damn... too much to read. i'm lazy. hey, i'm 17 and i have an auto max. i like it a lot. orginally, i didn't want to get the maxima, i wanted a integra, but after test driving the maxima and finding out about this post, i was hooked on the maxima i now own. an eclipse is alright, but their engine sucks.

 

I guess I'll say somethin too, get a Maxima. I have (or had) a Max and I'm planning on getting another one, this time a 5spd. All I can say is, and no offense, Eclipses are for girls. If its black, its just a little bit more aggressive, but that means more aggressiveness for girls. I like everything about the Maxima, there might be a few minor problems here and there, but nothing's perfect. Little sh*t like "oooh the dash rattles when I hit a bump!" man, how long does that rattle last when you hit a bump, an hour? Don't let little pu**y things like that get to you. The rear beam axle is not good enough for you, then get a luxury car. When I got my Maxima the first time around, I didn't want a Honda because I thought (and still do) everyone has one. I wanted a V6, people mod the hell out of a 4-cyilnder, why not start modding with a 6-cylinder? That's what I thought. Being 16 and having a sedan ain't nothin. I had a dodge caravan (the one with the wood grain on the sides, lol) when I was 16. People say the Maxima is heavy, but its not that heavy. The older CL's are a tad bit heavier. I say, just get the Maxima (aka Family Sedan to some people) be glad that it will be with you for a long time. Not mine, (and I repeat myself a dozen times) mine was stolen yesterday. Still !

 

Okay Maxgurl, you never said that you disliked Maximas, but you certainly implied it. You see one modded Maxima a day? Sorry but thats BS. By modded do you mean that the old woman driving it tinted the back windows? Oh no! 5% tint is illegal! If youre worried about that then might as well take your car back to stock cause, i dont know about you, but almost all of my mods are illegal. Anyways, Maximas are the sh*t, and maybe all these haters are in the wrong place.

 

How does comapiring the Max to a CL pertain to his quest for knowledge about differences between the Max and an Eclipse? Sure, compaired to a CL the max is a light weight. Compair it to the eclipse and its a different story. Lets keep the compairisons reasonable and true.

Kirk

 

get an I30, no im not biased

 

Get a Maxima because its a better built, safer, and more reliable car, among other things.

A DSM is going to break, just a matter of when.

I also wasn't pleased with their handling or breaking, and overall they feel cheap.

You can modify them easily though, but that alone won't sway me to buy one.

 

OK I didnt want to introduce this comment in, but I'll do it anyway since the name calling has started. My mom's 1998 Toyota Camry LE v6 is built a F alot better then my car ever will be. Her car is also bone stock and an AUTOMATIC, and it ran me 15.3's stock out the box with a full tank of gas and spare tire (which is full size btw). There are zero rattles, its built alot more solid, and you know what over bumpy turns it even handles better despite is very soft suspension. Did I mention the same generation Camry is also safer? It did "good" in offset crash testing, where our 95-96's got POOR! and 97-99 got acceptable. The 5 gen didnt do any better. "Cars like it 0" is true alright. NO OTHER SEDAN got POOR in the offset crash testing! Hell my 1990 Camry even had better build quality and an independent rear and even that car had an engine swap available (3s-gte motor). And even after 180K miles on the 90, it still blue books for $1500. And both those cars are even more family sedans then the Maxima.

My expectation of the Maxima is high. What's the advertising jargon say? "Cars like it, 0", or "4 door sports car". It sure falls short of that. I think Nissan should pay attention to Toyota/Lexus with their engineering, quality fit and finish.

 

Welcome aboard newbie.

I find it hard that you don't see 1 modded max/day, considering you're in Cali. BTW- I'm by Rutgers... plenty of modded Maximas here in town kid.

Sorry to hear that.

I'm sure many (especially on the maxima.org) share the same pride as you.

 

Eric Wong-

Your points are well taken.

I just think your expectations weren't realistic. Name me any 4-doors out there that can go lower 14s with $700 in mods and on street tires for less that 30K except the WRX. You're right, the beam axle is old technology, but the Maxima's is as high tech as you can get. It has trailing arms and a lateral link that improves handling dramatically. The lateral link keeps the rear tracking perfectly instead of the typical beam axle sway that gets out of alignment in tight turns. Proof that the beam axle performs is the fact the 4th gen outhandles the 3rd gen IRS. On a bumpy surface the beam does get some rocking, but who in thier right mind would try and "push" their car (any kind of car) hard in a bumpy turn? That's flat out dangerous.

13s are within the reach of many of us 5 speed Maxima owners. There are many of us running 94-95mph trap speeds on stock height tires. 94-95mph trap speeds indicate very low 14s (14.0-14.1) with good traction 1.9-2.0 60 foot. By simply running a smaller tire in the front, you improve torque multiplication and will be crossing the line at hp peak in 4th gear (~5600rpms). This is ideal for drag racing. The stock Maxima gearing isn't quite right for drag racing is that you've either got to wind out 3rd to 6500 well over hp peak or shift to 4th and cross the line well under hp peak. Many of us just think it's silly to do some of the things most other import guys do to get their cars as fast as possible. Here's how you go 13s in a NA Maxima 5 speed (this is no different than any other fast Honda I've seen at the track). Pull the passenger and rear seat, pull the spare and jack, run 1/4 tank of gas, get the lightest rims possible, get 15" super low profile slicks, y-pipe, intake, exhaust, ACT clutch, and UDP. Wind the RPMs to 6000, quickly slip the clutch and then dump it. That should get you 13s at a sea level track.

As for Don, he's running 12.2s with NOS only on his old 3.0 VQ. He's working on his new 3.0 VQ which is completely built and will be running a SC and NOS. He should be well into the 11s like this (I'd say 11.5s). All this speed and power with little compromise to the car. Don's doing this all the right ways. He's beefing up everything and is spending the money. I'd figure he'll have about 10K in the motor when it's done. All in all, he'll probably have spent 40K on the car, total including the car, when it's done. To have a 11-second sedan for 40K is quite inviting.



Dave

 

My thoughts exactly

 

Wow. Never thought it was gonna get this involved or nasty.

SuDZ

 

Thank you. I'm glad although we're not seeing eye to eye, we're doing it in a civilized way.

Pontiac GTP, Camry v6, Passat vr6, Acura Integra, Impala SS names a few under 30K...

Unfortunately for me, even when driving normal (yes I do drive normal once in a while~) where I live there are plenty of twisties and turneys. I'm in the boondox of Maryland and for those of you who went to Maxus my area is just about the same as Monrovia MD is. My rear end has a tendency to skip around alot on the roads around here. Maybe my rear end struts are blown. Who knows...

Yes I ran a 14.6 with a 2.1 60 ft the last time I was at the drags. This is with street tires, stock SE suspension, and my stereo in tow.


You all might be surprised to hear this, but believe it or not I'm going to keep on going modifying this car. Since I just blew out the clutch and gotta change it, I ordered the Quaife ATB differential. I'm never gonna get back the Tax I paid on the car, or pay for the depreciation so I just gotta work with what I got, even though it may not be my ideal. I wish there was more parts available, but I'm just gonna have to deal with that. I'm also gonna order an ACT clutch as well. Wheres the cheapest place to get one?

I'll probably get some 15 (or even 14") wheels for the front and get some drag slicks to change the gear ratio (more on this in another post). With the ATB and slicks, ACT clutch, suspension, traction should be good for high 1 second 60 foots.

My realistic goal is to be able to roll down the track needing to wear my motorcycle helmet cause the car will run 13s.

 

SuDz- Not worth wasting my breath w/ newbies that take up bandwidth. Eclipse or Maxima, this kid should just go to Kelly's bluebook website and compare/contrast if he seeks objective advice. I wonder if he post this question on the Eclipse bbs too? I'm done.

www.kbb.com

 

Me being the newbie that's wasting everyones time? You act as if you're obligated to answer my original post, and consume bandwidth whilst doing it. Thanks for making me feel welcome.

-James

P.s. To all those still WASTING bandwidth, thanks. I'm learning. =)

 

James- You ARE welcome
For those who often forget, this is a forum, we talk about cars(Maximas to be more specific). Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, yes, even youngsters like TintDaMax. Many of you take it so literally/personally and approach replies with no sense of humor.

Point is, give respect and you shall receive... much like the real world. If you hang around long enough, 85% of us are friendly & don't bite

PS- Assumptions are bad.

 

I've heard that Ange will bite on occasion even though she is nice. But that's what I heard. This is OT.

 

I bite if you're special, you should know

 

ahem

 

Yeah learning is why we are all here. Dont worry about it. Stick around and suck up the knowledge. So have you gotten any further in your decision?

Welcome Aboard by the way.

SuDZ

 

Buy a Maxima or get the **** outta here.

 

I drove a 99 GXE and a 99 GST back to back and there was simply no comparison. I felt like the Max easily had more power and the quality of the Eclipse just wasn't very good. Also try getting sexual in the back of an eclipse with your honey. Advantage Maxima! Try a direct comparison, it'll make this an easy decision. Good luck!

Miguel

 

C-Mack

You wont be around next year
My MAX to severe, kickin mad Flava' in ya ear!

 

I had a 95 eclipse GSX, loved the car, when it worked. It was truly a love-hate relationship. It was lowered, with stock everything else. And, surprise, it was faster than my stock 98 SE, but not by much. I miss the AWD and handling balance of the GSX. But, you know the max handling has been impressing me lately.

Ya just gotta drive em both and let the car sell itself. You'll either opt for the smooth, reliable, comfortable performance of the max SE or the more nimble but lower quality option of the eclipse. And, don't forget, the eclipse really is NOT reliable.

Dave really has a sensible view on this.

 

Have I come any closer to my decision? Yeah, probably. Getting 50+ posts really boosted my confidence in the kind of community / support available for the Maxima. I'll really have to drive a Maxima before I'm totally sold, but I'm almost there.

-James

 

Youngster? What are you, 24? Sorry, I didnt realize you were such an enlightend adult. Maybe you should be sharing all of your years of experience with young people instead of wasting your time replying to threads.

 

If you're into speed, Eclipse GSX all the way. Maximas are slow as hell. a simple 16G Turbo upgrade + boltons will take you into the low 13s and high 12s range. Say bye bye to your "typical" SC Maxima.

 

Personally, if all I want is speed, I would go for a MKIV SupraTT instead of an Eclipse. Sure, it will probably cost more than an Eclipse, but it's worth it.

 

 

I am just NOT FEELING THE LOVE here folks.



p.s. Get a max unless your going for a 98+ spyder (that car is a chick magnet)

 

Hell yeah! Im looking at a '93 Talon TSI(AWD Turbo) that is running a 13.2 with the stock turbo. Im going to get a ported 20G turbo to replace the stock 14B. That, Im hoping, will be in the 11's. As you can tell you can get an eclipse GSX or talon TSI to be faster than the max is capable of. Oh...and the TSI Im looking at is street legal

Kirk

 

dont even think about the eclipse. they are cheap cars that will last about as long as a ford before something major happens.also not many people know how fast maximas are , which means you get to surprise people when you smoke em .cops arent looking at you either. a young guy in a eclipse is a target . just make sure you wait and find a 5-speed cause they are so much more fun to drive not to mention quicker than the autos

 

Just be warned that those 16G/20G turbos have nasty habits of constantly blowing seals and loosing boost. BryanH has had to replace his 2 or 3 times in the past year. Make sure you've got a heavy duty headgasket too. Another problem is valve guide seals leaking. Atleast you're getting the 93 which is a much better car by DSM standards. I'd consider a 93/94 Tsi for a "toy". We've got a blue 93 TSi at our track going 12.4s which is very impressive to watch.




Dave

 

Part of the engine is apart right now...should I upgrade those seals now? What else should I keep in mind?

Thanks,

Kirk

 

dude, you want to know about reliability? i'll key you in on nissans for a minute. at the end of this summer, before i left to go back to college, my family had 5 cars. 4 were nissans, 3 were maximas, 2 were 4th gen max's, and the other one.....IS A FIRST GEN!!! yes that's right folks, me and the maxima go way back. we have a 1984, wagon, auto tranny, power steering, windows, locks, a/c, the works. still runs like a dream. i've known this car since i was 3 yrs old, it was mine at one time in high school (yes, it was embarrassing, but i didn't give a crap). i love my maxima more every single day. and about speed, did you see my post earlier? i killed a brand new celica with ease, 3 times in a row. how about your lexus'? how about if i beat the is300 3 times in a row? well you better believe it. and my max is a 98 gxe, auto and totally stock. i believed the eclipse to be a girl car the first second that i saw it. since i valet park at the hyatt regency in tampa, i get to drive many nice cars. sure, the max doesn't compare to SOME beamers, or lexus' or benz, but we aren't comparing those so i won't elaborate. recently i got the chance to drive around a brand new eclipse spyder convertible. and i have to say...... the max definitely is a lot more comfortable, as well as a little more aggressive with quick bursts of acceleration. remember, deemed by motor trend (or whatever) for many years in a row, nissan absolutely makes the best v6, period. the eclipse just didn't seem to want to GO as much as my maxima does.

btw, who says the maxima isn't goose-bump material? the response when people hear i have a maxima is just phenominal. people know that maximas are really nice cars. if i had gotten a honda accord, people would be saying, "oh...really?" instead of "maxima? daaaaammn, nice." oh yea, the maxima is a chick magnet too. just pimp it right, and you'll see. people know it is an expensive car, and that helps.

i went from a 2 door 1990 sentra xe to a 1998 maxima gxe. all i have to say is.... WOW.

190hp. ~200 lbs/ft torque. v6. power everything. lots and lots of room. 4 doors. many, MANY years of enjoyment and worry-free attitude. as long as you take care of your car, it will please you. i know that goes for all cars, but come ON, this is a maxima we are talking about. THE top of the line sedan that nissan makes. personally, i think the car looks pretty badass. the one and ONLY thing that disappoints me about this car is....that mines an auto. that's the only reason that i miss my sentra.

one more thing, for some odd and really inexcusable reason, i have not seen fast and the furious yet. no one has even mentioned that car in this post yet. is it fast? it sure looks like it.

 

Good points, I cannot, nor do I want to, refute them. That only speaks for reliability and part for speed. One question though. If you were to spend $4000 on your maxima about how fast would it run? Maybe 13.5? Spend that much on a '95-96 GSX and you will be running in the low 12's. I understand that for most people speed isnt everything and that the maxima is fast enough for them. In my world Speed and power come first. It all depends on what you are looking for as to which car you should get. IMHO I would go with the Eclipse. Im selling my Max for one in a few weeks.

Kirk

 

Definately get a good headgasket. If the head is off, then the cams should be out and you should be able to see if there's any blow-by around the seals.

Speaking of BryanH's GSX, I just found out he blew up the tranny on a 1-2 shift racing......and this was a built tranny Keep that in mind. His car makes enough power to run low 12s, but his best is mid 12s.


Dave

 

Thanks

Kirk

 

hey kirk, in a few weeks your gonna sell the max and get a eclipse huh? cool . just be honest and let us know in a few months or so what kind of major work is being done or desperatley needing to keep that piecer on the road.you will learn by your mistake as some of us have to do occasionally.so enjoy the ride

 

Sure thing. I'll also let you know how it feels to run an 11 second 1/4 mile at 6000 feet. I'll let you know what a 5000 rpm launch feels like(thank you AWD). I'll let you know how it feels to race every hon-duh you see and win. For some people speed is everything. I am one of them. It doesnt matter to me what other people think of the car, if it has to be fixed once in a while(I enjoy working on cars), as long as it is FAST its all gravy. Dont get me wrong, the max is a nice car. It just doesnt offer what I am looking for in a car right now. I'll probably be back in 10 years or so.

Kirk

 

get a I30. Performance and lux. Im 18 and dont regret not gettin a gsr or any other rice~