hit the gym, torque steer never bothered me, and the max is great in traffic with the low end torque, on the highway it will walk all over a wrx

 

lol.

I am in the gym about 5 days a week, train people, and bench 405lbs. I am fine when it comes to hitting the gym

Seriously though, I was out driving my wrx again today on my way to work, and it is just really pissing me off. I love the car in the summer because rattles are less frequent and the trans is not nearly as bad...but in the cold it really does suck. The only thing holding me back is the FWD traction issues and the handling. From what I am reading though, suspension and bars help a lot with handling, so it is mainly the aspect of traction.... And I hate not having traction.

 

I'm sure you'll be happy with it...it's a lot more comfortable than the wrx and easier to drive.

 

HLSD is definately NOT standard on '03s......and looking at pedals is not a definitive way to tell. I have an '03 TE 6speed and it doesnt have HLSD, but I have the AE pedals. I didnt think HLSD was that big of a deal, but it sure wouldve been handy the other week when I was stuck spinning trying to pull out of a snow/ice covered driveway with one wheel spinning while the other just sat there. Good luck finding the Maxima you want....

 

The FWD is not so bad. I live up in Evanston and when it snows my max handles fine. I mean I went from a quattro AWD Audi to the Max and I had no serious issues. Just slap on some good winter tires.

But one thing is for sure I really enjoyed the Max over the WRX when I was test driving the two. The only thing I regret is buying an auto.

 

+1....i have some blizzak ws-50's and it's awesome in the snow.

 

yeah, in my experience with cars and snow, the tires matter more than ANYTHING. My wrx with low tread high performance all seasons was worse in the snow then a friends 350Z with blizzak snow tires. So hopefully some nice high performance all seasons for the summer and some blizzak snow's for the winter should get me by just fine.

We will see. I have to find the car first, which I doubt will be easy. I am looking for a 2k2/2k3 6spd, less than or ~ 50k miles, HLSD, leather, sunroof, heated seats, etc... and would prefer to not spend over $14,000
maybe if I wait until summer some more options will open up and price will drop a bit.

 

i survived first 2 chicago winters on potenza re92, and this year i am rockin some yokohama avids, car does fine, start in second gear, break with the motor, was stuck driving it in both snow storms this winter and never had a problem

as to gas mileage
relaxed drivin i get 23 city/mixed and all highway 28-32mpg
but when you get on it all the time it loves gas

 

Although i've yet to get a 5th gen, I did have a WRX for a short time last year. For what it's worth, I actually ended up selling it 2 months after purchase in favor of keeping the Max. The only aspect the WRX shined in was handling when compared with the Max. Power wasnt near what I had hoped for, especially when my friend's lightly modded Saab 900 took me. Fit and finish were pretty low, the stereo sucked, and the car just felt overall less solid than my Max, especially at highway speeds. It didnt take long to realize how much more practical the Max was, and I made a nice *little* profit on the WRX in the process. I will be upgrading to a 5.5 soon, loaded 6spds are hard to find, so im holding out. As far as MPG goes, I believe 4th gens are rated at 20/26, and i never have a problem achieving that with 136k. 5.5s should be no exception if you drive reasonably. Just think of it this way... if you use 10 gallons a week at $2.50/gallon, losing say 3mpg per gallon hypothetically results in an extra $3.75 per week in fuel expense. Just skip a usual meal at taco bell and youre back in business.

 

Although i've yet to get a 5th gen, I did have a WRX for a short time last year. For what it's worth, I actually ended up selling it 2 months after purchase in favor of keeping the Max. The only aspect the WRX shined in was handling when compared with the Max. Power wasnt near what I had hoped for, especially when my friend's lightly modded Saab 900 took me. Fit and finish were pretty low, the stereo sucked, and the car just felt overall less solid than my Max, especially at highway speeds. It didnt take long to realize how much more practical the Max was, and I made a nice *little* profit on the WRX in the process. I will be upgrading to a 5.5 soon, loaded 6spds are hard to find, so im holding out. As far as MPG goes, I believe 4th gens are rated at 20/26, and i never have a problem achieving that with 136k. 5.5s should be no exception if you drive reasonably. Just think of it this way... if you use 10 gallons a week at $2.50/gallon, losing say 3mpg per gallon hypothetically results in an extra $3.75 per week in fuel expense. Just skip a usual meal at taco bell and youre back in business. My 3.5RL on the other hand, costs me 2 taco bell meals... that can be a lot harder to stomach

 

^excuse my double post :hides:

 

Thanks for the input man. It is good to hear from someone that owned or currently owns a wrx.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this, and it seems the maxima is just the better choice. I need something with more low end power and better throttle response, and more refined and easy to operate in traffic... and it seems that the extra torque and better gearing of the 5.5gen 6spd would be quite helpful with city driving as opposed to my wrx which has transmission whine in lower gears, is really jerky and has a stiff clutch and notcy trans.

Another reason that has recently been pushing me towards a Maxima is:

My warranty on my wrx is up in about a year or ~ 12k miles. This scares the freaking crap out of me because I do not want my warranty to go and then start having tranny issues, which can cost in excess of $2,000. I know a guy at a Nissan dealer and hopefully if I can buy a maxima he will warranty the car to 100k with the powertrain if I pay for it. City driving is ALWAYS harder on a tranny, and I cannot afford to go away to a new college in the city and have my tranny break on me with no warranty to back it up.

Well then... I guess the search is on. I have about 6 months to look, so I am not in a big hurry, so I plan to wait for the right one with the option I really want.

 

DTR - Hope to see you back in about 6months or so....

since your getting a 6spd.....here are 3 quick tips to start you right off the bat...

1. Redline MT-90 in the transmission 3qts = $30 shipped from www.myoilshop.com
2. White Lithium Grease mod 1 can = $3 at autozone...link is here http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....lithium+grease
3. SR20DEN free short shifter mod = $free with the right tools...link is here http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=401234

holla at me on PM DTR....if you got any questions on 5.5G maximas...

 

You can still get a LSD if you have an auto tranny. NRH transmissions puts an LSD in your auto tranny if you have it built. I was thinkin about just getting the LSD, seeing how I'm not putting down enough power to get the fully built tranny.

 

if/when you do get your 6SPD max, i recommend you look for a certified/pre-owned car from a dealer that way you can get the 100k mile warranty on the powertrain and tranny. and to ensure your calm nerves after you buy it, i would get the extended bumper to bumper warranty as well. check out www.autotrader.com and www.cars.com thats what i did anyway..

 

DTR:

U have to ask yourself what do you like? IMO, no true "sports" anything is FWD. Look at Benz, BMW, Supras, Vettes, Vipers, Ferraris, Lambos, etc all are RWD or AWD. No one can deny FWD has limitations as hp increases. Asking the front wheels to steer AND provide power to the wheels simply cannot compare to the pure fun RWD or (I imagine) AWD offers.

Ever driven a 5.5? Thing turns worse than a boat. And trust me, there is plenty of torque steer. The VQ is a beauty. Tons of torque at low and high end. Test drive a 5.5, get on the gas, and let go of the wheel, come back and tell me she doesn't pull to the right. With a FWD engine placed the way it is, it is inherent in the car's nature to have torque steer, and with the power the VQ produces, there's a lot of it. Why should you have to work out to hold on to the wheel? "Sports" sedan should not have these attributes.

U sound like an enthusiast. I can't imagine the Maxima is more fun than a WRX. (I've never owned one, but drove one briefly). U want to run 13's. I would ask for scanned time slips for those owners here that have run 13's, and what was required to get those numbers. Note how many of us are running 13's. Then go to the WRX forum and see what kick *** time slips u'll get from them, what it took to get there, and how many of them there are. (U actually know for yourself, bec. u run low 13's on your WRX).

The 5.5 Maxima is a nice family car, and there are some guys here that are running great numbers with their cars. (I say 5.5, bec. that is your interest). BUT, look at the design of the car - FWD, non-independent rear suspension - can you say cheap for a flagship $25K car? My 1987 Supra Turbo has IRS, and that car came out 19 years ago! Go over a bump, and the 5.5 feels like the rear end is going in 10 different directions. Folks here will say "get this sway bar, and get that supsension setup...". Do you want this, or a car that has been made from the very beginning at the engineering table to be "an enthusiasts car"? Why is the Miata a legend despite its lack of power? Bec. it handles like a true sports car. I can't think of any FWD car that is considered "great" in the sports car/sedan world. Unless u're Lisa Kubo running sub 10's in her Civic. Go to the library, or net, open up a book, look up "great sports cars/sedans" and see what you get. Why arent the M5/S4/AMG/CTS-V cars FWD???

I seriously recommend you CAREFULLY take your test drive with the 5.5, before deciding. I like the 5.5, but it can't be compared to RWD for fun. It has tons of torque steer, its handling is average, cheapo rear suspension, and its turning radius sucks. How can you replace the WRX with these attributes? (Unless u prefer heated seats, and extra room over performance). Oh BTW, my '02 does not have a telescopic steering wheel-it was never offered that year, don't know about '03. Great for a flagship car right?

What's good about the 5.5? 6Spd is wicked. 60mph can be attained in 2nd gear. 3rd gear pulls are awesome. The VQ35 is truly a gem of an engine. Maxima's reliability is self-explanatory. Xenon lights, 17's and all of the above mentioned are standard. HLSD is offered. Heated seats are a blast, and my favorite is the heated steering wheel. Nice features, but does nothing for hardcore performance. For a 4-door under $30K car in 2002, this was the choice even though it had FWD. If I did not need the room in the back, and if I did not have a sports car, I would have chosen the WRX. There is no way if I owned 1 car, that it would be FWD. So a compromise was made for the 5.5 knowing that I have a "sports" car. I like the 5.5. It is a good 4-door family car, with good power, and great reliability. When one starts thinking practicality, enthusiasm goes out the door. That's what happend with me, I needed space in the back so I chose the 5.5 6spd.

The WRX is built to perform - period. You are asking 5.5 owners about their cars, and if you should get one. Now go to the WRX forum, and tell them you are thinking of leaving your WRX for a 5.5. Please let us know what they say and why. I hope I have helped (or confused) you! Good luck!

ShysMax
'02 6Spd.
'87 Supra Turbo

 

Sure FWD has its limitations, but you can't discredit it just cause "true sports cars" go with RWD. Acura/ RealTime Racing runs TSXs which are FWD in the same class as BMW E46/E36 series and they have no problem with overcoming their RWD handling "advantage". At the same time there are PLENTY of FWD cars that could hand with Supras, Vettes as those cars really do not handle well. I should really dig up the stats on a Supra to show ya based on slalom and skidpad figures MKIV Supra only runs a tad faster, yet it would get azz raped by a Integra Type R. As a matter a fact a good setup Type R with the right modifications will run head to head if not faster around tight track with All of the above mentioned cars.

 

I don't know why people bash the non IRS of the maxima. It does a great job and it's a pretty good designed non IRS too. I've heard that non IRS corner better then IRS car cause the rear wheels don't toe in as much. Yes the rear end dances around a little over bumps but it doesnt upset the car. If I had my choice I'd chose to have AWD anyday.

 

Thanks for looking out and giving me your input man.

Yes, I am a car enthusiest. A large one at that. I have owned 2 modded 4th gen maxima's, and heavily modded integra GSR, and now a decently modded WRX. I totally understand the limitations of FWD, and I actually hate FWD quite a bit. The problem with the wrx though is that it is a performance car and it ends there. The dash is cheap, there are tons of rattles, heat takes a while to get going, tranny is notchy, clutch is too stiff and inconsistant, in the summer the car gets sluggish due to heat soak on the TMIC, etc....
I have taken my wrx into the city quite a few times and it is just not a good car to have in the city with the crappy trans, turbo lag, tranny whine, and short 1st and 2nd gearing.
The maxima just seems like the best choice at this point. I will def. miss the AWD and the great handling, but I need to think more practically I think. I dont know of any other car that I can get for $14k that has a 6spd tranny, runs mid - lower 14's stock and will hit 13's with bolt on's all the while retaining good torque, reliability, and refined/luxurious.

Also, another problem I noted in my last post is that my wrx warranty is up in about 8 months or 12k miles. I do not trust the transmission on this car, and the last thing I need is for it to blow out when the warranty is up and then have to deal with a $2,000+ bill to foot while going to school at the same time. At least with the Maxima I can get it warrantied to about 100k miles or so and hopefully be able to find one with only 50k on it or so.

We will see what happens. I know the maxima is not a great sports sedan and will not be nearly as fun as my wrx, but what I am giving up in fun, I am gaining in refinement, all around power, and practicality. I still have some more thinking to do, but at this point all signs are pointing towards a maxima right now.


Also: Are there any major problems to look out for with the 5.5gen's? I know sensors tend to go bad, but as far as large issues... like with the wrx and the trannies, is there anything like that I should be worried about?

 

One can take a Yugo, mod it to an extent that it would azz rape your beloved Maxima. So what? Anything can be made to go faster and better. Turboed Maxes on this site run better times than some RWD cars. U compared an Integra to a Supra on the slalom. How about a RWD Miata on the slalom? Which would FEEL better? FWD Integra or RWD Miata? IMHO RWD gives such a balanced rewarding feeling of driving pleasure, that no FWD can match. Its physics. FWD = front wheels steer and provide power. RWD well everyone here knows. And this was my response to DTR in my view. (Which I think he shares, bec. he's not too crazy about FWD either AND he's owned I quote: "a heavily modded Integra GSR").

Once again DTR, good luck in your choice! PS - is your tranny giving you problems bec. u've modded the WRX? I'd hate to hear the trannies are unreliable on stock or lightly modded WRX's...Oh one more thing, some of us 6speeders have had 3rd gear grinding problems. It engages fine, but you hear a nasty grinding sound. Some have rectified the issue by adding red line fluids. I took mine to the dealer, and they overhauled it, saying certain parts needed changing. This was after only 5,000 miles. Now I have 20,000, and no probs. since the repair.

 

DTR- Living in Chicago, youre going to want something practical. Cold mornings, pothole-stricken roads, and all the unwanted vandalism associated with such a hot car like the WRX. This isnt Georiga, where the morning commute consists of twisty roads through the mountains and beautiful warm days. If its going to be a daily driver in our type of setting, youll be much more content with the 5.5 IMO. Hell, stock for stock the cars have nearly even 1/4 times, and straight line power is about all that matters 95% of the time around here.

 

The WRX I test drove only had 9k miles on it and the second and third gear syncros were already way out. The thing was grinding like mad. Of course the previous owner probably drove the **** out of it but still. I don't mean to be knocking the WRX, but...I just don't think it's that fun to drive, power wise anyway. The car didn't impress me at all. I don't think I've ever driven anything with turbo lag that bad.

Handling of course is a whole 'nother thing and the WRX was fun in that department, obviously more so than any Max. BTW, a friend of mine just bought a Subaru Forester XT. Now THAT is a fun car to drive! There's no turbo lag at all and the thing handles like a dream. The Forester would easily beat a WRX in a race, but more importantly has more low end torque that's more important in city driving. If it wasn't so damn ugly I'd be buying one of those instead of a Max.

 

I am kinda with your both on this. Yes, FWD can allow a car to handle quite well if done properly. Such cars as the Integra Type-R, Acura TSX, Nissan SE-R specV, Mini Cooper, etc.. are all perfect examples of some of the most nimble and well handling cars out there, and they are FWD. However, the maxima does not handle nearly as well as the listed cars. I dislike FWD in general because I think the idea of 100% of power being displaced going to the wheels that also steer the car is ridiculous.... But again, after some good engineering, it has been proven to be more than possible.

As for the wrx tranny.... It is not problematic "per-say" but that all depends. If you abuse it with clutch drops its gone. Some people go pretty easy on the car and then one day do a hard 1-2 shift or a hard 2-3 shift and blow the syncho's and gear out. But in the same sense there are guys that track their car at the strip 40 times a year for 4 years straight on the stock tranny and never see issues..... HOWEVER, my problem consists of two things. First, I have clutch shudder and the tranny is pretty notchy and does not want to work to well and lags in the cold... not to mention the heavy clutch. Second, with the tranny having past issues of going out the last thing I want is to have my warranty be up and driving the wrx in the city (where the tranny will see more daily abuse due to driving conditions). Myself, along with many wrx owners pray for their tranny everytime they race or run their car hard. Other than that though, the car is pretty rock solid with reliability.

Yeah, if it was grinding at only 9k miles something was wrong with it. As for being fun to drive, I think the wrx is a blast to drive. It seems the car was made with the solely 100% purpose of being driven hard and fast. As for the turbo lag, yeah, it is really bad in stock form, ESPECIALLY in the summer when the intercooler gets heat soak. But a few mods will change that, but I must admit, I am running just about everything you can run short of upgraded turbo and the lag is still there, and rather prevalent. Luckily they fixed that in the 2006 wrx model with the 2.5L engine. Overall the wrx is just a great car to own and drive, but the day I bought it there were too many things that bugged me about it, and the handling and fun factor has made up for that, but since I am moving to the city I wont be utilizing that as much so I am not sure the car will be worth it at that point.

 

Exactly.

I mean, I will still be in the suburbs (Bartlett, Schaumburg area) every now and again since I will still have friends out here, but a majority of my driving will be city driving or highway driving. Neither of which will allow me to really use the wrx to my advantage. The wrx was made for twisty roads, and open roads where you can play with the powerband. It is just not a good car for stop and go, or city driving in general due to the tempermental clutch/tranny, the rattling of the dash which will only get worse in the city with the road conditions, and the lack of low end power with the turbo lag. I get frustrated with my wrx just driving in the suburbs sometimes, I cannot imagine in the city. The 5.5gen's refinement, low end power, and easy to operate 6spd tranny seem like it would be all around better for my situation.

I drove around a 5.5gen auto today for about an hour or so and have driven this one many times before and...... I was actually somewhat impressed with the suspension. It was a GLE (my moms) which is the worst suspension available for spirited driving. When cruising it sucked because it just did not feel stable at all. However, it did take turns better than a thought it would and hugged the road decently. I assume with the SE (stiffer suspension) it would be much better... Or even with a suspension strut/spring combo it would actually be pretty good even. Of course low end power and overall power was pretty nice. The stock 5.5gen auto feel stonger uptop then my wrx did when it was stock. The biggest problem was again, TRACTION! I would punch it at 20mph and have to grip the wheels with both hands to keep the torque steer under control and it would spin for a good couple of seconds. From a stop, if you more than half throttle, FORGET ABOUT IT.. you are spinning until you let off of the gas. I didn't like this... I guess the AWD of my wrx spoils me. And this was with a stock auto. I cannot imagine what it would be like with a 6spd and bolt on mods with me pushing about 230whp (nearly 45whp more than what the car I drove today had)

I cannot see that being good at all.

Lastly, the turning radius. I had to stop and get out of the car and look it over more than once to assure myself I was not driving a Cruise boat.

 

ahhh yes...the turning radius will def kill you in tight places in the city...

the 5.5 gen max turning radius absolutely sux...i think it's worse than some trucks/SUVs

 

My 6-speed with HLSD isn't bad...better than my parent's past 2002 auto SE w/o traction control. The GLE has traction control right?? or did yuo turn it off?

 

I agree. It really helps out a lot. My auto had bad tq steer and it's better in my 6sp w/HLSD. It's felt most while powering through corners where the car feels more stable and you can really put down the hammer down.

 

No, the auto I drove did not have T/C. I know the HLSD 6spd would probably be much better, but I am afraid finding one with HLSD in price range with the options/miles I want is nearly impossible.

 

Glad you think so too. I def. feel the HLSD around corners like you said...reminds me of driving my friends prelude SH with the ATTS system (similar to lsd but electronic). you'll def. like it in the snow....no more one wheeled wonder getting stuck. good luck with your search! be patient..one will show up.

Boondoxmax do you have pics of your ride? Always interested in another Polished Titanium max.

 

when looking for a HLSD maxima the easiest way to tell is by the plate on the firewall right? It should read the engine code, VQ35de and the have an H for "HLSD" correct?

 

Living in downtown Chicago, I hardly drive my car to get around in the city. Traffic, people coming out of nowhere, parking, all these make me very uncomfortable to drive. I just walk or take cta bus/train.

So, if I were you I would not sell perfectly fine/fun car. It doesn't make sense financially, either. Do not sell your car. Your car will get very little use in downtown. Just my opinion.

 

Well while I do expect to be driving too much, since I will be living near campus, I still have many friends that go to other schools in Chicago, and many friends will still be out in the suburbs, as well as a job I will be working once a week. So I will def. still be going into the suburbs at least 2 times a week... More if my g/f does not go to school in the city. I can assure I will be driving a decent amount, the question is whether or not the maxima will be that much better for daily city driving and better enough to warrant a selling of my wrx.

I would love to just get a cheap 99' civic or something that way I wont care if it gets dented and such, and it will get like 40mpg... However, I just cannot bring myself to drive such a slow car... regardless of how practical it is.

 

Dare I say check out a 02-03 Spec V SE-R ? Its not too slow, has TONS of TQ and handles VERY good in stock form. Maxima will get **** poor MPG in the city, VQ35 is not know to get stellar MPGs. Unless you deff need something larger, I would look at getting a Spec V, maybe a 99 G20t 5spd even- its fun to drive, gets decent gas mileage, reliable, looks good, and handles just as good as a Spec V, plus if you ever feel the urge to mod it up a bit- ya know you could as turbo kits are really cheap to come by for the SRs.

EDIT- eassies way to tell if the car has HLSD is - PEDALS, non LSD ones have normal rubber pedal covers. HLSD has brushed aluminum pedals. Ofcourse you can also check the VIN tag under the hood to see if the tranny is LSD or not, but the pedals are a quick n eassy way to tell.

 

I have driven a Sentra SE-R a few times and while the handling is rather good on the car there are many things I do not like about it:

Not as fast I would like being a low 15sec car, the interior constantly reminds you that you are driving a slightly upgraded sentra and is pretty cheap, the look of the car is pretty bland and does not look nearly as good a 5.5gen with wheels and drop, the tranny is rather notchy.
The car is stil pretty good offering nice torque, decent gas mileage and great handling for the price... However, I feel if I were going to go for another factory upgraded econo-car I mine as well stick with the wrx... To me, the sentra does not offer enough to warrant getting rid of the wrx. My wrx is much faster, handles better, has AWD for winter, and better interior layout.

I do not really need the room of the maxima, although I like the power it boasts, the modability it boasts (high 13's @ 100mph with bolt on's and nearly 230awhp if not more with fuel control) and the refinement and easy to operate tranny.
If I am getting rid of my beloved wrx I need a car that can make good power, be quick, and do the whole refined and semi-luxury thing at the same time with a manual tranny.... I cannot find many cars, if any that offer that for the Maxima's price. It going to take a combo of both power and refinement for me to get rid of my wrx when I move to the city.

Thanks for the tip though

 

Stock for stock a supra would *** rape a type R. Sorry man but you dont have a clue what you're talking about on this subject. 93-98 Supra's consistently ran 67 to 70mph slalom speeds and pulled .92 to .98 g's on the skidpad. The C5 vette will pull similar numbers. C5 Z06's will pull in excess of 1.0G on the skidpad and run deep into the 12's.
You wanna start talking about mods then talk about modding the vettes and supra's as well. A modded vette and/or supra can pull well over 1.3 g's on the skidpad. That is TRUE race car territory.
I've got 300 car magazines in my office so if you want me to pull handling numbers I can.


On the gas mileage subject a few folks said you'd never get the sticker. On all my cars I've gotten BETTER than sticker. My TA was rated for 17 and 25. Before my last few mods I consistently got 19 to 21 in the city and got 30ish on the hwy. I still get 28+ on the hwy at 80 to 85mph. On my mazda 626 I got 23 or 24 city it was rated at 21. Hwy on that car was 26 which is about what I got.

 

The Supra does post a better skidpad (as expected by a rwd car with such large tires in back) compared to the Type-R... however the slalom speeds are not that much different. Both are great handling cars... When playing the numbers game with slalom and skidpad the Supra is *slightly* better, but having driven both, the Type-R is an all around better handling car. The supra plants itself well and can handle on a road course, but the Type-R is more nimble and feels better handling wise to drive, especially in the twisties.

 

Do you know that there is more to a car than what it can do in a 1/4 mile, dyno (hello dyno queen Supras !) or top speed ? Type R is not a car that will be wining any speed or HP wars. But put a stock Type R on stock sticky Potenzas on a small technical road course and I guarantee that Type R will have no problems showing off the Supra or a normal C5 Vette. I never compared a Z06 to a Integra, but if you wish try Z06 vs a NSX on a race track and lets see what it can do. I used to read alot of magazines when I was a growing up teenager and I don't buy or read any anymore cause there are WAY too many variables that need to be taken into account when they test vehicles. None of them ever post anything bout tire pressures, tire conditions, weather conditions for their testing. I do not have any magazines out here to dig out any numbers out of, but after searching the web for anything that would have numbers on that car I found a 2000 Type R to run .92g skidpad stock and run slalom at 68.2MPH from a May 2000 issue of Motor Trend.

Here is a link to a small article by edmunds.com
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpconta...rticleId=44340

 

Sigh, that reaffirms the fact that the high altitude here in Colorado kills performance. An automatic Maxima will spin the tires here but not for very long, and it can't spin them at all once the car is underway. The only time I got the tires to spin like you state above is in the rain. This may very well explain why I didn't notice any torque steer.

I read somewhere that for every 1,000 feet increase in elevation you lose 3% hp. If this is true then a 255hp Maxima in my town only has 209hp after the altitude/hp loss. Man I'd love to drive one of these at sea level!

 

 

I love it! I didn't even mention top speed or dynos and you act like I did.

Fact is the Supra is better on a road course than a Type R. The Type R would be better on an autox course because its light as hell and VERY VERY nimble. I've driven Supra's, Vette's, F Bodies, Type R's (well one type R), Si's etc on the autoX. Its really hard to top a type R on the auto X. BUT on a full race course the Supra will dominate a type R. Not only is it faster on the straights (as you'd expect) but its fast through the corners. The supra is one of hte most fun cars I've ever driven especially at the limit. It can be touch on tight hairpin exits with the turbo's spooling boost but its very rewarding when you get it right.