How much room do the 2 back seats have and is it worth trying to get? I am sorry about all the questions but I am over in the Middle East right now and getting my Uncle to order my Max for me.

 

You know the 2 bucket seats only come with the top of the line Elite package right? Anyway it gives you plenty of room for 2 adults back there, you have a console that runs from the front all the way to the rear, and the rear console does not flip up out of the way if you were to need a full straight across back seat. You have a pair of nice cupholders built into the rear console with your window/heatseater switches. In the center seat back there is a pass through door that opens so if you have something long in the trunk it can come into the car!
All in all I really think its a neat idea and it looks very sporty to me...I had to convince the wife, and in the end she agreeded, so we are happy! You will love the Navi too.

 

I have found that rear seat passengers love the Elite package seats. They say it's like riding in the front seat. The disadvantages are that you lose the fold-down rear seat, you can't carry a 5th passenger, you can't lay anything big across the back seat and you have to shell out an extra $850 (retail).

 

For me those disadvantages vastly outweigh the perceived "cool" factor that the rear buckets might provide. I've sat in both (though admittedly not for extended periods of time) and find the 5 seat rear quarters every bit as comfortable, if not more so because of the available "spread-out" room into the center section. It seems somewhat contrary to take a big spacious car like the 'O4 Max and significantly diminish the utility that space provides by building a low wall between the rear seats.

Cheers,

Jaeger

 

Different strokes for different folks......that is why the elite package is optional.....

 

I don't disagree with that. It's just that if you want the Nav System and the 6-speed, you have to get the Elite Package. I would have been perfectly happy with the Journey Package had it been available with the 6-speed.

 

Ack, I need to take more pics of my car to better show the Elite Package. I only have one on this page:

http://homepage.mac.com/deeprave69/PhotoAlbum1.html

Since I don't have kids, and rarely if ever, drive around 3 other friends, I went for the Elite Package. I totally love it! I haven't been in the back seat (heck its my car!) but my friends rave about it constantly...

You really have to decide if it is practicle enough for you and your lifestyle to have a 4 seater. I haven't had any issues.

 

Well i wont be able to get them anyway because i want HLSD

 

I can't believe that! I have the 5sp Auto SE w/ Journey package and I can't understand why Nissan would not offer it with the stick. I can affirm that the regular back seats are super comfortable and I too couldn't afford to lose the utility of a full/flip down back seat. Damn, I wanted the window shades though.

 

Ditto! I wanted that shade, too bad...

 

Nissan is know for it weird offerings/packages throughout the years.

 

yeah true statement about those packages. i would like to be able to get whatever i want in a car without having to worry about a certain package

 

Packages allow them to mass produce cars quicker and cheaper. It is much easier to make 4 or 5 variants (packages) rather than 20-30 different option combinations.

 

i understand that part of it but that being said if a person wanted certain items and was a paying customer than said person *should* be able to get what he/she wanted. of course it wont happen but it sure would be nice to get traction control and hlsd with a nav package. just dreaming hehe

 

I agree!

 

Yeah that would be nice, but then again, you have to put yourself in Nissan's shoes... they could potentially get all these orders for custom optioned cars, and in the end, the buyer might bail... leaving some odd-configured car on the lot with nobody to buy it.

 

That is a potential issue, but probably not the most likely reason against it. The most likely issue is cost. Realize that the cost of your car is going to go up much more than the cost of the part that you want to add. If you wanted to add a $500 option. The real cost to Nissan in terms of parts and labor may be $100. Then you add in the fact that someone has to actually know to do the work, and when that car comes down the line, instead of A, B, C, or D, it is now A + X,Y and Z. The cost of each of these changes is huge because a simple mistake (ie, A + X,Y and not Z) means that the car is wrong. Do you stop the assembly line to get that fixed (loss of $$$) or do you create a new one with the A + X,Y and Z to meet that order and let this one go as is?

The small number of people that won't buy your car because they can't get the options they want, configured the way they want, is nothing compared to the increased productions costs which will obviously result in increased MSRPs, which will also cause people to not purchase your car.

 

true

 

I read in the paper today that the Nissan Smyrna plant (where all '04 Maximas are made) is the most efficient in the country, taking only around 16 hours of labor to build a car.

That efficiency is dependent of having only certain combinations coming off the line. No 'special orders' except for the specified available option packages.

I would have loved a back sunscreen, also.

Having two grandchildren under a year old, we did not have the option of buying the elite package. We are glad there is an old-style folddown 'console' in the back seat of the non-'elite' Maximas for use when we don't have the grandkids.

 

I am just going to get my windows tinted nice and dark, that will get rid of the problem.