In the new issue of Car & Driver (March 2003), they test the 2004 Maxima 3.5SE 6-Spd. They loved the car and even commented on the styling being nicely done. The '04 was a tad slower than the '02 they tested, but they believe it's because of the drive-by-wire that had a mind of it's own in their test car. It did 0-60 in 6.4 and the 1/4 Mile in 15.0.

The Highs for the Max were: Great Engine, distinctive styling, interesting interior.

The Lows: Wheel fight, firm ride

The Verdict: With less torque steer, it could have been a contender.

They also say in there final paragraph, "with more power, more style, more colors, and more variation, Nissan clearly hopes the Maxima will not only pick up where its worthy predecessor left off but also bring more believers into the fold. Without the torque steer, it would have been a pushover."

There model had the navi, sky roof, and a list of other options. They estimate the price $30,000.

If the drive-by-wire wasn't screwy the new Max probably could have seen 5 second 0-60 times.

 

seems that the dirve by wire system has it's flaws, even in the 2k2-2k3 maxima's I've heard some complaints. 350z also has drive by wire...

 

Yes the 350 does and it has its quirks as well! I wonder if they tested that same burnt Orange one that all of the pubs tested with. The times the one Motor trend tested(6.3 sec to 60) was "sort" of broken in it had 1944 miles looking at the odometer, so I dont expect the Mag times for it to get too much better than 6.3 or so until they do a long term test. I wonder if that 02 that C/D got 6.0 with was broken in.

 

Whats funny is all of the pubs are giving props to 5th gen, C/D,M/T and autoweek so did the R/T 2003 car buying guide. They all know its a great car even with gen 6 on approach!

 

Yes Car & Driver had that burnt Orange color. We'll have to wait and see. I'm expecting it to come up in a sedan shootout sometime in the future.

 

What does drive by wire have to do w/ anything in a car w/ a manual tranny? M3/M5 both have dbw and perform just fine... the difference comes in to play moreso in the auto format, in my experience, where the car mismanages shiftpoint, off the line throttle response, tip in .. etc

 

Guys, I am sorry, but if you read that review by Car and Driver carefully, you may realize that they didn't like the car that much. At least, that's what I sense (they have to be polite, you know ...).

It seems to me that the Maxima is no longer on their list of favorite cars. (It used to be, until four or five years ago.) My guess is that the main reason is the torque steer, but I also feel that they weren't that crazy about the interior either. BTW, before buying my 2k SE, I actually wrote to them asking why they are cooling off on the Maxima, but never got a response from them.
Also, I was surprised they did not comment on the independent rear suspension.

At any rate, I am happy with my 2k SE and plan to keep it for a long time. I hope it will last as long as my Accord did - 250,000 miles and my son is still driving it !

 

I don't know how you came to your conclusion. They liked pretty much everything about the new Maxima except for it's terrible torque steer. Yes the Maxima hasn't been on Car & Driver's favorite list since the 3rd Gen, but I never really saw them diss it at all except for the torque steer it produces. They mention it would be a pushover if it didn't have such bad torque steer. Sounds to me they liked it.

 

Well, I think we actually agree quite a bit. The statement "With less torque steer, it could have been a contender" is a bit disappointing to me. And, to repeat myself, I am very happy with my 2k SE ....

 

1995 Maxima was in their top ten cars list... That was the last Maxima in that list

 

I agree, instead of Nissan using resources on that stupid skyview roof (no offense to those who like it), and on a 4-speed auto on the SL, they should've used thier resources more wisely on the following...

- Eliminiating or significantly reducing the amount of torque steer on FWD
- Going to a RWD platform, and/or adding an AWD system
- Keeping the 5-speed auto. on both SL & SE
- Improving the quality of interior materials
- Ditching the orange/"**** yellow" illumination on the dash for a nicer white or bluish-green lighting and adding illumination for the steering-wheel controls
- Keeping the white-faced SE gauges we all love so much

Otherwise Nissan looks like they've done well on the '04 Max

 

I am so P!SSED cars are going Drive by Wire.

 

Ditto. The car is tight and they loved it....if it wasn't for that torque steer.

 

Anyone notice that the overall test was pretty low key? I just glanced at it in the convenience store and it was only about 2 pages long. Normally, the Max would be on the front page, especially seeing it's a completely new design. There didn't seem to be any hype if I may say so.

What gives?

 

I got the impression that they didn't like it. They started out talking about the maxima has a strong enthusiastic following and some owners have had 3-4 maximas. They said that Nissan planned on this Maxima being very appealing to the enthusiasts following

However they went on to talk about questionable optional equipment, obvious budget cuts, lower perfromance times when compared to last year, and bad torque steer (another sign of budget cuts because it should be a rearwheel application as they put it.)

They did give praise for the styling though, but over all it got a very small piece in the magazine when compared to the Evo.

 

I'm sorry but the new Maxima just doesn't do it for me. The 5th gens grew on me, but this.... Its just not right.

All I can think of is Velveeta Cheese when I see it....

Its just sad to see such a great car turn into something I can barely look at. I'm NO honda fan at all, but the styling on the new Accord is ALOT nicer than this.

I did like the part I read in C&D where they stated that Nissan is offering optional bucket seats in the back, and a console in the rear. Other than that and the motor, ewww.

I'll keep my 4th gen thanks

 

it says the curb weight for the car tested was 3500 pounds

 

I read what Maxiiboy and Street Reaper read. Basically it was okay but not outstanding. They were polite. They are ****ED about the rampant tourque steer. They said it ruins the Altima (why it finished 5th in their comparo) and they did not fix it here either.

The EVO VIII is getting all the attention now.

 

Wouldnt the limited slip diff. fix the torque steer?

 

This may need to be in a new thread but this is coming out of the car and driver article.

The writer talks about the maximas loyal following and enthusiast population. They said that nissan developed the new maxima to give it a sportier look to specifically target the enthusiast following. The writer said that the styling was a welcomed relief from the look of the soap carved 5th gen.

Personally I never understood all the ridicule the Maxima has gotten since the 3rd gen. A lot of people like the 3rd gen but went off on the 4th gen when it came out for it's styling and rear end. I thought the 4th gen was a nice progression and kept a lot of what the maxima look was. The 5th gen had complaints about the rear end but I thought it looked good and was unique. The 5th gen also kept the basics of the original maxima design.

I personally love the body moldings and aggresive lines of the 2K2's but I really do not like the bubbled 6th gen.

My question is did nissans styling appeal to those of you who are enthusiasts, or do you think they are just capatilizing on the look of the altima.

 

thats why they call us enthusiasts...cuz its the nice way of saying the "whackos that love that embrace ugly styling"

 

Call me wacky but I hated the first day I saw it and I am as much of an enthusiast as the next person here. The 6th Gen is like a fall from grace. It is a bloated Altima, and the only thing that appeals to me is its engine.

 

By the way the 2k4 Maxima was reviewed by MotorTrend(March 2003) in a comparison to the(2002)A4 3.0 Quattro as well.

 

Do you have the issue? What where the comments?

If this max was built for the enthusiasts like Car and Driver said they would have changed the drivetrain, rather than making it look like the car that was well recieved from the general public, the altima. They should have made a smoother design of the third gen, and changed the drivetrain, rather than put in a skyview , that max would be awesome even if it did cost a little more because of R&D. (I say third gen because that is what caught enthusiasts attention, I personally would like to see a smoother, more aggressive version of a 97-99.)

 

i agree about the drivttain and the Skyview, I dont think that the Skyview will be adopted by other mfg's in the near future. Some people want a solid roof while other want a sunroof etc. that is just a fact.

 

thats what i always thought yet theres people here who have bought them. its not a big deal just personal preference and not to mention the fact that my car is a year old (dont no why people trade new cars just for an even newer one)

 

Motor Trend picked the Audi over the Max because of. . . surprise--torque steer! Even though the Max was bigger, faster, cheaper, and had more options, they picked the A4. If you ask me, the best Audi to compare the Max with is the A6 2.7T, NOT the A4.

Nissan should have eliminated the I35 and they should have based the new Maxima on the G35, with a rear drive platform. Nissan says they stuck with front drive because they expected most of their customers to be existing Maxima owners who actually prefer the front drive.

Not me--the front drive is the biggest thing I (and most of us) DON'T like about this car. And it's the front drive that causes the torque steer, which cannot be corrected with a limited-slip differential. Since the half shafts are unequal lengths, they will always pull unevenly under hard acceleration. The only way to get rid of torque steer is to get rid of torque.

 

Yes I am a post ***** but nice sig, I have been a big fan of the VMAX since it came out (1985?) and a 3.5 black 6-speed is the best max to have, very nice!!!

 

Yeah-the V-MAX was first sold in 1985, and it has only had minor changes since then. 2003 was the last year until a 2005 complete redesign. 105 whp, 0-60 3.0 seconds, 1/4 mile 10.9 seconds. It's a lot of fun.

 

You beat me to the punch... Thanks for your great answer

 

Excellent post. needless to say, after my lease is done, no more Max for me.

 

Im just hear to point something out to all of you. Because most of you are so eager to trash the 6th Gen... i guess you lost your ability to read, and if you paid attention... you all would have noticed that the max that they tested as well as the max that Car & Driver tested were pre-production 6th gens. Meaning that the tourqe steer that was present may not be present in the post-production models... i do remember reading a post of someone that recently purchased a 2k4 and they mentioned that the tourqe steer was very minimal.... just my .02 cents

 

could be true but i dont see how they would correct since the Altima has much torque steer and they use the same platform which is the FF-L

 

Thought I'd include the three responses in one post (it's still probably post-whoring...)

5 sec. 0-60? We're thinking Nissan dropped in the Viper engine...?

Wouldn't the only diff. between auto and stick be that you can choose your shift point (and clutch engagement)? So the DBW still controls how fast the throttle opens, and the computer overall is still controlling timing, valve lift, etc. - so if something is whacked in an auto (outside of shifting), same problem will exist in the 6 spd.

A guy I know at work has a V-MAX. After he bought it, he turbo'd it, and swapped out all of the panels etc. for carbon fibre. The big scoops actually work now, on actuators that open when he punches it. Can't remember the exact HP he gets now, but it was obscene - he muttered something about spinning the tire in the first three gears...

 

Forgive me but... What is Drive by Wire?

 

A good description here: Drive By Wire

 

Oh my....

"electronically controlled and operated?... complete electronic control, doing away with throttle cables and mechanical backup systems?... A warning on the dash tells the driver to have the vehicle repaired if a problem did develop?... The gas pedal is still used, but all it moves is an electrical sensor. Springs provide the force that make a driver think the pedal is still connected to the engine?..."

I wonder what a mechanic's bill looks like?

 

More options? Sorry, but the A4 has plenty more. Go to the Audiusa.com website and you'll see (do a comparison between two Audi models and you'll see every single option listed). Faster? Well, you have to compare apples to apples here. The new A4 3.0 quattro will give the Maxima a run for its money, engine wise. I just test drove one and I like it even more than the G35 despite the reduced cabin room. The A6 is in a very different pricing bracket and class which makes it hard for a fair comparison.

 

FYI

'more options' = The 2004 Maxima is much cheaper loaded.

An A4 is a great car if you are 5'6".

 

I had a big problem with the A4 when it came to size. I have never driven one, just rode shotgun in a friends.