lightonthehill

[QUOTE=george__;8995141]KIA K900 with the new KIA badge



QUOTE]

Those KIA 900s are not bad looking. My nearest Maxima dealer is actually a 'two manufacturer' dealer. He has a KIA dealership on the same lot, with separate display lot, separate showroom, separate service department, etc. So I sometimes amble over and check the KIAs out. The KIA 900 is sharp-looking in person, but prices begin around $65K, and my dealer did not have one priced less than $70K.

2003MaximaMan

why the heck won't they turbo a 3.5 and be done with it? no half measures.

D.Stillwell

Because it wouldn't be practical, wouldnt work well for a mass production car, fuel economy would be horrid. They would either go up in displacement (ie. VQ37) and stay N/A or go smaller turbo like a 2.5 or 3.0 maybe.

I did read recently, from a reputable source...that Nissan will be bringing back the twin-turbo 3.0 tho, which is awesome. Id like to see that motor in the new Maxima, 300zx style.

2003MaximaMan

who wants practical buying a Maxima? Want practical? go buy a Malibu, Camry or Accord. Why call it Maxima if it is not done to the maximum? Want MPG? get a Prius.

george__

iTrader: (1)

C.A.F.E and other political influences. It's all MPG and improving efficiency for the average joe, no more gas guzzling cars for the average family.

Jprocs24

Pretty much sums up 90% of the cars coming out, it's sad but that's what the people buy now. I was at Toyota yesterday and noticed that my 2000 Maxima is better than a 2015 Toyota. Interior design is horrid on new cars (for the most part) and my just about 15 year old car blows it away. I'll admit that some of the new cars are looking pretty nifty!

If I had money I would buy a Tesla or Lamborghini depending on how I felt that morning

Chris Alexander

None of the new autos are worth anything anymore. these auto makers are building cars with elmers glue. How Hyundai went from the best and Nissan went to the worse I will never figure it out. Since I live in Texas it would be much better to ride a cow to work than to purchase an auto in 2014 2015 who's to say if the auto industry will ever be what it once was again. The day's of fine automobile craftmanship are over.

george__

iTrader: (1)

My gen is so boring in North America.

Need to go elsewhere for some fun

Chris Alexander

Peter Schreyer is doing an outstanding job over at Hyundai they lucked out and picked up an ex Audi designer can you imagine what he'd do for Nissan!

george__

iTrader: (1)

Do you know why the Infiniti guy jumped ship recently? Was there a feud?

Chris Alexander

That's another thing Infiniti is hanging on too. Infiniti Nissan needs a new CEO over here trying to join Chrysler what's next Churches Chicken and Cadillac.

lightonthehill

Yes, there have been folks here with problems with their Maximas in recent years, but far more are having trouble with other makes.

Maxima is always above average in reliability in surveys that involve many thousands of respondents. I have owned every generation but the first, and all have been reliable for me. I had very few issues with my 2000 SE, only one issue in five years with my 2004 SL, and ZERO issues in six years with my 2009 SV with premium and tech packages.

Chris Alexander

lightonthehill That is true about other makes having far worse problems try owning a charger 06-11. The Camry 07-09.

Jprocs24

All of this just makes me 100% sure that I'm buying an older car after the Max! I've been hunting Supra's for a couple of years now... one day I'll get my hands on one

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

[QUOTE=lightonthehill;8995743]From what I see of the Maxima spyshots, this KIA 900 is what I see is underneath, only the KIA looks better.

Scramblinman

When was the golden age of fine automobile craftsmanship? As a whole, when were cars engineered better, safer, more efficient, better driving, better performing, more comfortable and longer lasting?

Even though the 6th Gens get maligned so much here for some reason, our 2005 has been a pretty good car. In 9 years it has gotten to over 156,000 miles with minimal fuss and still feels like it has a long ways to go left in it.

If Nissan released an AWD Maxima with 300+ HP, it would pique my interest. But as it is, I've got my eye set on an Audi A7 in a few years.

george__

iTrader: (1)

Nissan will never release a AWD Maxima, that's Infiniti territory.

300+ HP will be problematic for Nissan because the Maxima is FWD and CVT. Probably why they are going the higher efficiency method.

Wouldn't the golden age of cars be when Detroit was booming? Mahybe ~1930s-1960s?

Jprocs24

Scramblinman

The Audi A7 is an amazing car, I've driven many of them and can't complain. If you can afford it and want the extra power go for the S7, that damn car was nicer than my house.

Chris Alexander

Our Nissan problems are small compared to what Chrysler is having at least none of our cars are catching on fire well I be better quiet tommorow my 6th gen might go up in flames

http://www.clickondetroit.com/consum...leaks/29401234

george__

iTrader: (1)

Domestics having issues is not a new concept.

lightonthehill

I think part of the problem regarding FWD and over 300 HP can be offset by the never ending process of putting wider and wider profile tires on larger diameter wheels on these Maximas, giving more rubber with which to grip the road. But that process still will not work for much more than 300 HP.

Golden age in the 1930s through 1960s? I consider those decades to be the ROMANTIC age of cars, not the golden age. I owned and drove a ton of cars from the late 1940s through the 1960s, and although I drove them coast-to-coast and border-to-border countless times (before the interstate system was built), and loved those exciting times, I still remember those terrible trips to dealer service departments, where prices were high, and very few problems ever got fixed the first few times they were taken to service.

Sadly, tires in those days were tubed bias belt, and 15K to 20K was about the limit. We had generators, not alternators. Air conditioning, automatic trannies, power steering, power brakes, etc, etc, did not appear until the 1950s. Even basic heaters were an option on some cars (such as my '49 Studebaker and my'53 Chevy 210).

I know there are those here who will not agree, but I have owned every gen Maxima except the 1st (I did carpool in a 1st gen 2002 diesel Maxima for two years), and my six year old 2009 7th gen Maxima has been the best car I have ever owned.

Never a whisper of a problem, looks great, roars to 60 in 6 seconds, can turn on a dime (turning circle is FOUR FEET tighter than the 6th gen), still has original brakes with lots of pad left, has a wonderful music box, double-panel roof, power rear window sunscreen, air conditioned driver's seat, has never needed realigning, the tires have never needed rebalancing since leaving the factory, will zip from 35 MPH to 85 MPH faster than i can say 'pow'. For me, this is a perfect car.

george__

iTrader: (1)

^
I just think engineers had a way longer leash back then... Not as much crap from politicians and companies wanting to cut costs so they had more freedom to generate innovative ideas and actually bring it to life.

lightonthehill

That is true. Buyers did not haggle nearly as much back then, and prices were rather fixed until sometime in the 1960s, when buying a car became more stressful. Also, there was no foreign competition in those days, and there was (as you said) less pressure to keep costs very low.

There were no seat belts, some states did not even have speed limits, and the government did not care that my 1966 Olds Delta 88 weighed over 4,200 pounds, had a 25 gallon tank, required 'high test' (called Ethyl back then), and got 8 MPG in town and 11 MPG on the highway.

So many engineering accomplishments took place between the 1930s and the 1960s. That was a good time to be in love with automobiles.

D.Stillwell

^^ Look at how we already have a tax on new cars that are considered what they call a "gas guzzler" by todays standards..

With the mpg standards having to keep increasing, I worry how manufacturers will keep some cars around..

I see many more small displacement turbo engines in the future, and hybrids...

Shame but true :sad:

george__

iTrader: (1)

I want a inefficient v8 pumping out 300+ hp damn it!!!!!

lightonthehill

Those were truly good old days, but, even as I was tooling around the country enjoying those wonderful years, I knew there would come a time to pay the piper.

Of course I had sort of an advantage in foreseeing the 'end of times', because my Dad was a U.S. Forest Service Chief Ranger, and way back in the 1930s, he was showing me the damage we were doing.

But not everything is lost. We now have to wherewithall to get 300 HP out of a small turbocharged engine that is vastly more fuel-efficient than those old V8s that became so popular in the 1950s.

And we have found that some of these electric hybrids can plant us back into our seat cushions with considerably force. Of course there will be those who will want some sort of 'varoom' sound creation device in their electric car, otherwise, it won't sound right.

george__

iTrader: (1)

^
I think you maybe the oldest member on this forum.

Jprocs24

I've had the opportunity to drive a Tesla, it blew me away. When I make enough money, I'll be converting to the electric side. The new Tesla has 691 HP, and it's all instant when you press the pedal! Not to mention how damn awesome the door handles are, and the remote key-less entry is a little Tesla

Tesla recently opened all of their patents, hopefully other brands realize that's the way to go and take after the masters... could you guys imagine a 600+ hp electric Maxima! Tesla blows my mind, if you guys can get your hands on one for a test-drive, do it!!!

D.Stillwell

^^ Who cares for a Tesla, it costs ridiculous amounts for a 2+ ton car in which the glare from the stupid huge screens is so bad you cant see out of the front window driving that thing at night.

Nevermind if anything goes wrong on those...Tesla cant even be in any conversation yet, they have proven nothing and have no track record...gotta give em some time

jpiarull

It is a shame that hybrids are becoming more mainstream. I'd rather drive a Tesla at that point if you're pushing efficiency. Problem with rising MPG standards is the use of brittle plastic on the bumpers, side skirts, lower bottom door panels along the wheels & leading edges. If you wanted to create a lighter & more reliable car that's durable from impact, use carbon-fibre reinforced plastic. Problem is costs will explode overnight, CFRP is about 4x more expensive than plastic. Price sensitivity is high & will not change. This is due to government standards, that alone drives prices upwards of 40%. If you left safety standards up to the market & manufacturers themselves, prices would drop like a rock. If only.

dauntlessmax

Hey Light,

Just curious. How did you find the 4th generation Maxima? I noticed you never really talk about it when you post about the previous Maximas you've owned. I ask because I'm biased towards the 4th gen as the best Maxima and just wondered what someone with as much experience with Maximas as you thought about that particular gen.

Jprocs24

I drove it in the daytime so I wouldn't have noticed any glare. It's a huge screen though, so I can see that being an issue. All I know is I had a blast and would definitely buy one after driving it. Not sure how it would be in the long-term reliability and ownership, but it can only get better. They do cost a damn arm and a leg, that's for sure.

For now my 5th gen will be my ride, I just have major fuel economy problems and a mysterious grinding/ rattle upon start up and at 2,000 rpm

river57

Just read and looked at the new Murano updates online; and wonder how much of its interior and exterior features we will get in the new Maxima.

http://www.nissanusa.com/crossovers/...015_2014_Aspen

What do you think will make its way into the maxima?

D.Stillwell

Murano exterior features on the Maxima? No thanks! Lolz

And if previous gen Maximas were any indication, they borrow interiors from the Infiniti lineup (late 4th gens, 5th gens, 6th gen, and now 7th gen), not lower class Nissan models.

So I'd guess the 8th gen might look more like a Q50 inside than a Murano.

river57

Humm, I thinking more on the features like the aero, opening and shutting to reduce drag, and the lighter materials on the panels....

Other features like the electronics on safety may be welcomed too. What I did notice is how they focus the Murano around its passengers; I just hope they focus the maxima on its title as "sports sedan".

Wishbone

I own a Maxima and a Murano. The Murano feels like a better built vehicle.

george__

iTrader: (1)

Murano are built in Japan

gizzsdad

http://www.usatoday.com/story/driveo...sippi/1824127/

NissanFreak2000

I just really hope Nissan is serious about getting this to be the sport sedan! I have hope as the Altima seems to have become more bland and watered down. Hopefully this was done intentially to have the Maxima take its spot as the king sport sedan in Nissan lineup!

george__

iTrader: (1)

Nah ... Maxima will probably become a even more low volume "exclusive" car while the Altima 3.5 takes the cake for family sports sedan.