Here is the review that I wanted to write several weeks ago, but now I feel better to write an honest review after the car had it's break-in period. The review is very long, but there is so much to say about this car, I couldn't sum it up in one paragraph. Any comments welcome.



Picked up my Smoke/Black 2005 Nissan Maxima 3.5SL on October 29th, and I have to say that this car is impressive. I leased a 2000 Maxima SE, and this time around I wanted something with a little more forgiving ride so I chose the SL.

The Story

I started looking at new cars the early part of September and the first time I drove a 04 Maxima I was sold. I had to have this car and didn’t want to test drive the other cars on my list (TL and 300C). I couldn’t find any 2004 or 2005’s with all of the options that I wanted (VDC with Traction Control and the Navigation System) in the entire Northeast and Southeast regions, so I had to order one. They quoted me 6-8 weeks, but after reading the entire 6th Generation Forum from the beginning, I started to get a little antsy and wanted my car as soon as possible.

The week of the October 29th, I called the dealership and asked for status on my car. I was shocked to find out that one of my salesreps was relocated to another dealership, and the other one got laid off. So I called the Internet Sales Manager that I had a pretty strong relationship with and we got down to business. I gave her the VIN# of a vehicle from Nissan’s website from another dealer just 20 minutes away from them. She said no problem, and told me she will call me back.

She calls back, told me that this dealer would not receive the car until the 29th, but that there was another car exactly like this (in Staten Island, NY) expecting delivery on Wednesday of that week and that she already reserved the car for me (she knew I wanted my car now after telling her how unhappy I was with me not having a salesperson there that I could call and contact to make sure that the car I had ordered was being followed up on). I was happy about this because there was a $1000 rebate or 2% financing on the 05’s that ends on November 1st, so instead of paying invoice ($31,590), I paid $30,590.

Fast forward to Friday of that same week, they wanted me to pick the car up on Saturday instead. I told them not a chance and that I took a half day from work to drive over 1 hour to the dealership in rush hour to pick up my baby. Needless to say, I wasn’t taking no for an answer and they told me to come get it. I arrived at the dealership (4pm), spoke with the Finance Manager (who tried to fudge the numbers on the sale price of the car $1000 more, and acted surprised when I showed him my original agreement), chatted with my new (fourth) saleswoman (she was really good looking and had some amazing green eyes, but she had her daughter with her), and drove back home (8:30pm).

The Car

No Shimmies yet, no pulling to the left or right, no rattles or unusual vibrations and it’s unbelievably quiet. Compared to my 2000, I can’t hear the engine with the radio shut off and the climate control system off driving at highway speeds. This I will have to get used to because I use the sound of the engine to maintain a constant speed on the interstates. The Bose radio is very disappointing but acceptable for a factory system. That may be my second upgrade, to add a little bit more bass, but my first upgrade is to get SAT radio because OTA radio is terrible.

Performance

This car is, in one word, FAST. I notice one thing different about this car from my previous car is that it has a lot of torque down low. When you tap the accelerator, you can feel your back being pushed into the seat a little (you would think there is a V8 with a lot of torque under the hood).

I followed the 1200 mile break-in the best that I could, however I drive to New York City everyday and you have to give it a little more gas than normal interstate driving, due to all of the jackholes and cab drivers always wanting to wedge themselves in front of you. I only went past 4K RPM once, and it was only for a few seconds. After the break-in period, I was able to truly feel the power of this vehicle.

The car is dead quiet in normal driving, but it has this really nice growl when pushing it a little. I never floored it, but giving the accelerator a firm push will propel this car extremely fast. I like that if you need a little more power during passing someone on the highway, all you have to do is give the pedal a little nudge and it drops a gear and off you go. It would take me flooring my 2000 just to get the car moving faster in a passing situation. Be careful with this car, because this car likes to be driven fast. I found myself doing 75 in a 55 mph zone, and can see myself getting several speeding tickets if I don’t watch the speedometer very closely.

The most important thing about all of this power is that I don’t experience torque steer at all like my 2000.

Handling

The car handles better than I expected. Being that I have the SL with the luxury suspension and more comfortable tires, the car handles very well. I noticed that in my 2000 when going onto a circular highway onramp, the body of the car would lean noticeably, however on the 05, I barely notice the car leaning at all, which allows me to take the onramp a little faster than I did in my 2000.

One thing to be careful of is that if there is a slight curve or a hard corner, the rear end seems to want to go in a different direction than the steering wheel. For example, I take the Lincoln tunnel almost every night to get home. On the way out of the tunnel there is this very sharp curve. With the 2000, I don’t have to brake before I enter the curve, and can accelerate up to 50mph without the car losing traction. On the 05, I must brake before the turn, and then the maximum I could accelerate while on the turn is about 40mph. This is not a complaint at all, just an observation and a warning to slow the heck down.

One very important difference I observed is that this car is so stable when driving in rainy conditions. On my 2000, whenever it rained, I had to hold the wheel with both hands because it felt like the car was hydroplaning and driving over highway expansion joints caused the wheel to want to pull towards the right. I did not feel comfortable driving in wet conditions with that car. On the 05, I was driving in rain, and the car was so quiet and comfortable I didn’t realize the road was wet. I had one hand on the wheel, and my mouth agape as I was driving 75mph in moderate rain and the car felt stable. I love the fact that driving in the rain is not scary anymore.

Economy

No complaints here, I can get close to 28mpg on the highway, but driving to the city everyday brings me down to 20-22 which is not bad considering I got 18mpg on my 2000. I just filled up last night at 310 miles driving before the low fuel light came on and it took 15 gallons, which was not bad. Considering my 2000, I could only go about 250 miles before refueling, and that car took about 14gallons on each fill up. The end of December the family and I are going on a southern tour (Carolinas, and Georgia) to visit family, so we’ll see how the Max handles a fully loaded car at highway speeds. As a note, I notice that the car idles at around 700RPM, but when the A/C cycles on and off or the steering wheel is moved a little while idle, you will see the RPM’s dip a little and regain normal idle speed.

Interior/Comfort/Ergonomics

I’m just getting used to the seats. For some reason, I have to adjust the seat back a lot further than on my 2000 in order for me to feel comfortable. Tilt/Telescoping steering is a great feature, and that helped me to get comfortable as well. As of now, the driver’s seat is in the ideal condition for me, I just wish that Japanese automakers would extend the seat bottom a few more inches. The seat bottom is way too short for extended driving in my opinion!!!

Navigation is great as well as the integrated radio and vehicle electronics system. I probably would have bought the Non-Navi model if the info screen looked a little better. The controls in the center console are too small and not distinct, making me have to take my eyes off the road, but luckily the radio controls are on the steering wheel, so other than climate control adjustments, I barely touch the center console. I just want to know why in gods name Nissan decided not to illuminate the steering wheel controls at night?

The VDC and Heated steering controls are so far under the dash that it is tough to get at most of the time. I understand that you don’t need to use these buttons while driving, but the heated steering button should be located on the console somewhere or the door panel. The heated seat buttons also should have been moved to a more visible location as well.

The climate control is nice as well. If I’m not mistaken, it seems as if the compressor cycles on and off as needed? I assumed this because the cooling fans turn on for about 15 seconds and shut back off, as well as the engine RPM dipping a little and then regaining normal idle speeds. On my 2000 once the A/C was engaged, the fan ran until you shut the A/C back off again. It was annoying, and that I why I did not use the auto mode in the winter. I really like the 05 system because it makes the car extremely quiet. Another observation was when I left the car idling for a few minutes; I noticed that the fans have two speeds. The first two minutes of the car idling, the fan kicked in at low speed and I could barely notice any noise, but a few minutes later the fan kicked in at high speed, the sound noticeably increased, so much so that I had to check to temp gauge to see if it was overheating. I was just impressed that the car needed additional cooling and decided to step up the air flow a bit, since the car wasn’t moving.

Wrap up

In conclusion, it really isn’t fair to compare this car with previous generation Maxima’s. This car is so different from my 2000 in many ways that it’s astounding. The ride is way different (I test drove the SE and the SL as well on the highway), and to me seems to be more highway oriented which I prefer. I’m getting older and the joys of not hearing a loud banging noise when hitting a deep pothole or tire slapping noises on expansion joints on the highway is a welcome upgrade for me. But don’t sleep on the car as it can take some sharp turns without much body roll, and feel stable doing so.

The car is a cornucopia of Performance, Comfort and Value. There is no other vehicle on the Market that gives you as many features for the price. To get a BMW with those features you would be paying over $50,000 for the car. I feel extremely lucky to have purchased this vehicle after years of leasing and thank god we don’t has as many problems as the new TL (driveline problems, rattles, tires worn down after 4000 miles, etc). I have confidence that the car, although it has its quirks and annoyances, is the best vehicle out there in its class, and look forward to the many years of ownership.

 

I agree with just about everything you said. I bought an 04 SL on October 19, and your impressions mirror mine.

 

I agree as well. The 6th gen Maxima is lots of performance, style, and luxury for the money. I just passed 6k miles and the good news, MaxMus, is that it gets better the more miles you put on it.

Enjoy!

 

Excellent write up. I have test driven a 2004 SE but did not have it long enough to get a good feel (just around the block and back on the highway).

I find the 6th gen very comparable to the 2002 - 2003. The SE felt like it had a harder suspension than the 2002 - 2003 SE, but that could be my suspension softening over time (36k miles on mine currently). It definately did not drive like a large car (not sure how much bigger it is than my 2002).

I liked the interior and ergonomics. The only dislike I had was the steering wheel material felt cheaper than my leather perforated wheel. The power seemed about the same, maybe a little more. All in all a great car for the money. Comparable items on any other foreign car would cost much more (and you can get it with a stick shift makes it that much more appealing).

 

Maxmus - a nice writeup.

I have a couple of related questions for you. For those of us who are leasing from Nissan for the first time,

1. Did you have any problems, or surprises when you ended your lease? (I'm talking about extra charges, etc.)

2. Do you still have your lease-end wear-and-tear guidlines (the document telling you what is considered acceptable condition for the car to be returned with no charges)? If so , can you share that with us?

Many thanks -

Mike

 

Maxmus,

Excellent review! I, too, bought a Smoke 3.5 SL on October 29th. it is my first Maxima (I traded up from a 2002 Sentra SE-R), and I must say that I am quite pleased so far. My only gripe after 850 miles is that the center console is a bit too sharply cornered and it bothers my right leg when driving. I've resorted to folding a small towel and placing it in between my leg and the console.

 

I had an 05SE as a rental car a few weeks ago (I own an 04SE) and I noticed a few things that were different.

First thing was that damn airbag light in the middle of the dash near the window, that was annoying as hell. They made some changes on the door handles, they weren't bad. There was also another dc power point near the shifter, that was nice.

I wasn't impressed with the cloth seats, but that is the first time I have sat in the max with out leather, so I don't know if it was different.

One thing is for sure, out of all of the crappy GM cars I have rented over the year (about 47 days worth) this was by far the best car I have rented when it comes to power, handling and comfort.

 

I have to agree about everything you have said so far. Have you noticed some of the things that seem out of place for a car of this price range and caliber? Such as the alignment of your front hood. Check this by looking at the the space between the front lights and the hood. On my car I can place my pinky in the gap on the left side. This varies from car to car. Have you noticed the glove box?
Get these little annoyances fixed at the first oil change!

As far as the power this car posesses, it's really about the weight that it doesn't posess: aluminum body panels, aluminum hood and trunk, plastic and rubber,
aluminum engine, aluminum and stainless steel exhaust, titanium transmission, ect.
This car weighs the same as the new Mustang and it's a smaller coupe!
Easy to get 300 HP out of this engine! CAI, CAT, ect.
This can do 0-60 in under 6 secs. moded and yet it truly shines as a highway cruiser.
I have an 05 SE fully loaded except for NAV and I can say that this car is fast! One word of advice: When passing a slow moving car on the highway that's doing about 45 - 55 mph, change lanes first and then stomp on the pedal otherwise you could be sitting in it's trunk! Oh and definately get the CAI....this car breathes easier and gets better performance and gas mileage with it! It will be a couple of hundred bucks well spent!

Now go out there and enjoy the ride! Happy motoring!

 

I have been hearing how different people say the SL is from the SE. Is the SE bad, or what. I like the interior of the SE better, and the sports handling, but I do not want to deal with the rattles when going over potholes and things like that, in the SE. Would there be any way to get the SE with the SL ride, or is that not possible. Does anyone have the SE, and how does it ride?

 

Actually, most of us have SE's. It sells about 3 to 1 over the SL. The suspension in the SE isn't as bad as you must think, and in fact isn't bad at all. I've had mine for over a year and 22,000 miles now, and it's settled down long ago to a very nice, controlled ride. Yes, if you hit a sharp-edged pothole, it will go "thunk", but that doesn't mean rattles ... mine is still rattle-free. But if you think about it, almost all cars will thunk to some degree on a big pothole, and you have to go to a Lincoln Town Car or something to get it muffled down all the way.

The answer, of course, is for you to test drive both cars and make up your own mind. I'll warn you about one thing, though ... most dealers don't seem to check the tire pressure in their "lot cars", and they are shipped with 45-50 psi from the factory. Take along your own tire gauge and check a tire before you take your test drive. Bleed them down to 30 psi before you drive. Yeah, they'll think you're nuts, but what the hell. If you don't, you may think all Maximas ride and drive like covered wagons.

Also keep in mind you'll give up those great 18" wheels with the SL ...

Mike

 

Great review! I just picked up my Onyx 05 and have 500 miles on it so I am still breaking it in but the car is unreal! Definately the most car for the money. I too drove it till the fuel light went on and was surprised that it only took 15 gallons when the tank is 20. I average 21 MPG driving and can't wait till I drive cross country to Nevada to see what I get.

 

2002 Maxima SE - Yeah, the steering wheel does feel a little cheaper (maybe because Nissan uses the same steering wheel on all of their vehicles), but compared to my 2000 SE it definately grips better. For instance, I can comfortably make one handed turns in the 05 without my hand feeling like it's slipping from the wheel.

Mike - I turned my car in on November 6th to a Nissan Dealership and I have yet to get the bill for the $300 disposition fee and the additional wear and tear.

I leased from Chase and they did not have a lease-end wear and tear guide, but I spoke with them and they told me about the disposition fee and that they cover up to $1500 in wear and tear items, which surprised me a little. I had the car detailed inside and out, and any scratches painted before I turned it in, but we'll see shortly if there are any surprise bills that will be sent to me shortly.

I also changed tires because the Potenzas on the 2000 were dangerous, and they told me that they didn't care what tires, just that it had to have a certain amout of tread on it.

prymal - I haven't had any complaints about the sharply angled center console yet after close to 1600 miles on the clock. I assume you rest your leg on the console when driving? I am pretty short so my leg never really gets a chance to rest there.

gmc74 - I don't even realize that airbag light there most of the times. Most of my concentration is on the speedo, because before I know it i'm over 85mph.

xorbitman - I will check the alignment of my hood tomorrow morning before I leave for work. My glovebox is perfectly aligned so i'm not having that issue. I did have my front passenger fender piece crack in two the first 3 days of owning the car, but the dealer fixed that and put my plates on for me in just one hour.

the only mods i'm looking at right now is SAT radio (can't decide which is better), adding a sub to supplement this crappy calibrated Bose setup, maybe some tint, clear bra, lip spoiler, and grill.

You are right about getting into the other lane and then stomping it because with this car, you'll be right under the trunk of another car before you can blink. I'm still getting used to the car though, I can't believe it's this fast and so damn quiet. I can't tell how fast i'm going because I can't hear the engine most of the time.

NissanFreak2000 - I test drove both models and the SE had a bit firmer ride. I love the 18" wheels on the SE model though, and wish the SL was offered with 18's.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I wanted to wait until I had a feel for the car before posting my thoughts for the record. You new guys with the new 05's, feel free to post detailed reviews of your cars. And lots of pictures.

 

Mike, I'm shocked! Why would you be concerned of such things?!! I thought the yearlings were out the house and gone!!!

 

Outstanding review MaxMus! You had me on the edge of my seat w/ every word. Couldn't agree w/ you more... The MAX has more than satisfied my needs as a MAX enthusiast. Everytime I see another MAX on the road (6th Gen or otherwise), I get so excited and my family can attest to that... I act like a little kid because I can't believe how good this vehicle looks rolling down the street--no matter what trim...SE or SL... Well, it was really entertaining reading your review...better than some of those you read in the magazines... Sometimes real life experiences and accounts are much more believable... Those "professional" drivers get paid (and paid very well) to say what they say... Say what you want, but MY MAX is awesome!!!

 

Hope you did not lease a 2000 that manufactured at Friday by some sleepy Japan union workers.

 

Good review... I purchased an 05 maxima SE this Sat for my wife. i acually liked the SL better because it had the 17's but the woodgrain was more then i could stand so we went with the SL.. The ride is not bad at all but you can definatly tell it has the 18's and the stiffer suspension.. I have not really gotten on the car very heavy but i did not get it for speed.. I had a few LS1 camaro's that ran low 12's so i am sure the speed will not impress me to much.. But overall we are very happy with the car..

 

Well, I would say that low 12s is pretty impressive...but the MAX ain't no slouch either... When you get the chance, check it out! You'll agree w/ most of us here...that for a lux sport sedan, it gets up and holds its own!!!