The new 7th gen is growing onto me. It was like the 6th gen. At first your hesitant if you like it or not then after looking at it more you grow to like it. The performance specs are decent and Im hoping its a pleasant ride.

But nissan outdid themselves with the g35 and I can't see myself getting a new maxima with the 4 door g35 being the perfect car imo for a maxima enthusiast like me.

 

I like it and I will be considering buying one in a year or two if they come out with a stick shift. (I got a 04 6spd right now)

Putting that 4DSC sticker on that car is nothing but a dumb marketing gimmick. Sports cars have manual transmissions and no foot operated e breaks.

 

I love it. Yes. It has familiarities to other vehicles, but it is definitely a Maxima. It's attractive. Classy and sporty at the same time. And lets be real, most of us would mod it anyway. I bet it will be sexy dropped.

 

'True' sports cars of the past and present may have manual transmissions, but the time is coming when sports sedans will not have manuals. The very idea of driving a manual in modern metropolitan congestion is rather backward.

In the past, manuals were associated with better fuel efficency than autos, although the type of driver buying a manual usually drove in a manner that negated that advantage. Those days are gone. Today's six and seven speed autos get essentially the same MPG as manuals. As the CVT continues improving, it will get a higher MPG than either Manual or auto transmissions. The laws of physics tell us that; every shift by any tranny, no matter how well managed, is a few drops of fuel lost.

Those here who feel a car with a CVT cannot be a sports car are lucky they are living at this time. The CVT in some form will be the transmission of more and more vehicles as we move into an era when gas becomes very expensive and regulations require every manufacturer to continue increasing fleet MPG.

For me, the definition of a sports sedan is based more on how the car performs and handles than how the driver performs (i.e. manual). Our 7th generation Maxima may well prove to be a very sweet-handling road performer; one I would love to take on a twisting mountain road. If this is true, then the '4DSC' decal will certainly be very well earned; much more so than say the 3rd gen Maxima, although that was a fine vehicle in itself.

 

getting tired of reading this the new GT-R nissans ultimate sports car doesn't have a manual transmission and still beats the 911 turbo and corvette z06 with manual transmission. so if maxima big brother can do it so can the maxima with its own transmission. this CVT transmission will be even better then the manual. CVT delivers constant power surge through as silky smooth ride. it will automatically select different gear ratios better then what any manual could create. all the guys on the form i want you to be the first to test drive this car when it comes into your local dealership and then comeback and tell me if you still want the manual. i bet you will be like f the MT love the CVT. evolution is inevitable CVT is the next step in the evolution of the transmission.

 

To me, the truest essence of a sports car is how it handles. The 6G has strayed quite far from that essence. If the handling of the 7G returns to decent levels, then I have no problem whatsover with the 4DSC moniker, regardless of whether it has 255hp vs. 290 hp vs. 330 hp, or what transmission it has.

 

True I love the new look!!!

IMO put a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and now 7th gen Max side by side and offer anyone the keys for a free pick of which car they would take home and I'll bet at the end of the day the lot will still be full of 5th Gen's and below...

 

The new Max is freakin HOT!!!

 

i really like the coke bottle design, where it widens in the back and front. it gives it a sporty look.

 

1st newbie post. Here's my take on all of this:
Recently got myself a 2008 Maxima- Great deal on it and decided to get an older design so I wouldn't have to deal with first year bugs. Love the car very much.

Then this model debuted. My first takes on it:

Exterior is not ugly by any means. Quite modern to look at but I think it looses some of the of uniqueness that the 6th Gen had. The front end is a bit weird but I could easily get use to it. Headlights are definitely the most awkward thing at the front. Even with the square grill, that extra "bump" in the headlight ruins it.

The rest of the body is pretty good looking and sharper but the rear, albeit attractive, reminds me of the Lexus ES350.



My overall view on the 2009 Maxima is that it has styling cues from many other vehicles out there. It's an attractive car and you may think it looks much better than my "boat" 6th Gen but I feel that it's lost some of it's uniqueness. I feel that the 6th gen stands out more while the 7th can easily blend in.

Will I want to get one in a few years? Probably but I'm perfectly content with what I have now. However, the creature comforts and performance upgrade is definitely a plus.

 

i like the overall exterior design; im not a fan of the cockpit, though. the seats and interior, otherwise, look nice. i dont imagine the performance of the car is any different. same cvt, same independent suspension. nissan is playing it safe in terms of mechanics, but a "supposed" upgrade to horsepower and use of the D platform (does this really eliminate torque steer?). if its real, you might see 15 horsepower gained at the wheels. this is about $$$/rehashing current technology. i think the paddleshift and the 1/8th inch auxillary sound input are great ideas for gaining attention; how many affordable cars have paddleshift, you know?

the good news is that we can all go out and get an 06, 07, or 08 at the end of the year for a really good price. i own an 05' altima se-r, so its going to take A LOT (se with bose, satellite installed, leather, black or dark grey exterior) to get me to trade up...and even then, performance-wise, im trading down.

C+ as well; buy a used '07 and save some money for now.

we all know the 7.5 is going to be the car to be REALLY excited about -every other generation, there is a significant engine upgrade on the 0.5 gens...the 3.5 moved to the ve30de, the 5.5 moved to the vq35de , and the 7.5 gen will likely move to a vq37de or vq37vhr...and they always make good changes to the design, too

 

...that those who are complaining that the 7th Gen 2009 Maxima isn't RWD or AWD are driving FWD Maximas?

I mean it's seriously silly to complain about and desire something that is surely not going to or needs to happen. Nissan started the 4DSC campaign after they switched the Max to FWD!!!!! No one has to wonder how important RWD was when you purchased your FWD Maxima!!!!!!! You may have wanted RWD, but you still bought a Maxima.

Now what does that tell you?

 

The Maxima is supposed to be a sporty vechile but also pratical for transporting families. It is a compromise between the husband/wife that wants a sporty car and a husband/wife that wants a family sedan. It is safer for the family and the driver to have FWD in inclimate weather. Therefore FWD is the best choice for a car like this.

 

i find this thread to be " silly " and

 

i find it silly you felt this needed to be it's own thread.

i concur

 

I find it silly that you actually thought of this all by yourself. :

 

i still respect his opinion because he's a time-tested maxima owner

 

But just found out about this place less than a year ago?

 

 

He’s had that many Maximas, but never knew about the best / most informative Maxima site? I forgive you since; well you have a 6th gen and joined around the 6th gen introduction timeframe.

 

forgive me for what? i just made your statement more accurate.

man this silly thread is confusing errybody

i'm gonna go drive my maxima since all this 7th gen talk makes me want to mod her since i can't trade.

(actually i joined the day before i bought my Max... but was using this site to research them since i always wanted one)

 

We should try to compound on this thread. I didn't notice the correction made there.

 

alot of cars are going back to rwd... even pontiac has a rwd v8 sedan now and I think we reached the limits of 4dsc performance with fwd awhile ago, everytime I drive my Maxima I realize its at the limits of fwd performance =/

and yes I have a fwd Maxima but I also have 2 rwd and one 4wd Nissan cars/trucks that make me wish Nissan could make a flagship rwd sedan

wish...

 

i think people are complaining because they want an "upgrade" from their current car. if your looking at it from the performance aspect rwd/awd would be better starting point.

 

in before the lock...thread is silly. go read a book or newspaper

 

Everyone is talking about how the car is for family this and that. We'll every car is for family. You want a family car go buy camry or the 4 dr altima or any other 4 door car for that matter.

This is out flag ship car for nissan... Nissan needed to make a step and come out with a sc diesel or really just change the whole look of the car. I mean come on were in 09..this model is going to be around for 3 or 4 years? IMO they need some outside the box thinkers to put together the outside of the car. I mean how basic can you get.

The inside too? Think touch screen interface to every option in the car...that you're actually able to touch or hit while driving....the 06 and 07 had a better radio/nav section...

I guess im really ******* the car I mean it is ok...but just IMO not up to par. It's 2009 and theres not really any WOW's. Someone just got lazy with the design.

 

I just hate the grill because its too much of a rectangle. Looks too plain and the bottom corners of the headlights where the bottom cuts looks super ugly it looks like two different people were designing the lower bumper and front fenders.

 

Rumor has it that Nissan is interested in feedback from the Org. Since there are many threads about the 7th generation Maxima, maybe we can STICKY this one and use it for our feedback and criticism. Lets try to keep it respectful and constructive so Nissan will not regret looking to us for feedback.


I'll start off by saying I like what I see very much and I cannot wait to test drive and see how it handles.

 

Very disapointed. They're making it totally pointless to buy a maxima..You're better off getting a fully loaded altima or a low end G35. The design seems to copy every car on the market. The front seems to take the scion tc, the rear is a camry and yaris..

 

Totally agree. Also, whats up with the aluminium border around each **** and button in the dash? That makes the dash look so cheap. The 2007-08 Maxima w/o navigation had a much more classy dash.

The side profile of the car looks good to me. I also like the dual moonroof and other features over the 2007-08 Maxima. In my opinion, the greatest achievement of Nissan with the 09 Maxima is that they have maintained the mpg even after increasing 35hp and 9 lb-ft torque.

Kudos Nissan. Change the few things and we have the best Maxima ever.

 

I disliked the pics as soon as I saw them, but after looking at the video presentation at the NY Auto Show, I have to admit the car looks really awesome, the rear looks really aggro and the front (which I disliked in the pics so much) actually looks quite aggro also, after seeing it on the rotating floor.

Pics by experience, don't do justice. When this car hits the streets and we get to look at it in person, it will for sure grow pretty quick on everybody's hearts, especially us org members, I have not doubts about that.

I love my 6th gen a lot and the replacement finally passes my grade (it did today) after looking at that video. Kudos to Nissan for making a strong car (I have the feeling reliability will be better than the early 6th Gens) and for making a rear that I'm drooling for, it's unbelievable!

 

Im liking the car in and out. Very nice outcome with the designers. They made a great coupe style design as a four door bringing back the 4DSC look. We wont be able to tell the actual 4dsc soul until we test drive it but its a go in my book.

 

I like it more than the 6th gen.

 

This man speaks da truth...

 

when you said gtr like front I was expecting this...






O well I guess I will have to do something about it, If I can get my hands on a 7th gen.

 

Saw it at NYAS in person, much nicer I think than my original thoughts. Still not going crazy over it. However, Nissan, please give us some exciting colors (oranges, yellows, etc)! Return burnt copper to your cars, no more boring beiges and silvers please!

 

I personally REALLY like it and will consider getting one.

 

i think it loooks 10 times better than the 6 gen.....

 

Looks are purely a matter of personal preference. I really like the looks of the 7th gen a lot.

Not my favorite wheels (those can be replaced), but not bad, either. Like some others, I could do without that lens that strangely sticks out to the rear at the bottom of the headlight assembly. But even those are growing on me. From a position standing anywhere around the car, that strange lens is not really noticable. The position of the camera for most of these introduction shots was very near the ground, and over-emphasized lower details of the car, such as that lens. Standing beside the car (I base this on a few photos I saw taken from eye level), what I notice is the beautiful sculpting of the hood and front fenders. I think folks seeing this car 'in person' will like it more than they did from these photos.

Thank goodness they kept the Maxima a very practical FWD vehicle, just as it has been for 24 long and wonderful years. The poster who said the Maxima has reached its limit with FWD is not thinking straight. The Maxima is supposed to be affordable, stylish, very well-handling, and practical. The practical part means no V8, and no wasted horsepower. 290 HP from an engine that gets as good mileage as the older less-powerful one is about as practical as I could ever have wished.

I still feel the best is yet to come. I have a good feeling that most of the little nitpicking problems associated with the 6th gen, especially the early ones, will not be there in the 7th gen. I also feel this 7th gen will prove to be a very good handling car. The list of changes Nissan listed that affect handling was longer than Al Capone's rap sheet. I eagerly await Motor Trend, Car and Driver and Road and track running this car through its paces. I'll bet we have a real winner here.

 

Yeah what he said.