pirahna842

I have wanted a max for a LONG time, but there are NO 4 gen 5-speeds in my area that have clean titles. I have been looking for a long time with no luck. Recently my friend turned me on to the V6 camry. I immidiately located a 2000 5-speed not far from me. I know they are rare and that the performance is not much different from the maxima. However, the only side i have heard is from my bias friend. I am just looking for another opinion from people who share my love for the max. thanks.

nadir_s

Well, here's my bias opinion: "it's a camry dude..."

I haven't really heard much ppl modding out a camry and honestly, I doubt they're gonna get any quicker. You can't beat the VQ engine of a maxima also!

pirahna842

from what i understand the engines are very similar. same displacement and close hp/tq ratings. the only big difference i have come across is the weight issue.ie. camry=fat

jkotel

Max is gonna be faster and if you do wanna mod it, you should get a max for sure, but the Camry is nice....

JeffesonM

iTrader: (5)

Yeah, are you planning to modify this thing at all? Like nadir said, it is a Camry. Some question the sportiness of the Maxima, but everyone is in complete agreement that the Camry is the epitome of family cars.

Kevin

you really ought to test drive both cars if you already haven't done so. For me, the Maxima's "pin your *** to your seat" feeling was what got me hooked...good luck

Kevin

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

fastest 5spd Maxima 14.7
fastest 5spd v6 Camry 14.8

Maxima Supercharger = Yes
Camry Supercharger = Yes

Maxima Superchager with Factory Warranty intact? = no
Camry Supercharger with factory Warranty intact? = yes

Nissan Offical Aftermarket Parts = not in US
Toyota Offical Aftermarket Parts = yes (TRD)

both cars are pretty much evenly matched on performance.. its personal prefference on which one you want.. alot of you guys can say negative things about a camry.. but guess what.. thats what other people say about the maxima.. its just purely ignorance..

the way i see it.. if you can wait .. wait.. if you can't.. get hte camry.. if you don't mind a camry ... get one.. its a great car and it has the backing of Toyota behind it.. thats one thing maxima's can never have on a Camry.. and thats TRD..

i waited 4 months for my car.. i had certain requirments.. it had to be White, had to be a 97 .. had to be a 5spd.. and had to have black interior.. after owning my Gold 95 5spd.. i wasn't too happy with it becaues i never got what i wanted.. so i waited.. and now i have it i am happy.. so if you dont' mind.. then wait.. if you do mind.. then get the camry.. just keep in mind maxima's have sh!tty resale value so you will get a better bang for the buck.. probably get a 99 5spd for $10000.. Camry v6's and Accord v6's 99 model's are still 14 - 16k

LeX

iTrader: (14)

Please don't buy a camry. They are nice and all (i got a 4cyl Camry, not a Max lol)
but the Maxima is way more fun to drive, and just a better looking car.

Make the right decision

vin1024

Here is a great source for camry stuff:

camryman.org

I had a 93 camry v6 xle. It was a great car. In terms of reliability I would say the toyota and the max are similar. Max uses a timing chain which should never need to be changed. Camry uses a timing belt which needs to be changed every 60k. Camry's components such as A/c compressor, pulleys, etc. all sound better than the max. My Camry was a lot quieter and smoother sounding at idle than the Max.

The biggest thing I noticed about the Maxima is the interior is MUCH nicer. The Max's cockpit is much more expensive looking than that of a camry. The Camry's dash is hideous. Camry's front seats are more comfortable. Max's interior has rattles. Camry's is solid.

The stock handling of my 93 was superior to the stock handling of my max. Better rear suspension.

Paint quality, body fit and finish were better on the camry. max's roof sounds like a tin can when it rains. Super Black paint is prone to a lot of chips. My 65K max looks worse than the camry at 150K.

Both cars are nice. I don't think you will regret buying that camry though. When you are buying used cars if you find a clean car that hasn't been in an accident, and it is close to meeting your needs, go for it -- there are not too many of those around.

Good Luck!

shi89max

A friend of mine has a 98 5spd v6 camery and its pretty quick..not sure if its faster or slower then a 4th gen 5spd. Thing i noticed was that the stock intake was all one piece. the tube, MAF, and airbox were all one piece so i dont see how you could put a intake on it.

MaximaPower

iTrader: (3)

camrys r great cars...but the max looks sportier..hence 4DSC

i'd save money and gor for a 4th gen max...they shold be cheaper than the Toy

johnvt1111

iTrader: (2)

why would people on a maxima forum try and tell you to go with a camry? Almost a retorical question

VeeQueue

iTrader: (1)

If I were you I would seriously consider the Camry. My brother and his wife both own Camrys (99 LE V6, '00 XLE V6). They let me drive their cars when I visit them up north. IMO when compared to the Max, the Camry has a smoother ride, handles about the same in stock form, body structure feels more rigid. My brother's car has absolutely NO sqeaks, rattles, etc. The V6 is quieter at all times (idling, accelerating, etc). They drive them hard but take good care of them too. The Camry's steering is not has communicative but has a bit heftier feel to it.

For performance (acceleration, handling) the Camry has TRD like the others mention. Their spring/damper package is basically TRD-badged Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers tuned for the aforementioned springs. You can fit the Solara V6's factory one-piece front strut tower bar onto the Camry. They have a decent TRD bodykit which compliments the styling of the Camry, not try to turn it into something its not (like some Maxima owners trying to incorporate Skyline's unique styling onto their cars ) ... of course there are those sh!tty Camry kits available from Erebuni if that floats your boat.

If you want to turn your ride into a pHaT tiZzItE wHiP y0! the Maxima is the way to go with the available Altezzas and otheR "shiZniT kitZ" thats coming out.

If you do a lot of night-time driving consider that the Camry's headlamps are a LOT brighter than the POS 9004 headlights on the 95-99 Maxima. The slightly restyled '00 Camry's headlamps don't have the "euro-cutoff" flare light pattern like the 97-99s H4 headlights but are still bright.

The Camry's styling is quite bland compared to the Maxima (which is quite bland in its own way), especially the interior. This is a turnoff to a lot of people including myself.

You can't go wrong with either car. Any shortcomings can be fixed with either car.

Btw, if you decide on the Camry, have the mechanic pull off the valve cover to inspect the valvetrain before you buy it. There are a small minority that have suffered from oil starvation in their V6s late model 1MZ-FE due to oil sludge buildup in the cylinder head.

JsL

iTrader: (5)

I personally like the way Maximas look. Camrys are one of the top 5 cars stolen in america and good luck trying to find your camry at the parking lot of a mall I'm also a big fan of VQ power fed through a 5spd or 6spd

MaxHalo

I'm sorry, it doesn't matter that you have a 5-speed Camry...the Maxima will still be faster. Plus, the Maxima just flat out looks better.

LeX

iTrader: (14)

Lol whenever i go to a mall i TRY to park my camry next to someone else just so they get confused. I did that with my mom's pathfinder a lot too lol

MaximaPower

iTrader: (3)

get a life.

MaxHalo: i dont think a 4th gen max is that much faster than a 5spd V6 camry

nismo-max500

i never knew Camry's came in 5-speed (V6 form) i keep hearing that. are you talking about the coupe? or does the sedan have that combination. i thought that that was the max's special weapon (V6 and 5sd) im confused . thanks for any help

spiff56747

iTrader: (-1)

yeah camry sedan comes in 5 speed v6 (very rare)

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

But, I'm sorry, the Maxima is the cool guy with the dark shades and the old leather aviator jacket that only looks better with age. And the Camry?? It's the accountant. Nuff said.

Go with your heart, or go with your calulator.


Also, have you noticed? Both the new Camry and Accord are trying to be sportier in thier image. Maxima has been there, done that. Ever since the late 80s

DW

johnvt1111

iTrader: (2)

i think the only suitable reply to that is.............AMEN

pirahna842

thanks to those of u who shared information. either way, im going to check out the camry this week so we'll see how it goes...

bahmax

While your not going to get many votes for a Camry in a Maxima site, I can honestly say as someone who has owned both, that it will definately be worth the wait on the Max. If you are just looking for a reliable form of transportation the 5 speed. Camry (sorry I can't use 5 speed and Camry in the same sentence) would be fine as would a 5 speed bicycle. But if you are after looks and driving performance as well, there is no comparison.


PS I bought my Camry from an old lady and that is how I felt driving it.

MChapel

iTrader: (1)

...not sure where in TX you live, but within 100 miles of Dallas...

http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/r...=used&x=43&y=8

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

Yeah, Toyota and Honda are both trying hard to catch up to Nissan in that respect. And their stupid tv ads present them as God's gift to the sports sedan world.

One thing that really, really bugs me about Camrys (and Avalons, too) is how they have the exhaust pipe routed. Whereas the Maxima has the pipe routed up and over the rear axle, the Camry has it dipping down, and then back up to the muffler. Look under a Camry and you see a skinny exhaust pipe hanging there like it has come loose. Very ghetto looking. I would never buy a Camry for that reason, and the fact that they are booooooooooring.

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

I always thought maximas looked as bland and "neutral" as camrys. Well...SE styling helps a tad, but nothing to really go one way or the other...esp when comparing to the 5-speed V6 coupe camry. Performance b/t that coupe and a 5-speed 4th gen max is very close, and if a coupe is your preference (as is mine, as a driver), that's the way to go. The trick is finding a nice one with low miles.


I wish I knew more about my sisters adventures with her 2000 camry (low trim...4-cyl, cloth, auto)...she leased it as the godsend of reliabile transportation, and I guess it turned out to be everything but. She opted to sell the car back at the end of hte lease and is now turned off to camrys. But that could be a bad apple scenario.

fst96se

iTrader: (1)

Hey!
I resent that comment! I am a fulltime CPA...okay, I am a reserve Police Officer too, so maybe that is the cool guy with dark shades in me....

ericdwong

Yeah they did this because of increased flow, and they have an independent rear, not a solid beam in the rear so it would be harder to route over the control arm. Also its not that skinny, at least not on my moms 98 v6.

24 Valve V6

Ok time to step in. After driving 90-100 hp 4cylinders for the last year or so, I wanted a fast(er) car. so my mom wanted me to look at this Camry. I was like "Ma, why you hookin me up wit some bullsh!t Camry?" so I looked at it and I saw that "V6" in the low-right corner of the Car. Then I saw that it had a 5-speed. I was like DAMN!! So to make a long story short, I test drove it, it was Fast, went to the bank, got the car, and I have been beating Celica GT-S's since.

P.S. the Camry Coupe (Solara) actually weighs more than the sedan. That is why I beat 5-speed Coupe.

MaxJag

Go with the Maxima of course. Camry's are for girls

99maximagxe

iTrader: (3)

man thats so easy, go with the max bro, max is has much more power than the camry on same years model. I think the 2002 camry is 200 horses thats like near a 4th gen. if you want the camry my guess is ur getting it cuz u want a big sedan not to go racing. i never really see fixed up camry's i dont think it was really meant for it. Maximas were made to be sporty so if u want performance go with the max which i think ur looking for. must my 2 cents

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

the ignorance in this thread over whelms me.. the fact that you Maxima Owners who half of you can't make it into 14 seconds actually KNOW your cars are faster than Camry's that i know ran 14.8 bone stock is fcking impressive..

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

I agree, we have a couple people on this thread that know what they are talking about, and the majority spouting some really retarded subjective BS.

1) The camry has had a 3.0L 194 hp V6 since 1992, upped to 200hp in recent years. Thats MORE than the 4th gen geniuses... oh yeah and they have more torque too.

2) The camry IS available in 5spd with the V6 since 1997, though they are pretty rare. It and the 2dr Solara all have a V6 w/ 5spd option.

3) The 5spd V6 Camry is every bit as fast as the 4th gen maxima is. A member of our board, gLok ran 14.9 stock in his, and a buddy of his ran 14.8 stock. I have a hunch most people on this thread are still running 15s so where do they get off calling the camry slow.

I will agree with most of you on the aura a camry might project, since my mother drives a camry, and has had camrys as her last 3 cars, I couldn't own one as my main car. However I will say they are WORLDS ahead of the 4th gen in build quality, though I'm not a huge fan of the dash. The seats are in my mind much more comfortable and supportive than my seats are. Not to mention Camry's are more reliable.

Had I been aware that you could actually get a V6 5spd Camry when I was looking for my Maxima, I would have given them some serious thought, and at least a test drive. I thought they were only available in automatic w/ the V6, same as the accord, which is why the Maxima was at that point the only option for me.

I love my max as I'm sure almost everyone on this thread does (except eric) . I'd rather have my maxima than a camry because of its styling, and aura. At the same time I'm sure the Camry guys would rather have their Camrys because of the reliability and rarity (of the 5spd V6 I mean, not of the car as a whole). The camry is NOT a bad car and NOT a slow car compared to the maxima when you compare apples to apples, meaning the same transmission and V6.

ericdwong

Ahh yeah the camry vs maxima debate. Yeah the camry can definately be made into a sleeper even more so then the max, especially how there really isnt a huge difference between the way the v6 and the i4s look. Now keep in mind we are talking 4th gen camry vs 4th gen max. Their cars are definatley built better, do better in the crash tests, have an independent rear and have better resale value. No squeeks or rattles unlike certain cars we all know.

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

keep in mind that our 97 was voted most reliable by wards autoworld

ericdwong

I think you got that off, wards auto world is the one with the 10 best motors, and I believe it was J.D. Powers who did the 'most reliable'.

That dont mean anything to me. My car has spent probably a total of 6 months on jack stands. Worthless POS.

Lime

First off, I want to say that I think this thread projects the ignorance of a lot of the Maxima.org residents. PLEASE go look at www.carpoint.com for specs on this car before you post "the maxima is so much faster!"

I had a Camry once...it was a 1985 camry, and it was a piece of rat dung. It was completely unreliable (tranny died at 58k), burned oil, was hideously ugly (most cars were ugly back then though...except Porsches), uncomfortable, and slow. This was back in the day though, mind you. Now my best friend in college, her mother had a 1995 Camry 5spd (4cyl). It had exhaust and clutch problems, and was also not my idea of a comfortable car. The interior was really small, and the car was ugly and girly looking.

However, I think that the newer Camrys are less ugly, with the exception of the most recent styling which I deem hideous. Styling isn't important, and is extremely subjective, though, so what am I saying here...sorry.

I agree with almost everything said by Nealoc, but these statements are too subjective for me. Worlds ahead how? I think the only difference in the technology has been in their newest build, with the quadintake system. The only "technology" difference between the same year camry and maxima is the suspension; say what you will, people find the stock rides to be "cushier" in the Maxima, which is a LUXURY sedan. The Camry is not luxury; Lexus = luxury, and I don't know what kind of suspensions the LExiiii were running in the equivalent years/cars, sorry. Part of the reason Nissan uses that little beam is because of the cushiness factor. It might be "lower technology," but it's damn cushy. Camrys are not cushy.

Reliability. I think the only major problems with 4g maximas are what, the alternator recall and the KS going bad (which normal drivers really don't notice). Everything else is so subjective; people who mod their cars are getting issues related to the mods. The stock cars are performing fine. You are getting a hideous bias here on this forum because 98% of the people here have mods.

Reliability is also a per-car relationship. Some cars that come off the production line are just lemons, and some that come off are superb. People may not take care of their cars, and people may take great care of their cars. I'm sure if you look into the Toyota recalls and such you will find documentation on problems with camrys.

As far as comfort goes? I think the 4th gen Maxima (with cloth seats) is the comfiest car I've ever been in; this is way too subjective! You can't say that your opinion is TRUE for this.

In summation, buy what you want for yourself. 5spd v6 Camrys are tough to find, and if you see one in decent shape with an okay title/history, then grab it if you want that car! It's a rare find.

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

you are right on both accounts

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

funny enough so are our cars i think the fact that 46% of the owners on this site are manual tranny owners makes it seem a bit differnt .. but we are still only 5% of the production population

fst96se

iTrader: (1)

WURD...