I've been doing some test drives lately because I've been feeling that need for a new car lately (something I do about every 3 years or so). Anyway, I've come to learn that I truly love my car!!! I suppose a lot of that has to do with all the mods I've done to it (especially the audio system). If the Max was still stock I'm fairly certain the results would be different. Here's the cars I've been driving:

1) 2006 6-speed manual BMW 330i. Nice car...very overpriced in my opinion. Also quite a bit smaller than the Max. I did NOT like the new interior they came up with for this new generation. The body style has grown on me though. This car had a TON of fancy stuff that I would love to have on the Max!! Road noise was a lot louder than I expected but it handled much BETTER than expected.

2) 2005 Chrysler 300C 5-speed auto. You know...in "theory" this would be the perfect car for me. Tons of interior space, tons of space for stereo equipment, powerful V8 engine. But it just wasn't FUN. And it looks....interesting. Haven't quite decided if I like the way it looks or I hate it. And even when using the manumatic auto transmission I still felt disconnected from the whole driving experience.

3) 2006 Subaru WRX STi 6-speed manual. Wow. This car was FUN to drive!!!! Holy crap!!! I had a grin on my face from ear to ear!! This thing felt WAY faster than it actually was (which was still VERY fast by the way) and handled SCARY GOOD!!! And it wouldn't be too bad for a daily driver. No leather, no climate control, no nothing. Just not for me. But man it was FUN!!! Oh...and the manual transmission was PERFECT. Very short throws which worked flawlessly when you mashed the gas pedal and GOT ON IT, but also very smooth around town. I can see why this car is so popular. Biggest downfall...I absolutley hated the tall trunk spoiler and wasn't very crazy about the hood scoop.

4) 2006 Chrysler Crossfire 6-speed manual. Definitely the stiffest chasis of all the cars I drove. This thing felt VERY solid. However, I was very unimpressed generally speaking. The shift **** felt like cheap plastic. You couldn't see out the back window at all. About an hour in this car and I'd need a rest stop. Nope.

5) 2006 Pontiac GTO 6-speed manual. I absolutley LOVED the interior in this car!!! The leather seats were thick and supportive, the dash just screamed airplane cockpit. On paper this was the fastest car of all I drove, but it still felt slower than the STi. And the rear end was SLOPPY in turns. Oh yeah...the Corvette engine sounded AWESOME!!!!!! But absolutely NO trunk space. Plus, every time you wanted to get a passenger in the rear seat you had to wait for the electric seat back to slide forward...no manual release. This would be a perfect second car with some suspension mods and some body work (meaning it looks like a grandma car). Speaking of a grandma car...what fun it would be to pull up next to to just about any other car on the road and suprise the hell out of them when all they saw were your taillights. (400hp and 0-60 in 4.8 secs).

6) 2001 Honda S2000 6-speed manual (30K miles). Hmmmm. I'm a big Honda fan but I was hugely disapointed with this car. It handled very well but it just felt SOOOOO slow for some reason. It seemed like it took forever to get to its 8K rpm redline. I dunno...maybe a new one would be better. Besides, I just couldn't get comfortable in this car.

7) 2006 Infiniti M35 5-speed auto. VERY nice car. The seats and the overall driving position fit my body better than any other car I drove (seats, center armrest, steering wheel position). However, as good as it handled (which was better than average) I just felt a little disconnected from the driving experience. It was a little too smooth for me. It was also the quietest car of the group...in both road and engine noise. They offer an M35 Sport with a stiffer suspension (and bigger wheels?) and maybe a few other things...this may have been the icing on the cake and would probably make this awesome car even better. The biggest downfall of this car was how all the car's functions were tied into the computer system (climate control, navigation, radio, etc). This, I'm assuming, would make it next to impossible if not impossible altogether to put in an aftermarket sound system...which is one of the most if not THE most important consideration for me when choosing a car. If you like TONS of buttons to push on the dash...this is your car!!! I was most impressed with the car's ability to pull like crazy all the way to 100 mph. I realize on paper this was probably one of the slower cars I drove, but it sure didn't feel that way. It pushed you back in the seat and held you there! (3.5 V6 with 280 hp). This was by far the best car of the group to take on a long drive. I really wanted to drive the M45 but they didn't have any (335 hp v8). I suppose it's also important to metion that this car was also the most expensive of the group (the M45 even more so).

8) 2006 Infiniti G35 5-speed automatic. This car was similar to the M35. However, the ride was stiffer (more communicative) and the manumatic transmission much more fun to operate (quicker and more aggressive shifts and it even blipped the throttle when downshifting). The interior was more sporty and felt good when first sitting down, but after a while I started to realize I just couldn't get comfortable no matter how I moved the seats and steering wheel. The engine and exhaust sounded amazing...second to only the GTO. I liked this car but not being able to get comfortable was a big bummer.

9) 2005 Acura TL 6-speed manual. If I were to go out right now and trade the Max in...this would be the car I'd do it for. The manual transmission was soooo smooth. Like cutting through warm butter. And I liked the looks of the interior better than any other car I drove. The driving position was second only to the M35...very very comfortable. This car hauled butt, was still fairly quiet, handled fairly decently, and the fit and finish was very impressive. Acura makes an A-spec version with bigger wheels, summer tires, ground effects, stiffer suspension, and a spoiler. With either the A-spec package or some mods this car would absolutely ROCK. I didn't exactly care for the car's rear end...it looks a little chopped off...but this could grow on me maybe. It was also not the most expensive car of the group. However, if money were no object I have to say the M35 would be my choice, except for the problem with being able to put my own sound system in.

Anyway...after all these test drives I get into the Max and I realize that some of these cars may be newer, faster, and have some cool gadgets and other amenities, but I truly love my car. It's very comfortable, roomy, very sporty looking, handles great, and has a kick-butt stereo system that I've put a LOT of time and money into. I think I'll keep it for another year or two or more before I get rid of it.

Tony

 

I guess you really are test driving some carS huh. Nice I like the selection and info seems accurate on the select few cars out of these I've driven. Glad to see your still lovin the Max though.

 

Wow.. that was a hell of a test drive.... Are you working for Car & Driver? Did you quit your job? That's good......

 

5) 2006 Pontiac GTO 6-speed manual. I absolutley LOVED the interior in this car!!! The leather seats were thick and supportive, the dash just screamed airplane cockpit. On paper this was the fastest car of all I drove, but it still felt slower than the STi. And the rear end was SLOPPY in turns. Oh yeah...the Corvette engine sounded AWESOME!!!!!! But absolutely NO trunk space. Plus, every time you wanted to get a passenger in the rear seat you had to wait for the electric seat back to slide forward...no manual release. This would be a perfect second car with some suspension mods and some body work (meaning it looks like a grandma car). Speaking of a grandma car...what fun it would be to pull up next to to just about any other car on the road and suprise the hell out of them when all they saw were your taillights. (400hp and 0-60 in 4.8 secs).



Tony[/QUOTE]

Overall.. a very accurate review...2006's are not out yet where did you find one?

Seats are slow as hell..but room is plentiful in the back once in..

I have smacked the hell out of mine for 7K miles..Not a rattle in the car to be found...And I live in PA..Pothole capitol of the world ..I can not make this car rattle.

 

i too am still int he state of mine of getting a new car, but i havent found anything out there to convince me, just as im typing i get dragged away to see my friends new evo. i guess ill find out in a few hours how that compares.

i was looking at all the cars u looked at esp im also looking at mayeb the TSX, or the mazdaspeed 6

 

Wow, nice reviews. Did you, just, go from one dealership to another and asked them for a test drive?

 

maximas = great value (good overall looks, performance, space, comfort, and handling)

 

Have you ever driven a 2.5 GT Legacy. If you thought that the TL was nice, drive a limited Legacy GT. They have the same basic boxer as the STi and the AWD is awsome. If i had not found my 03 6 speed, then the auto-manumatic Legacy GT was the car to have. Yes, I have driven all of those cars except for the GTO. Maxia, or Legacy GT for the $$$. Just my .02

 

Cool thats good to hear cuz those cars are pretty hard to compete with....

 

I drove the 2005 Legacy GT MT and it was really nice... much smoother and more refined than a WRX... but it wasn't good enough for me to give up my Max back then... if I did dump the Max in the future, it would be for the Legacy though, esp the current body styling.

 

I was set up to buy a LGT for 25000. I got my 03 se for 17000. The 8000 difference adds alot of parts to the max to make it handle, run a little better, and be just a touch nicer than the Scuby. Overall, both are great, AWD is nice, but something about maximas makes me very loyal. I would not trade my current max for a brand new LGT even if it was a strait trade. I would concider it for a few minutes though

 

04-05 Max vs. LGT: LGT
02-03 Max vs. LGT: Max

 

I don't care for the frameless windows on the legacy. I would never buy a car with frameless windows...Doesn't hold up well over the years...Now the GTO thats a monster I've always thought BMW especially the 3 was way overpriced. Come on 185 hp on the base model is a joke for that kinda money

 

But the potential of that turbo would make me consider for more than a few minutes...

 

Yeah, cobb racing has some killer ecu, and pretty much any STi part will somehow fit with the LGt. Too bad the max is not rwd so that we can rob 350 Z parts.

 

Oops. It was a 2005, not a 2006. Yeah...it was very tight as far as rattles went. Pontiac really impressed me with the interior on the GTO.

Tony

 

I really want to drive the Mazdaspeed 6 when it comes out. I like the looks of the Mazda 6 and the speed version seems like a great package. But it seems like it's taking FOREVER for the thing to get released!!!

Tony

 

I did yesterday when I drove the M35, G35, and the TL. Other than that this has been over the last couple of months.

Tony

 

One thing I haven't done yet is to drive a 6th gen Maxima. I should probably do that, huh? The looks have grown on me a little, although I think the interior looks a little cheesy. (Granted, I haven't looked inside one in person yet).

Tony

 

When I test drove the STi I spent quite a bit of time looking over the GT but I never took it for a drive. It looked like a very nice car and I liked the interior...although it seemed a little smaller than the Max's interior. I probably should have test drove it...the guy offered. However, I was running out of time and chose to drive the STi instead.

Tony

 

i rode in a 6th gen for the first time over the weekend and wasn't too impressed with the interior. it looks ok but definitely didn't seem like a step up from my 03. one thing that stood out to me was the cloth trim that goes around the sides and front of the dash, not sure i liked it. there seemed to be a lot more headroom but the rest of the dimensions felt the same. now that i've seen a better selection of grills on the 6th gen it's starting to look a lot better than before.

nice reviews btw.

 

never driven a 6th gen, but i sat in one at the dealer and the interior was pure sh*t. What a step backwards....

 

My bro has a black cloth 04, kinda different. I took him for a ride in my 03 6 spd, he was all grins. It seems that the 6th gen has down graded in weight, appearance, and in interior quality. maybe that is the made in the us way? still, 6th gen is better than most 04's.

 

something about all these new cars make sme feel like id be getting ripped off, i got my 00 in mid 02 with i beleive all the options exp the auto(thankfully) for around 17,000. all the other cars im looking at are almost twice that expensive and thats just for the bare bones, i have the feeling when i find my replacement it wont be brand new.

 

That's some serious test driving tony.

I agree with you, even though some of those cars are serious contenders, they don't see how any of them in particular are massive upgrades. Your car has plenty of life in it, and if you were stepping up to an M5 or new z06 vette, i'd be hesitant to say not an upgrade, but moving to another vehicle doesn't seem so reasonable if those are the cars to chose from.

The max won't beat an STI, but i still wouldn't want one... It's a really tacky looking kids car to me...

Performance wise it has it, but i just couldn't see myself in one of those.

Glad your staying with the max ; )

 

i drove a '03 g35 sedan last night. there wasn't much i didn't like about it. plus turning off the traction control and whipping some donuts is something that i really wish i could do in my maxima....oh RWD.....

 

I agree esepcially in interior quality, the 5.5 gens interior just looks more like a car in this price class than the 6th gen does.

 

I got to beat on a 04 G35 coupe Auto w/Navi today. It had the 18" wheels and pretty much all the bells and whistles.

Acceleration off the line- didn't impress me at all, it wouldn't spin the tires even with the VDC turned off. It sounded good but didn't go around the track I use for testing cars on as fast as lets say my Maxima or even a new TL. Navigation was kinda cheezy and didn't have voice recognition like our TLs do ( I work at Acura as a tech ). Interior looked very cheap and the only thing I liked bout it was the driver's seat- very comfortable.

Climate controll had a hard time keeping the interior cool with 90F ambient temps, Bose radio sucked major *****. It has absolutely zero high frequency response even with the treble turned all the way up- and this was with its Sirrius radio turned on.

Handling was pretty nice- I did get to go sideways in it around the corners a few times- making some drifts here n there. Brakes where pretty good compared to other cars I have driven, and they are more resistant to fade than the TL brakes. Steering response was one of the best I experienced- even with Blizzak snow tires that the car had (wtf in the summer ?).

One thing I was unimpressed with was power, it just didn't have ***** off the line and low end seemed very sluggish, auto tranny shifted perfectly thou. High end power was ok, and engine seemed very smooth from 4K-to redline.

Interior plastics seemed very cheap, the center console "aluminum" piece that goes around the radio and navigation was VERY cheap looking.

I personally wouldn't buy this car just because its cheap, NAVI sucks, Bose sucks, interior is cheap, and engine just didn't impress me at all. My Maxima has way better interior space, better finished dashboard, it handles better I think- I do have quite a bit of suspension mods- most important of all, my lil 3.0L 5spd would destroy this thing in the straight line, let alone if this was a race track with alot of turns.

Personally I love getting back into my Max after 8 hours of working on Acuras and enjoying the spacious interior, beautifull (to my eyes) dashboard design and power/sound of my lil 3Liter.