I have owned two maxes so far. But, now I've settled on my Nissan Maxima 2000 SE...reason was that it was the least troubling and problem free of the two (2002).

Last night around 3:00am while it was pouring here in So Cal, I had one of the scariest nights with my max. I was crusing @ 45/50 mph...cars (including old ford escorts, hondas, etc) flying me by at 60...I dared not go beyond 45/50. Even at those speeds, I felt my car litterly hovering on top of the asphalt and I hydroplaned 4 (four) times in a 20 mile stretch of road. Luckily where I hydroplaned, it was on a straightaway and around minor bends of the freeway.

I'm finding out that...
1. my max is not all that safe of stock sedan.
2. these potenzas are poor tires in any other condition than dry ground. (there's plenty of thread on them left...don't drive much)
3. handling is an all time low in adverse conditions.
4. my brakes (though with new pads) couldn't stop the car even at great distances.

I come from an 89' integra and it was a better performer in these conditions. it's going to rain in the next few days...what could i do to make my ride safer given that i'm on tight budget? what should I change first. Thanks guys for your input.

 

It will cost you, but bar-none, the best thing is to replace you tires. A good tire will make a huge difference in how the car holds on the road.

 

I WHOLE HEARTEDLY agree with this.

I ditched the stock Protendas...garbage.
I got Toyo Proxes FZ4's, ok...but still skittery

Got me some Michelin A/S...Woo hoo...I hit the mother load. I have tested in so many spots and situations, I am again confident in my car.

Spend the $$ and research a GOOD tire for your car. Do NOT just go on price, either end. For rain and inclement weather, I love hearing "I spent only $3 on my tires and they RULE" and then see another post later saying "My tires SUCK HELP!"

 

After getting the Pilot Sport A/S's you'll want to drive in the rain!

 

The pilots will run you at least $800 at a deal. People on the .Org say they are worth every penny.

If you are hydroplaneing, take your foot off the gas...don't hit the brakes! The weight of the car will drop it back down.

 

Seriously man..ive had my 2k2 for a while, and it going through the 2nd winter now. I had re92's before...and a mix of 1/2 worn dunlop 9000's and now Bridgestone So-3..and it MAKES THE WORLD of difference, i dont know how else to emphasize that the RE92's dont seem to channel water way fast enough or out of the tire. It does seem to float..and its very scary. I would highly reccomend changing them a.s.a.p. Its your life...please change them.

 

if you are on a reasonable budget, go with a set of Sumitomo HTR+ tires. Get some brembo vented discs (for the front) and some good brake pads. This should hopefully make your experience safer.

 

Trust everyone on the tires. I had an Infiniti G20 a few years back with the RE92's. I thought i was going to get in an accident every time it rained. So needless to say, the first mod on the Max was tires and wheels. I only had 10 miles on the RE92's when i sold them.
Take all of the above advise and do some searching. With the right tire, you will love driving the Max in any weather.

 

Oh absolutely, the stock tires suck. Believe me, I spent some good money on my Bridgestone S0-3s, very good tire, massive dry and wet grip, transformed the safety factor of the car. Please ignore the other max owners with their self serving ideology of, "Why would you put $600 - $800" tires on this car, they have no idea what they're talking about, this car demands good tires, first off to make up for some of the sloppy/poor handling with the solid beam rear suspension and secondly for the crap that is delivered from the factory. Spend the money for very good tires, its worth it for safety. I've gotten into almost two accidents with my Goodyear RS-A. I've never driven a car that stopped so poorly, I thought, after I changed the tires, the braking performance definitely went up.

But I agree with you, even with new brakepads, the Max'es brakes still very poor. When my Ford E250 panel van has more powerful brakes than my Max on worse tires, that worries me.

 

The previous 3 cars before my Maxima all had horrible rain/snow performance. My civic was horrendous in rain and snow (bridgestones by the way) I've tried just about every brand of tire out there trying to find a brand that was great in all weather conditions. I will always by Michelon's! On all three previous cars the Michelons turned a dangerous handling vehicle into poised all weather vehicles. When my Turanza's fail me, I'll plunk down the $1,000 for the Michelon Pilot's without even looking at another brand. There modo is correct, "you have alot riding on your tires". Never buy a cheap mattress, cheap shoes or cheap tires on your car.

 

Like everyone else mentioned, tires should be your first priority.
I won't recommend any specific tire since they're all better than the RE92 (As long as they're at least considered "High Performance".)
I personally have 3 sets of tires. One for the summer, one for the winter and one for track racing. Don't cheap out on tires, your life isn't worth cheaping out on.
You should really find another .org member in your area who has better tires, suspension and braking mods done and go for a ride. You won't believe the difference and it will give you a better view of the 2000 Maxima.

 

I don't that is necessarily required. Yes, we all bought Maximas because of the sports factor, but maybe this person didn't. You can buy some quality touring tires for a reasonable price and be just as safe as long you aren't pushing the speed limits like so many of us do.

 

You're right, I'm sure a decent touring tire will greatly improve the overall safety without dishing out too much money. I'm always in that performance mindset

 

Sumitomos are not "cheap" tires. People are obviously mislead by the lower price. Sumitomo is partnered with Dunlop whom is owned by Goodyear. There's no cheapness to be found. I suggest you Sumitomo non-believers and trash talkers take a non-bias look over the Tirerack comparison of the Sumitomo HTR+ vs the Pilot A/S (test car IS300). You'll clearly see that the Pilot A/S barely beat the HTR+ (we're talking fractions of a point, fellas). If you want to spend $200 a tire vs $100 a tire, that's fine, but don't act like the Pilot A/S are light years ahead of the HTR+.

I've run Sumitomo tires for three years now and have never had a problem with them (HTR ZII, HTR200, HTR Z, and now HTR+). They're quiet, stick like glue, handle great in inclement weather, wear very well, and they're low priced.



Dave

 

i'd have to totally agree that the stock potenza's are not safe @ all in the rain....but look @ the bright side, they're not no firestone tires blowing out @ high speeds

 

yeah. i hydroplaned once and it scared the crap outta me. luckily i just let off the gas and didnt hit the brake.

 

The Pilot A/S's are clearly better in rain as per the TireRack comparison. If you look at the construction and materials of the two tires it's evident why the A/S's cost more.

Check out this link.

Here's a very revealing quote: "belts, cords and super-strong Kevlar reinforcements – the same high strength material used in the design of Michelin’s Formula One racing tires – ...[are]...placed at performance-specific angles to control the shape of the tire while its in motion – a critical factor in performance."

While I agree the Sumitomo's are a good value, you ARE getting what you pay for with both tires. I've had the A/S's for several thousand miles now and I'd be VERY hard pressed to show you any signs of wear both in tread and performance. Sure the two tires may perform almost similalry in dry conditions, when new. But the Michellins will be performing LIKE new for a much longer time. Plus the Michellins are absolutely stable and absolutely "conference inspiring" in rainy conditions, or any other condition OR speed for that matter.

If a product is priced twice the amount of another product and the value isn't there, it will NOT sell, and certainly not on an ongoing basis (trust me on this one - Sales is my career). Consumers are not dumb. There's a reason for the price difference and there's a reason why the Pilot's are selling so well. Even at their current price, the value IS there.

 

I know exactly what this poster is talking about. I have a 2k2 SE, and for the longest time I though that the car hydroplaned so easily compared to my old 91 Accord that my max replaced. Well, finally I bought a set of $400 Kumho ECSTA 711 tires. The difference is NIGHT AND DAY. My car just plows through water now. SO much better than before. Anyway, just my $.02. =)

Lloyd