I wasn't the one that started tying colors into price. I was told that it was absurd to have those colors on a "near-luxury" car. So I pointed out that near luxury and luxury cars have these colors. I didn't realize opinions can be correct or incorrect on a discussion board.

I don't want the colors because of making flash, I want them because they look cool. The difference comes down to not price but culture. This country does not seem to like to take chances. There is a reason, why Western Europe and Japan/Korea get the cool models; people appreciate things that look different or change without freaking out. They are not tied to the same thing over and over. Of course designers with taste use these colors. How do you think Apple started its renaissance in the United States? Why would Audi use them in their base level sedans?

Just because you wouldn't do something or your kids does not make everyone else like that. I like how you group in Mazdas and smaller cars and deride people for having those colors. The same with Nissan ones being "appropriate." If that isn't an uppity thing to say, I do not what is.

I would hope Nissan would give us a better selection, plain and simple.

 

AJCool2, yeah that would be a cool idea. If they really made it an SE-R (and not just throw a badges on it).

 

Hello everyone! Long time Maxima enthusiast (love the 3rd & 4th Gen) and first-time poster here.

Regarding the whole FWD versus RWD debate, here's my take:

If people want a RWD performance sedan made by Nissan, they need to look to the G35/M35. From a pure business perspective, it would make little sense for Nissan to make the Maxima RWD as it would steal sales away from Infiniti. I do think AWD should be optional as long as it's similar to the Murano's AWD & not Infiniti's ATTESA-ETS. I have the feeling Nissan is holding out for a mid-model refresh and/or the diesel model to be released before they incorporate AWD. With that said, if Nissan truly did engineer the new Maxima to be the best handling FWD performance sedan in the world, I think there is little to worry/complain about.

If Honda/Acura can build a good-handling FWD vehicle, I every confidence that Nissan can do the same if they so choose. FWIW, the Acura TL-S actually beats the IS350 & G35 around a track, in spite of having less horsepower/torque. (Source: http://forums.thecarlounge.net/zerothread?id=3177228) It also appears, at least based on the reviews I've read, that the changes Acura made to the suspension, steering, etc. as part of the refresh in 2006 have pretty much eliminated any hints of torque-steer the vehicle once exhibited.

It's also worth noting, that in spite of some obvious drawbacks of FWD, it does have it's advantages. It's cheaper to make a FWD vehicle, which is part of the reason why the Maxima is able to offer so much content/amenities & performance for the money. It's also more predictable at the limits and easier to control in foul-weather (e.g. snow & rain). It's also better for fuel-economy due to decreased drivetrain loss. In routine driving (7/10ths & below), I doubt most people can tell a well-engineered FWD vehicle from it's RWD counterpart.

 

Well said, and I may say that's one hell of a first time post!

 

Don't forget that FWD cars are usually lighter! An AWD maxima would weigh around 3700lbs +/- and how many max owners would be happy with that?

 

7th gen is going to weigh 3600+ pounds so its not far off.

 

From what I have seen so far I think the car looks pretty cool. I do not like the dash though. I think it looks to plain, instead of ***** you should have given us buttons, or a touch screen. I also agree with a previous member who said that the chrome touch around the vents and buttons make it look cheap. I am also not crazy about the red stitching on the black leather. I do appreciate that Nissan didn't give this car the big wheel gap in the front like previous models. I love the dual panel sunroof I think that is very classy for such a car. I hate that the car is not offered with Sirius Satellite Radio as an option. XM has very poor programing in my opinion, and can only hope that the two companies merge so I wont have to look for a different car that is offered with Sirius. I dont have a problem with the colors since I am only interested in Super Black, like my 4th gen. I cant wait to see it in real life to see if pics and vids do it justice.

 

This is the 1st Maxima in years that I enjoy looking at right away instead of having it grow on me. I bet it'll look awesome when its outside in sunlight.

 

Well, I own a '97 SE, and my favorite cosmetic thing on it that the newer generations lack is... body color trim.

I think there's a decent amount of chrome on the 7th gen, and while it certainly is nice, I think having the option of body colored trim pieces would be of interest to some people. Unlike some of the suggested changes that got shot down, I doubt it is expensive to replace chrome pieces with identical black or body-colored pieces.

The other thing that I, along with many others, dislike, is the the little sidemarker "tail" on the headlights. I think it looks very weird, and not very appealing. Aside from the "tail", the headlights mirror the brakelights in the triangle shape, and I think that is definitely attractive.

I think the option of a 6-speed manual transmission would be appealing to a niche market. I think that semi-luxury cars with manual transmissions are definitely making something of a comeback, especially among people in their mid to late 20s.

There's rumors of a diesel coming in 2010, that would certainly be something to see. From what I've read about modern European cars with diesels, they offer lots of low end torque and power, and are a far cry from the rough and dirty truck motors that us Americans associate with Diesels. A diesel Maxima with lots of torque would be very appealing. And, since a different engine will require revisions to the drivetrain, all-wheel-drive could be offered with the diesel only, without taking away from Infiniti, since they do not make diesels.

To summarize:
-Give us the option of no chrome (a la 4th generation SE)
-Make the diesel powerful, and give the diesel AWD and/or a 6-speed manual
-Offer a version with a 6-speed manual

I wouldn't mind seeing the 7th gen exactly as it is now, FWD + CVT + gasoline VQ35DE (290hp 260tq), in the $28k-$33k range, then a Maxima SE, with optional AWD, optional 6MT, and a 3.7L diesel putting out maybe 250hp 325tq, in the $32k-$35k range. That would be hot.

 

Yeah hopefully its a typo and you can get that (though I guess when/if it merges it won't matter). That Sirius Travel Link would be cool (it was highlighted at the Ford Booth at NYAS).

 

The car will look even better in person y'all are going off of pictures from Nissan they never capture the lines in pictures. The interior get's an A+ if the quality matches the 2nd gen G35/37 FX series then this will be a bargain. The dual sunroofs isn't even offered on the infiniti line up. I'm glad they didn't do the quad exhaust tips because the tips on the 6th gen and infiniti M35/45 were just too small I'd rather see a set of duals with 3+inch tips looks more tastefully that way. As for size it's smaller than the 6th gen but that's hard to see in the pixs but again in real life this car is going to turn heads.

 

1. Get rid of all carbon-fiber (or CF-lookalike) trim pieces. CF is only considered cool by 18 year olds who can't afford a new maxima.
2. Take some interior styling cues from Audi. Everyone likes Audi interiors
3. Make a 6MT optional, even if it costs extra. If you build it, they will come....
4. Redesign the rear end. Look how BMW has made a simple, sleek rear end on the new 3-series. Do it that way. Keep the styling simple and sleek. No goofy headlight and taillight shapes please.
5. Make the grille shorter vertically. It looks like a widemouth bass. Lenght is find, height is too much.

 

I must say the interior is a far improvement then what we have seen on the 6th gen just the look of it tells that the materials have some quality and a nice feel behind them, in the 6th gen it was too obviously plastic.

We need an MT tranny with a CLUTCH. 4th gen on up the maxima was the one of the only sedans in its class to offer a V6 with a manual transmission why cant we keep it that way

only thing i like about the looks is the fastback styling maybe it will grow on my when i see it in person, but those headlights when the car is given a facelift 2-3 years down the road have got to go that L shape will make them extremely expensive to replace.

and revive the I-series in Inifiniti lol

 

Thats why I put official in the thread title...

 

the problem with that is that at 37-40ish there are a lot more other choices out there and the Maxima won't be a top pick either.

 

You're entitled to your opinion..i'm also entitled to mine. no one said one is correct or not...so don't even go down the road with that.

look at the market that's in the same place as the Maxima. Find me any manufacturer that's making a yellow or orange colored car.

culture or not...if they make a color and it won't sell they lose money. Nissan is not prepared to do that. so you think they should do it doesn't mean the majority of the American public would feel the same.

which Audi has yellow and orange in the line up?

if you want a yellow 7th gen you're going have to get one painted.

 

DanNY, thats fine you have your opinion, and I obviously respect that. I appreciate you making a thread for the constructive feedback. However, I just don't see why a thread asking for constructive criticism means that my opinion should get bashed with snide remarks. I wasn't asking you if they should have the colors, I was staying my opinion for Nissan. I thought they should offer more colors, end of story.

Yes my opinion was stated as incorrect so I will go down that road, not by you, but another poster, "toucansma - You are not correct to tie colors strictly to price." I wasn't responding to you with that, but the other poster. However I don't see why what I say should get bashed instantaneously is all I meant, I don't see how that's fair. If this thread is truly intended for Nissan, then I don't see why what I say should be filtered or derided.


Additionally, don't misunderstand me. I don't think every car should be painted bright pink or polka dots. I just wish that they would offer a broader spectrum, including maybe a yellow,orange,fire engine red, brigh blue, etc. I am not saying just those colors, that was an example. My wife partially got our Murano cause it was Orange with Orange. People are always wowed when they see it cause it's so different (or was until the Ford Edge decided to steal that, but that's another story). Part of my reasoning was the reason you gave. The time a company starts fully becoming bean counters, is when they start running into problems. It is up to the company to set the market, and the consumer will respond. Again, what do companies like Apple, Nintendo, and Ikea do? They set the market.

Thanks for your response, it was appreciated.

 

Oh, and I was referring generally to Audi selections, not both having it. For example, Audi S4 has yellow, brilliant red, pearl blue, etc.

 

I disagree, I think this design element really sets it apart from everything else out there. I think it will also be more excepted once the 370Z gets more media hype. It's creative ideas like this that sets Nissan a bit ahead of the comp, but are always the first to be criticized. I think when you remove it really dumbs down the entire car...

 

Add the little details that AWD vehicles normally have a slightly lower top speed, cost more, and are usually more inclined to expensive mechanical problems than their FWD counterparts.

Of course, for those poor souls in the snowy/icy north, the deficiencies of AWD are easily outweighed by the ability to travel in miserable weather.

 

This vehicle has a shorter wheelbase than the 6th gen Maxima, giving slightly less room inside, because Nissan felt a 4DSC should be slightly smaller than the 6th gen.

This vehicle has a slightly wider stance than the 6th gen, because Nissan wants this car to be the best-handling Maxima ever built.

I am:

(1) Surprised at those denigrators who have virtually passed judgement on this car and written it off their list without even having seen it in person, much less driving it.

(2) Glad there are also those here who are looking more closely at this car, and holding judgement until actually seeing and driving it.

I can't wait to read the reviews of the auto mag testers, and really look forward to seeing this car arrive at my dealer this June.

 

toucansma - We probably have sort of a misunderstanding here. I do not look down on anybody for buying a less-expensive and/or small car. I drove a little Datsun 200SX for many years. I would even say many of us would be wise to consider such vehicles. Some small cars, such as my neighbor's Porsche 911, can also be very expensive. But small cars of ANY price tend to handle bright or exotic colors better than full-size cars do.

That is why most full-size four-door family sedans in the $30K range and above tend toward less-bright or flashy colors. This has been true for years, and is obviously tied to customer preferences as determined by both surveys and sales experience.

You are obviously not alone in wishing for a more exciting color, just as many here wish for a manual tranny. But Nissan had a manual tranny available on the Maxima for decades, and sales of manuals declined every year they were available. It wasn't economical to have a manual available when less than 5% of customers were buying them, and those sent to dealers were usually eventually let go below invoice just to get rid of them.

As I said in my earlier post, I do wish Nissan would have their classic burnt umber (orange/gold) color available on the '09. That would be a natural color for those not enamoured with the somewhat prim and proper eight standard colors. And I certainly would have no argument against any color Nissan might chose to put on the Maxima. I was mostly trying to explain Nissan's thinking in sticking to the normal color selection for family sedans in the class of the Maxima.

 

ahh.. i just watched the NY video on the 2009...

the second the general manager said the words " FWD sports sedan "

i lost all interest.

--

for those who said... the g35 is nissans RWD car.... if they made the max RWD... no one would buy the G...

they should make the G better than a RWD maxima.... its that simple... plus... i doubt they will lose sales... most of the people that buy the G arent really getting it for the RWD performance... but basicly for the name sake and looks.....

if anything... the G sales would remain the same... and the maxima sales would gain buyers from people looking at cars in that price range... (accord , camry , 3 series buyers , c class buyers )

 

Overall, I like the car. My main complaints are the rectangular grill that doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the car and I'm not a fan of the bulge on the trunk when you look at it from the rear. Interior actually looks decent to me. Can't complain about the CVT either, I guess I'm not a die-hard MT person like many of you are. Performance wise, if an AT can do it as good or better than a MT, I've no problems with that, I don't need a 3rd pedal for it to feel like a "real car". Does it take some fun away? Absolutely, but like I said, I wouldn't die without a MT.

Oh one more thing, I still wish Nissan cars came with less wheel gap from the factory...

 

Fair enough, thanks for the clarification!

 

well all have to con the dealers into letting us test drive them.

did somebody say McCamry?

 

looks great Im liking everything about it, only thing i dont totally like at the moment is the "tumor" like fender (not the headlight to fender area, that is fine,). if it was just a hair more plumb....... either way its still hot over all.

 

The body looks better. The headlights a bit different. No RWD which makes me want to get used G35 sedan.

 

S

S

S

thats a special sporty version of the luxury A. if the maxima had a sport version (SE-R) then it would have different colors.

 

Opinions:

1) Taillights- reminds me of a Honda Civic SI Coupe. Personally, I would not like to drive a car that resembles a Civic (but I'm currently driving a 6th gen with taillights that resemble a Scion)

2) Center Console- layout is nice, however reminiscent of the G. It seems as if it was a throwaway design for the G. As a Maxima owner, I would like to have a separate identity from the G and any other Nissan/Infiniti. Also, I do not like the aluminum borders surrounding the gauges. Honestly, it looks horrible and cheap with the wood.

3) Headlights- are different. I am not sure of my like/dislike for this until I see it in person.

4) Front end- is too high (wheel gap).

5) Grille- looks boring and uninspired. It's a better look than the 6th gen, however you may overlook the car in passing. It does not stand out. It’s reminiscent of an older Infinity.

6) Steering wheel- looks of low quality and thought. The design may have been done to give the car a sportier look and feel, however, it looks out of place.

7) Orange Cluster lighting....please stop using this color in the dash and for gauges. It's just outdated.

8) CVT - please offer another transmission. I know offering one may cut your costs, therefore improve Gross Margin, but provide the customer more options.


Suggestions: (Corresponding to Opinions)

1) Better shape for taillights. From my recollection, this design was to mimic a C Class Mercedes. Just because it’s a Mercedes doesn’t mean customers would like their cars to resemble one. It seems like a “knock off”. Innovation and personality is the key.

2) Create a Maxima Identity for the Center Console and not a mutation of an Infinity.

3) Good job for thinking outside the box. I will have to view the headlights in person to truly voice my opinion.

4) Lower the front end a couple of inches.

5) Add some excitement to the grille.

6) Keep the shifters on the steering wheel, but create another design that doesn’t scream “I should be in a SE-R Altima”

7) Change the colors from Orange, please.

8) Please offer another transmission as an option. Maybe even an SV-S or SV-R Maxima.


Overall Likes: Dual Moonroof, Leather stitching, Shifters, Navigation, HP gains w/ relatively identical fuel efficiency as a 6 – 6.5 gen, Improvement of CVT, Side Mirror signal lights.

Overall Dislikes: Uninspired grille, Taillights, Center Console’s lack of identity, Orange Lighting, steering wheel, Overall lack of excitement.

I know Nissan’s demographic for the Maxima might include 18 year olds to 60 year olds, with the highest margins b/w 25-40 year olds, so their designs will have to compromise both “Sportiness” and Luxury. However, creating a sporty feel, while offering semi-luxurious styling, can be accomplished without limiting marketability to certain groups and therefore maintaining sales. Another fear for Nissan may be the cannibalizing of G35 sales through offering a more luxurious and sporty Maxima. I say, design does not cost…only materials in which those designs are constructed. Build great designs for “both” cars and there will be a demand for both. Personally, I believe an Acura TL is more of a 4DSC than the 2009 Maxima. Even though they can not be considered in the same category or price range, I believe it presents itself more of a 4DSC due to it's design and performance.

Given, my judgment about this car is from only viewing pictures…so upon seeing the car in person, my opinions may change.

Overall, I give the 2009 Maxima a B-.

 

The 2009 Nissan maxima look like the same people the designed the ****ing toyota corola designed the maxima. What happened Nissan the 2007 Maxima was so sleek and nice and the 2009 looks like an old persons car. Anyone agree??

 

Light, Anything that becomes big does not necessarily become an Avalon/Buick alternative. I was expecting the 09 Maxima to be bigger than the 6th gen so that it could compete with the Avalon in size. But I did not want it to become an Avalon. I would have liked Nissan to keep the BMW 7 series in mind when designing the 09 Maxima. The impressive handling that Nissan is claiming now is much appreciated but that doesn't add much since the size of the Maxima is now even quite smaller than the current Altima. By 2011, the Altima will be a better car than the then Maxima because it will get all the upgrades. Toyota has maintained a difference between the Camry and Avalon but Nissan hasn't been able to do so between the Altima V6 and Maxima. I expected the 09 Maxima to be a poor man's BMW 7 series (FWD, with AWD option). Even if that increased the price of the Maxima by $5k, it would still have a huge market.

 

Cadillac CTS...

 

 

The current Maxima looks far more like an old persons car, but since you like it, I can see why the new one doesn't appeal to you.

 

Off to a great start N00b, now define old???

 

Another N00b off to a great start, define old???

 

You chern, you....






Chern is going to hit me with his downpipe...

 

It's curious to me that the majority of people who are finding fault w/ the new Maxima own a 6th-gen.

The 2009 Maxima, at least based on all that is known thus far, seems to be closer to the spirit of the 3rd-gen Maxima than any generation that came after. It really does seem like a return to it's 4DSC roots.

-35 more HP w/ similar fuel-economy
-Larger brakes & wheels
-More aggressive stance (e.g. a bit less wheelgap, wider track)
-Recalibrated CVT w/ sportier performance w/ paddle-shifters
-More available feature content (e.g. dual-panel moonroof, heated & cooled drivers seat, etc.)

...how could anyone be "very" disappointed with the new Maxima? Styling-wise it is, by most accounts, a mixture of Altima, G35 & GT-R. What exactly were you expecting?

 

I'm old FTW!!! I was worried because I love the new look (and didn't want to be mistaken for a young dude) with the exception of the front hood which looks like a toilet seat lid!!! I wonder if I could get an intercooler on that biatch Some of us old people are silly like that...