.. I need some feedback... I am shopping for a 4th gen Max and I am wondering which are some basic necessities that I should place on my "Must have" list on this car, I want it to be absolutely perfect in filling my needs...
So far it's: Exterior and Interior should both be dark color and I want a sunroof...



I also wanted ABS brakes which I regretted not having all winter long in my 3rd gen (sold)... I was sliding all over the place, brakes locked many times causing a few minor incidents in panic stops... Even in the rain I've had a few problems...

So my question is,

How much do you regret not having ABS brakes on your Max?
Where there any incidents of sliding, traction problems, accidents etc which may have been avoided if u had ABS brakes?


thanks...

 

OMG, i couldnt tell you the hate i have for not having ABS. Ive had about 5 incidents from the lack of ABS, one was my dad was driving the car like 6 months ago, and i was raining and he was on the freeway and all of a sudden the cars ahead of him like 500 feet were stopped and he was doing 70 and he slapped the brakes. Hmmm, no ABS means.....Yea you got it no stop so his sliding, sliding, sliding, so his like aww screw it so he drops it in 2 second and the car grips and starts to slow but not fast enough so his still sliding, sliding, sliding, ok now down to first will at 50MPH, and the car doesnt respond......HMMMM, now at about 30-45 the car really redlines and slows down really quick. Thats one story, now this one happens to everyone at some point, NOT!!!

OK now, im driving dum di dum di dum, and the light is about to go red and i punch it in the rain(stupid me) so im going, going, going and it turns red some im like crap, so i jam the brakes(not a lot, but since no ABS, there goes the wheel lock, and i slid into the middle of a big intersection and everyone is staring, so i back up to the line and hide

OK thats enough from me, NEXT!!!???

 

While I voted no above, I don't feel that they are a gimick. They do work and if it's within your means, get ABS.

 

I would have missed a deer if I would have had ABS, instead I slid 30 feet and killed Bambi. Get the ABS!!!!!!!

 

Get ABS. It is an essential safety item for those who know how to use it. I regret so much that I do not have ABS.

 

I would say go for it. To me, it's not that big of a deal. Even with my 300ZX brakes, I hardly ever lock up in panic situations (and my car stops hard), but the ABS would be an added safety bonus.

 

Depends how you drive...never had ABS, so I use the good ole pump method

 

gtr_rider, that was a good :laughing:

ok... Perhaps I came across as if I'm making a big deal about this... but here is the deal... I'm planning on keeping this car for the next 4+ years... Some of you may have never seen snow in your life... lol. I'm just trying to figure out if I should go for a good deal on a GXE which has everything I pretty much want as far as colors, milage, condition.. and hold out because of something like ABS or sunroof and spend the extra 2 grand on a car in similar shape but with those 2 options... thanks for the feedback guys.

 

If you think about the physics, a rolling stop (with ABS) will stop faster than a sliding skid in less distance. Everyone's first instinct is to just slam on the brakes, and without ABS, you'll be skiddin' which will also scare the livin' **** outta ya and cause a little uneven treadwear. Get one with ABS but they're pretty hard to find.

 

I don't have ABS, leather, climate control, but I have keyless, sunroof, Bose. I'm not a real big fan of ABS because it isn't entirely predicable. My 94 Z28 had a very hightech ABS system and it wasn't good in the snow. Numerous times with snow on the ground, I would slide even though the ABS system was pulsating like crazy. My fathers 97 Tahoe does the same thing. When the surface is extremely slick, the best ABS system will do little for you.

A non-ABS Maxima is lockup happy with the stock pads. Your first mod should be a set of higher quality brake pads. Not only do you get stronger braking, you get better feel, and hardly ever any lockup under massive panic stops. Braking is very dependant on weight transfer, tire traction, and pad material. If you do springs/shocks, upgrade to better tires, and better pads, you're car will stop much quicker, flatter, and safely.


Dave

 

Absolutely true... but it will stop even BETTER with upgrades AND ABS correct?

I'd consider myself a good driver, I am fully aware of car capabilities when i drive them but I did have some incidents in the winter, where my brakes locked instanteneously (sp?), at times I was just thinking about how I should try not to skid and brake very very slowly, but still ended up loosing control, thank god no cars were around... One time I had 3 minor fender benders in about 40 minutes... I skidded into a car going 5 mph, braking exceptionally slowly, using the pumping method and everything, then i was hit in the rear twice less than 40 minutes later... I suppose winter tires would help rather than pathetic all season goodyears... when the road was covered with snow even an inch or two, I had problems going as slow as other cars.. I guess I'll hold out for more options

 

High Tech? Hardly.

You are comparing the Max ABS against the Chevy's ABS which actually is like apples to oranges.

Chevy's use a 3 channel system (I know the Z28 does, pretty sure the Tahoe does also) where the rear wheels are actually on one channel which can cause a degredation in the performance of the ABS because in this setup, both rear wheels are considered "one" by the computer.

The Max uses a 4-channel ABS system which should give you better results as each wheel is monitored independent of the others.

 

Just curious as to what it might entail.

 

i did and thought the same thing about abs as u

 

I dont have ABS and I miss it every day. I think they are required equipment. I just cant believe the people that think they can pump the brakes better...they cant...

 

I don't have ABS and I missed it this very morning on my way out... those painted lines at intersections can get slick when someone cuts you off. In everyday driving I don't notice the lack of it and usually in the rain I have no problem. There's always those couple of times though... once I have no doubt I would have wrecked the Volvo S70 I was driving when I was cut off had it not been for ABS. I would have rear-ended someone at about 40mph but the Volvo was able to stop in time. If I had been in my Maxima... I prefer not to think about it. To sum up- you won't think about it often, but when you do, you'll be mighty glad you have ABS. "Stomp and steer" really can save your life, or at the very least your car.

 

I know I'm and ABSer addressing a non-ABS thread. I feel I have to mention 2 things about ABS that hasn't been said;

1) ABS does not make your brakes stronger. It makes them better. When you are slamming on the brakes, you will still have the ability to steer yourself out of a situation.

The examples mentioned above like one of the guys sliding into an intersection suggest something else. ABS would not have prevented that. If there was an island with a statue in the middle of the intersection, ABS would have helped him in there, as he slammed his brakes, he could have steered away from the statue.


2) I use my 17" rims in the summer, and 15" in the winter. With my 17s on in the summer, my ABS is a little too sensitive, has a tendency to activate early. You'll find that most Max guys with ABS and big rims experience the same thing. That has to do with the fact that the bigger tires increase the surface area, but total weight on the wheel has remained the same. therefore, the force per unit area has gone down. In a nutshell, The 17s are more likely to lose grip (in the straight line mostly) than smaller tires.


When I have my 15"s on, my ABS works perfectly, hardly ever activates until absolutely totally necessary.


I'm not trying to discourage the getting of ABS, just trying to keep things realistic. ABS does not make your car stop on a dime. Bigger brakes do.

Having said all that, get ABS. Definitely

DW

 

If you have the option, you should get ABS. It is helpful sometimes.

 

I don't have ABS but in the winter that is not an issue as much as tire selection is. Get some winter tires and you'll have better traction. Also a 5-speed driven well is going to do better as you can control the speed of the car with your gears and not your breaks. Just my 2 cents.

 

ABS does not in ANY WAY make your car stop faster, in fact, in some situations, you stop SLOWER. ABS is a good system in that it allows you to steer when you slam on brakes.... thus, in theory, allowing you to steer clear of trouble. The only time bigger brakes would allow you to stop quicker would be if your stock brakes won't allow you to lock up when you stand on the brakes...once you lock up, it's all the same, no matter what brakes you have. Your car stops the quickest when your wheels are locked. If you get stickier rubber, you obviously will have changed the characteristics of your car, and to take maximum advantage of that sticky rubber in braking, you probably will want bigger/stronger brakes....