lightonthehill

drakutis - Thanks for the reference. That article accompanied a photo of the '09 Maxima that covered the entire top half of the front page of the Auto section of today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I laughed when I read the 4 cylinder suggestion. That has to be a 'Douthit original' (Douthit is the author of the article). I don't see any logic in that, and I'm sure Nissan doesn't either.

Douthit also showed somewhat of a lack of knowledge in naming the Accord and Avalon as the primary competitors. Granted, the 6th gen Maxima sort of headed a little in Avalon's direction, but the Accord is a competitor of the Altima. And I would agree with Nissan in that the TL and G35 are more directl competitors with the '09 Maxima than the Avalon.

I did like it that Douthit feels Nissan may be close to reaching their goal of the Maxima being the best FWD sporty family sedan in the world.

emub00

Enjoy:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...hotopanel..1.*

made in china

iTrader: (7)

One of the more positive articles I've read on the car. However, it still seems like an "average" mid-pack car. 14.5 @ 95.9, pretty average. Braking, not great. Handling, average again. Interior, lots of cars have great interiors these days, so the new Max is mid pack here too.

I had a 1992 Maxima SE with the 24v engine, and THAT car would smoke (probably) ANY 1992 4 door car made at the time, if not the 2 door sports cars too. THOSE Maxima's were truly "4DSC".
I think the new Max is nice, but it's more like a "4DAC" 4 Door Average Car.
The new Maxima surely looks nice, but if I am going to buy a average performing car for it's looks, I'd get the new Accord Coupe (just my taste) and save some $$$.

And I disagree with Edmunds about the dash looking like an Altima dash. It's nothing like an Altima dash, more like a Murano or Infiniti style.

ikalinin3

09 max is impressive.. i love it

NissLover

So they pretty much said get the summer-tires. I can't believe Nissan let them test it with the all-season tires, knowing to get the full benefits of the sport suspension you need the sport tires. Oh well, they stated that the car still has an excellent chassis, and felt good through the corners, but the tires reached their limit before the suspension did.

jspagna

Totally agree 100%. My wife's 92 Maxima was a great car. I still think it was the nicest Maxima ever made. I do think that with the 09,Nissan is trying to get back to those days. This car looks like it has a real interior instead of the vanilla/bland interiors that the latest Maximas have had. They are also again offering the black interior with the white color.

mdfergus

Just visited the dealer today and Boy Am I In Love. Beautiful car and in the sport trim it is awsome. I will definately be getting one when my lease runs out.

lightonthehill

Have we seen even one single test of the '09 with Sport package AND summer tires? If so, I missed it. Would ANY entity test a Corvette with all-season tires? Of course not. If performance is the object of these tests, why not test the true performance version of this car - Sport package with summer tires? That would seem to be just common sense.

But then common sense has been in short supply in the automotive world for many years. That is why Ford is in trouble, GM is going to have to drop several makes (likely Buick, Saab and Saturn), and Chrysler will declare bankruptcy before the end of 2009. Honestly, I feel too many major automotive decisions are made by folks who wouldn't know which end of a mule to hitch the plow.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

I wonder if Nissan should install better tranny coolers (if it even has one). A CVT overheating isn't a good thing.

made in china

iTrader: (7)

Depending on the mechanical design of CVT's, it may be very difficult to extract heat from the CVT mechanism. AT's are full of ATF pumping thru nearly every part which facilitates heat removal via some sort of external cooler. I am just guessing!

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

I agree, the 0-60's and 1/4 times are all over the place for this car, what from 5.8 to 6.4 ish....... The lower is pretty good but some of the later I have seen are not......... BTW someone needs to test the version with the sport suspension.....

maxger

Video review from "My Ride TV"

http://community.myride.com/kickapps...5672/3898.html

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

AAARRRG!

would Nissan please give someone an SV Sport to review????
what are they thinking?

drakutis

Yeah, this doesn't make sense to me either. They should really get the sport out there. Maybe they are waiting for the Motor trend COTY competition?

lightonthehill

Not only is is meaningless to performance-test the SV or SV-Premium version of the '09 Maxima, it wouldn't have much more meaning to test the SV-Sports version, UNLESS they test it with the OPTIONAL SUMMER PERFORMANCE TIRES.

All-weather tires are great to drive the family to Sunday School, or when the weather is inclimate, but not a tire you would performance-test a car with when a performance tire is available as a free option.

After testing a base SV against a loaded G8, Motor Trend said what Nissan did to them was the same as saying 'we make the best chocolate ice cream in the world; here, have a scoop of vanilla.'

drakutis

About the summer tires, (honestly, I don't follow tires! As long as it's not going flat and the pressure is good, I'm good!!) what about driving in winter and fall? Would it be better to have the tires switched or can you ride on them all year round? What about light snow? would you have traction problems?

rick sambora

Light, how much do you think the tires are going to add? Driving dynamics such as roll(as mentioned in the video on myride.com) is a function of suspension and to some extent chassis design. I can understand cornering,stopping and road feel being attributed to tires. On the whole I think the car has to do 85% of the work, the tires are an adjunct not the basis of performance. Having said that, I am in no way implying that the maxima is a bad car. Having recently driven the 09 with sport package, I can confirm that it is a huge step forward in the right direction. It hugs the asphalt well, good overall control when compared to my 04. Cornering is better than before. But like the reviewer I too could feel the thump of the suspension(sound is minimal but the feeling is just not right). Acceleration is very good, I am impressed. Maybe the CVT is truly the way of the future, who knows??? But just for the sake of having options an MT should have been available. Would have loved to drive one with it. It would be a mightier beast then. Interior is good, not great. The plastic has been definitely upgraded but not luxurious yet. Maybe next time around. But it is definitely better than the competition.
Now what do I compare this max with? (if this is warranted,i.e.)
My brother-in-law has an 07 TL-type s(AT). In my humble opinion the type-s is as close as it gets to a 10/10 FWD car. They ALMOST got everything right on that car, mind you ALMOST!
I think this max gets very very close to the type-s in regards to performance(yes, even with the CVT...that is why I wish there was an MT...the potential was wasted). The type-s is slightly faster from a stop, but this max will scorch between the 40-120 range. Seats are equally comfortable. Sound insulation is as good. Steering is tighter/heavier on the tl. Steering feel is better on the new max,but I think there is some play in the steering. I hope the shimmy of the 6th gen does not plague this 7th gen. The bells/whistles-max wins hands down...but we are comparing a new model with an older one. Brake feel is almost the same. I hope you get my point....the new max is almost there. I am very happy with the way this car drives. I am very happy that nissan atleast attempted to capture the legend.
I would give this max 8.5/10(sv w/sports with the bridgestome summer tires). My standard was the type-s. I aint comparing this with any RWD/AWD. That wouldnt be fair for a beautiful and technically correct car such as the 09 max. If you are in the market for a car that you can drive all year round(if in the snowbelt states), dont care much about RWD or 1000hp, this max deserves a look.
Lastly, a word on torque steer. Definitely better than the last gen but still present. But not lane changing, nothing that cant be managed by the light touch of a hand.

lightonthehill

drakutis -

Living in the south, I could see using performance tires all year long. I do just that. Of course I slow down a tad when the roads have standing water on them, as performance tires can hydroplane. During the rare snows down here, I go very very slowly. Those living further north usually either use all-weather tires year-round, or use all-weather or performance tires during most of the year and snow tires during the winter. The further north I lived, the more likely I would be to switch to snow tires during the winter, as even all-weather tires are still not great on snow and ice.



rick - Good analysis.

As far as my rant on the summer performance tires improving this car's handling, I am mostly parroting what I read in two road tests of the '09 Maxima in which both testers said the suspension was much better than previous Maximas, but the car's performance limits were hampered not by the suspension, but by poorly performing all-weather tires.

That makes sense, as the primary difference between all-weather and performance tires is that much more of the all-weather tread pattern is taken up with grooves and sipes (helps avoid hydroplaning and grips better in snow and ice), hence less tread is actually gripping the road surface than with a performance tire.

As far as ride, most mag reviews have really liked the new Maxima ride. The fact the ride is comfortable indicates there is some 'cushioning' involved, and cushioning usually gives a tad of roll. By contrast, the TL Type 'S' has been given low marks for ride by most reviews. Some called it very hard, while others used such terms as 'tense' and 'brittle'. Even my son admits his Type 'S' rides 'very firmly'. But this very firm ride means little body roll.

I really can't argue with much of what you said. Many hoped for a manual option. Didn't happen. The torque steer thing is puzzling me. Most reviews and most ORG members who have driven the new Maxima are praising Nissan for eliminating the torque steer either completely or virtually so. Yet two mag testers and a few ORG members said they detected either a trace or a noticable torque steer when turning sharply at full throttle. Not that I would be doing that very often.

I think you hit the target by including all the good things as well as the less-good things in your review. We agree the new Maxima will be a very good choice for many folks (but not all).

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

Quite a lot. Going by your comment about how the vehicle has to do 85% of the work, think of it this way. With all-seasons, the car is likely only performing at 60 of that 85% because something gave way before the vehicle has reached it's own suspension/chassis limits.

Or, an odd way of looking at it. Imagine having great leg, thigh and calf muscles. Now put your leather work shoes on and walk around a skating rink. Now try it again with spiked shoes. Which pair of shoes helps you make the most out of your great leg/thigh/calf muscles?

Kevin319

iTrader: (1)

I'll still prefer the leather work shoes because if you want control in the rink just bend your body down and use your two arms as balance. Sliding is much more fun then walking on spiked shoes

04BlackMaxx

Nice to see some 5th/6th gen comradery

maxger

Road & track Review

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=6926


MSN Autos Review

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/artic...umentid=565143

lightonthehill

maxger - Thanks! Much appreciated.

I'm sure readers here caught the many errors in these two articles; especially when listing what came with what option package, etc. As two major examples, the Premium package also has the strengthened body and narrow pass-through the Sports package has, and the eucalyptus trim is not optional with the Premium; it is mandatory.

Essentially, testers love this car, but hate that it isn't available with a manual tranny. This is the same song and dance we get here on the org. What the testers don't seem to realize is that offering this car with a manual option means the dealer will have to have more cars on his lot in order to have a selection of cars with CVT (which will sell) and a selection of cars with manual (which often sat on dealer lots until sold at a loss the first six years of this decade).

Those souls that test cars for magazines are virtually all from that 2% to 5% of the driving public that is really deeply into cars, and are from the old manual school. Magazines do the public a disservice by panning a car for a particular detail that 95% of the public could care less about. To hear them talk, the CVT is c--p. This new '09 CVT is definitely NOT c--p, and some of our ORG members who have tested it have actually raved about it.

Yes, a RWD sedan that emphasizes peak performance and such endeavors as 'drift driving' should have a manual option. But a FWD car that is trying to combine a near-luxury four door passenger sedan and a sporty attitude, and which will be selling well under 100K copies, is probably not the best place for the added expense and overhead of a manual tranny.

Don't misunderstand me; until traffic became gridlock around where I live, I also preferred a manual tranny. But the CVT is far more practical when driving in heavy congestion. One thing I always try to be is practical.

maxger

The Truth About Cars

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/200...maxima-review/

lightonthehill

Thanks, maxger. This was definitely not your normal type auto review. And I thought I was the world's worst at becoming a little too flowery with my prose. This cat puts me to shame.

Overall, an excellent review, and he likes this new Maxima. Likes the flat turns. Likes the accelleration. Likes the steering wheel and steering feedback. Likes the comfort of the seats. He even suggests that, with the performance of the CVT in this '09, it may be time to ease off on the CVT vitriol. A few of us should consider the possibility of doing just that (said as I duck).

The difference between this review and many others we have had posted here was that, in this one, even thought the reviewer mentioned things he did not care for in the 6th gen, he did not let those dislikes prejudice his thinking in evaluating the '09. He began with a clean slate, and although he couched his thoughts in language so flowery as to sometimes required a re-reading to comprehend his exact position, he gave the '09 high marks in almost every category.

A good and interesting read.

alextothestars

Wait until 2011 when the bigger motor comes out. Until then, just keep your 6th gen because it is the same car with a different body trim. Unless you don't care about performance...buy the 2009. I think I am going to keep my Altima SE-R forever unless I find a 6-speed 6 gen- the old days of gears seem to be ending.

lightonthehill

alex - You are correct that old style manual trannies are going to become harder to find; the inevitable increasing fuel effiency and accelleration of the CVT (a no shift tranny will beat a shifting tranny) added to the rising government fleet fuel efficiency requirements will result in ever more CVTs.

Even had Nissan had a bigger motor in mind for 2011 (I hadn't heard that), it will be dropped. The rage now is maximum fuel efficiency. There wll be a diesel version of the 2010 Maxima that will be very strong. Maybe that is the engine you mean.

I do feel you badly missed the mark with the 'same car with different body trim' thought. This car is completely redesigned, with both a shorter and a wider wheelbase, shorter overall length, greatly reduced turning radius, new 'Coke bottle' shape (fender area standing out from the body; 6th gen was slab-sided), smaller 'racier' steering wheel with much faster ratio, 35 more horsepower, many chassi improvements, including using suspension parts from the M45, and a host of other improvements.

The '09 is a measureable step up from my very fine 6th gen Maxima in many ways.

drakutis

Here's another review!!

http://autos.aol.com/cars-Nissan-Max.../expert-review

lightonthehill

I find it interesting that, although every 'official' tester mentions the lack of a manual, many (such as this one) do not let the lack of a manual impact their evaluation of what this Maxima DOES have. As a result, this tester liked EVERYTHING about this Maxima, ESPECIALLY THE CVT, which he says is lightning quick and fun to play with.

But don't let a manual addict hear you say that.

maxger

Video Review By "the driverseat . tv

http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=KnjjkZACsy4

Here is a link for most of the maxima reviews along with other cars. (Car review search engine) Nine pages of links for the 2009 Maxima alone. Pretty good resource.

http://fasttie.com/

lightonthehill

maxger - You better watch it buddy. Don't come here with a review from a sensible and well-spoken professional driver who says the new '09 Maxima CVT is a very nice tranny that is instantly responsive and fun to drive. The 'anything but a CVT' crowd here will have a contract out on your life before the sun goes down.

Those types will never understand the nuances of optimal CVT driving, and still live in the 'throw it in 'D', and what else is there?' approach to the CVT. In fact, I think it may be time to yell 'Incoming' and duck.

drakutis

Edmund's did a new review. I'll post the link in a few.

drakutis

http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/maxima...testdrive.html

baylormax02

I personally think it's a beautiful looking car, heads and tails over the prev. gen.

And while maybe only 5% of sales comes from Manual Trans, the idea of a super sporty Automatic car is kinda an oxymoron. It's much less satisfying just mashing down the accellerator of an auto.

But as long as they keep the Manuals in the Infiniti's and Altima, then nissan fans can't be TOO pissed.

deezo

iTrader: (3)

Wrong!!!! 6th Gens FTL!!!

lol

maxger

Here are some reviews from owners on edmonds.

http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/maxima...merreview.html

johnsd2

The sport will do 149 mph because of the W tires on it. Wgt. rating and percentage rate has a lot to do with top speed that the manufacter can put on a car. IE 90V or 100V.

lightonthehill

maxger - Better be careful, buddy. Virtually all those reviewers were blown away by the '09 Maxima, and especially loved the power and instant response and driving fun of the new CVT. We permit folks to be blown away by the '09 Maxima, but such positive raving over the CVT is strictly forbidden here. Every true 4DSC driver knows all CVTs, even though this much-improved '09 one now outperforms manual trannies, are worthless. If you don't believe that, just ask the CVT haters.

I loved that one of those reviewers is getting over 30 MPG in driving back and forth to work in a 290 HP car with a CVT tranny.

spoolin51

iTrader: (1)

^^I agree!!

maxger

Let the comparisons start.

Here is a comparison to a 09 tl. This does not mean much really (based on opinion) but this shows that maxima is a direct competitor to the 09tl.

And Nissan if that is the case give us a SR model that can compete with a the future tl SH-AWD 6 speed. (HR with 6 speed, white faced gauges)


http://blog.vehiclevoice.com/2008/09..._nissan_m.html