Hey Everyone,
I'm new to the board here so just saying a quick hello.
Now on to my first brain teaser. I am in the market for a new car and narrowed it down to either a volks jetta vr6 or a nissan maxima se. i noticed the maxima se is around $25,500 and the volks jetta is a little cheaper at $24,000 and thats fully loaded with a 6 cyl, leather, their version of the Bose system called Monsoon with 8 speakers, sport suspension, 17 inch rims and sport tires,heated mirrors, rear sunshade, power everything. i was just wondering if the performance of the Maxima is worth taking over all the standard features that the jetta offers.

 

They are both good cars. The Jetta is quite a bit smaller than the Max, so that may be one consideration. Also, I have heard some pretty bad stories about VW service and repairs. Reliability on the Jetta has taken a nosedive recently....After all, this is a Maxima board.....you will see a lot of Maxima support here

 

We went through this recently. I say if you are going VW.. get GTI... otherwise get a max.

 

the only maxima i've driven was a 1996 se and i loved it. but i amn coming from an Eagle Talon Tsi manual and im used to the small car feel. im just worried i won't feel comfy in the bigger car. don't get me wrong i've always loved the maxima and deep inside i knew that it was always the best buy but that was years ago. I always liked that nice purr from the GTI's muffler when giving full throttle. How does the max sound on full throttle? is the muffler upgradable? what are my options for muffler(not exhaust)?

 

I am sure you will find the maxima quite comfortable. Especially if you are a big guy. The Max sounds sweet above 5k rpm.....The stock muffler is very good and you probably would not gain a whole lot from upgrading it. Although, a new y-pipe and intake will help out a lot.

 

one of my friends has a 2000 jetta gls vr6 auto fully loaded. It's a nice car, but it's too small. I like vw's but if i was you--i would opt for the larger, quicker and nicer maxima.

01 se sterling mist/frost leather 5 speed loaded

 

Well my gfreind just got a jetta so maybe thats someth9ing to consider but she got the 2.0 GLS so the VR6 would be a world apart. Besides if we ever broke up i'll always be thinking about her while driving the jetta. man i think i just answered my own question. Now i have to break down to what i want in the Maxima. I know i want the SE, Bose and the stereo without a doubt. What is the best package value wise. Is the leather worth the extra money? Does it come in a package? What did you all pay for your Max? Is it better to lease or finance to buy the Max what with the possibilty of a new Max coming out in 2 years? ok the answers should help me out a bit more.
Since im new to this forum is there a way to find out what all the Maxima lingo stands for like whats an AE for example. sorry to sound naive but is there events, get togethers. When i used to have my Talon i know there were caravans and races etc.. What kind of social life is there with the Max is what im trying to say. ok i think thats enough

 

I believe (just a thought) that if you upgrade your exhaust to anything just for "sound" rather than (higher) performance than what's already in the Maxima, you'll be losing horsepower. Because aside from just toying around with the exhaust to get the extra HP out of the engine, there's also that valve in the muffler itself that opens and closes depending on throttle and exhaust pressure. Something you might want to think about before choosing an aftermarket muffler without upgrading the exhuast
(wow, I didn't think my mind worked this well so early in the morning!)

 

i was down to these two too. picked the max obviously - it's a bigger car (which is important to those of us with a family). also felt the 5spd in the jetta was bit "clunky"

 

Don't get the Max for just the speed difference. Get it because it is more car pound-for-pound than the Jetta. I got mine for $22.8k ($247 worth of options), so for your $25.5k you priced your potential MaxSE at, you will get a lot of car!

 

My max 5 speed fullly loaded with every possible option including the 6 disc changer and 100,000 mile warrenty was 31 thousand after ttl. I live in NJ so it's pretty expensive here. But i would take the max defenitly. i'm a big guy though, 6'4" 240. The max defenitly got more room for me and my crew

 

many of you know that i love the jetta... 'cept that IT'S A CHICK CAR!!! sorry, i would still have to say the Maxima's the choice you should go for. jetta's nice if you're gonna do an Oettinger kit on it...

like other people have said, legroom... just sit in the back seat of both cars and you'll know what we mean... you can seat 5 fair-sized passengers in a Max comfortably but in a Jetta... well....

oh gosh... but i like the german ride and the purtee blue lights...

anyhow, i'd say the maxima. it's a beefier car along with what other people have said.

perhaps this pic will go contrary to what i just said...

 

NOT! Obviously the Maxima is the only REAL choice. Nothing compares to the luxury/sport stance that it takes. It's got the best of both worlds, besides, I'm 6' and need space to spread out. You've also gotta take into account the potential for passenger seating, especially if you're unfortunate enough to have children. Just kidding...

MAX ALL THE WAY!!! BOO-YAH!

 

Since I have owned both in the last four years (1997 Maxima SE 5-speed; 1999 Jetta GLS VR6; 2000 Maxima SE 5-speed)

Here are my thoughts:

I had my 97 SE for two years and 60k miles. The valves started making noises so I started thinking about a new car. I HATED the thought of giving up that car. So fast (for a sedan) roomy (two people in the back had no complaints) and great mileage (typically 26-27 mpg).
But it seemed I never had rear passengers, and speed was becoming less of a priority.
Enter VW. My stepdad had a 97 GTI VR6 at the time, and had a 1999 GTI VR6 on order. He convinced me. Only I hate 2 doors. So I went and looked at the Jetta. I fell in love. The car spoke to me when I test drove it. I even settled for only $1k discount. (It was the only Jetta VR6 5-speed in the entire Chicagoland area that particular evening.)
Anyway, the Jetta IS more of a drivers car than the Maxima. The Max is certainly faster, but not enough so that it should make a difference in any decision between the two. (Though I have to say, top gear accel on the expressway is WAY in favor of the Max; not important for autos though)
It was a great little car. Curiously, with smaller size and less power, I got less mileage, typically 24-25 mpg, though maybe it was because it is more a drivers car.

But I missed my Maxima. I REALLY missed the Maxima. Fun to drive is great, about %5 of the time in the car. The other 95%, comfort wins out. That is where the Maxima shines. So I traded it in on the 2000. Actually I still miss the 97. It was more pure I think. This Maxima is actually TOO comfortable. Don't want to think of the next one.

Those are my thoughts, take em with a grain of salt.

 

By the way, one more thing I forgot to mention:

the VQ30 and the VR6 are both top-notch engines, I dont think there is a better V-6 to be had (in this price range, and slightly beyond)

However, the VQ has better power distribution across the range, with excellent top end, and plenty of low-end torque.
The VR6 (despite variable intake) is more mid-range concentrated. NOTHING below 2000rpm. It really starts up shy of 3000, and falls on its face around 5500, which if memory serves, is about 1000 before redline.
I just drove my sister's 2001 GTI VR6 a couple days ago, and it was exactly like my 1999.
The maxima has plenty of around town grunt starting at 1500, and pulls hard to a couple hundred past redline (until the damn limiter stops you, thank God).

Transmissions? VW, hands down. Butter smooth, slightly notchy shifter, near-zero drive lurch, idiot-proof clutch.
The Maxima has a tricky clutch, grabs really fast. The shifter leaves a little to be desired.

Can't say anything about autos; never driven one in either car.
Hope this helps.

 

Honestly speaking i have never driven a car with a manual transmission over 30 MPH so i can't really compare. If i decide to get a stick this would be my first manual tranny.

Actually im pretty nervous to get into whichever car i chooose when i pick it up because im afraid im gonna stall. My question is which car is easier to learn stick, which will not cause me pain and regret when i pick up the car. has anyone been through this senario?

PS. Any good FAQ on HOW TOs like in how to drive stick?

 

wow... hrmm.. well, i've driven both cars manual at some point or another and i would have to say that the Vdub M/T's pretty nice and clean... the Max's not too bad either... but i would probably be biased towards the Vdub.

learning stick on a brand new car, tho? errr... consider learning on a friend's older car... it just hurts hearing this... just master 1st gear and you'll pretty much do alright--the other gears are basically off-gas-clutch-gas. but then there's downshifting... but you can learn that later.

good luck with your choices... but just remember, as a female friend noted, "The Jetta is either a chick-car or a gay guy's car!" (no offense to gay guys out there)... for me that's one of the many "chick car" reasons that persuaded me into not getting the Jetta. who knows? maybe when i get enough money and enough garage spaces i'll consider the jetta as a weekend car! HAH! we'll see....

 

I dont know about you guys, but I see ALOT more women in Maxima's than I do men. And I see about even in Jetta's.

At any rate, it is 2001. Chick car, guy car, who cares?!
Get what you like.

For a first car with stick shift, I would go VW. Like I said, idiot-proof clutch. Pitifully easy. I have let quite a few people who know how to drive stick try my Maxima. They all say the same thing, it is the hardest clutch they have ever learned. I know you Max guys will argue with me, but think about this, you drive it everyday, like me. I dont think it is difficult now. When I got my first Max, it took me several weeks to get really comfortable with it, as opposed to a couple days with the Jetta.

And the shifter doesnt get better with time, it gets worse.
If I could, I would mate the Maxima engine to the VW tranny.

But whatever car you get, don't worry. It takes less time than you think to get the hang of it. When I first learned stick, I had a REALLY hard time. My first time out, I actually came home shaking, it was that bad. Now I consider myself slightly above average. My wife on the other hand, she is competent, nothing more, but learned it in a snap.
go figure...

My opinion, get a stick shift. Who knows how much longer they will be available. It seems every couple of years, as cars go through design changes, more and more of them are no longer offering stick shift. The standard transmission's days are numbered, so enjoy it while you still can.