MrGone

iTrader: (30)

now you know how all 3rd gen owners feel about the newer maximas err cough minimas....


people wonder why they stopped the 4DSC thing

FanaticMadMax

I bet Chief Jerry Hirsh should have been caned with a bamboo stick from the Home office (Japan) for making an odd car, hurting sales and cheap interior quality.

Maxceler8

"I live in an apartment building and share an underground garage with about 40 other cars............Last night when coming home, I walked over to it and examined it, knocked it with my knuckle and I could tell that the sheet metal on my 4th gen is thicker. when I tapped his 6th gen, the sheet metal seemed PAPER thin. One could definately push their thumb into and dent it, just imagine waxing and denting it if not careful enough...."

I'm SOO glad I don't have public parking for my car, I could not stand ppl like this....I don't like leaving it in a supermarket lot for very long, let alone overnight in an area where just about anybody can "examine" my new car And let alone what I would do if I caught them "knocking" on it and such......

Honestly, the 6th gen has grown on me, and I can appreciate it for what Nissan is trying to do, and take this car to. I'm happy they still offer a manual transmission in it! If you don't like it, than that's fine too, they still have the Altima. You never know where they will go next though, and what it will look like, and perform like, so that's an exciting thought too. I would love it to be like a Nissan-ized Quattropporte.....beautiful, ageless styling for four (or maybe a coupe version offered? ) with plenty of power on tap....and of course price about on par with current one. I know they can, look at the G35 coupe!

04EliteSE

Count on the Altima being bumped up to 265HP and the Maxima being bumped up to 280 soon... You heard it here first...

sirjohnny

My father has a 2004 maxima, the 6 speed one, orange. It's simply gorgeous IMO.

Last summer, my father was out for vacation for 1 week, so he let me borrow the car for that week ( I own a spec-v 2003, not bad but not a Maxima!), and let me tell you, I never saw that much people looking at a car before. Everywhere I was going, I saw people turning heads to look at the car. I went to play golf, parked on the side of a few BMW, G35, and I noticed a lot of people looking the car, much more than BMW's and other cars, I can tell you that people really LOVE the new maxima, specially orange like that! The only people I know that don't love it are previous maxima owners, they think it's too big etc... but finally the maxima has style, I mean, the other maxima before were nice and all, but they are definitely nothing special, looked like any other cars on the road... but the new Maxima really stand out, which is something most previous maxima owner don't seem to love...

Anyway, just my 2 cents! (and my first post here wouhou!)

Jonathan

bobbydigital450

Im a 3rd gen owner but recently had a chance to drive both a 5th gen and a 6th gen. My girlfriend works at a nissan dealer ship and she just kept bringing cars by my work one right after the other just to show me for some odd reason. When she brought the 5th gen maxima she knew she made a mistake. I told her to get the hell out of the car. Got in it and burnt tire all the way out the parking lot. So after that she brings the 6th gen. Id have to say hands down to the 6th gen. Everything about the car IMO was just awsome. Everyones got their own thing, but if i had a choice id go with the 2004. There was a rumor floating around that the 2004 max was supposed to be AWD? Anyone else hear this? I think if they ever make an AWD max ill be selling everything I own to buy one.

DansMax3

Ouch! I'm afraid that you're going to get a bunch of 5th gen owners upset with opinions like that!

DansMax3

No question, the '04 is the best Maxima ever (even if you take the styling equation out). You've got one up on me, though. This is only my 3rd.

BlackMaxSE-5

I agree the 6G is a better car as a whole, but some the individual characteristics that make up the car have changed in a negative way. Being 27, my disappointment is that the car looks overweight. The athletic appearance of the older max's is not found in this car. I had a '89 SE 5-SPD , a '99 SE-L 5-SPD and now a '01 SE 5-SPD. All of these cars look lite on their feet. They all have that look about them that says "bring it on". The new car doesn't have that look. The increased weight of the 6G is not significant taking into account the increase in HP. The ride is obviously softer, but can be fixed with aftermarket parts. The interior look/quality is debatable. The heft this car shows is going to be hard to change. It reminds me of what happened to the Mercedes S-Class sedans a few years back. They got BIG, but then the more recent ones look smaller, but still have the space. I hope some sheet metal changes can do that to the max. I will always be a Nissan guy, but I do not see another max purchase in my future until something happens with the exterior design or until I turn 50. It isn't growing on me.

-M

'01 MAXIMA SE 5-SPD
'97 240SX LE 5-SPD
'98 PATHFINDER SE 4X4

2k3TitaniumSe

iTrader: (3)

Yeah they have quality like crrrap! And they are built in america. My neighbor got an SL and i thought the same.

bigblank69

First all cars nowadays use thinner steel. Period! I'm sure if you walk around a 5th gen it has thinner steel then a 4th gen, which has thinner steel then a 3rd gen. Calm down! It doesn't mean our cars are going to buckle while we wax them! Second I have been fortunate enough to drive a all but 1 series of maxima's and I'm sorry I find the 6th generation the best. What the other generation owners are having a hard time figuring out is that the Maxima's goal has changed in the eyes of Nissan. As said early the maxima is now more like a entry level luxury sport sedan, instead of a pure and simple sport sedan like previous generations. Nissan still makes that car... it's called a Altima. If you find the 6th gen maxima unappealing and too luxury. Buy a new Altima it'll go just as fast and doesn't have those luxury features you all hate. Personally I love my 6th gen SL max, and I wouldn't trade for any other gen.

lightonthehill

Interesting thread. I hadn't realized how many folks do NOT find the gen 6 Maxima to be a brisk, refreshing step up from gen 5 in both styling and function.

I did not trade in my gen 5, so I get to compare the two gens almost daily. I love my gen5, which has been the most trouble-free car I ever owned (my '85 Maxima was previously my best). But I find the gen 6 to be an exhilarating car; lots of fun to drive, loads of features, lots of room, and lots of 'thumbs up' from my friends.

Someone mentioned gen 7, with the thought it may arrive in '06. There is an outside chance it may arrive in '06 as an '07 model. But I would be very surprised if it appears (at the earliest) before '07 as an '08 model. My curiosity is more directed to whether the Max adds an AWD (all-wheel drive) version as part of the '06 model year upgrade, or waits until gen 7.

As to the G35, I like the styling, but felt cramped, and did not particularly like the drive train or the interior. The driveout price was clearly more than my Nissan dealer wanted for the Maxima. I agreed (for a change) with Consumers Report that the Maxima was the better all-around vehicle. Rear wheel drive is useless in bad weather, and the new AWD version of the G35 has a much higher 'drive out' cost than the Maxima.

I understand there are those who, for whatever reasons, prefer the G35. But, unlike some, I would never go to the Infiniti board and suggest the G35 is made from tinfoil, or was anything less than a fine vehicle.

6spmax

I've been looking at the '04 Max for almost a year now and I still can't definitively say whether I like it or not. Is it a nice car? Yes. Does it appear to be using cheaper materials than the previous generation? Definitely. But I don't hold that against it so much as the fact that it really isn't a Maxima other than in name only. The 4DSC spirit is gone or almost completely out the door and that is what I DON'T like about it.

HotHotHot

I just bought a 6th gen this weekend, and thankfully, the detractors are full of CRAP.

PhxBlue

iTrader: (2)

That is exactly what I was thinking.

Hey 6th geners, dont sweat the 5th and 4th geners talkin trash. I think you guys have a nice car and I like em alot, I drove one and I was very impressed. There are plenty of after market parts hitting the shelves to help you spice up, and drop your car. The two things I dont like about the car is the grill (easily changed), and the black strip at the bottom with the corner lamps. Other than that your car is good to go.

pocketrocket

iTrader: (1)

The styling does and doesn't appeal to everyone.

Bottom line is tho, the 6th gen platform is bigger and rides better than the previous one. If you like the size and the styling, you'll definitely give it a spin ... nothing like a VQ under the hood

jaydabee

Just got my login and have had my MAX for just about a month. Love It! Just got 1200 miles on it and wish this damn Detroit winter would let up.

Got the following: Onyx/Black Leather SL with Journey Package, VDC, Sunroof, Mats, XM SAT, and Splash Guards. Out the door at $30,700 before tax and title.

Not into the Gen 4,5,6 fights I see going here. Bought it for what it was, not what it used to be.

And as for the OP, if I caught you knocking on my new car I would . . .

jsmithsole

iTrader: (5)

Welcome aboard!!!

Redsand187

Well, this is my first Maxima, and my First Nissan. I love it. Everyone I know loves it. One of my friends who is a die hard maxima fan, who just has his 4g wanted me to take him for a ride. He about died. He loved it, he's trying to get everything together so he can buy one. Then I let him drive it, he said it felt way stronger, and stuck better in the corners. In return I got to drive his IS300, now that car is a dissapointment. It seems a lot better on paper. The only good thing about it is the RWD. They need to put the turbo motor in that thing, and rework the interior badly.

1SICKLEX

There are tons of guys that turbo it. ANd the interior looks no worse than the new Maxima.

spauldingsmails

Jan '04 Altima sales : 20,300
Jan '04 Maxima sales: 4,300

Max Cat

Has anyone seen a Max ad since Christmas? Every mag on the shelf seems to have alty, armada, and titan ads. There are lots of alty, titan and armada ads on TV. But, the cool max ads on TV and in print have disappeared. Whaz up? You'd think that with this slow sales rate that I could get one built sooner than THREE MONTHS

jsmithsole

iTrader: (5)

I've seen more Max commercials lately than ever before...as well the new Motor Trend has a Max ad (Feb '04 issue, new stang on the cover)

bluemaxx

I don't know what's going on in the Dallas market (where I live) but on the DSS satellite feeds (east coast/west coast) I see Maxima ads all the time.

CoolMax

iTrader: (7)

I wouldn't be surprised if Camry sales were higher than Avalon sales either. $$$ has just a little to do with it.

DansMax3

OK....this is expected, isn't it?

RaTgoesMaX

You hit the Nail on the Head. Ditto....Just got back from a 4 hour ride and I absolutely love my Max. I have owned Many cars but this is the finest. It is also the best looking car on the road, bar none. IMHO

lobewiper

Right on, brother!

DriveFast

[QUOTE=FormorAccordMan]The thing is built like "crrrrrap"....blah...blah...blah

hey Jethro, you kick the tires too!!!!

Nice job on getting all the rubes to reply back all mad and stuff.


Maybe you can hook up with Heraldo Rivera and that knuckle of yours and find Al Capone!!!!


Shmuuuck.

lobewiper

[QUOTE=DriveFast]
It could be worse...he could be YOUR neighbor...