Things missed from the 6th Gen Max...
 

Im hoping maybe some engineer from nissan will read this thread and maybe incorporate some of the things from the previous generation into the 2010 model.... so i am starting alist that has the things that i miss most from my 06 maxima:

1. 6 speed manual transmission!!!!!
2. Power folding exterior mirrors and both mirrors auto dim... why would nissan get rid of this feature its one of the things that differentiated it from cars like the acura tsx/TL... and now the new 2009 only has the drivers side mirror dim whats the point of only one mirror dimming?
3. The third 12V port (for lack of a better word) in the passanger side foot well

if anybody else has anything else to add please do those are the three i would miss most if i were to upgrade to the 2009 maxima

ONLY thing i noticed was the headlight stalk is still Off, Auto, Park, On.

wait, you mean there isn't a manual? :eek:



btw 07, and 08 only offer a CVT as well, so not sure what you mean. there is at least one thread about manual desire already (also explaining why it is highly unlikely to change).

I can go without power folding mirrors but I need them to auto dim, soon as you drive a car without them you will regret not having them

max website says folding mirrors are avail.. was is standard on the previous years ?

I don't believe folding mirrors were standard. maybe 07-08? I know we've had a few 05s come in to work and one was fully loaded with folding mirrors, heated wheel everything. The couple others did not have the folding mirrors.

The 6MT and third power port were already gone in the 6.5g.

I agree completely about the auto-dim mirror... last night I was driving my daughter's car (ES300) and was constantly blinded by the lights in the right outside mirror. Funny how you don't think much about some of these things until you don't have them.

I would add the rear sonar to the list. The rear camera just seems like a dangerous distraction to me... the sonar supplements my awareness of surroundings... the camera detracts by making you look at it. I believe that this is gov't mandated, just like other regulatory fiascos such as the '74 seatbelt/starter interlock, 85mph speedos and TPMS.

06maxSE & ikalinin; I have power folding outside mirrors with memory function on my '04 SL. They were part of the Driver Preferred package for the '04, '05 and '06 model years, and probably the '07 and '08 as well. I'm sure they will be available via some option for the 7th gen Maxima.

my 06 has power folding mirrors, but I don't understand the theory behind a drivers side dimming mirror and a normal passenger side mirror on the 09, for anyone who tints the windows the outside dimming mirrors is s moot point but but still, it's a great feature and you don't realize how great it is until it's not their.

not that I missed it but the inside rear view is auto dimming right:p

i have my side mirrors set for my blind spots so i don't get direct headlight glare anyway.

you shouldnt see something in you rear view mirror the same time as your sides. otherwise you have 3 rear view mirrors and you can't see the sides...

yup, no power folding mirrors for 09. Shame. That is always a feature I love showing off when parking with people in my car.

The controls on the steering wheels are much better than the 6th gen.

However I do like that the Premium has all 4 windows auto up/down.

What is "premium mood lighting?"

No Stick No Buy, i was sad after realizing there isnt one available

Like NismoMax80, I set my outside mirrors where I can see what is beside the rear portion of my car on both sides. That means headlights of vehicles behind me will not be visible in the side mirrors (that's what the inside mirror is for).

I never used the folding mirrors on our 6th gen, as our garage doors are each 10 feet wide. Those who have 9 foot wide garage doors don't need the folding mirrors either. 8 foot garage doors can accomodate the Maxima without folding the mirrors, but one has to be careful, as the clearance is close.

Garages with one door opening to two parking spaces will be fine if the double door is 18 (common) or 20 (not common) feet wide. Those with 16 foot doors (fairly common) may miss the folding mirrors, but can still park.

I realize there are special situations some orgers have in which they need the mirrors folded. Sorry about that.

I will enjoy the fact the outside mirrors on the '09 turn down (to view the curb) when the car is put in reverse; that option came to the 6th gen after I bought my '04.

I also look forward to using the new turn signals on the outside edge of the outside mirors. Those will be visible to drivers who may be alongside the rear portion your car and not in a position to see your rear turn signals.

Its not the cars directly behind you that blind you in the outside mirrors... its the cars in the adjacent lane. At some point of you passing them or them approaching you, their lights will be in the outside mirror. In urban/suburban 4+ lane commuting... that's pretty much a constant condition - there is ALWAYS somebody beside and to the rear of your car. If all you drive is 2 lane country roads or wide open interstates, then its not a problem.

Does anybody know if the reverse mirror tilt feature is still in the '09?... very useful for backing into my narrow garage with the garden supplies lining the wall on the right side as I back in.

jcalabria - Yes, the headlights of cars in adjacent lanes do hit the outside mirrors, but that is usually at only one point as they either move past or fall back, and not at the centerpoint of the headlight beam. In rural areas, that will no be a problem. But, as you said, in city traffic, that can still be a fairly constant parade of annoying headlights. Where you and I drive, the auto-dimming outside mirrors would be much-appreciated.

Yes, the '09 still has the reverse tilt-down outside mirrors in both the Sport and Premium packages.

Power folding mirrors are an important feature. I am in a townhouse with a one car garage. I need to pull over to the right side as far as I can to so you can move down the left side of the car (garbage can, recycling, etc is there). So I hit the switch and the mirrors fold and in to the garage I go. With the manual ones I will have get out fold get back in the car then into the garage. A pain in the butt...especially if it is raining.

Looking at the brochure it says the if you get either the sport or premium package the 60/40 folding rear seat is replaced by a pass through. I work in sales and I occasionally have point of sale displays to get in the trunk and without the folding seat....problem.

No 09 for me

blind spots FTL

everyone should set their outside rear views as follows:

1. sitting in driver seat, lean all the way to the right. set your passenger side mirror to where you can barely see the body of your car in the mirror.

2. do the opposite for the driver side. lean your head out the window, set your driver mirror to where you can barely see the body of your car in the mirror.

3. it takes some getting used to, but looking in your side mirrors to check your blind spots is much easier, AND SAFER, than turning around and turning a blind eye to the truck in front of you who just slammed on his brakes.

YOU SHOULD NEVER TURN YOUR HEAD UNLESS YOU ARE DRIVING IN REVERSE! and for those of you with a rear camera, no need to turn around! FTW!

another safety tip brought to you in part by me.

lol...headlight beams typically go straight ahead. you ever looked at a laser pointer from an angle as opposed to directly into your pupil? that is pretty much the same principle, but a little exaggerated. my point is, you're probably not going to be blinded by people in an adjacent lane unless they're coming straight at you. in which case the least of your worries should be "o noes, i need dimming mirrors..."

95Max - After seeing so many weak excuses from so many folks for not being able to fit an '09 Maxima into their life, I must admit your two reasons are completely valid. You really do need a power folding outside right mirror, and you really do need the 60/40 rear seat fold-down, which you can't get with either the Sport or Premium package. You have my sympathy; I don't know what I would do if faced with your dilemna.

tyler5619 - Your procedure for setting the outside mirrors does indeed enable their proper angle for use to cover the blind spots, just a jcalabria and I are using them for. And you are correct that the headlights of a car in an adjoining lane will not have the center portion of their headlight beam directed into our side mirrors. But I have noticed the same thing jcalabria has noticed, in that even the more diffused side portion of an HID headlight beam in the outside mirror can sometimes be a distraction.

Something I haven't seen mentioned here is that the outside right mirror is not auto-dimming, so when that mirror is properly set so the driver can see the blind spot, then the passenger in the right front seat will have the headlights of the car(s) behind directly in their eyes. I split driving with my wife, in that I do most of the day driving, and she does most of the night driving. So, as a passenger in the Maxima, I have been greatly bothered by the full glare of headlights in that right mirror for decades. It is so bad I sometimes just lower the seatback and lie way back to avoid it. Thankfully, this problem is not quite as bad in the Maxima as in our trucks, on which we have large 'West Coast' outside mirrors.

i will miss the elite seating most, it sure set it apart.

^^^ Deff, that was probably the sickest option ever an im sure will be collectors as they get older.

I have no idea. I was wondering that myself. Does n e one know? Has n e one witnessed or experienced the "premium mood lighting?"

'Premium mood lighting?' I don't know. If I had to guess, I would think Nissan may have used more lights, but softer ones, with most of them either screened in some way, or truly indirect. But I really don't know. Someone needs to take a peek at the Owner's Manual, which is online somewhere at nissanusa.

The 'light' that will improve my mood is the one that will go off in my dealer's Internet Manager's head when she grasps the fact I will deal only from invoice. But then she probably remembers that fact from the Maximas I have bought from her in the past.

i found it out. In the brochure, it says that it adds interior lights to the cabin while driving to lightly illuminate the passenger compartment.

Now I have to test drive at night....

Comfortable seats.

Blulytes - Thanks! Wonder if they are Blu Lytes? Like you?

I think it may be like the "Ambient Interior Lighting" that the CTS has where you have gentle lighting in specific places in the cabin.

True. Who's gonna b the one to test drive at night?? Let us know what it looks like.

[QUOTE=lightonthehill;6500554]95Max - After seeing so many weak excuses from so many folks for not being able to fit an '09 Maxima into their life, I must admit your two reasons are completely valid. You really do need a power folding outside right mirror, and you really do need the 60/40 rear seat fold-down, which you can't get with either the Sport or Premium package. You have my sympathy; I don't know what I would do if faced with your dilemna.

Well Light there are only two options....keep the 04 or buy something other then a Nissan....which would be a shame as it would mark the first time since 1971 that there has not been a Datsun/Nissan in the family....hey Nissan are you reading this...I hope

i know i won't be enjoying a 7th gen anytime soon. besides the obvious financial reason, I also need the 60/40 seat for snowboarding.

one day i will finally have a solid income to afford a used Pathy and a loaded Sport 7th gen :sadpace:

but i understand how reinforcing the seats improves performance.

NismoMax80 - How are you with an acetylene torch? Of course you would still have to hinge a seatback. Maybe an ultra-narrow snoboard? They say the hole in the reinforced segment is fairly generous.

95Max - Like you, I drove Datsuns before my first Maxima (my first Maxima was an '85, and I had two of them). But I didn't switch to Datsun until '78; seven years after you. I hate it when a loyal Maxima driver is put in an untenable situation, with no ready solution. Like you, I love my trouble-free '04, but would be very disappointed if I did not have the option to move 'up' with each new generation.

I just figured out a solution.

Chuck, if you buy a Sport model, I'll buy it from you when the 8th gen comes out! :)

NismoMax80 - I may have to pass you my 7th gen via my will. I no longer count on living until the next generation Maxima comes out. I feel very fortunate I lived to see this exciting 7th gen.

When I think back to my '49 Studebaker, it is almost incomprehensible how much cars have been improved over the years. About the only thing that car had that the new cars don't was a little 'crankout' vent window at the front of each front door window. My first six cars did not have air conditioning. I was still buying 84 profile tires until the early 1960s. I have had cars that used unprofiled tires, then 84, 81, 74, 70, 65, 60 and 55 profile tires. The '09 Maxima will add 45 profile. All tires had inner tubes until around the early 1960s, and had no belts. I can remember when belted tires were the newest thing. Then came bias belted. Then came radial, but I was not able to afford radial tires until they came standard on both my '85 Maximas.

But I ramble. NismoMax80 - I will try to remember you in my will.

I'm a little younger than you but distinctly remember my older family members - mostly the smokers - bemoaning the passing of the vent wing windows in the 60's /early 70's. I remember that some of them had little latches that you released to push them out, some had their own little crank handle, and a few were even power operated.

I started driving (legally on the street, lol) in '73 and my father's Oldsmobile VistaCruiser had bias belted tires - G78-15's if I remember correctly. Fortunately, he got two new cars in '74 and both had the new-fangled P-metric radial tires and every new car I ever bought starting in '78 has had radial tires. Always going for the sport models, 70 series was the tallest profile I've ever had on my cars. Even as recently as '93 it was very radical that my Intrepid ES had huge-for-the-day 225/60-16 Michelin XGT tires. 16" 60 series performance tires on a large sedan was unheard of then, and absolutely dwarfed the 195/60-15 tires that were on the '87 Max SE that I owned at the time and even the 215/60-15 that came on the '95 Max SE. Now the '07s 18" 45 series look like steamrollers in comparison. I think the 19" wheels/tires on the 7G will be about the limit for me, though. Unlike some here, I just do not like the look of 20" and larger wheels and they offer too many practical compromises to be desireable even if I did like they way they look.

What was really amazing, looking back, were the tall skinny tires on our '67 Vette. Putting 435 conservatively rated horses down on the ground through 7.75-15 bias-belted tires (contact patch was only about 5.5 inches wide - but neat red stripes) was pretty crazy. Lighting those suckers up at just about any speed was just a little poke of the pedal away.

Enough rambling. Must come with getting older, lol.

LOL! One of those freaking vents was the way some hooligan forced his way into my '71 Chevelle and stole my 8 track player, along with the suitcase that held 24 tapes!:mad:

He did you a favor! :laugh:

jcalabria - For those still young (in their fifties and sixties), your remembrances probably brought lots of smiles. For those of us somewhat older, they brought wistful thinking of days gone by forever. I recall almost everything you mentioned very well.

Oldsmobile did put really narrow tires on their cars. I remember trying to make a panic stop while doing around 80 MPH in my well over 4,000 pound Delta 88 '66 Olds on a downhill grade on Interstate 20. The officer investigating the accident said I left over 400 feet of rubber (no anti-lock brakes back then), and the fairly new tires (Seiberling or Cooper?) were all four scraped down to the steel (hence ruined) in one spot.

That happened in 1968, and was the only 'chargeable' accident I have ever had. Even then, he didn't charge me with the accident, because I had been hit from behind by two other cars after I was stopped, and there were so many cars involved in the pileup it was impossible to sort everything out. But I did feel appropriately guilty, and my insurance company did have to pay for damage to my car.

Almost any car built in this decade would have been able to stop in time to avoid that pileup.

But I ramble far off-thread. Sorry.

Before the '71 VistaCruiser (btw - the 6g Max was not the first car with unusual fixed glass panels in the roof), my dad had a '66 Olds 98 Brougham - a stretched version of your Delta 88 - what a boat! The rear fenders were as long as a Volkswagon, lol.

After the Vista Cruiser, he got a '74 Cutlass Salon, which was on the bleeding edge of the Euro trend - it was the first-ever domestic sedan with bucket seats and a console. We used to get so many people asking why the hell a four-door had bucket seats and a floor-mounted shifter. It also had fat-for-its-day 70 series radials and much firmer suspension and a rear anti-roll bar - another unusual sedan feature in the day - and the front suspension carried higher than normal caster for for a firmer feel (Monte Carlo spec +8 deg. instead of the normal +2 deg.)

Much like many of those here like the sound of their CAI systems, when I drove that car I used to flip the air cleaner cover over so there was a large gap around the diameter of the air cleaner instead of drawing air through the snorkel. That sounded NICE when the secondaries popped open (I see some youngin's wondering "WTF is a secondary?", lol) on the 350 V8 (still weren't using liters to describe domestic engine displacement, but it equates to a 5.7L) that only made about 160hp in those low compression / early smog control / first fuel crisis days.

I know... too much rambling digression.

ahh the good ole days :)
i live with my grandfather who was a mechanic. i enjoy listening about cars of the past.
i know current technology saved me from several accidents :nervous:

the camera works really well, it has the program to tell you the distances through colors and without the audible tone. I've had and used this camera for years in infinitis and am really happy it made it to the maxima. waayyy better than a regular ultrasonic parking assist.

I guess I'll just have to experience it to really know... it may work perfectly and the color display may be gee-whiz and and all, but it just seems that I really don't need or want to have to actually look at anything to distract my attention from actually backing up. Still have two years left on my '07 sonar system lease anyway.