Just ordered my 6-speed
11-23-2001, 06:02 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 350
Just ordered my 6-speed
Hey All,
First time poster, long time reader.
Just wanted to announce that I placed an order last night for a Majestic Blue Maxima SE, 6 speed, with black leather interior! I'm so stoked. I think I slept like 3 hours last night because I couldn't stop thinking about it.
I was finally able to test drive one last night and that cinched it for me.
I currenly own a 2k black on black five speed (which I will be keeping; it becomes the wife's car) and I have some observations on the differences between the 2k and the 2k2.
Power
My main reason for getting the 2k2. Power increase is very noticeable, especially in first, second and third. Even with 3 people in the car, the 6-speed was without a doubt faster than the five speed. 3.5L engine seems more torquey and less peaky than the 3.0L.
While the car did not have HLSD, it did have VLSD (Canadian car) and I didn't notice any differences in torque steer relative to my 5 sp. I've only owned FWD cars so maybe I'm used to torque steer, but it didn't seem like a big deal to me.
Side note: Engine note was noticeable different, more v8 and less high strung v6. It didn't sound like a mustang or anything but it sounded nicer.
Shifter/Clutch
My biggest concern, after reading the first magazine articles, was the feel of the shifter. After driving the 6-speed yesterday, I really don't know what everybody was complaining about. The shifter felt fine, and finding gears was not a problem. If you've driven the 5 spd, the 6 spd should come naturally. If anything, I found it less notchy than the 5 speed.
The only real problem I had was from my having driven only 5 speed cars for the last 4 years. At one part during the test drive, we were merrily motoring along at 100 km/h in 5th when it suddenly occured to me I had another gear to go. I'd been tooling along in 5th for the last 5 minutes.
The other thing that screwed me up was when I went to down shift from 6th to take a curve. I grabbed the shifter and for a split second in my mind I thought: "WTF! I'm in fourth. I shouldn't go to 3rd at this speed". I then realized that I was actually in 6th and upshifted to 5th and took the curve.
The one big thing I did notice was the clutch. The feel/operation of the clutch is 100% better than in the 5 spd. Engagement is much more gradual and the clutch is easier to modulate. My biggest complaint about my 5 spd is that the clutch is tricky, especially starting from a stop in 1st. I've owned a Protege and a Contour V6 and I never stalled either of those cars, but I've stalled my 5 spd enough times that its embarrassing. After a year and a half I think I finally got the hang of it, but I frequently find myself either slipping the clutch too much or getting a jerky start.
Interior
More or less that same as my 5 spd. There's a new LCD screen for the trip computer. Bose stereo looks a bit different. Door handles are no longer color matched to interior, they are now a sort of brushed titanium look. Pretty snazzy.
Seats look and feel different from my 5 spd. 5 sp has flat (smooth) leather seats, the 6 speed had more of the bunched leather look. Still as comfortable. There are some extra buttons on the driver's side door for the seat position memory.
Sunroof now has intermediate 1 touch positions; 1/4 open, 1/2 open 3/4 open and full.
The lid for the bin next to the hand brake (where the cup holders are) now has a little push-release action which is quite slick. You push down and and swings open on its own, very M-B.
Steering wheel is new. I think its the same one as in the I35. The cruise control buttons are all different and on the left side of the wheel are now a bunch of new buttons for the trip computer.
Auto dimming mirror is cool and seems to work well. I didn't find other people's lights distracting.
headlights
I dunno, might just be a psychological thing but I think the Xenons are way better. Low beam only. DRL are just the regular halogen. Truth be told, I think I just want the Xenons for the "impress other people" factor.
That's about it. Overall, I think its a heck of a bargain. On a side note, I definitely need new tires on my 5 spd after a year and a half of driving. I did a hard 1-2 shift in the six speed, close to redline, and the tires did make a sound.
When I do hard 1-2 shift in my 5 spd I always get squawks now (not chirps). The tread on the Potenza's looks fine but I guess they went all hard. Drove them throught the winter last year.
TTYL
Eric
First time poster, long time reader.
Just wanted to announce that I placed an order last night for a Majestic Blue Maxima SE, 6 speed, with black leather interior! I'm so stoked. I think I slept like 3 hours last night because I couldn't stop thinking about it.
I was finally able to test drive one last night and that cinched it for me.
I currenly own a 2k black on black five speed (which I will be keeping; it becomes the wife's car) and I have some observations on the differences between the 2k and the 2k2.
Power
My main reason for getting the 2k2. Power increase is very noticeable, especially in first, second and third. Even with 3 people in the car, the 6-speed was without a doubt faster than the five speed. 3.5L engine seems more torquey and less peaky than the 3.0L.
While the car did not have HLSD, it did have VLSD (Canadian car) and I didn't notice any differences in torque steer relative to my 5 sp. I've only owned FWD cars so maybe I'm used to torque steer, but it didn't seem like a big deal to me.
Side note: Engine note was noticeable different, more v8 and less high strung v6. It didn't sound like a mustang or anything but it sounded nicer.
Shifter/Clutch
My biggest concern, after reading the first magazine articles, was the feel of the shifter. After driving the 6-speed yesterday, I really don't know what everybody was complaining about. The shifter felt fine, and finding gears was not a problem. If you've driven the 5 spd, the 6 spd should come naturally. If anything, I found it less notchy than the 5 speed.
The only real problem I had was from my having driven only 5 speed cars for the last 4 years. At one part during the test drive, we were merrily motoring along at 100 km/h in 5th when it suddenly occured to me I had another gear to go. I'd been tooling along in 5th for the last 5 minutes.
The other thing that screwed me up was when I went to down shift from 6th to take a curve. I grabbed the shifter and for a split second in my mind I thought: "WTF! I'm in fourth. I shouldn't go to 3rd at this speed". I then realized that I was actually in 6th and upshifted to 5th and took the curve.
The one big thing I did notice was the clutch. The feel/operation of the clutch is 100% better than in the 5 spd. Engagement is much more gradual and the clutch is easier to modulate. My biggest complaint about my 5 spd is that the clutch is tricky, especially starting from a stop in 1st. I've owned a Protege and a Contour V6 and I never stalled either of those cars, but I've stalled my 5 spd enough times that its embarrassing. After a year and a half I think I finally got the hang of it, but I frequently find myself either slipping the clutch too much or getting a jerky start.
Interior
More or less that same as my 5 spd. There's a new LCD screen for the trip computer. Bose stereo looks a bit different. Door handles are no longer color matched to interior, they are now a sort of brushed titanium look. Pretty snazzy.
Seats look and feel different from my 5 spd. 5 sp has flat (smooth) leather seats, the 6 speed had more of the bunched leather look. Still as comfortable. There are some extra buttons on the driver's side door for the seat position memory.
Sunroof now has intermediate 1 touch positions; 1/4 open, 1/2 open 3/4 open and full.
The lid for the bin next to the hand brake (where the cup holders are) now has a little push-release action which is quite slick. You push down and and swings open on its own, very M-B.
Steering wheel is new. I think its the same one as in the I35. The cruise control buttons are all different and on the left side of the wheel are now a bunch of new buttons for the trip computer.
Auto dimming mirror is cool and seems to work well. I didn't find other people's lights distracting.
headlights
I dunno, might just be a psychological thing but I think the Xenons are way better. Low beam only. DRL are just the regular halogen. Truth be told, I think I just want the Xenons for the "impress other people" factor.
That's about it. Overall, I think its a heck of a bargain. On a side note, I definitely need new tires on my 5 spd after a year and a half of driving. I did a hard 1-2 shift in the six speed, close to redline, and the tires did make a sound.
When I do hard 1-2 shift in my 5 spd I always get squawks now (not chirps). The tread on the Potenza's looks fine but I guess they went all hard. Drove them throught the winter last year.
TTYL
Eric
11-23-2001, 07:02 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 145
The only thing I need to get use to is the damn clutch. It is so loose and smooth you can't feel when it engages. Of course I never driven a standard before. I feel like a **** stalling in the car. I gotta learn though I guess. It does get frustrating.
11-23-2001, 10:44 AM
#3
Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 58
Congrats dude! Just ordered mine Wednesday night. Sounds a little like yours:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....threadid=80044
I agree 100% with your comments on the 6-speed transmission... I liked it very much and thought that it was way better than the 5-speed in the 3.5SE Altima that I drove it against!
Enjoy your new Maxima Eric!!!
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....threadid=80044
I agree 100% with your comments on the 6-speed transmission... I liked it very much and thought that it was way better than the 5-speed in the 3.5SE Altima that I drove it against!
Enjoy your new Maxima Eric!!!
11-23-2001, 02:42 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 491
Yeah you will enjoy the car very much. I have had mine since Monday and has about 400 or so km on it. Most of the time I keep it under 3500 but couple times I did go 5,000 rpm bad bad.
I do notice a bit of a growl when you step on it.
I do notice a bit of a growl when you step on it.
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