I hear all my Honda friends thinking Honda is so much better than Nissan. Especially the Accord vs the Maxima. What is some things I can throw at them? I know horsepower, xenon headlights, and size. What else?

 

have u seen the exterior of the accord? ive been in an 03 accord v6 sedan and its power is decent, but i hate the gauges. the speedo gauge is for the blind. moreover, i believe it makes more road noise than my max does.

 

DO they offer Xenon headlights?

 

i dont believe so. hid's maybe but not xenons.

 

What is the difference?

 

well xenon uses a gas charge with some sort of light system that is more than just 1 light bulb. their was a thread on this somewhere but i cant find it. thats all i know and the fact that my max has xenons and i love them.

 

just show them a picture of the new accords rear end.

 

Uh - how 'bout the new Accord looks like a Ford Focus? And it's ssslooooowwwww and boring. Or is that boring and sssloooooowwwww? Only the V6 Coupe comes close to a 2k2 / 2k3 Max, and it's still slower.

The Accord owners no doubt have the same high opinion of Maximas

 

i drove my friend's auto 2k3 AV6 a couple of weeks ago. i dont know if they're any heavier, or what, but it didn't seem nearly as fast as my 2k2 GLE. it definitely felt like more than a 15hp difference. we had a short race, (he was driving my car, i was his), and he smoked me pretty badly.

who knows...his car may be a fluke, but just trying to retell my own experience.

as for the rest of the INTERIOR, it was really nice. everything felt much more solid than my max. very ergonomic, honda does a good job of practical interiors.

EXTERIOR if FUGLY, IMO.

 

the new 2004 Maxima doesn't look much better..

 

LOL...there is no difference. People call the HID lights different things. When they say "HIDs" or "Xenons" they're usually referring to the same thing - unless they're talking about those crappy blue halogen bulbs.

 

Thats what I thought. I thought HID and Xenon headlights were the same thing.

 

I own Maxima02-Auto. Back a year ago I did not have hard time to choose. It was Max vs Altima 3.5. Max was cheaper on the road, had better interior, and was believed to be more reliable. So, I've got Max. However, if I would buy a car now, I would buy new Accord EX V6/Auto-03.

Let us take for this comparison 03 Accord EX-V6 Sedan-Auto vs. 03 Maxima GLE (With traction, sunroof, meridian, floor mats). Both cars are very similarly equiped (everything but navigation): leather, sunroof, traction, heated seats...

Guys, please, correct me if I miss something.

Pros for 03 Accord EX-V6 Sedan-Auto (03 Maxima GLE):

1)Edmunds TMV price including freight $25,123 (Max:$27,346)

2)Given Accord's rather slow depreciation in general, and Maxima's generation switch... I don't even want to think how many thousands less we will recover in 3-5 years, when we will sell our Maximas.

Likely, you are going to end up with extra $5,000-$7,000 if you now buy Accord instead of Maxima!

3)Accord's design is 3 years younger, Accord has:
3.1) Independent suspension
3.2) 5-speed automatic (Max:4AT)
3.3) Extra airbags ???/ not sure

4)More reliable!

5)Good interior, good ergonomics (personally, I don't have any problems with those in Maxima)

6)Better MPG


Pros for Maxima (Accord):

1) Sligtly faster. Magazines claim it to be by fraction of a second.
Max has 245 hp (Ac:240hp) with 246 ft-lbs. (Ac:212 lb-ft ) torque.

2) Less abundant.

3) Many people dislike new Accord styling, especially the rear end. (To be honest, Max's tailight is something that "only mother loves".)
Max has bigger wheels.

4) 6 speed manual, but it's another story. We've agreed to compare automatics.

 

both rear ends are fugly, the accord has one overwhelming advantage though, it's NEW. the max is outdated and will be replaced in a few months, no one wants a car thats gonna be "old" in a few months when the new max comes out. a 2003 accord will still be "new" in 3 years

 

The Max isnot outdated, some people will like the new some want it the same as the 4th to 5th gen change,. just because a new generation on the way doesnt make the current car outdated,lol. This time I think less people will actually go for the 6th gen., Maximas every since the 3rd gen all look good and remain fresh looking for years, just look at the third gens still look good as well as the 4th gen!

 

I think Honda accidently put the taillights upside down.

 

humm....are you sure you know what you are driving?

 

i noticed that too but didn't bring it up

 

actually now I have the time to think about it. maybe its the saleman that gave him the wrong info

 

I just bought a 2002 Maxima SE, following the untimely death of my beloved 95 Maxima GLE. Before I decided on the Maxima, I drove several vehicles, including a 2003 Honda Accord V6 sedan. I agree with most posts that the Accord styling is not as attractive as that of the Maxima (though I have a few problems there, too). The thing I didn't like about the Accord was the lack of low-end torque. Granted, I went for a test drive with a salesman, but I flogged it pretty well and came away unimpressed. The Accord has minimal low-end torque, and the transmission doesn't kick-down quickly enough for my tastes. I know the Accord is a quality vehicle, but the Maxima feels like a sports sedan; the Accord does not.

As far as what you can tell your friends about the Maxima, I understand that, in Japan, most of the taxis are Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords, but the cab drivers' personal cars are Nissan Maximas. I have found that the build-quality of Nissan Maximas is as good as that of Camrys and Accords.

 

i figured he was referring to the alleged hp loss, but he didnt boost the tq # up so their goes that theory.

 

Look Max02-03 is clearly MUCH faster than new V6 Camry, Mazda 6, Passat. However, compared to Accord the gap is not that big.

Of course, we must compare apples to apples, in this case, UNmodified, Auto sedans. If you try to compare modified manual Max to stock Auto Accord, the difference will be much more noticable, no question. But it would be test of apples vs. oranges.

Given both cars are stock and automatic, Maxima 03 is expected to win by 0.2-0.3 s in 0-60, 0.3-0.5s in 1/4. 0.2s and 0.3s, correspondingly, were published for side by side test Accord 03 V6 vs. Altima 3.5.

Again, please, correct me if I am wrong. I did not quite get your sarcasm.

 

2k2-2k3 maxima has 255hp not 245

 

He was just commenting on this:02/03 Maxima has "255-rated Horsepower"

 

A year ago when I bought it, yes, it was claimed to be 255 hp. Now, it seems likely that the real number may be 245hp. It is still a lot. It is still more than competitors. Besides, the difference between 255 and 245 is less than 4%.

245 or 255, it is not that important. My point was that, for most of people, there are many factors when they buy a car. Accelaration is only one of many. Reliability is another one. Money can be paramount.

97 Max is almost as reliable as Accord. I does not look to be true for newer models. Not since Renault guys took charge. Majority of predictions is that in 4 years, 03 Accord will prove much more reliable than 02-03 Maxima. As Maxima owner, I hope not, but we will see.

I have already covered the price issue. What conserned me was:

Max GLE (traction, meridian, sunroof, floor mats)
Buy now for $27,000 plus tax, registration. Sell in three years for $14,500. Difference $12,500. Per year $4,130. (Of course, you should add tax, registration, gas, insurance, services, repaires, parking, tickets, modifications, etc. For now, let us consider only depreciation of the vehicle.)

Accord EX-V6
Buy now for $25,500 plus tax, registration. Sell in three years for $18,000. Difference $7,500. Per year $2,500.

My numbers may be off a bit. Nevertheless, Maxima is much more expensive to own. To understand this you should just ask yourself: How much am I going to loose on this car in the next 3 years?

If I would have to make my choice today, I would take Accord. For me, $5,000 and better reliability of Accord would outweight lagging behind by 0.3 second on 0-60.

 

ok, go buy an accord

 

everybody wants a "new" car. IMO the 3rd gen max's are BY FAR the best looking, and the 5th gen is arguably the ugliest, but given a choice, based on looks alone, I'd still take the 5th gen only because it's "newer." "New" is always better than "not new," it's a fact that people prefer "new," just look at how low 5th gen max's are going for. It may not be "outdated," probably has all the same features as the 6th gen, but it is "yesterday's" model, hence is "old." I've seen posts here of people losing something like ~$7K resale on a 1 year old maxima, that kind of depreciation is unheard of for 3rd gen altimas simply because it is "new."

 

 

I just bought an '03 Maxima SE, auto, titanium, meridian, TCS...everything except nav. We cross-shopped the Acura TL-S and the '03 Accord V6. This is our "family" car, one my wife drives, so the auto was mandatory (otherwise, I would have bought the 6-speed!)

Anyway, after several extended test drives of both the Honda and the Nissan, I was sure my wife would prefer the Accord. Here are my opinions on both cars:

ACCORD: Very comfortable & extremely supportive seats that put the Maxima's to shame. Great resiliant & quiet ride, good rebound characteristics, very solid structure. Rear IRS much better at tracking than Maxima. Fairly quick, but noticeably slower than the Max. Solid handling, but not as sharp as the Maxima. Better ergonomics, very well-built feel to the entire car (better switchgear, for example.) More luxurious in almost every respect, including solidity, features (dual-zone climate control, etc.) Beltline causes rear window to arch up, which meant my 10-year-olds couldn't see out of the rear windows. Auto slow to downshift. Nice looking front end styling which gets progressively worse; the back end makes the Maxima's look beautiful! A spoiler on the Accord makes it look a little better, but those tailights...yech! About $1.5K less than the Maxima.

MAXIMA: Harder riding, but much sharper handling. Feels like a smaller car than the Accord, much more nimble, but still has a solid feel. Lower dash and beltline opens the interior, so that you don't get the "sitting in a bathtub" feeling as I do in the new Accord (This was the major reason my wife disliked the Honda; she simply felt claustraphobic in it.) Much quicker response, despite the similar HP ratings, so much so that the Accord feels like it weighs much more. Fast=good! On the feature side: HID's, compass, memory seats, one-touch S/R, heated steering wheel (Good thing here in Utah!).

Depreciation would be an issue if we were only keeping the car for a couple of years, but we plan on keeping it for 8 years, so that's not much of an issue for us. Otherwise, the Accord might have the edge. Overall, the sport vs. luxury equation looms large in comparing the two cars: If you go for luxury, get the Accord; if sportiness agility are important, the Maxima is the better choice. I'm glad my wife "allowed" me to go the sporty route; I sure like the Maxima!

 

The Accord has been and always will be a "jack of all trades, but a master of none."

The styling is good but not great.
The interior is good but not great.
The performance is good but not great.
The handling is good but not great.
The materials quality is good but not great.

When you buy an Accord, you get a good all-around car, but it's so boring to drive that it will soon put you to sleep.

The Maxima on the otherhand is a different beast. It clearly has more rough-edges than the well-rounded Accord, but it excels in several areas where the Accord could never hope to.

Maxima performance is AWESOME! What other family sedans can run solid 14's. The performance of the new 03 AV6 is much better than the old ones, but the engine still lacks torque, and will only be fast when you're flat-out on the highway. A Maxima with 265 lb-ft of torque will be much more gutsy around town and off the line. This explains the 0.3-0.5s difference between the two cars in a 1/4 mile race. And the Maxima has always had a manual tranny available. The AV6 is *just now* getting a manual, but only in Coupe form and it's only very limited production.

Maxima handling is AWESOME! The Accord is a boat in comparison, and there is no "sporty" version of the Accord with a performance oriented setup. My 99 SE would run circles around my Accord, and so would any 5th Gen SE as well. Handling is a no-contest: Maxima wins. You can make the Accord handle as well, but you'll be dropping lots of money on rims, better rubber, and aftermarket suspension.

Styling is purely subjective, and I think the interiors and overall materials quality is about the same between the two, having owned both. But my Maxima has far less rattles and noises in the interior than my 01 Accord V6 did. Also, reliability is about dead even between the two. The Camry, Accord, and Maxima are always at the top of the mid-sized reliability charts duking it out with each other, and there's almost no difference in reliaiblity between them. Each car has their own sets of problems.

The areas where the Accord has the Maxima beat is in value (Accord has always been a tad cheaper), and resale value. Resale on the Accord is about as good as it gets. And that's a good thing too, because when you're bored out of your mind with the car after a year, the resale is so good that you won't lose your shirt on an early trade-in



If you're an enthusiast and enjoy driving and want a fun to drive 4-door that also has room for friends/kids, the Maxima is CLEARLY the better car. If you just want a good all-around car and don't mind making a few compromises (performance, handling, etc) then the Accord will serve you better with its cheaper sticker price, and better resale.

 

My Max came stock with 265HP! What? it's only a 4% difference.

 

And OF COURSE your "Honda friends" think that Honda is so much better than Nissan.

Honda CANNOT BE BEATEN. evAr!


There are enough Honda owners now with such blind loyalty that they will not even consider another make of car, no matter how inferior their Honda of choice is. Honda knows this, and hence they can get away with sub-par products without even really trying, and people will still buy them in the millions like lemmings.


But that's okay. No brand loyalty here. I drive whoever puts out the best product and will never put up with something that's sub-par just because of the logo on the hood.

 

I have noticed that the new Accords as just ugly. I don't like their body style at all. Honda makes a good prelude and a decent Civic, but the Accord's new style is out of my range.

 

I guess my estimate was reasonably close, wasn't it?

I think when we compare cars we should take similarly priced vehicles. But here is a trap: mass media tends to pick cars with similar MSRP. A better approach is to take cars with similar price "on the road". It is well known that some brands sell close to the sticker, while others thousands below it.

But it is still a wrong approach! The right way to do it is to count the depreciation over, let us say, 3 years period. I like 3 years since it is the length of the warranty. If you think about it, that makes much more sense. It is OK to pay several thousand more if you recover those when you sell the vehicle.

If you accept my point of view, you must agree that Accord is not in the same class as Maxima! The cost to own Accord for 3 years is much lower, you know. So, don't expect Accord to be as good as Maxima in every and single aspect.

I think Acura TL-S-auto will probably cost as much as Maxima over 3 years. Therefore, Maxima should be compared to TL-S!!!

Max GLE (traction, meridian, sunroof, floor mats) before tax & tag.
Buy now/Sell in 2006/Difference: $27,000/ $14,500/ $12,500.

Acura TL-S-auto
Buy now/Sell in 2006/Difference: $30,500/ $19,000/ $11,500.

Since TL-S is more expensive, extra tax and amortization of TL-S loan will bring its cost close to Maxima's one.

 

265HP eh? Was this a limited production Max, cause I ain't heard of it!!!

Anyhow, I think Steve pretty much summed up the entire point of the thread in his previous reply.

It's somewhat difficult to say outright which car is better--it really depends on what you're looking for in a car. As he mentioned, the Accord is a good all-around car, but doesn't blow your socks off in any one thing.

The Maxima, on the other hand, is a PRETTY good all-around car, but also excels in some aspects (power, options, acceleration, looks, etc). Granted the looks of each is purely subjective, but I don't think many people find the new Accord attractive, but most people I know like the Max. The Maxima delivers stellar power performance, and comes with a few more options than the Accord. Price wise they are about the same because the Max can be had for MUCH cheaper than MSRP, whereas the Accords usually don't sell too much below. In my opinion, the only thing that the Accord has over the Maxima is resale value, but if your keeping your car for over 5 yrs, then this advantage is not so great.

All in all, it really depends on what you want in the car--want a well-rounded car, but with not a lot of personality or *****, get the Accord. Want a car that flat out screams on the road, is more unique than the Accord, get the Max.

Either way, though, both cars are pretty good (but I like my Maxie better! )

 

read MaxSand02's previous post than you'll know why he said that

 

My bad, didn't see that!

 

 

 

now sales will reach an all time high