ArcticMax

This is just my opinion, so no flames please.

1)Exterior design: I don't like it at all. The proportions are not right. The *** is too big. The rear half of the car, and the way the roof line is shaped, it's just not very porportionally pretty. It looks like a station wagon with a sloping roof. The rear windshield is so small, and consequently visibility suffers.

2)Interior: I dont' know why everyone is celebrating over the interior. What's the big deal? I climbed into a fully loaded frost leather SE, only to be shocked by the materials they used. It is the SAME Cheap dimpled plastic they use in the Altima!!! you know what I'm saying? the cheap altima dash material that looks like the surface of a golf ball. Also, almost all cars nowdays, including the 00 through 03 Maximas, use two tone interior color theme, unless you get the badass all black interior.

The frost on the 5th gens. look real nice because it has dark grey, AND light grey. But the 04 only has one tone grey interior, which only makes the situation worse.

The center audio and climate control deck is awesome! but the rest of the interior material is not worthy of a car that costs way over $30k.

The dash has a weird space ship design. The dash is "round", and it continues into the doors. I don't like it at all. The exterior has a "lines" theme, and the interior has the "round" theme.. Two thumbs down. And the little tiny lip spoiler is just silly. They should bring the spoilers back. I mean, this is a Maxima after all. I think an edgy spoiler, like the ones on the previous generation Camry's and Accord Coupes would look nice on the 04 Maxima.

Don't get me wrong, the car is nice. But there is no way in hell i'm paying anything close to 30k for that. There are so many good cars once your budget goes over 30k.

I was thinking of trading my 2k in for the 04, but after looking at it in person,,.. definitely not.


I think I'd rather get a fully loaded Accord V6 WITH navigation and voice control and save myself a lot of money.

joaquink

Haha, I just helped out with the development of the next generation of that voice recognition. The guys working on it directly were in from NY and needed someone to read numbers and words while going down I-10 at 75MPH with the windows down. I was happy oblige for an hour and in return I got a free lunch and some cool insights into how it works.

Anyhow, thanks for the opinions on styling, now what did you think of how ride and handling?

SteVTEC

This means that you...

1) Don't want any sort of torque.
2) Want a frail automatic transmission.
3) Not even a manumatic shifter.

JAKE02

I have to agree on the cheap dash, i too noticed the same type of material used in the Altima, i mean why not use the dash material like the 5th gens the kind that looks like leather....i will have to go look at a 6th gen again before i make up my mind but im kinda leery about the corners cut in this 6th gen

sammax89

:On Saturday, my wife and I passed the Nissan dealer on the way to Publix. I saw a 2004 and wanted to show her since she realizes that I may have to buy a new car to replace my Maxima if something catastrophic were to happen (it won't take much as far as cost, it's an '89).

The saleswoman who tried (and failed) to sell us our new Pathfinder, saw us and greeted us. This is my second time seeing it (the 2004) in person and turned out to be my first time driving it.

I have been RIPPED in the past for criticizing the 2004, like I'm some kind of traitor. We are past owners of MANY Nissans and certainly don't deserve any crap about not being loyal. I'm loyal when a company treats me right and their product EXCEEDS my expectations. If not... I'm willing to look elsewhere. Up to this point Nissan has hit the sweet spot of EXCEEDING our expectations in performance and quality. But ultimately what goes up, must come down.

The 2004's road manners, ride and handling are terrific. The 3.5L is as usual - wonderful. The 2004 looks, feels and drives larger over the 2003 (to me, not a good thing), and some details (skyview being one of them) are interesting ideas.

But I would be willing to give up the skyview, cornering lights, telescope wheel, and other such non-essentials, and apply their development and material costs to better quality, classier surroundings, and more distinct styling.

The inside is still unimpressive. Cloth on dash panel had a ripple, the steering column shroud was warped and had a HUGE seam on the right side. The leather was less than $34K quality. The overhead console looked very tacked on. Each air vent had a differing install quality... one side flush, the other stuck up or was uneven. Material quality and textures while acceptable, are NOT up to Nissan's past ability of meeting or exceeding the best from Japan and Europe. It appeared as if Nissan's goal was to tack on each item in the interior (handles, *****, buttons, vents, etc), without much effort in making the pieces harmonious with the surroundings. Flat out... I expect better.

I dunno... I guess I haveta come to the realization that Nissan may be morphing into more of what the domestics offer - more room and geewhiz items, and less of what Nissan used to be known for - namely great materials and assembly quality. What I see happening is the bastardization of Nissan by Renault, and the reality that Nissans are cheapened to the point of diminishing it's brand equity. Beancounters are NOTORIOUS for killing a company's "specialness" or reputation by only seeing the short term gains and refusing to acknowledge the long term damage.

Come on Nissan... give those Renault designers and beancounters the boot when they say "Cut back quality!" and "French Industrial Design is the wave of the future in style!". The hard part is done... you're solvent again. Now go back to EXCEEDING the customer's expectations and be consistent. If Honda and Toyota can do it and gain market share and make tons of cash, so can you.

I just cannot see how Nissan's current path will lead to significant Toyota/Honda conquest sales or better resale values. Nissan is always able to get a temporary bounce from a new model, only to squander the opportunity by offering the customer or media outlets a way to discover the new model just doesn't quite measure up to the competition in some way. In the past it was sloppy handling or uninspired styling. Now it is quality... Big Time!


Does anyone REALLY believe Nissan's newest models are the very best built, highest quality cars and trucks now? Good isn't good enough.

JAKE02

Very well thought out thread/response. You made some very interesting points, again i have to agree the interior of the new Nissans just dont quite measure up......

02MaximaSE

The center radio/climate control is what made me like the interior. Exterior has to grow on some people, personally It doenst do anything for me, I love the 5th gen's interior. Artic is right about the 30k+ tag, For well over 30K i'll look at some G35 coupes or Z's.

jnp1

Got my 04 Max last night, I have the Red SL with the sky roof, great so far, I did a little highway driving and blew past cars, and it smoked of the line at a red light. Interior is great, but two minor gripes: 1) the sound system is not that great, I think I may invest in some very high quality speakers to accommodate for the rap music I play, and the LCD screen is not the good looking in the orange, I wish it was blue, like the Lexus RX with white letters but not that big a deal, if something come out after market to change the color I may consider it. Paid 30,400 for it and traded in my 00 Max, I still have not seen anyone driving it on the streets yet, except me, here in Philly, and that good because I am getting so many looks of people saying wow, and it feels good to ride past people in the 4th and 5th gen. max. I love this car!

2004BlackMax

I just got a Black SE Elite Package myself and love it as well. Its faster and handles better than the 01 that I traded in. I paid sticker, 35K, and I know that I could have done much better if I waited a few months. Still, Im the only one in town with one and enjoying every minute of it.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

I have to agree as well anyone who says that the 2004 materials are equal to 3rd-5th gens I dunno. The way that the arm rest are on the door are horrible its an added on piece instead of a flowing into the design like the 3rd-5th gens. I also donot like that suede type material on the doors even when you get leather unlike the 4th-5th gen. Toyota/Honda/acura all hav the leatherette on the doors when you get leather. It uses the same cheezy materials that my wifes 350z uses which are about a 6 out of 10.

max...to the ma

well said i completely agree with u and was looking forward to a change in that pattern and greater things from nissan in the form of an even better maxima but i have been disappointed

tbirdrob

Shame on you for driving a new car like that before breaking it in.

2004BlackMax

I picked up my 04 SE elite on Sturday. The book suggests to keep the RPMs below 4 thousand at all time for 1200 miles. Wow, its not easy to do that at all.

Axel

iTrader: (3)

Loyalty is sticking with whomever you're loyal to during the good and the bad times. You're saying you'll stick with Nissan as long as they continue to impress you but once they stop, you're off to check out other companies. I don't call that loyal, I call that normal.
A lifetime Ford owner would be considered loyal
Why is it that whenever there's something bad with a Nissan, many people attribute it to Renault and when there's something good with Nissan, no one mentions Renault?
Seems a little one-sided to me.
Also, how many people that diss Renault have ever even driven one to feel they are enlightened enough to make such claims?
I'm not saying Renault is a great car company, I just find it odd. Seems like Renault is more of a scapegoat than anything else which I find quite unfair towards Renault (and any other company had it been anyone else instead of Renault).

1SICKLEX

I saw it at the auto show and the interior is almost worse than the ALtimas. Why? Because they are asking 35k loaded for it. Yeah it starts at 26k but it's still subpar. I can't believe they did this to the Maxima. The last 3 generations interior has better plastics and fit and finish than the model I sat it. It is HUGE, I cant believe how big it is. And we all know about they styling.

I still can't believe this is the Maxima. It looks and feels like a Altima AMG or something.

SteVTEC

LOL, well maybe the telescoping wheel is "non-essential" for you, but the ENTIRE reason I am driving a 99 Maxima now instead of a 2002 6spd is because the lack of a telescoping wheel in the 5th Gen did not allow me to fit comfortably enough to buy one. My knees got cramped between the wheel and the center stack. Cornering lights are awesome, and the Skyview is neat and unique which lets it stand out.

You should take into consideration the fact that this is a first year car at a relatively brand new facility. It doesn't matter how high your standards are, even Toyota and Nissan make screwups and don't get everything right during the first model year. There is a TSB on the 2002 Camry to fix an interior panel that just doesn't line up properly because it wasn't designed well. The guys with 2003 Accord's are already complaining about interior rattles and creaks, hard starting, and clunking tranny's.

I sat in one yesterday and I know what you're talking about. I liked it overall, but it's just "different" IMHO, but not necessarily better or worse. It would take some getting used to, but it would never stop me from buying the car.

With Nissan you get outstanding performance, unique looking interiors and exteriors (some good, some bad), and overall slightly below average interior materials.

With Honda you get the same horsepower numbers, but overall LESS performance because of the lack of torque, OUTSTANDING interior ergonomics, but lots of creaks and rattles, and boring exterior designs.

With Toyota, in general you get lackluster performance, but OUTSTANDING interior materials and ergonomics, and hardly any creaks and rattles, once again boring exterior designs, but the best overall reliability.

Each of these Japanese manufacturers has suffered in quality since the late-90's crash of Japan's economy so EVERYBODY has had to make cutbacks on their designs. It's just a question of where they chose to make cuts. Nissan gives you by far the best performance, but sufferes in interior quality. Honda still gives you a good mix and are cheaper overall (cuts everywhere). Toyota gives you the best interior material quality and overall reliability, but has boring powertrains. In this non-luxury market where bottom line is everything, you just can't have it all. Choose what's most important to you and go for it. You can have your cake and eat it too, but that's some damn expensive cake. $40k+ will buy you something with an awesome interior design and materials, exciting exterior, and awesome powertrain. Think BMW 330i, or perhaps a 5-series. Or maybe an Audi or Benz. That last tiny bit of refinement will cost you $10-20k easily. I'd rather just save my money and make some compromises here and there.

I know you're probably referring to the Altima. I would have bought one of those too perhaps (telescoping wheel!), but I just couldn't bare the poor interior quality. The new Maxima is still WAY better than the Altima IMO, and now that the new Accord is out, the Altima is selling at invoice. But I think it was you that said that the Altima is getting a big interior upgrade for 2004, so if that's true then at least Nissan recognizes the shortcomings and are doing something about it.


Of course not. The non-luxury market, and even the entry-luxury market to a certain extent are all about compromise. You're simply not going to get it all, and you were expecting way too much. Plus you own a 3rd Gen , a car that was built during Japan's bubble economy era when all Japanese cars kicked serious butt. My old 1990 Toyota Camry built in the same era had less creaks and rattles and better overall interior quality with 207,000 miles on it than my 2001 Accord V6 did with only 10,000 miles!!! I've accepted that Japanese cars (not just Nissan) just aren't what they used to be and have moved on.

Times change, my friend.

sammax89

I beg to differ... A person can be loyal to a product or person, and not be a lifetime prisoner of said product or person. I was using the word "loyal" as the dictionary defines it (feelings of devotion and attachment). Nothin' in there about being a slave to something even if it eventually disappoints you. If Nissan abandons the virtues that have made it's vehicles so attractive to my family, my loyalty (faithfulness to Nissan) will have been a temporary event (meaning 14 years, and not a lifetime as you state).

As far as Renault criticism goes, I am NOT speaking from inexperience. Through the 90's I traveled to Europe and Asia quite extensively (Gr. Britain, France, Portugal, Indonesia, and Japan) and I can tell you firsthand about Renault.

Now this is only based on driving rental vehicles, being a passenger in a cab, or as a passenger in a client's personal vehicle. I never have OWNED a Renault. In general, Opels, Fords, Renaults, Fiats, Citroens, and Seats were not impressive at all. What the Europeans put up with as far as noisy engines, junky trim, and vile styling would make Americans wince. The interior fabrics and plastics are especially cheap and thin. Cars over the big pond are really looked at as appliances MUCH more than Americans view them to be (most are FILTHY and beat up and generally not lovingly cared for).

I have seen up close Peugeots and Renaults, and I can tell you that they are crap. They are cheap, noisy, and feel lightweight and flimsy. Admittedly, some observations are opinion, but there is no denying that the French are not known for their wonderful cars. If I remember correctly, I rented a Renault Clio and Megane, and while being daring in design in some respects, they were nowhere near the Japanese in quality and refinement. It's actually kinda odd... I did not see nearly as many Japanese cars as European cars there. I asked a British neighbor (lots of 'em here in Florida!) and he said the Japanese cars are viewed as dull, boring and "clinical" in feel. The Europeans definitely like "quirkiness" alot more. In all honesty, Europe is so old, dreary and dark, cars seem to be an easy outlet for people yearning for some relief from the surroundings.

As far as Renault acquiring a large portion of Nissan... Renault itself is really not the reason Nissan has become solvent again, it is all Carlos Ghosn (Le Cost Cutter). He is very much in the same vein as "Chainsaw" Dunlap and Ignacio Lopez in that they are ruthless when it comes to "cutting the fat", so to speak. Ghosn is at least willing to let Nissan expand it's carlines, but the way he is doing it MAY in fact be harmful in the long term.

He has cut Nissan's labor force alot, cut part redundancy, and made Nissan more accountable for it's decisions. All well and good. But, he has also made it very clear he is willing to change Nissan in ways that mimic Renault. Case in point: a month ago, an official from Renault was asked about his role in Nissan's future products. One quote from him was scary... "Nissan must not have parts with so much quality anymore. Does a door handle need to last 20 years, let alone ten years? We think not. That original owner won't even have the car in 10 years." And please don't ever make the mistake of believing that Renaults are anywhere NEAR the Japanese in quality control and reliability!

It is a well known FACT that Renault has alot more say in Nissan's future products and direction than even Nissan would like to admit. Hell, Nissans will begin to be built off of Renault platforms starting with the 2005 Sentra!

Want more proof? Look at the 2004 Quest. The interior is so much like a French car's interior it's almost comical. I think they made a grave mistake with that dash with the central mounted gauges and weird shift handle. I tell 'ya, the Quest interior will be it's downfall in the minivan market... people in the market for a minivan will not reward quirky/daring design just because it's different. Mark my words, the new Sienna will eat it's lunch. The Quest will remain a niche player simply because of the Saturn Ion-like dash. I will guarantee that in comparison tests, it will not become the standard-bearer. Innovation? Yes. French interior design that detracts from it's usefulness? We shall see. But, my point is that the interiors especially are looking so much like French Renaults, Citroens, and Peugeots... and THAT is not what the American public is clamoring for.

Last point on Renault... they bought a large portion of AMC back in the early 80's. Gave us Renault LeCars, Fuegos, 18is, Alliances, Medallions, and Premiers. Those cars were roundly criticized, very unreliable and were the epitome of Euro-trash. They could not hold the jockstraps of their Japanese counterparts. Renault is credited for helping AMC meet it's demise in the mid 80's (bought by Chrysler ONLY for the Jeep franchise). So let's not forget that this company has a sordid reputation in the USA.

So, I am not one to throw stones about things I know nothing about. I just hope the Renault/Nissan marriage does not end up with Nissan turning into nothing more than a Renault clone in it's zeal to economize and cost cut (cheapen it's cars).

The next 8 to 10 years will tell the tale.

02MaximaSE

sammax... Just read your book.., er um... article..

Very good article, it was awe inspiring. I agree with the loyalty part, and the Euro-view on automobiles also, my friend (from London) drives an Acura Legend Coupe, he says the cars he's owned in Europe were like tinker toys, and he did mention that Japanese cars werent popular, he pretty much said they were viewed as emotionless also.

SteVTEC

Okay well you're talking about 5 to 10 years from now and I'm talking about right now and the past 10 years. I agree that the Quest dash is a HUGE mistake b/c nobody likes those things. I would take a Sienna, too.

But one reason I drive a Nissan is because I want something different that not everybody else has. I don't want a boring "Camcord" that everybody and their mother drives. If Renault brings a European influence and "quirkiness" to Nissan then in the end that could be a good thing. At least to enthusiasts, but perhaps not to the general market. Even Honda stated in press introductions that they tried to give a "European feel" to the new Accord, but most people think they failed miserably in that department.

I know that Renaults are crap. If the overall quality and reliability of Nissan products really do go down significantly then people will vote with their wallets and move to other manufacturers. It's that simple. I'm not brand loyal, either. I have bought a Honda, Toyota, and a Nissan all within the past 2-3 years. The reason I drive a Nissan right now is because Nissan is willing to differ from the norm and go out of their way to offer something that the other manufacturers don't. My needs are not of the general bland car buying American public. My needs are much more specific than that, and Nissan still continues to cater to those needs whereas other manufacturers no longer even try.

You gotta give Nissan credit for that.

sammax89

Full agreement: Nissan's have in the past offered the best of both worlds. Toyota quality and Honda driving dynamics. Throw in class-leading powertrains and you've got a winner!

But think of this... what if the 2002 Altima had an interior that was at least equal to the previous generation in terms of tactile quality and noise suppression? That thing would be unstoppable! It would be getting the kind of continued good press a winner deserves. Unfortunately, Ghosn figured Americans would accept noisiness and junky fittings like the Europeans do. Obviously some Americans have. But, longterm, that decsion has pigeon-holed Nissan as a real step down from Toyota and Honda, and gives others a reason to question long-term reliability.

Man, Nissan was right on the cusp of walking away with the midsize sedan segment (it's still doing well enough). The whole idea is to sell more cars for more money... that equals profits! You cannot acheive that without a quality/reliability reputation in this country. It's the entry fee to being a real player.

Maybe... just maybe... we'll see if Ghosn and his cohorts at Renault recognize the folly of their actions to cut too far into the bone. The 2004 Altima will tell the story. It's getting an all new interior. If that new interior is a leap in quality and NOT just a different interior just for different-sake, I and many others like me will have reason to breathe a sigh of relief. Can you remember the last time Nissan or another Japanese maker has done a mid-cycle new interior? Minor exterior tweaks are common, but interiors are made to last the 4-6 year run. That pretty much proves Nissan is ready to make a mea-culpa on the quality hits.

I really like the current Altima, and if they had offered a real upgrade to the interior in quality and noise control for the upper range model (3.5SE), I would probably have bought one when I first saw it back in 2002. I would have PAID MORE to even get such an upgrade. But none was offered.

I don't want bland (I am not one to dismiss a car because of taillights or a grille that isn't the very best), but I am damn sure I don't want some warmed over idea of what some French designer thinks I want.

Keep Nissan... a NISSAN!

vqman

dont' forget 4)bland styling
and 5)no interior space
and 6)(ok, better resale value)

vqman

BTW, the subject was DROVE an 04...so how did it DRIVE?

-vq

jnp1

IMO it drives great, smooth, repsonsive, i wake up in the morning and cant wait to go to work just so I can drive my 04 SL. I love it and all you doubter will soon, also love it.

Axel

iTrader: (3)

Loyal:
Steadfast in allegiance to one's (insert what you want).
unwavering in devotion

Steadfast:
Fixed or unchanging; steady
Firmly loyal or constant; unswerving

Unwavering:
not showing abrupt variations

If you decide to switch products as soon as Nissan becomes unimpressive in your eyes, that's considered to be a change and therefore not "loyal" to a brand.

Anyway, enough with the semantics.

As for you bashing Carlos Ghosn, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now re: 2004 Maxima.
Nissan wouldn't be around and IF they would, they'd be offering total crap. It's easy to say, oh good job Carlos getting Nissan back on their feet and into a profitable company, but bad on you for having to do it while cutting costs. WHY do you think Nissan was going bankrupt? Probably because they were overbuilding things, which for us consumers is awesome, however, that means the company won't last very long. It's a balance, an equilibrium. I bought a 2000 Max and I thought it was a great balance and value for me.
As for Renault, I'm not going to disagree with you, I'm not a big Renault fan either (heck, I'm moving to Europe in a month and I'm not going to buy a European car, I'm going to buy a used Japanese car, most likely a Nissan 200sx S-14 2.0 litre turbo (I used to own a 240sx and I loved it). My point was that Renault seems to be blamed for everything bad and Nissan is cherished for everything good. We don't know where each is coming from. For all we know, some good stuff came from Renault and some bad stuff came from Nissan. We just don't know. And as for Peugeot, they didn't win the Paris-Dakar race in the 80s and recently won the World Rally Championship twice in a row with crap. (Although I wouldn't buy one because they don't appeal to my personality and driving style, they can't be all that bad).
However, with the war starting, it seems many americans are dissing France and any french product although many of those people have no idea what they're talking about (I'm not saying you don't, I'm saying many don't).
In conclusion, I'm just trying to be objective and take a step back to analyse the entire situation.
Sorry for the long post.

vqman

I also think Nissan owners/fans owe a debt of graditude to Renault and Carlos Ghosn...without their help, Nissan wouldn't be around anymore, or worse, they'd have been bought by something worse, like GM.

But the reason for blaming Renault for Nissans quality issues of late isn't related to the war (IMO) we have been ******* Renault's influence on quality with Nissan long before war talk started.

The reason we have done this, is because we don't want to blame the company we hold dear to our hearts (Nissan). We see the quality come down (mostly only interior plastics and paint chips) and we want someone to b-i-t-c-h at...and we'd rather b-i-t-c-h at Renault than Nissan...

just my opinion. I do think we owe Carlos a thanks.

thanks Carlos.

-vq

slick

haven't posted in a long time, but i thought i could join in on this thread.
i am an owner of a 2002 civic, but i still love nissans, my next car will most likely be a nissan or infiniti.
when the 04's came out, i knew i had to see one in person to make up my mind about it. last week i sat in one, didn't drive it, just sat in it. most of you are right, the materials used aren't as good as previous models, infact, it had more of the hard type plastic you would find in a civic, disappointing to find such material in a flagship model, nearly $30k car. but its not really that bad. the one i sat in looked to have very good fit and finish.
i really thought the car would be like a boat, but it wasn't. it definately felt bigger than a 5th gen, but it was still a reasonable size, and i'm 5' 3".
overall, i liked the car, but i wouldn't consider it unless i was looking for the base model. if i was looking at cars in the $30k-$33k, i would look at infiniti.

max...to the ma

good, well-written (albeit long) article. i have been to europe twice and found the cars OK. that was once 4 years ago and another 7 years ago. when was ur last visit cuz i no they can be bad cars but i dont recall it any worse than a GM vehicle (especially Cavalier)

2004BlackMax

All this talk an opinion is great. Carlos did an amazing job for Nissan. A South American, who came in and saved a company that was falling apart. I am the proud owner of a week old fully loaded 04 Elite SE. It is a great car. It's a big move away form the 5th generation. Maybe the most drastic change a Maxima has ever under-gone. Carlos has made some very bold, risky moves that have paid off. The reintroduction of the Z, the soon to be introduced full size truck and the Altima among other things. Carlos went to Nissan's suppliers and demanded a 15% discount on parts claiming that the company would go under without the help. He got it and the company is on track to achieve record profits. Whenever a CEO as bold as Carlos makes radical change, he will be both praised and criticized. No matter what your feeling, there is one bottom line. The man is producing results. As far as getting involved in Renault, I myself, don’t get it. Maybe he feels like a superstar and thinks he can turn them around also. Renault has been synonymous with Europe for as long as I can remember; both a loved and hated car by millions. As I said, we can all sit here and act as critics, but Carlos has my support as a CEO that came in, shook things up and turned a company around. Kudos to the Japanese for having the foresight to bring in a non Japanese man to come in and run their company. It shows a huge departure form their normal business practices. As far as renault having an impant on Nassians designs, I dis-agree. Did Chrysler influence the Mercedes?

Of course, thats just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Axel

iTrader: (3)

Just to clarify a few things. Carlos Ghosn is not South American. He's originally from Lebanon.
Renault hired him first because Renault was in the same situation Nissan was. Carlos Ghosn turned Renault around to the point where Peugeot and Citroen had to merge to be able to compete with Renault (because Renault had gained so much ground over the other two).
Then with the new found money Renault was getting, they decided to buy part of Nissan (Nissan was very cheap because they were almost bankrupt). Although Renault didn't buy more than 50%, they did get controlling interest with the purchase. They then sent Carlos Ghosn (then CEO of Renault) to become the CEO of Nissan to turn Nissan around (having seen how well he turned Renault around, they were confident he could turn Nissan around as well) which he did (obviously). Renault was very smart. Get a guy to turn them around, then with the money buy a cheap company, and send the same guy to turn the bought company around to protect their investment.
One of the first thing Carlos Ghosn did at Nissan was lay off a crap load of people (never really seen in Japan up to now), getting cheaper contracts and force everyone to learn english because there were too many languages spoken and communications was suffering.
Even though his native language is french, he chose english for obvious reasons. He moved to Japan to do this and he right away started learning Japanese (he already knew english). The guy is so famous in Japan, the Japanese did a comic book on his life as if he was a comic book hero.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

I would have to disagree the msot drastic change on the Max was from the 1988 to 1989 Models or 2nd to 3rd gen. The car was totally different and didnt even share a shift **** with the 2nd gen unlike the 5th to 6th. Also Nissan did a major unveiling commercial when the 3rd gen was introduced I remember the commercial.

Nickjx

Sorry guys IMO its not worth 35k. For that money I'd be looking at a G35 coupe (or sedan) or a Bimer.

2004BlackMax

Wow,was I wrong, I saw a CNBC special a few weeks ago on Nissan and obviously confused some major details. Thanks for the CORRECT info.

joaquink

I went down and checked one out today. Nice car, perhaps a bit too much IKEA with the interior but still very nice. What I couldn't get over and what forced the Maxima off of my list for certain is the geriatrics-in-mind raised seating position. I hate it. Also, the B-pillar is further in than on the 4th gen and that was crimping my shoulder room. I'll keep my 97.