i just noticed that gle have 17" rims as the se but different design. are the gle rims not as wide as the se? because i was looking online and saw that the gle comes with 215/55HR/17 tires and the se have 225/50VR/17 tires. i'm now thinking of maybe getting a set of gle rims so the ride might be softer haha or is it ok to put some 225/55/17 tires on the se rims?

 

the widths are the same...

 

some gle's use 16s also, but not on the 5.5s

 

I really dont think that the difference between a 50 and a 55 tire will make your ride that much softer. How about GLE springs? They will ride softer than the SE springs.

 

that would be crazy to replace se with gle springs, considering se are not harsh at all, ive never been in a 5th gen gle but cant imagine its too much of a diff.

 

i have 2k gle and with 16's the ride is sooo much softer and faster/more nimble than when i have my 245/45/18's on. but 16's are just not big enough for me. changes the whole look of the car for the worst.....i'll deal with a bit of a harsh ride vs doughnut stockers lol

 

I have a set of 2k f/r GXE springs that I'll trade for your SE springs. These ride Real Soft!!!

 

Why not just see if anyone has a set of GLE take-offs they want to sell or trade? Going from 225/50/17 to 215/55/17 probably will make very little difference, depending on what tires you choose. I think the biggest difference comes from the tire construction. The stock Potenzas on the SE have really stiff sidewalls to prevent flexing and give you quicker cornering feel. Going to a slightly taller Potenza probably won't make much difference. However, I have Falkens that are noticeably softer, especially in corners and harsh bumps. If I run mine a pound or two under-inflated, they're down right cushy. You might want to check out the tire forums or reviews to see which tires ride softer. You might want to try that before you try different size tires, springs, etc. If you do decide to try a different tire size, keep in mind that a big change in the outer circumference will affect your speedometer reading.

 

If you put a 225/55 tire on it it will look like a tractor even more but i guess if your just going with comfort it really wont do much just give a a bigger *** stance like a jeep. If you put those on you could probably go off roading with the max then.lol

 

thanks for the input folks...i changed the stock tires last year to some cheap tires that's the same size but a lot smoother already. they're remington tires and it was like under $400 for all four hah. i did notice that after changing the tires there was a bit more body roll in cornerings =/ but it was smoother so it's cool haha

 

quite correct. they all feel equally jumpy and stiff with plenty of bodyroll.

 

I'm still a little confused why you bought a Maxima SE in the first place if your looking for such a smooth "cadillac" like ride????

 

i didn't really do much research when i bought the car...after i wrecked my accord i was looking for a car quickly and some of my friends recommended me to get the maxima i did test drive the car at the dealership around the block but i didn't really paid attention to the ride quality because i was in love with the torque and power of this car haha...plus i didn't know a family car can be this stiff haha the car handles quite well in stock form compared to my accord tho =/

i just noticed today that my car felt smoother for some reason...does it have to do with the weather getting warmer? lol