This has been mentioned a couple of times. I don't think the hp has been reduced - it's just a restatement of the hp under the later SAE standard. Other makes have been going through the same thing as the newer standard is phased in, just like when we went from gross to net horsepower ratings years ago. The engine makes the same power - it's just rated differently.

Not sure why you feel this way, light. I personally think the CVT is being employed because it is simpler and cheaper to produce. It has not been shown to be superior in any respect to conventional automatic transmissions, and in fact has a pretty checkered past. GM tried them in the Saturn and Opel (overseas) and pulled out when they couldn't make them work reliably. Chrysler also had a run with CVT's in the Neon and in some foreign offerings, and had similar experience. Ford has a CVT now as an option in the Five Hundred and Focus (?), and acceptance has been underwhelming. Ford's also experienced higher-than-usual mechanical problems with theirs.

True, Nissan has had reasonably good "luck" with theirs in Japanese models, and in the Murano here, but all these are less sporting, lower-hp applications. And the gas mileage ratings are essentially the same as with "regular" AT's.

So I don't necessarily agree the CVT is the "future" of automatic transmissions. I personally think it's a stopgap measure to get around emissions standards (engine revs stay in the "sweet spot" longer) and to save on production costs ...

 

FYI. 265=255 hp. It's the same power. What's changed is how it's rated.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=467145

 

So what you people are trying to say is that the new altima has 275hp based on the old standar, ... i think they are still using the old SAE ratings

 

Not the same engine output. Altima has HIGHER output than the '07 Max with new generation VQ engine, with "twin induction" intake manifold.

http://www.autoorbis.com/ - scroll down

 

The turning lights are made of a band of 5 or 6 clear leds that run along the outside edge of the light housing- near where our amber side marker is. I was at my dealership yesterday and was looking at the new Z and the sales guy coinfirmed that is how the new Max's are going to be.

I would say that the new Altima is replacing the Max in its current form as the Max will move up in its new generation. They will add AWD and an @290 HP engine and change the sheetmetal to eliminate the mistaken identity with the Alti. If you want performance for cutting curves, 6 speed, etc you will have to go Alti but if you want luxuary performance like a Lexus GS you will have to go Max. The overlapping simliar appearance of the Alti and Max is to prepare the consumers for the next leap, they are adding the CVT now in mid generation production so that it is tested and approved by the Max consumer so when it is coupled with the next gen's AWD option no one will balk at the change but accept it as a great step forward. The next Max gen will be out as an 2010 model in 2009- I can't see them launching the new model in 2 years.
My 2 cents.

SHIFT_NextGen

 

I think the cornering light is next to the headlight, aiming out to the side.

Nissan announced a while back that they would introduce a full size sedan in the US market, Maxima is probably going to assume that role. The 7th gen will most likely be a full transformed version. I just don't think the '07 version can last 3 more years, against the competition.

 

well that sucks for the maxima. cvt standard and no option of the 6 speed. engine stayed the same in the maxima but the altima got the next generation of the vq35 just like the new g35 sedan. i stopped carring about the maxima when the 6th gen came out. the 6th gen was already an altima because it was using the altima platform but had a maxima body on it. all i care about now is the new generation of the vq35 and sticking that in my 4th gen.

 

wow!! The max and the altima and the sentra look alike.The pics of the max look ok. however the pics of the max being looked at from the top angle looks like a Lexus is350.and the max is going to have 255hp instead of the 265or above is maybe of the complains that the customers have of there cars having high torque steer maybe this is what nissan is trying to fix

 

I must disagree with the poster who feels Nissan will not replace the '07 after only two years.

The '07 is only a facelift (although a meaningful one) of the '04-'06 Maximas. I feel sure the 6th gen will have long outlived its styling life after five years, and the 7th gen will almost surely appear in spring of '08 as an '09, and will complete the move from our long-lived 4door sports sedan to Nissan's top-of-the-line luxury sedan.

The combination of moving the Altima higher up the scale and making CVT standard across the board for the '07 Maxima practically guarantees that.

 

Wow, I think Nissan is incredibly stupid for making CVT standard. I personally do not like CVT transmissions, and will never buy a car with it. I am glad I have my M35x now, as it seems that Nissan could care less about the die hard Maxima enthusiast.

 

7th gens will be on sale in 2008, as an ALL NEW, not redesigned car. AWD will be an option and this car as well. Don't know if the CVT thing is standard though.

 

Wow.. AWD? I'm not doubting, but how did you find this out?

 

A friend of a friend who has a friend who works as a janitor at Nissan told him.

 

He IS the janitor!

 

The intior is nice but the grill is alittle unsporty..looks good to me.

 

no actually my uncle, the owner of the nissan store i work for, who was presented the owners 1'st award of excelence by Ghosn in japan ( only 4 other nissan dealers in the country have this) told me this.

And just like i said months ago CVT is a deffinate and everyone said its speculation, next gen will have AWD.

 

and to that....
sure beats being a pig

wink ;D

 

Idk if anyone else has already posted, but the 07 Maxima was at the NY auto show on saturday. I liked it alot. Looks nice espically the new interior, it was locked so i couldnt sit in it

 

I guess the 'blacking out the headlight chrome' mod will stop at this model due to the reflectors for the parking and turning lights....I still like my headlamps more.

 

What are you talking about? There are still plenty of chrome in there to black out. Look:

 

Haha...thats good work.....I HOPE nobody attempts this on their '07 because even if it was done right it would look pretty craptastic. You gotta have projectors....or really small reflector to make it worth it (i.e. new vette, F360)

 

Not sure if this has been posted already but the 2007 Max gets less horsepower!:

"Though touted as Nissan’s range topper, the new Maxima’s last gen. VQ 3.5L V6 only produces 255 hp and 252 ft-lbs. "

 

*sigh*

Nope, not less horsepower. Just restated under the new SAE testing procedure. It has affected everyone and most engines rate at a few less hp than under the old standard (or method, to be more accurate).

Same engine, same output, just different standard.

 

Thanks for the qualification.

6 speed CVT may be fun to drive.

 

I'm gonna go out on a limb here-- but a CVT is a 1 gear auto.

 

theres no such thing as an any speed CVT. There is no "gears".

 

What would have been fun is a paddle shifting system like the IS350

 

CVT w/ manual 6 spd shift only simulates gears.

 

RHMax is right:
Yes CVT is a "single gear". In simple terms it's a "V" shaped belt around pulleys. At least one pulley changes width allowing the belt to go deeper into the pulley resulting in that pulley changing rpm. The manualmatic "shift" will open the pulley more aggressively and the result feels like a gear change.

 

Or, to be more precise, it's like lots of gears, since the diameter of the variable pulley (or pullies) can change steplessly through an almost infinite number of ratios. And the pullies are technically the "gears".

But, who's counting ...

 

Hmmm... do we actually know which design Nissan is using? I know that they have the classic belt design, but they also have a high-torque design that uses two rotating discs and some oddly-shaped 'gears' between them. I guess the problem with the 2nd design has typically been a limited gear ratio, but I read a few months ago that this has been fixed. Anyone know?

Thanks!

 

At least it looks better than the new camry!

 

Welcome to the .org, BlueKySL, and thanks for a positive first post. The front view of the SE version of the '07 Camry looks really good. But, like you, I still prefer the Maxima.

I prefer to think of CVT as thousands of gears; an infinite number. One for every possible occasion.

And when all the bugs have been corrected in the the CVT tranny, and the engineers get the onboard computer software set up exactly right, the general laws of physics would indicate that the CVT tranny should be able to out-accellerate 'geared' trannys, as well as get better fuel mileage.

We can say geared trannys give us 'better control of the car' or anything else we want, but all we really lose with the CVT is some of our machoism, and the fun of shifting for ourselves. For some of us, that will be too much to give up.

 

Yeah, what is interesting about the gas mileage point is that I recall someone at Nissan saying that replacing 1 million traditional-tranny cars with cars with CVT's would reduce the fuel consumption by the same amount as replacing 200,000 traditional cars with a hybrid. I wish I could remember who said that though...

 

I just talked to my service tech at nissan and he says the CVT is one of the worst transmissions he has every dealt with, and is very upset his company has gone almost all CVT.

 

The early Murano's had issues w/ CVT's. I believe that has been resolved.

 

That would be correct, but he said he has seen newer Murano's still giving them problems, he said he was very confused to why they went almost all cvt because he thought Nissan corp was getting annoyed with all the repairs.

He also said this maybe just a test run for Nissan, because he said non of the Infiniti's have or are going to get CVT any time soon, and really just want to test the market through Nissan first. So after all that and the info on .org I'm just

 

Went to the NY auto show and saw the new Altima and 07 Maxima there. I would much rather have an 06 Maxima then the new 07 although its not bad. I get the feeling that Nissan is going to get rid of the Maxima in the next couple years.Espically seeing what there doing to the Altima in terms of looks and power. I hope this doesnt happen because I plan to buy a new Maxima within the next couple years. What do you guys think?

 

i think if i am going to buy a new nissan car model it will probably be an altima but it must have a lsd and vq35 6 spd

 

I don't know if anyone else realized, but after the 5th gen. Nissan presented the Maxima as more of a luxury car than a sporty sedan..anyone else think this way too?