joojoo2915

Similar years, opinions?

dahman45

i would say maxima, but ive never raced a v6 camry, if u do let us know

DAVE Sz

iTrader: (2)

He never said it was racing. Maybe he's trying to decide what car he should buy. I doubt that however. So IBTL. Say good bye as this is about to turn into a racing thread in a few minutes. Of course now that I said it will, it probably won't.

MrEous

iTrader: (11)

Interior qualities for any generation between the 2 and I would vote for Maximas.

You're going to get a VERY biased opinion here.
Performance-wise both cars are around the same.

dahman45

sorry bout tht saw the "vs." and thought he meant performance. i would say that the maxima is defintly better quality in ride/interior

joojoo2915

Thank you! I am trying to decide which car to buy and I have posted this same thing on the camry boards.

MaximaTodd

iTrader: (8)

im sure everyone on here will tell you to buy the max, and everyone on the camry boards will tell you to buy the camry.

i just got flamed a few days ago for a comment i made in another thread. i used to own a 98 camry v6. it was a slug compared to my maxima. but many people say they are VERY close performance wise. in my case, it was not that great. its nice quality, but its just not a maxima. i love my max 10X better than the camry. IMO, the 97-01 camry just reeks OLD LADY haha. but it wasnt a bad car. i enjoyed having it, just not as much as the max! the interior on the camry was a little boring. but on the upside for the camry, it ran as good as my max and never gave me any trouble. both good cars.

bosa1

If you want to compare these two cars, check out edmunds.com and read the reviews from the owners and the website.

Here you will find a less biased opinion on which to buy.

I choose the Maxima because it's roomier and sportier than a Camry, plus it's easier to get a 5sp Maxima, which makes repairs cheaper down the line and makes it a blast to drive, plus there are more mods I would assume.

MaximamixaM

The Maxima is sportier looking, has nice options, better dash design, comes standard with a v6, uses a timing chain and not a belt, and is far more likely to have a 5 speed.

The Camry is likely also well built, probably was owned by a more conservative owner, isn't as quick in manual form-not sure about automatic form. Seems tough to find a v6 without weeding through a ton of 4cyls.

Kevlo911

iTrader: (36)

5speed V6 Camry is NO SLOWER than a stock 5speed 4th gen.

IBTL

Gates

iTrader: (2)

A friend of mine used to have a 95/96 Camry. They are both good cars. I prefer the look of the max to that generation though. I really like the look of the next gen better (~98 or 99). Classy styling IMO. The 2000+ ones I hate. I had the chance to drive one around for a week as a rental and I didn't like how it looked and it was not sporty at all compared to my I30. Smooth ride, but I never go used to the handling and the car felt bigger than it was. I'm not sure about mods for the Camry, but there are a lot of nice mods for the 4th Gen maximas.

BTW, I raced my friend and we were pretty much dead even. This is from a roll and from a stop. We both had intakes and I had another friend in the car with me.

IMO a modded max looks better than a modded Camry (a former co-worker had a modded 98) but I really like the stock look of the 98 Camrys.

Magikone69

iTrader: (2)

if you are looking for a car to mod, you will have more fun with a max. my friend has a v6 camry (98) and there is few aftermarket support for him. (thats quality enough anyway). and as far as performance, when we were both stock i used to kill him all the time, now that were both modded i still beat him (well i have more mods than him) if you decided not to get a max, at least get an accord, pref 97 model, but just dont get a camry.

Deagle

iTrader: (1)

My grandmother owns a 95 V6 model, only has 76k miles on it. I've driven it a few times and it is very noticably slower. It has a 3.0 liter but it's no where near the same. I does sound good when you go WOT though.

Frank Fontaine

If we were talking brand-new, I would say ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NEITHER. If we are talking used, which I think we are, I would say Maxima. Camry 2 years ago would be the type of car you could buy, and keep 12 years no problem. It has as of late suffered the same as every other car syndrome, and even Camry has fallen to the mighty Accord. there was a point at which they were equals.

Maxima is a great car when you don't have an unlimited budget. I will have to say it again--my 98 SE stick with 91k just handed me 27.6 mgp on a 500+ mile trip--I did not add petrol until about 410 miles on the trip ODO. This trip included 90 mph bursts on the NJ Tpk. Even though it's only 190 hp, it's stingy on the fuel.

Eric425

Who flamed, me? Nobody flamed you. Sorry if you took it that way.
The link to the thread is here. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=309738
Stevtec presented some good info.

JooJoo, everybody here is going to be biased towards the max. Everybody on the camry forum will probably be biased towards the camry. Best way to figure this out, just take them both on a test drive. Words can only communicate so much.

crappopotamus

camrys look boring and are less sporty... but in terms of reliability, its probably is extremely good. thats pretty much why people buy toyotas. :P

why isnt the accord an option?

Magikone69

iTrader: (2)

i wanted to know can you post a link to the thread you started in the camry forum. im curious to see what kinda trash they are talkin about the maxima

rjohn65

my top 3 choices were Max, Camry, and then Accord (because of the low seating). I chose my 95 Max w/ 126k for $3700 over a 2000 Camry w/127k for $6200. The money was a small issue but more importantly I found the Max's ride better. I made a good choice,.......BTW it was garage kept and absolutely no rust.

cw96

iTrader: (31)

Fortunatly my wife has a 99 camary.As far as interior they are not that differant where comfort and room are concerned.Performance wise I have to go with the max,but as far as the ride the camary rides like a cadillac compared to my maxima and I just installed new shocks on my car!I would still pick the maxima because of the looks alone.I get all kinds of comments on how nice of a car I have where the camary is just one of a million you see on the road everyday!

Maxima Moose

If I were to compare Toyata product vs. the competing Nissan product I would compare:
Maxima vs. Avalon
Camry vs. Altima

IMO, at least nowadays Camry is a step down from the Maxima and is reflected in the prices.

MM

MrDicks95SE

iTrader: (23)

my dads got 02-03 camry v6 se. i personally like the body style it looks more sportier than the previous generation. as for comfort after driving it for a couple months, the stock SE has stiffer suspension with a fstb and it can be felt throughout the car. the 190hp v6 power is there and so is the handling. the only thing i dont like are the cloth seats. the rear seats are so stiff and it doesnt support your neck when you wanna sleep. the driver and passenger seats arent as ergonomic as id like them to be. your *** will hurt after long periods of driving. the steering wheel is a nice leather covered 3 spoke. very sporty. gauge cluster is a titanium color with a orange lit background, reverse indiglo type.
the only downside is that everyone and their grandma has one. although, its a very nice car and the reliability is always with toyota. overall its a very nice car inside and out. if youre yearning for more power, then go with the newer maxima.

Loe max

iTrader: (6)

While that is true, the 1mz-fe 3.0L valves are designed to shut close in an event of a torn timing belt to avoid collision with the pistons.

Both are quality cars, built to last, and have a solid feel. Pick the Camry V6 for a more sedate drive or pick the Maxima 'SE' for a more sportier ride.

OneToughMax

my mom drives a 99 camry le v6. i think the camry has a slight edge over my max when it comes to ride quality. it is a very smooth ride, however it can get a little floaty around sweeper turns. as far as interior room and fit/finish, it is no match for the max. acceleration is commendable, but it is a little less torquey than the max. when it gets to the top of the powerband it doesn't have the same pull as the max. the v6 in the camry is very refined and sounds amazing when you push it hard.

i just realized i started writing a novel - my bad...

anyways, i give camry's credit, but i prefer max over camry

sharkulator

iTrader: (5)

I have driven camrys as rentals and I prefer my Maxima no questions. However when it comes to resale value camrys hold their value better, why, I dont know. There are tons more mods out there for Maximas than camrys. The number one reason though imo is Maximas have almost a cult following. Max owners are so passionate about their rides. I am sure the camry boards are not as fanatical as the Maxima boards! I think this is because of the base of customers each car appeals to. For the most part, camrys are family vehicles with child safety seats in the back. You see waaaaay more modded Max's driven by younger guys out there. Just my 0.02.

atpham89

From my experiences, the maxima is a lot more roomier and a little bit more torque over the camry. Both are great cars.

Wisky97SE

iTrader: (1)

I drove a V6 1997 Camary XLE and although the styling is boring and you see many of them daily, its not a bad car for what it is. Not as sporty as the Maxima, but not much slower, and IMO the dash of the Maxima is much better looking than that of the 1997 Camary. That said; the ride quality feels better and the car seems more refined - im also used to my lowered modified Maxima . . . but these are just my thoughts.

guido32

Basically, the maxima is the more sporty car. The camry is the more refined, family car. Both are similar in reliability. The camry holds resale value better I would think. Basically you have to decide how important sport is in your decision. The maxima would probably be more available in a 5sd. Both are great cars. Either one would be a good choice.

Sounds like you have narrowed the field of choice well.

I like the max better when it comes to looks, but that's up to you. If you are planning on getting one with high mileage, the camry will probably be more quieter and have less, squeaks, rattles, and other noises, depending on how well the car was taken care of.

I would say go with the one that drives the best to you. All in all, that is the most important decision to make.

Good luck!

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

shift_we win