I have to be honest, the Altima is no slouch...in fact, I just test drove an 05 SE-R and an 05 Maxima SE and the Altima handled corners quicker and felt noticeable faster....that said, I am still about to buy a Maxima

 

My wife loves hers!!

 

What is sad is that my dealer actually keep calling my car a Altima and always correct them. Everytime i take the car to get serviced they label my key for a Altima .

 

That's hilarious.

 

personally, i'd take a new altima over a new maxima appearance wise. i'd still rather have my 91 than either of them though

 

Amazing... the 5.5 Maxima front end is totally different from the Altima. Headlights, bumper styling, curves, etc...

 

I had a 3.5l Altima before I got my Max, the Max is better but I don't know how much, put it this way it is not 10,000 dollars beter and that was the price difference between the two.
Automon

 

But hey 04SEelite, you even bought Altima and Max same color...you WANT people to get confused. I guess I'd confuse them if the cars are the same color, I'm drunk and my wife's getting a baby.... no chance to even check

 

Nissan should have changed the Altima's name. I heard it's called the Altezza in some other country... that would definitely diminish the way people confuse them. Here in PR people buy Altimas a lot 'cause they're 8k cheaper, same motor. And because the name is similar, they even think the Max is a luxury version of the Altima....

 

Mine just got confused the otehr day. Someone said, oh you have an Altima. I said No its a MAxima and its TOTALLY different and BETTER. Then I explained the difference.

 

Freakin hilarious! I've been asked the question / confused with the Altima several times.
I feel like just turning to the person and going
Or even

As many have said, they're similar enough for the average non-car enthusiast to confuse initially, but they're very different.

Also, the comment about "You'll see the difference when the light turns green" was spot-on!

 

actually the IS300 is called Altezza in Japan.

 

In 1989 the SHO was whoopin a$$ on everything out there, even your beloved Maximas.

There is a strong following for the SHO Taurus. The biggest site is http://www.shoforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi There are several SHO related clubs around the US also. If ford wouldn't have dropped the ball on this car early on, I think many of you would have Taurus's in your driveway instead of maximas.

As for the maxima being mistaken for the Altima, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I prefer the exterior looks of the Altima to the Maxima. The Altima Body should have been used for the maxima as it encompasses the sport hertitage that the maxima had.

I look at the 6th gen maxima as the girl you fell in love with in College. Trim and athletic, then a few years later she got big and fat. You still love her but you like the old her better.

 

Man what an analogy.

I knew quite a few people with the SHO in the past and one thing that I always remember about them was the lack of reliability in comparison to the Maxima. While I have personally never owned a SHO I did have many a Ford product in my days including the Mustang GT and can tell you that the Maxima feel and quality to me is markedly superior. Must 99 Mustang GT which I sold about 2 years ago supposedly was rated similar in horsepower to the new Maxima but I can tell you my 05 SE certainly feels quicker and more precise in its steering than my Mistang ever did.
Don't get me wrong as I am not trying to knock Ford or anything, I just think that Nissan produces a much better engineered quality product and the Maxima is one world class car.

So given the choice even if Ford still produced the SHO, I can tell you my 05 SE would still be in my driveway anyhow.

 

Would never buy a Ford under any circumstance. Why do u think they call it Found on Road Dead?? I had to rescue a buddy in my Max the other day when his Mustang died.

 

I could tell you some repair stories with my 99 GT within just the 38k miles I had on it. Car was babied to death, garage kept and I drove it most of the time like George Burns as to not but much abuse on it. Still it decided to break alot on me anyway. Including wierd stuff like the plastic shifter console assembly that just disintegrated after 20k when I put it into reverse one day, That repair alone took me a whole day and was alot of work. SOmetimes some of the coilpacks would not fire until you shut the engine off and on again in which case all was fine. Very tempermental and no feel of quality to it like the Maxima has. Anyhow it was a pretty car and I did enjoy it but I would not buy another one again.

 

I know we're digressing from the original thread. I agree with others that Ford has more than their fair share of quality problems. Making comments like, " I would never buy a Ford" is just plain ignorant. Nissan isn't too far off on quality issues. My mother-inlaws Maxima has quite a few problems. Infiniti can't seem to queel the rattle on the back package shelf of my G35

Had Ford marketed the SHO properly and sales increased, they would have been forced to improve the product. But since it was a low volume car with a cult following, there was little need to fix the problems. This arrogance on Ford's part eventually led to the demise of a car that was on the forfront of a market which is still very alive today.

 

Actaully coemmts like "I would never buy a Ford" is smart and saying that its ignorant to say that, is actaully ignorant. I may not know more about cars than Shodog, but I would bet dollars to donuts I do.

Ford produces low quality cars. Read Consumer Reports or any magazine that rates cars. The only reason the SHO was any good was because it was produced with Yahama in the motor. The rest of it was Ford crap. Fords dont hold their value as well as say Maximas or other Japanese or German competitors.

 

Yeah right, buddy. Just because I like the idea of a quick 4-door sedan doesnt mean that I would buy it from just anyone.

 

I agree

 

Did you own a SHO? It sounds like they have a special place in your heart...

I think that every company has it's problems and personally, you would never see a SHO, or any Ford for that matter, on my driveway. Why? Becuase of styling. Both Interior and Exterior styling of Ford and GM are depressingly boring, ugly and the same as every other car they have for sale becuase they use the exact same parts right down to the radio to cut costs (especially for GM). Ford and General Motors are just: Cars. There is no fun in them at all in my opinion (except the obvious: GTO, C6, etc). The 1989 SHO was probably quicker than the Maxima, but when it came down to it, the SHO was an ugly car. Period.

 

One thing that bothers me is how Nissan is creating the Maximas demise. For small amount less you get the VQ35DE powered Altima which is very close in performance. For a small amount more (or even a very similar amount depending on how each is equipped) you step to the G35 Sedan. Don't get me wrong, I am a 4DSC enthusiast, but do you mean to tell me that for the 30-35K you are about to hand over the VQ35DE hooked up to the REAR wheels doesn't sound attractive? At the limit you can toe in to the throttle for rotation in a G, in the Max you are melting the fronts and plowing for the weeds. For normal and highway driving I realize it is an issue of taste and the RWD factor is a non-issue. Beleive me, I do not want the Maxima to get pushed aside or killed but you have to admit that they have not been selling as predicted or as well as other generations when new, the salesman at my Nissan dealer did. Does anyone else notice the threats of the Altima and G35 to the Mighty Maxima? I have hopes for a "hit the gym" 7th gen (ex: Acura's trimmed TL) or a 7th gen at all.

 

nope cant say that ive had my max confused with an altima.

 

Fr33way, the 04 Max outsold way beyond expectations. since when do salesmen know what they're talking about? he was probably trying to turn you torwards the model he was instructed to push. If I bought a G, I would have no transportation right about now.

 

In my area it isnt very common and I suppose in a way the "expert" at the Nissan dealership just said what I already thought. I don't know actual sales projections or figures so i guess that is just my perspective.

What do you mean about the G and no transportation?

Do you see my Altima, Maxima, and G35 comparison?

BTW, Nice looking 6th gen, is that black leather on the inside?

 

yes it is... G no go in the snow... henceforth I would have to means of getting around. It snows way up here in the NE. Which unfortunetly for some is the leading sales area for the Max = FWD. If you read up on here (and even the Atli and G forums) you will see how the price gap somehow magically widens between each when you look at the little things the Max offers and the other 2 lack. i.e: roominess, $ comparison of comparable options, etc.

But yeah, one would have to admit how the Alti has slowly taken the place of the once known Max. But IMHO, I feel the Max is a step up and deserving of my $.

(Back on topic, I've actually been mistaken for owning a Lexus more than an Alti. Either way I proudly correct them as to what I actually own.)

btw, just ask lightonthehill (Atlantian) how many 6th gens he sees.

 

G35X? Yall get those yet? In motor trend all they did was drive in snow.

Valid point though, you have to remember in Atlanta snow is in books and movies and if any water freezes ANYWHERE everyone forgets how to drive.

 

NONE OF THESE COME CLOSE TO THE COMMENT I HAVE GOTTEN.


so i was at my local nissan dealer. I pull in to buy a few oil filters and this sales man was standing by the main entrace door. i get out of the car and hes like:

"hello sir, how are you doing today?"
just fine, thank you
"is there anything i can help you with?"
im just here to buy a few oil filters

i go buy oil filters and walkin back to my car and the dude is like
"u know, thats a very clean altima and i have never seen one in that color. very nice car !"
oh ISSSSSSSSSS IT???????
"you betcha"

i was shocccccccccked !!! even tho the design is 10 years old, even a NISSAN salesman cant tell the difference !!!

 

a girl was in my car keeping me company to the mall and she tells me my car looks just like a altima. exterior and interior. i just said "shut up b*tch"

 

i have yet to realize I can click on the edit button...

 

What a moron. When I went to buy my Max, I knew more about the car than the salesman. He was talking to me like it was the first car Ive ever bought. I just ignored it and told him to hurry up and fill out the paperwork!

 

yeah - I think stupidity is a requirement for any type of salesman position - car, insurance, real estate - most are brain dead

 

I totally have all kinds of people askign if my car is a altima , even my friends(the ones that Don't Drive) are like "htran2 has a really nice Altima" to others And i always have to correct them.

But when people get into my car, they realize it is definetly not an altima ..

it still makes me cringe a bit when some people think i have a altima

 

People talk about my altima all the time. I don't react anymore.
It's stock, with all badges.

 

I had an ex-Nissan salesman think my car was an Altima.

 

Back from the dead, damn this thread was started in 04 when the car originally came out. It looks more like the altima because the newer ones are very similar in outside appearance. I was complimented on my nice mercedes by a ford salesman and before I left a different guy said that he liked my new caddy. I was like "wow never gonna buy a car here." Luckily I just needed a key made for my Expedition.

 

I try to remember that most people aren't car people, and thus don't spend as much time/effort/mental energy on my car as I do.

That said, people have referred to my car as an Altima, sadly.

 

Didn't read any of this but..EVERY DAMN DAY..haha..mines got a black/black mesh CMod grill, and now its debadged..but still was asked before it was debadged..and has had a black chrome "MAXIMA" plate frame on it almost the entire time I've owned it..smfh..lol

 

 

yup pretty much the same car lol.... The headlights and tail lights only thing that I can tell are different exterior wise. Oh and grill... Might actually be on the same frame.....