2009 Nissan Maxima pics/videos
The car at Stillen was pre-production, there were some pieces inside that were clearly not fitting right and didn't even have texture. The guy that was there from Nissan confirmed...
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,197
From: Displaced New Yorker in Southern, MD
The car culture is what you make it. Also depends on what part of VA you roll from. I've lived in San Diego and Long Beach, Ca and the culture was no different than the crews I've been rolling with in MD, VA, and DC including shows and meets which bring more Nissan's with bigger attendance. Now if you're referring to Low Riders, your statement holds true!!!
With that said, I still have tons of love for my West Coast brothers...
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
I would hope it would not be over 132. If I ever saw anyone driving at speeds greater than that on a public road, I would be on speed-dial to the authorities instantly. The driving public has a right to expect better behavior than that. The few times I have been over 120, I knew that if something as simple as a large duck hit the windshield with me travelling that speed, the world as I know it would be over. Anything more major, such as a deer leaping in front of the car, or a tire blowing, and anything coming the other way could also be obliterated in a flash.
If I am interested in speeds over 132, I will leave my Maxima passenger sedan at home, get a GT-R and take it to the track.
If I am interested in speeds over 132, I will leave my Maxima passenger sedan at home, get a GT-R and take it to the track.
Well, as a car developed on the Nurburgring, I doubt the maximum speed will be 130. That has been surpassed years ago for lots of family cars. I'd expect at very least 160mph. I believe the 5th gen SEs went to 160+. Anything less than that I'd consider a step backwards.
Well, as a car developed on the Nurburgring, I doubt the maximum speed will be 130. That has been surpassed years ago for lots of family cars. I'd expect at very least 160mph. I believe the 5th gen SEs went to 160+. Anything less than that I'd consider a step backwards.
because we have really up-ed the speed limit to a number somewhere even close to this...
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 300
Well, as a car developed on the Nurburgring, I doubt the maximum speed will be 130. That has been surpassed years ago for lots of family cars. I'd expect at very least 160mph. I believe the 5th gen SEs went to 160+. Anything less than that I'd consider a step backwards.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
Testing' here by ORG members indicated that the 5th and 6th gens were limited by computer to around 140-145 MPH. Virtually no production car will reach the top speed shown on the speedo, and the 'cutoff' these days is usually a computer-controlled one.
If I had to guess, I would bet the 7th gen computer cutoff is between 132 MPH and 140 MPH. These Maximas are designed to be the best FWD sporty passenger sedan on the road, not race cars. The current state of the CVT is great for normal use, but may not be ready for ridiculously high speeds.
Times are definitely changing, and the old adage of 'faster is better' has seen its day. I would not be surprised to see the government put upper limits on the speed passenger sedans can go. We had a touch of that back in the early-to-mid 1970s. Yes, I would hate that, but would not be surprised.
With ever growing populations, ever spreading gridlock, ever depleting petroleum supplies, more and more relatively untrained drivers on the road, and more and more drivers distracted by phones and other technical gadgets, speed will become less and less important, and more and more limited by enforcement.
The 'good old days' of free-spirited driving are sadly coming to an end. I hate that it had to happen in my lifetime, because I like to think I was one of those 'free-spirited' sorts.
If I had to guess, I would bet the 7th gen computer cutoff is between 132 MPH and 140 MPH. These Maximas are designed to be the best FWD sporty passenger sedan on the road, not race cars. The current state of the CVT is great for normal use, but may not be ready for ridiculously high speeds.
Times are definitely changing, and the old adage of 'faster is better' has seen its day. I would not be surprised to see the government put upper limits on the speed passenger sedans can go. We had a touch of that back in the early-to-mid 1970s. Yes, I would hate that, but would not be surprised.
With ever growing populations, ever spreading gridlock, ever depleting petroleum supplies, more and more relatively untrained drivers on the road, and more and more drivers distracted by phones and other technical gadgets, speed will become less and less important, and more and more limited by enforcement.
The 'good old days' of free-spirited driving are sadly coming to an end. I hate that it had to happen in my lifetime, because I like to think I was one of those 'free-spirited' sorts.
Testing' here by ORG members indicated that the 5th and 6th gens were limited by computer to around 140-145 MPH. Virtually no production car will reach the top speed shown on the speedo, and the 'cutoff' these days is usually a computer-controlled one.
If I had to guess, I would bet the 7th gen computer cutoff is between 132 MPH and 140 MPH. These Maximas are designed to be the best FWD sporty passenger sedan on the road, not race cars. The current state of the CVT is great for normal use, but may not be ready for ridiculously high speeds.
Times are definitely changing, and the old adage of 'faster is better' has seen its day. I would not be surprised to see the government put upper limits on the speed passenger sedans can go. We had a touch of that back in the early-to-mid 1970s. Yes, I would hate that, but would not be surprised.
With ever growing populations, ever spreading gridlock, ever depleting petroleum supplies, more and more relatively untrained drivers on the road, and more and more drivers distracted by phones and other technical gadgets, speed will become less and less important, and more and more limited by enforcement.
The 'good old days' of free-spirited driving are sadly coming to an end. I hate that it had to happen in my lifetime, because I like to think I was one of those 'free-spirited' sorts.
If I had to guess, I would bet the 7th gen computer cutoff is between 132 MPH and 140 MPH. These Maximas are designed to be the best FWD sporty passenger sedan on the road, not race cars. The current state of the CVT is great for normal use, but may not be ready for ridiculously high speeds.
Times are definitely changing, and the old adage of 'faster is better' has seen its day. I would not be surprised to see the government put upper limits on the speed passenger sedans can go. We had a touch of that back in the early-to-mid 1970s. Yes, I would hate that, but would not be surprised.
With ever growing populations, ever spreading gridlock, ever depleting petroleum supplies, more and more relatively untrained drivers on the road, and more and more drivers distracted by phones and other technical gadgets, speed will become less and less important, and more and more limited by enforcement.
The 'good old days' of free-spirited driving are sadly coming to an end. I hate that it had to happen in my lifetime, because I like to think I was one of those 'free-spirited' sorts.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
G09madmax -I've never posted photos here either. But before this day is done, some helpful poster here will come to the rescue.
In the meantime, you could fill us in on whether you got the S, SV, SV+Sport or SV+Premium, as well as exterior and interior colors. Even more important, how do you like your car? Good points? Not so good points? How does it compare to your previous ride? How is the CVT doing? Your impressions on the styling would be appreciated. Is the ride soft, firm, very firm, etc? Anything you can feed us will be devoured and appreciated.
In the meantime, you could fill us in on whether you got the S, SV, SV+Sport or SV+Premium, as well as exterior and interior colors. Even more important, how do you like your car? Good points? Not so good points? How does it compare to your previous ride? How is the CVT doing? Your impressions on the styling would be appreciated. Is the ride soft, firm, very firm, etc? Anything you can feed us will be devoured and appreciated.
NINE-time Maxima Owner
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 680
From: Charlotte
Hey... good luck on the new Max.
An easy way to post pictures is to:
One other suggestion - if your pics are from a multi-megapixel cameras, they will probably be very large in both image and file size once uploaded. You should really scale (resize) them down to a lower resolution. Photobucket has online tools for this, but if you are a WinXP user I would recommend Microsoft's Image Resizer PowerToy (free download from Microsoft). Once installed, all you have to do is right click on any image file (or multiple files) and select "resize image" from the pop-up menu. For message boards, the "small" option works well. Nothing could be simpler.
An easy way to post pictures is to:
- Upload them to photobucket.com (you will need to create a free account).
- Once they are uploaded, put an "X" next to the pics you want to post and click on the "Generate HTML & IMG code" button.
- Copy the text in the "IMG for message boards" section.
- Paste the text into your maxima.org post.
One other suggestion - if your pics are from a multi-megapixel cameras, they will probably be very large in both image and file size once uploaded. You should really scale (resize) them down to a lower resolution. Photobucket has online tools for this, but if you are a WinXP user I would recommend Microsoft's Image Resizer PowerToy (free download from Microsoft). Once installed, all you have to do is right click on any image file (or multiple files) and select "resize image" from the pop-up menu. For message boards, the "small" option works well. Nothing could be simpler.
Last edited by jcalabria; Jul 23, 2008 at 06:54 AM.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 28
I still think the 5th generation is the best looking model. They went overboard with the angles on this one but I would say it's very different from other four door cars on the market. I haven't seen it in person but it looks like it's small from the pictures compared to a 5th gen.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
FM1970 - The consensus here on the ORG is that the '09 Maxima looks greatly different in person than in pics. Try to get a peek at one whenever you get the chance.
The '09 is only between one and two inches shorter than the 6th gen, but is wider, giving a more athletic look, a much shorter turning radius, quicker slalom times and less lean in corners.
The '09 is only between one and two inches shorter than the 6th gen, but is wider, giving a more athletic look, a much shorter turning radius, quicker slalom times and less lean in corners.
need for speed
R35 GT-R's speedo goes to 340kmph (211mph); I would invite the Maxima's top speed to be as high as possible to maintain sport/performance sedan stature as it exists with the GT-R's halo status as highest performance 2dr coupe':
I saw one on the road last month...charcoal and the 09 Max looks really better in real than on pictures. I like the line of the car and the interior is just so freshh... just wait to drive one...
Foot e brake? Is that a joke??????
It looks pretty good, I wish it had retained more of the aggressive look on the front end as seen in the 5th gens.
If we get good specs it'll be an amazing car. If it ends up weighing a lot though with the same damn vq35 then it'll be a fail.
It looks pretty good, I wish it had retained more of the aggressive look on the front end as seen in the 5th gens.
If we get good specs it'll be an amazing car. If it ends up weighing a lot though with the same damn vq35 then it'll be a fail.
LMFAO 5th gen agressive front end ? wtf is so agressive about it ? i think 7th gen is the best looking maxima , watch when people start lowering the car omg , the only bad thing is no manual tr. , either way 5th and 5.5 gen 6 speed are slow so 5th gen owners stop bashing the car!
CVT on 7th gen doesn't feel fast. I've driven it.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
We must remember part of the feeling of power in the 5th gen was the firm pull at each gear change. The 7th gen doesn't have that feel, because it doesn't pause to shift; just keeps accellerating.
Don't get me wrong; I loved my 5th gen, and really hurt when I let it go. It was a very solid car. But, in my opinion, the 7th gen has moved past it in almost every way. The only reason I included that 'almost' is the lack of a manual on the 7th gen.
The CVT on the 6th gen did not feel exceptionally fast, but elapsed times tell us the 7th gen CVT is a whole different animal. Just as the 7th gen is bigger, heavier and vastly better equipped than the 5th gen, it will also be faster as folks learn the nuances of the CVT.
We must remember part of the feeling of power in the 5th gen was the firm pull at each gear change. The 7th gen doesn't have that feel, because it doesn't pause to shift; just keeps accellerating.
Don't get me wrong; I loved my 5th gen, and really hurt when I let it go. It was a very solid car. But, in my opinion, the 7th gen has moved past it in almost every way. The only reason I included that 'almost' is the lack of a manual on the 7th gen.
We must remember part of the feeling of power in the 5th gen was the firm pull at each gear change. The 7th gen doesn't have that feel, because it doesn't pause to shift; just keeps accellerating.
Don't get me wrong; I loved my 5th gen, and really hurt when I let it go. It was a very solid car. But, in my opinion, the 7th gen has moved past it in almost every way. The only reason I included that 'almost' is the lack of a manual on the 7th gen.
The lack of pull of the CVT is really a huge downer for me. I'm sorry to outright admit that because I tried to like the paddles in manual mode. But I just couldn't like them, and I wasn't at all impressed with the CVT's way of delivering the power from the engine. A CVT type of transmission, as it is currently presented, has no place in a sports car.
Otherwise, if you are the type that doesn't care about manual shifting and welcomes new gadgets, then the rest of the new Maxima is spot-on. Nice interior, nice body design. Just not really a sports sedan. Not in my opinion.
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 264
From: A T L
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
I learned to drive in the 1940s (on a three speed manual Studebaker), and drove only manuals until most passenger cars switched to the mushy two-speed slush boxes of the early 1950s. By late 1970s, I was driving a Datsun 200SX wth 5 speed manual. Fun! When I bought my two '85 Maximas, I ended up back with automatics, as my wife was switching from an Oldsmobile, and did not drive manuals.
At this point, the traffic is so bad where I live the manual serves no purpose. In fact, if traffic gets any worse, I won't even need a tranny, as I will just be sitting there.
The primary reason I am not bothered by the switch to CVT is because elementary physics tells us a tranny that does not have to shift, when properly programmed, will be more fuel efficient and have better accelleration than any tranny that shifts. Not saying the software is totally there yet, but from what several early birds are reporting from longer freeway trips with this '09 (30 and 32 MPG), the CVT has definitely caught up to shifting trannies.
There will always be a group of avid drivers who will never be happy with the CVT, just as most of those same drivers will never consider a CVT-powered car to be a sports car. All I can say to those folks is that I preferred the manual for many years, but understand the CVT may already be a more efficient tranny.
Nobody is saying the CVT will be as much fun to drive as a manual. Just that the fuel crunch, ever-tightening federal fleet MPG regulations, ever more congested traffic, etc, mean that for the bulk of passenger vehicles, the manual will eventually be considered a tranny for fans of old cars. Just like tubed tires and noisy generators and crank-operated vent windows and wire radio antennas sticking into the air.
I love everything about the old days, driving U.S. Route 66 all the way to the waterfront in Santa Monica, cruising Malibu Beach with Leslie Gore singing 'It's My Party, or the Beach Boys singing 'Little Deuce Coupe'. But times pass, and everything changes. Either we change with the times, or we get left behind.
I don't have to like the CVT to understand it is the future.
Lightonthehill
I'm in love with this car. With some 30-35 offset wheels at 19-20" or bigger, lowered and a "lip" the car has gotten pretty aggressive. I know my photoshop skillz aren't the greatest, but oh well!
Last edited by 2002AltimateV6; Aug 17, 2008 at 09:09 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 93
From: Mass/NYC
As for details, I am enjoying my max (due for an oil change soon). When i brought the max to nyc, i think i may have been the 1st to have it on the road there ( and alot of people were breaking their necks ( even BMW drivers)). As for PROs and Cons; There are many and my #1 is the paddle shifters and the 19in stock rims. My only con is that the E-brake is next to my left foot ( oh well ). Its a big step up from driving 06 SE-R Spec V. Any Questions?
