i see em all the time at work, but only seen two around nashville, one in hermitage and one at opry mills parking lot. both had dealer tags

Sorry for the crappy BB pics, I just stopped by the dealership and saw it sitting there alone. So I decided to make a little shoot out of it lol. Looks great in person.

WOW NICE LOOKING. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ONE IN PERSON. MIGHT HAVE TO TURN IN THE 6TH FOR 7TH LOL

Hey folks, this generation is speechless.I purchased my 04 last August so I went to the same dealer this past Friday.They had a smoke gray (Nissan probaly named it a different color) on display outside the dealership.A car dealer came outside and introduced himself and so on,so I had him open it up for me and the interior is nice.They haven't recieved any inventory yet,dealer says it will probaly be next week or so.But you have to see it in person to appreciate it.I came back in a few hours later and people started to take notice and all you heard were compliments.This generation is so stylish.But 290 horses too me is a little lean on the power, I did expect at least 300 hp.

So I got to talking to the dealer about how I just purchased my 04 last year from a different guy that doesn't work there anymore so he offered his card.I don't know about trading a car but I mentioned about maybe trading my 04 for a 09, I owe about $21,000 on my loan (72 month loan) now,so he mentioned about putting money down and all that,and he just ruined the whole experience.I'm quite sure I probaly wouldn't have to put any more money down if they take my car for trade in.Car is still in mint condition and I still have low miles 52,000 and some change.I only drive to work (2 miles) and occasionally here and there.Its just the current car loan I worry about.Any car traders that can put there input or experienced financial advisors out there?

I'm not a financial planner, but a 72 month loan is way too long for an older car (and even for a new car). Most likely you will not come out ahead in your trade in situation. You will get less than what your car is currently selling for, and if what you owe is more than that you will be adding debt from your current car to the new one. Most like it will not be worth it. I always buy a car 1-2 years old and never finance for more than 48-60 months. Usually 48 months is the best because when you pay it off then drive the car 1-2 more years and make car payments to yourself so you can make a nice down payment on your next car purchase. Over time you should be able to take out shorter loans and evetually be able to pay cash for a car. I'm not there yet, but the principle works. Most people do not have the patience or will paower to drive their cars longer and make car payments to themselves into a savings account, but cash is king and when you have cash you can negotiate better with a dealer. My advise is to keep your current car for a few more years, even though the new Maxima is tempting to but on the spot. Trust me I want one now too, but I just paid off my 03 Grand Am 6 months ago. My goal is to put $5-10k down.

I saw the car Saturday at the local nissan.
IT LOOKS FANTASTIC.
As someone whose family has a 2005 Maxima SE (fast, but not as sporty as the used to) a 2001 Max SE 20th and a 1999 Max SE (and a1994 one before that).

I think they finally got it right!! its sleek.

they had gotten it th enight before and wondered how i knew they had it = the nissan website.

things are bad they were really eager to sell it.. at first no one can drive it
end of discussion u sure you dont want to drive it? can we sell it to you

aside from the $3500 mark up on top of the sticker price. i said no thanks.

Wow, I am really liking the white color. I really do love the way the dual panel roof looks on white and red, but I am going to end up going with the sports version. 1st I dont like the way the roof sits when open, 2nd its too heavy and affects the performance. I just hope that somehow someway I am able to get the cooled driver seat, My friends lexus has this option and its one of the best things ever in the summer.

Now A little advise to the guy that was thinking of trading in picking up the new 09. I would 1st say you need to look at the balance of your loan. Lets say if you were to trade in the next couple of months you would be at the 1 year mark of a 6 year loan. As stated above not a very good idea to go with a loan longer than 5 years. I understand every one has different situations but the reality is that the difference in car payment from 5 to 6 years is probably only a couple of dollars a months and the extra cost in interest payments ends up being hundreds. Dealerships like to get people into longer term deals because they make more of a commission from it.

But back to the story, I really hate stealerships. So now you are 1 year into the loan you would have probably have paid 1-2K of the principle. How much did the vehicle depreciate? If you owe more than the vehicle is worth you need to stop right there and keep this car for another year or 2 and try to make a little bit more than the standard payment.

GOPACK504-- That is excellent advise. I am planning on doing the same myself. I have 6 more months on my current loan. I then plan to keep my car 2002 Altima 3.5 SE only 45K miles for at least 1 more year and keep saving my car payment. I figure after 1 year i'll have about 5K just from the car payments I save, I would say I could get around 10K for my altima. Its in great shape, aux input, hid's. Then probably take another 5K from my savings and put down about 20K and only finance about 15K. I am sure by next year you can get a very well equipped max for 35K

oh jesus, a $3500 mark-up on a maxima? i would never ever never ever go back to that dealer again. i hate that so much. its one thing to do it on a limited release....and even then , it pisses me off, but when a delaer does it to a car that is a volume seller.....that is just idiotic. i would have said somethin right there...

GOPACK504-- It is excellent advice, I payed off my 2002 SE Max in August of 2006 and have saved my car payment + 50.00 a month for almost 2 years now. It is quite amazing how it adds up while you are enjoying still a perfectly good vehicle! I plan to purchase an 09 Max as soon as realistic with the pricing... We don't want to save really hard and then waste any of our $$ overpaying.....

I think I may hit up my local dealership to get some shots of it.

So I just got abck form the dealer and I must say the new max is looking good. They had a grey one and black one. The black one was sexy and the black roof on the gray one really set it off. So far I like it. It finally looks like a normal car again.

as i have mentioned i live 1 mile from the Smryna plant and i drive by the stash of cars to be shipped daily....i have yet to see a Tuscan Sun or whatever it is...red....on a truck yet.

the only red i saw was a pre-production one that i saw a girl in quality driving. other than that, i have prolly seen 100 whites, blacks, silvers and dark greys

Minarets - I think the absence of reds for initial shipments was carefully thought out. The red will probably be one of the slower-selling colors, and Nissan wanted the first car(s) arriving at all dealers to be adorned in one of the four colors they expect to be best-sellers.

Within a few weeks (month at the most), we will begin seeing cars in what will probably be slower-selling colors (like red and sage) arriving at dealer lots. I plan on being there to greet them.

sweet

Went back and got a sucky pic of the gray one.

Someone needs to get a pic of the timing cover, particularly the CVTC sprockets.

On another note, the belt assembly / configuration looks identical to the L32 Altima. 1 belt for all acc, unlike the 95+ 2 belt configuration.

Yet another note, with respect to this:
In the brochure, it states that there is "Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) on intake valves" &
"Electronic Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) on exhaust valves"; One is electronic and the other is not, or was that a general description of both? Even on the Nissan site, it states, now it is on both I & E cams.

In regard to the tuned VQ35DE vs. the VQ35HR, I actually disagree with everyone's idea that it should use the HR instead.


The HR benefits from things which make HORESPOWER such as the workings to safely increase the rev limit to 7500RPM and get the engine to still breath at that RPM. The G35 being a sports sedan, that is great.

Now, consider this, if they were to use the HR, but one tuned for regular gas and making better fuel economy, sure they could return probably the same 290hp but I don't think this is what they are trying to do as the Maxima is more of a family sedan than the g35.

For those that don't know already, hp is just a measure of how usable torque is over the rev range. Even if two engine's pulling power (torque) is the same, but lets say one revs to 6000RPM and the other to 8000, the 8000RPM engine is going to have a helluva lot more horsepower because it can use the torque much longer so to speak.

That brings me to another point, the Maxima being more of a family sedan than the g35, Nissan is looking for more usable power, torque down low. Which IMO is why they are using the intake manifold they are using right now. It might be restrictive for extremely high RPM's like what the HR is designed for, but it is all about tuned velocity and how to generate torque at lower RPM.

That said, it wouldn't really benefit Nissan to use the HR as it really doesn't accomplish what they want to do with the Maxima.

Plus I would be surprised if their slushmagic CVT could even handle 7500+ RPM.

I agree with the concept, BUT, have you SEEN HR dynos? The torque curve is flat out AMAZING, it makes the VQ37VHR look bad.

The torque curve on the HR is nice, but why post dynos of modded cars? That kind of skews the argument a bit.

There we go

/fixed


I need to drive one of these said CVT's in order to see hope the hell to dyno one. My local dealer is still being and is about 3 weeks out I was told

I was just wondering if anyone has seen in person the Navy Blue Maxima with the Premium Package. If you have seen it and have pics can you please post them and if you dont have pics can you tell me how it looks. As of right now the Blue Max with Premium is the one I would most likely get and I want to see/hear how it looks with the "black" glass dual moonroof...Blue car with a Black roof is sounds like an awesome combo

Thanks

Second dyno is still a modded Z. I might as well throw in this dyno:

2006 5AT Roadster w/popcharger:


Could've dynoed over 240/240 without that intake. TQ curve is flat, and it's an auto. =)

Is it? I got it from a thread labeled 2007 Baseline dyno As well as the DRF description states baseline stock, maybe they were fibbing. So, do you know him personally, or are you just making an assumption that it is stock?

As for yours, it does looks flat, but let's get some better resolution, looks like we're looking at it from space.. This is headed OT.

Don't make me throw mine in

Regardless, my point still stands, It's not my fault you're jealous of the HR.

Oh, I thought the second dyno pic was supposed to be a rev-up DE. Nevermind, then. Yep, it's a stock HR.

I am not knowledgable on technical engine specs. All I know it I want my peak torque where it will best benefit my driving style. I'm not into redlines, and even if I were, it would be something I would not be doing in normal driving. When I want power, I want it in the normal flow of daily driving, and it would be most useful for me at around 3800 to 4000 RPMs.


The '09 Maxima has its peak torque at 4000 RPMs. Could not be a better fit for me.

Not that it matters, but peak torque, according to the brochure, is @ 4400 RPM, just like it has been for the past 8 model years (including 09).

Ok, without getting even more off topic, my point still stands and my reply is with respect to DE/HR mubmo jumbo, CVTC on both I & E (a la HR) WILL benefit you non revvers more than it will us revvers in down low / midrange power delivery.

I was on the side of one today while at a light on Airline HWY. Might I say that car is a beauty! The driver was looking at me like I was crazy.lol.

haha I stopped at the local dealer to see if they had one, and right out front there was a beautiful silver one. Needless to say I got a lot of looks from the sales people seeing as I photographed the car for about 30 mins lol

I'm curious as to the actual power reduction when using regular....I know the 'If you're spending $30k....' speech, but with Toyota, Honda,etc only producing 4-6hp drops w/the use of regular, it makes me wonder why Nissan can't do the same....

Hopefully, we won't see the drastic 20hp drop....


Jeremy

Lol, I bet you made his week.

niceguy - With prices what they are, even some owners of $70K vehicles are thinking along the same lines as you. I have used nothing but regular in my 6th gen for over 18 months now, and honestly don't see any difference than when I used higher octane.

Having said that, I understand the '09 has increased compression, and the use of regular will have a more noticable impact than with the 6th gen. Nissan did back off from their original statements indicating a major power loss with regular, but still insist there will be a drop. Whatever power loss there is will be noticed mostly only when we 'floor' it. At least, as long as the engine isn't pinging, the gas mileage is not affected by the reduction in octane.

I plan to use premium in my '09 for around six to eight months, then drop to midgrade for six to eight months and pay very close attention to any difference. If I see no difference that affects my driving, I may then try regular. But if I notice any pinging or any distinct difference with mid or low octane, I will move back up a grade.

Color me stupid, but I don't get the point of paddle shifters with a continuously variable transmission? Can someone explain?

http://www.pbase.com/dboogie/image/99319336/original

Totally agree with you on this, but I think the Altima has taken over that spot. When I was in the market for a car last year, it came down to the Altima and Maxima and the Maxima barely won because it had more luxury compared to the Altima. I was upgrading from a 1990 maxima, and the Altima reminded me of the 3rd gen more than the max.

Taxvictim - Having never had the opportunity to drive a car with paddle shifters, I am not qualified to answer your question, but will take a wild stab.

Although the CVT has a virtually infinite number of 'gears' (which many would not consider 'gears' at all), the paddles can be used to step the RPMs in six increments, giving somewhat the effect of a six speed auto or six speed manual tranny. It naturally follows that the paddles can also be used to hold the RPMs at a desired point.

There are those who have the mental flexibility to reprogram their psyche to the point they can actually enjoy 'shifting' through the 'gears' by adroit use of the paddles. Since we don't have a manual or auto tranny available on the '09 Maxima, I am going to work very hard to be one of those who can handle the paddles in a way that simulates actual shifting, thus derive at least some satisfaction (and additional control) from what we do have.

Now I will step aside and let someone who actually knows how the paddles really work to give us a factual answer.

That sounds like a step down from "Tiptronic", which I have tried and will never use again. Give me the old stick and a clutch pedal.

Taxvictim - The new Nissan paddle system is is an improvement over the old Tiptronic, which I have in my SL and do not use unless driving fast on mountain roads. Depending on who is doing the talking, Nissan has given us either three or four ways to use these paddles, including a 'sport' mode. A few here who have test-driven the '09 have commented very favorably on their fun playing with the paddles.

Having said that, you are correct that, for those who love the manual, the CVT, paddles or not, will not be as much fun as a manual. More efficient, with better MPG and better accelleration, but not as much fun.

Sometimes it is no fun being dragged into a different new world. At my very advanced age, I understand that all too well.

Saw the 09 maxima yesterday..gotta say in it's totally different in person than in pictures. the car looks amazing in precision gray with black interior..it had the sport package alone and was priced at 34k, well worth it in my book. i wil be posting the pictures later

i like the new maxima. wish i could afford one. oh well...gues i'll stick with my "paid off" maxima.

Here are the pictures i was on my way down to key west and saw the dealer stopped quick for some pictures and on the way back home i couldnt help my self and stop for a second chance. enjoy the car is amazinggggggg!!!!!!!

Is it hard to remove dealer logos?