Dconn, let us know if your heated seats are working as they supposed to. Sport package has heated seats right? And post pics when you get a chance.

 

Interesting points made about availability. I'm just north of Toronto Ontario and it seems they're holding back on making the 2010's available until they dump all of the '09's. This from the dealer. Not seeing any really hot deals on the available '09s at this point either so no doubt they'll really be grinding it out with the new ones.
Anybody north of the 49th run into the same issue??? My '06 lease is up in July and I'm getting antsy......

Rob

 

Took my 2010 on the first trip from NYC to New Haven Connecticut this past weekend. I was very impressed by the handling. And the paddle shifters really feel like a manual gear (atleast to me.) I used them on take-offs and to get fast acceleration. I wont be using it much until after my break-in period, cos of the high revs.
Only thing i am not sure about is, the car felt lighter than my 6th at high speed. Taking it on another trip to Charlotte NC this weekend. Will post the mpg I get when I do get back.
Is it possible to swap out the Bose speakers for after market speakers?

 

And the troubles begin. My car has been smelling a little weird the last couple of days. Took a quick look and saw nothing. Then a friend mentioned they thought they smelled antifreeze. I checked the coolant and the level is all the way below min. What the hell? The car is 3 months old has 8k miles and already engine issue?

 

I have had my 09 for almost a month now. I just recently signed up on the Nissan Finance website to try to pay bills online to them. They want $15 to pay by credit card and $5 to pay thru my checking out each time. Outrageous!!!

 

It's really insane that they charge you to pay them conveniently! I made my first payment thru them online (September 09) free of charge and it seems they've since changed the process.

 

Automatic withdrawal from your bank account is free.

 

How can they charge you a fee to pay them? lol Thats insane. Especially online. So they were rather you sent a check? How is that not against the law?

 

Nissan is not charging you. The 3rd party payment processor, Bill Matrix I believe, is charging you for taking your payment and sending it to Nissan.

Another alternative is to use mycheckfree.com. I use them for paying many of my bills. They are a very reliable service. I use automatic withdrawal from my bank account though.

 

boone is right. Mailed checks, etc, are fast becoming unwelcome at many high-volume places, because they have to be hand-processed by folks that have to be paid salaries and benefits. Most banks at which you would have an account have online options for paying bills free of charge. It is free because the money is transferred from your account to Nissan (or whomever) with little interaction required by anybody.

 

i bought mine for 34k plus tax . 09 sv tech package . i went to two different dealership first dealership they wanted 35.000 something for the car and i went to other dealership told them that if i can get better deal from them . lied to them i told them that the first dealership i went to was willing to sell it for 34500 and they beat it by 500 . cuz all the dealer will lie to you why not lie to them first ??? good luck on buying it

 

Does anyone with the SV/Sports Package find the ride too stiff and are their any suggestions of how to soften the ride without impacting the handling of the car?

Thanks

 

i don't find it too stiff, but its more personal opinion based because i have driven other cars with way more harder suspensions. so if you don't like the stiff ride don't get the sport package.

 

Too late for me. I own it. Have you heard of anyone doing something simple to soften the ride? Would moving to the 18 " tires/wheels likely make a difference? Or is it more in the springsand shocks?

 

Going to the 18" wheels and tires would make a difference, but the wheels are expensive, unless you can find someone here who wants to swap their 18" wheels for 19" wheels. I have see a few here trying to do that during the past year or so.

But first, I would try 32 psi in the tires, and see if that helps. I would also consider replacing the 245/40VR19 tires with 245/45VR19 tires. That gives a tad higher sidewall, which allows a little more flexibility in the tires. Someone here will know if the springs and shocks are different with the Sport. I seem to remember the Maxima brochure saying the Sport had a sport-tuned suspension.

 

Hello, names Brian. I just picked one of these up last week. Have to say that I cannot believe that this is a Nissan. I owned a 2008 Altima for about a year and a half and never really liked it. I loved the 3.5L V6, but the car itself was a mezza-mezza in quality. My friend has an 07' Maxima and it is a nice car, but something about the interior feels wrong. However, this new Maxima is amazing. I leased it in White w/ The Premium package and man is it unique with the glass roof. I looked at a few cars before this, including an 08' G35xS, and this blew them all away. For anyone looking for a new car in the 30-40K range, give this a look, seriously.

 

For your first post on Maxima.org, you couldn't have done much better. Welcome to the ORG. I also have the white with Premium (and Tech), and will be interested in hearing about your on-going experiences with this new Maxima.

 

I also just picked up a 2010, after getting just as good a deal as I thought I was going to get on a 2009. It was like $10 more a month to lease the 2010! And, I got it fully loaded in the color combo I wanted as well! I looked at the Maxima in the past but couldn't get past the ugly interior. This one is more on par with my old 2006 Infiniti M35 - really great car so far! I love it!

 

And yet another 'newbie!' Welcome, djdez! Interesting that the dealers are giving virtually as good a deal on the new 2010 as on the 2009. We are picking up a lot of new posters here with recent 2010 purchases. Things are going to be rocking on the ORG!

 

Im not a owner of the 7th gen but I had a 5th gen up untill 1/09. I was @ the barbar shop and one of the barbers knows about me and and how much i loved my max he was telling me how he just picked up a 09 a few days before. Couldnt wait to finish up the cut just to get an upclose look. I have to admit the exterior isnt really appealing to me yet... maybe its just one of of those things that just grows on you. The interior to me was sick. He had the black w/ red stitching. Felt tight like an infiniti interior. Def a nice car so i would def keep an eye out and see how well they turn out.

 

The styling may take a while to grow on you, but when you stand behind this thing, and look at those haunches jutting out from a fairly clean rear, see the LED tail lamps, or notice the 'coke bottle' shape, or stand in front and note how aggressive the front looks with those rakish headlamp assemblies, it will grow on you. I have gotten many many compliments on the styling of this beauty.

The '09 was introduced over a year and a half ago (March 19, 2008), and went on sale a year and a third ago (June 26, 2008). I am a little surprised you have not been looking at them before now.

 

This is a great thread.....pretty much find what I was looking for in regards to Sport vs Premium. I think its pretty silly you can't get the Premium features on top the Sport though...bah,....

 

If a way to combine the Sport and Premium were offered, it would not be adding the Premium features to the Sport; it would be the other way around.

Because the Premium package has an endless list of features, many tied in together, we would have to order the Premium Maxima, then have an additional Sport option package available consisting of only the larger wheels/tires, stiffer suspension and spoiler. That would do it for most folks.

 

It's wierd I guess... back when i was in a 5th gen i didnt like the 6th gen either. up until when the 07 came i started to like them. Maybe the center console and slight modification of the front end. I liked the 5th/5.5 gen till this day over any other model. I did mention it was a nice looking ride and the interior is sick... maybe w/ the ongoing visits to the barber i'll start liking it.... but for the price its still a little steep... 30k range for a base. I would make a move on a year or two old infiniti m imo.

 

Glad to see you are keeping an open mind about this 7th gen Maxima. It is definitely different than any previous Maxima. As info, if you are willing to deal tough, you should be able to get a base '09 or '10 Maxima for between $25 and $26K at many dealers. That is a lot of car for the money.

 

4TH Generation (loyal Nissan) owner looking into the 09 Max Sport Package.

Hopefully you all can help me out with a few questions I have, I recently had a baby( 1st and only so far) and now Im looking to upgrade to a safer vehicle. Here are my questions...

1. Is the 09 Maxima Sport a safe family sedan?
2. Leasing a good idea?
3 Since Im not the most knowledgeable on the different models, is the Sport my best option?
4. For you 09 Sport owners, how is the backseat? Ive been hearing conflicting stories.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

 

ALL '09 and '10 Maximas have excellent (five star) safety ratings. All 7th gen Maximas are very similar, in that they all have the same engine, tranny, etc. There are four levels; 'S' (base), 'SV' (base with some goodies added), 'SV' with Sport package (larger wheels/tires, firmer suspension, spoiler, etc), and 'SV' with Premium package (far too many goodies to list here).

You REALLY need to get on www.nissanusa.com (or Edwards or some car board) and examine the options for each package. If you don't have internet access, either pick up a Maxima brochure from your dealer, or just stand beside the new Maximas on his lot and read the window stickers.

Maximas with the Sport package are a little harder to find, as they are not selling as well as Maximas with the Premium package. Several posters here have found the Sport suspension a little firmer than they feel is comfortable, while others prefer the firm ride. Be aware that magazine testers found Maximas with the Premium package somehow get the same elapsed times and slalom times as those with the Sport package. I find that surprising, but . . .

I have never leased, so someone else will have to answer that question.

I believe the back seat room is the same in all four Maxima versions. It is very comfortable for me (5' 11") and my son (6' 1"), but a few here on the board feel the 6th gen had a tad more back seat room.

Many of those here preferring the Sport package do so primarily because they like the looks of the 19" wheels (the other three Maxima versions have 18" wheels), and the spoiler (standard on the Sport, but can be added to any version of the Maxima).

Many folks feel the Premium is the better choice for a family sedan, as it has the distinctive double-panel roof, great back-up camera, and many many other features not included in the Sport package. You would be very unwise if you don't take the time to at least examine ALL options in both the Sport and Premium packages. If you don't understand any of the options, just ask here; someone will know the answer. The Sport and Premium options are mutually exclusive (can't be combined), and take this car in opposite directions. You REALLY SHOULD at least drive both before deciding. Time spent on this decision will greatly improve the chances you will make the right decision for you.

 

Great response by LotH (as usual), but I just want to add the OTHER option:

SV with Tech. I got the SV with Tech, added the spoiler, and purchased my own 19" rims (not overly fond of the factory 19's).

Further, I never use a sun roof, rarely used the heated seats on my Inifiniti, and don't go for faux wood trim, so many of the Premium options did not appeal to me.

 

That was a great response...Thanks for your time. I will be sure to check out both packages.

 

I can provide feedback with these two:
2.) Leasing is a good idea if you have a steady income and know that you can pay the payments for the next so-many years. However, remember that in the end you won't have any equity into the car unless you plan to buy it. Also, modding it becomes tricky as you have to remove them at the end of the lease. Simple mods, like I'm doing (Tint, Billet Grille, Intake, etc...), are easily removed versus exhaust or a body kit.
4.) The back seat of the Sport is the same as the Premium. It has two very comfortable bucket seats. The middle seat is useless unless it is for a small person or a young teen. I am 6'1 and have a 14.5 shoe size. I find that sitting behind myself is comfortable except for the toe room. Headroom is fine for someone even like myself, but the sport package doesn't have the dual roof so that may or may not give you some extra headroom. If the majority of your backseat passengers are of average build and height, then they will be very comfortable. Even if they are larger like myself, they shouldn't have much of a problem.

Hope that helps

 

hey guys.. well overall the maxima 7th gen is alright .. its fun .. but i have a popping strut issie and my driver"s seat rocks when i accelerate.. man oh man... i traded an 03 altima 3.5se... and guess what the altima accelerated much faster from 0-60 .. believe it or not!! HA!!!.. i bought a sv premium model. white with charcoal interior. but yeah its still kick *** overall though.

 

'MUCH faster'? Ummm. Not really. Unless either your Altima was modded or your haven't mastered the CVT yet or your Maxima is still going through the break-in phase or something is wrong with your Maxima.

The Magazine testers got between 5.8 and 6.2 0-60 with the 7th gen Maxima. A stock '03 Altima will not be 'MUCH' faster than that. It certainly wasn't during CU testing. Yes, I have saved all CU annual car issues, so can look back and check.

But I understand the old Altima FEELS faster, what with the very detectable shifting of gears. My 1978 Datsun 200SX felt faster than my '09 Maxima also, with its 1900 cc 4 banger and 5 on the floor. But it would probably actually be measured at over 10 seconds 0 to 60.

I agree the '03 Altima was very strong (and an excellent car), and for many folks, more fun to drive than the CVT-equipped Maxima, because the shifting tranny kept you feeling close to the action.

Yes, the rocking driver's seat has been a problem for several here, and should have been addressed more forcefully by Nissan last winter. And the struts have been a little bit of an issue with the Maxima beginning with the '04. There is curently a recall for some Maximas produced this past summer because of bad strut insulators.

Nice first post, by the way. And welcome to the ORG. You will find others here with exactly the two problems you mentioned. With everyone working together, maybe we can get these problems resolved.

 

Trying to decide what new car to buy. At this point it's between the 2010 BMW 328IX (AWD), the 2010 Maxima SV, and the 2010 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited.
Even though the Subaru is the cheapest, I still think the Maxima is still the biggest bang for the buck.
We have owned 2 maximas so far. My wifes current car is a 2003 Maxima Se Titanuim Edition. I plan on giving that to my 17 year old daughter to drive.
My wife wants a white Max with black interior. Just don't know if I like the Sport Package or the Premium Package. I have heard the Premium Package has a more comfortable ride because of the 18" wheels comapred to the 19" wheels on the Sport Package. Not sure mow much I like the dual panel moonroof on the premium Package, although it does look pretty nice with the white color. kind of Mercedes looking.
What do you guys think my best choice would be?

 

I decided on the white Maxima with premium package three months before the dealers even had them for sale, and have never regretted a thing.

If I were going to be traveling on ice or snow, or be offroad much, I would go with the BMW AWD or Subaru AWD. Both those vehicles have better traction and road clearance than the Maxima (which has only 4.5 inches road clearance), and would be far better 'mudders.'

If you are not an offroader or Eskimo, the Maxima has more interior room, and fresh new styling. The Premium package rides slightly more comfy than the Sport package, but is still firmly seated on the road, with better maneuverability and much tighter turning circle than the 6th gen Maxima. The FWD Maxima will get better fuel mileage and better acceleration than either of these other two vehicles, primarily due to the fact AWD reduces both MPG and elapsed time in most vehicles.

If I were you, I would take the time to read the contents of the Premium package very closely. The double-panel roof is just the tip of the iceberg of the dozens of goodies in the Premium package; too many to attempt to list here. Have your wife check the list also.

 

i just got back from a trip btw New York and Charlotte. I can say this is easily the best road trip I have had in a long time.
The interior is very quiet and i had constantly check my speedo, cos the car seemed like it was hardly moving.
Had absolutely no difficulty delivering power to overtake at top speed.
Gas Mileage was really Good. When I was doing 60-65 I got 30mpg. But then I upped that to btw 75-80, my average at the end of the trip by the time I got back was 27.2mpg.

Finally, I am a sucker for toys. The voice activated tech passage is a convenience I doubt i could do without again. The multiple screen status view, showing what was playing in my music box, the navi directions and my call connection is something I am very impressed with. Only gripe is, the music (from the ipod) doesn't get paused when a call comes in, but music from my music box does.
Guess I still need to read the manual some more. Even if i second guessed myself on sticking with a maxima again, after this trip, all doubts have been erased.

 

Very similar to my experiences. It is understandable that posters with problems always bring them here, and, often, those without problems don't bother to post. So those scanning here sometimes get a dim view of our 7th gen Maxima. It is reassuring to have a few positive posts such as yours to help balance things.

 

I've been lurking on this forum for months, and decided to contribute now. I traded my '04 Max SL for a '09 SV w/premium/nav in mid September. Tuscan Sun/CafeLatte. LOVE IT! Just got back from a 4,000 mile road trip from Houston to Atlanta, then the Blue Ridge Parkeway/Skyline Drive, over to Pittsburgh, down to Arkansas, and back to Houston. I have not checked to see the manufacture date of my max, but I have not experienced a single problem mentioned in this forum, or any other. Love everything about it. Had my first service done at Anderson Nissan in Asheville. They did not even ask if I wanted the Ester Oil (I was prepared to argue). $33.00 for the entire service. 28-29 mpg in the mountains. Paddle shifters came in very handy. Nav system is awesome, and fun to play with. Audio is great with 60 or so cds on the hard drive and XM also. Shocks, ride, steering all perfect for me. I'm a believer!

 

Just brought a 2010 Maxima SV Sport and Monitor package. Dark Slate with moon roof. I really like how comfortable the front seats are and how stiff the sport tune suspension works on turns. Plus, I really like how the 19" rims look!

But lately, I am having problems with the connectivity with the iPod. It's a 120 GB Classic and when I go to iPod mode, it stays on "reading file" and it doesn't play songs from the iPod. I think the stereo system has a bug. Does anyone had the same issue?

 

Not sure if it is a bug.
Mine connects to my apple, but will read some albums, and wont read some. Took it back to the dealership, but they had no answers. Hope it is something a software update would fix.

 

What I did to my iPod was I press and hold both the MENU and the center button until the iPod rebooted itself. Since then, it has been working fine.