So I still hope someone can help me find answers to my questions in time...

Does the non sport have a smaller front bar? How can I tell when looking at it?

Has anyone else upgraded some part of the suspension on a non-sport? Does just changing the springs make all the difference? Or do you have to change out shocks/struts to get that nice sport feel.

I saw a post years back of someone adding reinforcement to the rear of their max with fold-down seats. I haven't been able to find it again so far. But it was suggested that it was nearly as good as the sport reinforcement.
Anyone know the post I'm talking about? Nearly as good sounds pretty good to me if you get partially usable fold down seats with a bar going across as a consolation.

Celidor

Also I should mention I was thinking of upgrading the suspension but hoping not to lower it mostly just for staying above thick snow. But I will hopefully be getting a truck as well as the max in the near future, in which case maybe I should/would just lower it down a bit. The idea is to do whatever I need to do to get it to feel one with the road at least as well as my current max does.

Celidor

Any help/advice appreciated. I don't really know anything about changing out parts of the suspension. And I need to buy a new car sooner the better. And this 2012 SV is the only one around me for sale right now that appears to be a suitable replacement.

Anyone know how a sport tuned suspension max compares to a standard suspension one with sport springs added? (Eibach's seem to be popular.)

Does anyone know if the thread still exists about reinforcing the rear on a max with the fold-down seats? (Because I can't find it.)

jspagna

I have a 2012 SV Premium and 2014 Sport and I installed the Stillen front strut tower brace along with the Stillen rear sway bar and I can tell you that I really notice it on the 2014 Sport for sure. Way stiffer ride. I'm sure the 19" wheels have a lot to do with that as well. Bought 19's for the 2012 SV and putting them on in the Spring so I will be able to tell at that time and compare the ride of the 2 cars. You need to do both IMO.

Celidor

Still not getting much answers.

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the sport and the standard suspension?? If, for example, I took the shocks and struts off a sport max and put it onto the non-sport max would it now have the sport suspension? Or are there other parts involved that would still be missing from the suspension setup.