After all the trouble I've been through, getting my first Max (01 GXE), then it getting hit, then the tranny banging around, then getting into the 01 SE I have now..the hassle, the money, the time, the disappointment...I figured I'd be MORE than happy and have a great car. I put my cars under SUCH scrutiny (as I'm sure you all do and so I've noticed) and I'm just not totally satisfied with the money it costs and the name the Maxima holds ("flagship"). There are SO many fu*k ups that such an established car company and established model should NOT have...regardless of what "generation" it's in. Severely high wind noist, creaks and rattles, wacky transmission, horrible gas mileage even when you're not pounding on it (so much for advertising great gas mileage when they released the 5th gen), super stiff suspension that doesn't give fot SH*T on bumps and makes the car jump around like a jackrabbit, crappy paint that doesn't stand up to typical road scenarios, cheap windshields that get pitted faster than you can blink your eyes, shall I go on? SURE I WILL! More TSB's to count than I was taught to count up to in elementary school...and service departments that play as if they have NO idea what you're talking about or are annoyed when you come with things other people haven't mentioned to them. Now they're the service department...granted it's not THEIR fault that the car has these problems, but they get PAID by Nissan for warranty work...and that's what they're there for! I've had it. So this weekend, in high anticipation of some money I'll get getting within the year to pay off the Maxima, I went to test drive the Acura 3.2 CL again. Despite what other people think or have said about the car, I LOVE IT! It's not that far off in price from the Maxima and IMHO it handles ten times better! It has about the same power (3 more ponies on the standard), same wheel size, suspension is tight yet gives more for a smoother ride without compromising handling, has xenon headlights, leather, MEMORY POWER SEATS, automatic climate control, NAVIGATION...and it looks HOT! So as soon as the Max is paid off...no sooner than I can write the check to Nissan to pay off the Maxima I'm bringing the crap box to an Acura dealer and getting a CL (providing they don't change it for the worse by the time the 2002's come in).

Sorry just had to let off steam because every day I get happy, something else brings me down with this car.

 

I agree with you on the gas mileage(it really sucks)i mean how much fuel does a 3 liter motor takes.

I am getting average 18 and i drive normally. I have about 9000 miles on the car

 

I'll probably be in the minority here but AMEN brother. I could not have said it any better. Everything you mentioned almost mirrors my car exactly. While I probably won't go Acura it definitly will not be a Nissan again. It might even be a *gasp* domestic! At least you know what to expect...never in my wildest dreams did I expect the Flagship to be such a disapointment...the engine is great but it really stops right there. I probably wont pay the car off before I dump it...will take it in the shorts more than likely and it will be a painful reminder

 

One of the few who has problems looks like your added to the list. MANY have not had problems with theres and I was one of them. You get the kinks fixed when the car is new, then its fine from there on out. Let me remind you not every car is perfect. There will be some that have problems and some that don't. And that goes for the same for all manufactures including Acura. We have a friend that had a 3.2 TL, and he has had MANY problems with that car, he finally got rid of the POS, and got something else. He is a Acura man though, he has a NSX, the new MDX or whatever it is, he also has a nissan pickup, a Acura CL-S his daughter drives. But anyways, he won't buy a TL again he said.

BTW, you said the that acura handles better than the max? LOL, its a boat, and it does not handle better.

 

I agree that the Maxima is noisy, doesn't get great gas mileage, and has enough TSBs to wallpaper a small house. But there is still no other sedan on the market that can touch it in terms of price and performance.

For what it's worth, I'm keeping mine.

 

Man Oiprocs.. you sound like me.. hope you don't get reamed on the trade...

 

Great input, my feelings exactly. I hate mostly the ride quality. I told Nissan in their evaluation form after I bought the 2K SE that it rode like a 20 year old Jeep CJ!
to solve this and make it livable, I do what I would never do normally is I undreinflate the tires to 28/29 psi cold.
Recomended is 32 as you know. I was concerned about rapid uneven wear (gas mileage I don't care about, it's ****ty
anyway). After 5,500 miles the tires look fine, no edge wear visable. My only big complaints are the thin paint and "small pick up ride quality".
If I like the 2002 Audi A4 at under $30k I might sell mine and take the $5-7K hit. Man do these depreciate. Audis hold their value.

Mike, WA

 

That is funny. If you wanted a smooth ride you should have gotten the GXE/GLE. You knew the SE is for sport not luxury. That is the ride, so deal with it. You should ride in my SE Sentra, it rides much rougher than the Maxima ever did.

Don't complain, its not the car, its u.

 

I gotta take issue with the handling comment on the TL compared to the Max. Huh? The TL handles like crap compared to the Max. At least compared to my Max. I tested the TL before buying the Max and no comparison.

No bad-mouthing the TL overall...its a nice car, but if you want handling...the Max wins. I think its funny that those of you that support the TLs handling also point out the smoother ride. Part of handling is road-feel. If you've got a soft, floaty suspension you can't expect handling to be precise. The same-platform example of this is the differences between the handling and road-feel of the SE compared to the GXE/GLE Maxima. If you want great handling, you have to expect to feel the road a little more. Actually, that's part of what attracted me to the Max...its a positive on a sports tuned vehicle. Anybody ever driven the 911 Turbo...the Dodge Viper? I have driven both (for very short distances ) and you feel every bump on the road softened only by extremely low inflation levels on the tires for every day driving.

 

For one, I know that the car has sport suspension and is going to be tight...and I HAD a GXE and it wasn't much different. Secondly, I'm not talking about a TL...I'm sure that thing doesn't handle as well as the Maxima. I'm talking about the CL...with the independent suspension, along with a smaller car, naturally it's going to be easier to maintain on the ground.

Anyway...it's just my opinion...and as Salt N Pepa said, opinions are like a-holes and everbody's got one...so no need to go crazy

 

NO! There will be no opinions here that differ from mine. S'okay...just don't get rid of the Max. How will you sleep at night?

 

That is correct. True. True. You've got to hate a lemon, but let the data speak for itself. I looked for a new car for 4 months. I evaluated everything from the Audi A4, VW Passat, Honda, Toyota, Lexus IS 300 and Acura. After digging and searching, I ended up with the Max. Balancing PRICE, PERFORMANCE, QUALITY, LUXURY, STYLE, the Max beat everything else hands down. Of course, I need the room because I am married and have 2 kids.

Go to http://www.JDPower.com and look at the quality measurements. The Max scores very high in initial quality, cost of ownership, etc. Of course, it's not perfect...no car is. However, if the car is evaluated under the right context, its great. Consider the SE is tuned and equiped for sport driving. The GLE is set up for floating in luxury. The car delivers on it's promises. If you consider yourself a PRACTICAL ENTHUSIAST, this car is perfect.

I agree on the paint, but I haven't noticed rattles, noises. It sounds like some have had bad experiences, this is the same for any car. Go look at the other enthusiast sites. THEY ALL HAVE GRIPES AND ACCOLOADES!

Ride quality is on par for the price. Build quality and features are decent. Engine is top shelf. Stock stereo is decent. Ok...so maybe the paint and windshield suck. But for realistic expectations, it fits IMO.

 

You do know the CL and TL are the same car just 2 doors? Same suspension dude.

 

Isn't it still just the 6th gen Accord suspension? Or have they changed the CL/TL platform? I own a 6th gen Coupe with the 3.0 and the car has very precise steering and much love goes out to the car, but...it is a good bit heavier than the Max (even the Honda/Acura Coupes are heavier than our sedans) and you can feel that when you drive it.

As a "car enthusiast" the driving experience of the Max is much better than on the Accord...granted, the TL/CL has a much better performing engine.

 

If I had the issues you have cited, I'd be looking for another ride, too. However, my complaints have been limited to two. The first, poor ride quality, was remedied by Nissan replacing my stock Potenza RE92 with Michellin Pilot MXM4, which I believe is the stock tire on the TL. That made a 100% improvement in ride, and I retained excellent handling.

My second complaint is the paint. I've started a thread in case you have NOT seen it whereby I'm gathering complaints from other owners. I plan to start a specific link where I can gather a number of complaints, and ultimately present an argument to Nissan.

Other than that, I've been well pleased with the car, and now have 4500 miles posted.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, but please keep in mind that all Max's aren't as unfortunate as yours. You definitely have a lemon.

Scott

 

Yes, the TL/CL are based on the 6th gen accord platform.

 

I test drove a TL and it didn't handle as good as Maxima. Wasn't even close. There was a ton of understeer. I think the Maxima is .83 on the skidpad and the TL is something like .78. I like the automatic better though. 5 speed.

 

Have you been to superhonda.com under TL forum where the owners of the car talked about how surprising the Acura build quality is????Go check it out yourself, you will be surprised!!


And you do know that TL/CL are accords, same engine platform just more hp in their engine????


Tim

 

the cl/tl may be the same platform as the accord but there is definately a difference. my buddy has the cls w/ springs and his ride is butter smooth for the most part, even with 18" lowenharts. even over rough roads the sound deadening soaks up most of the noise and there are no interior rattles to speak of. about the handling, my max has h&r's and stock shocks. i know i have to get shocks before i'll really get the handling difference but after driving my buddies cls i know that the handling is better w/ no trade off in ride quality. after this year i'm really gonna consider the cls, x type jag, and is300 manual. no more maxs for me. just my opinion.

 

Well I heard recently that Nissan Maxima were considered most reliable car in its class because of a lower than 2% problem rate. I would suggest some of you are in the <2% and that is unfortunate. The rest of us are in the >98%, which is an astonishing number that puts domestic automobiles to shame.

best,
/aac

 

I agree with you that the Maxima do have many TSB. I have a GLE and it is a little bit harsh for a so-called luxurous car. BUT, if you compare the handling of a CL and maxima, the CL feels soft and a little bit floaty. As for build quality, TL/CL's DO have rattles, especially at the right front A-pillar. The 3 TL's I got a ride in have rattles when going over bumps (maybe they're the outgroup).
If you're looking for another car, just remember that no car is perfect. Hope you'll have better luck with your new car.