Chio

I put it in to DS and hit the down shift pattle and the engine started off slow then all of a sudden VOORROOm!!! it is like someone put turbos on the car. I had time to play with the CVT and shifting since no one was on the road and down shifted and upshifts were great!

Finally i fell in love with the CVT and the 7th Gen maxi. Coming from and Audi S4 that i tracked alot this car is ALOT of fun to drive...

blackmamba09

nice! i dont have the shift paddles but the manual mode on the tranny is great.. I havent been able to fully run it yet.. i should soon though! 1300 miles.

pearle

I love the manual mode. Very responsive and great fun for what it is.

Compusmurf

Paddles are kinda cool.

GF drove it the other day and was cracking jokes about them. Women just don't understand gadgets. LOL (ok, some women, not all)

Chio

i have 1900 miles and really more and more am falling in love with this car. I have only seen one other one and that was on a road trip to KC this weekend and it was a dealers car.

pitajai61

still no chance yet to test out the ds mode on mine!!

jdhume

Put it in Ds mode (leave the paddles alone) and hit a freeway on-ramp at WOT. So fun...

pearle

I find Ds mode can be confused at times and doesn't 'downshift' fast enough. Manual mode doesn't have that problem. It is fun how Ds mod rips up through the simulated gears though.

Chio

it is about time we ALL start talking this car up and how much fun it is.. I still would love to hear the exhaust from another 7 gen.. I love the way my wifes g35 sounds i think it is close but cannot tell.

gordoe

I find myself just looking over at the speedometer and saying, "Damn! 90?" Then I slow down, the car is so smooth and calm at high speeds! I usually am just on D when I'm on the freeway and when I need to pass someone up I put it into DS and boom! I had an '05 Altima SE-R, it was fast, but my new '09 Maxima is just smooth and fast! It's more comfortable to drive than my SE-R was!

Compusmurf

You know, the paddles can still be used in ANY mode, but if you're in D mode, it'll go back to D mode after a short time, if you're in Ds mode, it seems to stay in M mode after you touch the paddles or the shifter.

(Found out by accidentally hitting one of the paddles -instead of wiper- while in D mode)

monoblocks

I've only test-driven the car (Premium)...nice, but a bit cushier than I had hoped. With only a couple of hundred miles on the clock, the acceleration was good (I pity the guy who actually BUYS this particular car) but I wasn't enamored with the torque steer each time I floored it. Paddles and slap-shifter on console seem ridiculous for a CVT car, but they work and the programming seems to 'shift' quickly enough.

The car feels really "big" to me; probably all the seat time in the Porsche has jaded me forever but the Max still feels more like a bloaty Lexus GS than the sharpened scalpel of an Infiniti G35. Turn-in good for a tail-dragger, but then there's that torque steer on power-up coming out of a corner. Nicely finished, though...and I REALLY enjoy the look of this car, especially from up front; those fenders and the hood ridges are killer. Still, I'm anxious to compare this test drive against a more "mundane" family sedan, like the new Mazda 6, if only to see if the extra money for the Max is really worth it.

baylormax02

hmmm gotta disagree. when i test drove it i thought it felt more snug, and actually small on the interior than my 2002. i feel like they really made it a sports sedan like they advertise.

but damn that's a high sticker price.. dealer had most of them at $34 k or higher with the nicer packages. but mannn i wish i had that engine in my 02 with the 6speed

hot_wax_tree

Nice man im glad to hear she is goin to good use.

mkaresh

Sounds like fun.

The 2009 Maxima's paddles are better than most: padded and mounted to the column, not the steering wheel.

monoblocks

Well, size is relative. A Porsche 911 used enough as a daily driver will invariably change anyone's perception on what's big and what's not.

I tested the new Mazda 6 Grand Touring yesterday. Even though its V-6 gives up 18 bhp to the Maxima, it has a higher torque rating and frankly, its acceleration feels a lot like the Maxima's (keeping in mind that the 6 I drove only had 35 miles on the odo when I started flooring it up onramps). Big difference is that in the Mazda, the torque steer is significantly better managed than in the Max. The only drawback is the fuel mileage, which the EPA ratings is worse than the Nissan's.

In general, the cars really feel like they're in different classes. The Max feels more like a cushier near-lux car, while the Mazda seems like the well-appointed family sedan that it is. As tested, there was about a $6k difference in price. Even though I really like the Max's exterior styling and overall build quality, it's hard to justify spending 20% more for the Nissan over the Mazda. Both dealers sounded that they were going to be aggressive with dealing with pricing, but Mazda sounded like they were more hungrier (and this particular store doesn't have any stupid second sticker as a starting negotiation point). Plus because of my Speed6 purchase a couple of years ago, Mazda has further discount incentives, making the new 6 an even better deal for me.

As weird as it seems for a happy 6 owner like me, the new 6 is that much better than the outgoing car. Its build quality, particularly on the interior, is considerably improved from before. Its size is MASSIVE compared the old car (it's now even bigger than the new Maxima), which I suppose is a good thing if capacity matters. The trunk is HUGE; as the salesman quipped, it's a classic three-body trunk (he called it a New Jersey joke) and makes the Maxima's own trunk seem subcompact in comparison. Yet the 6 doesn't drive all that big like I felt the Max did. The relatively low cowl probably played a big part in that feeling. The price of the Max makes me want to consider other driver-friendlier options (i.e., RWD), like the Infiniti G37 or even a basic BMW 3-series. For me, if I were in the market now for a new FWD sedan, I likely would choose to save the $6k and pick the Mazda over the Max...at least today.

Mastermind1

That's a good write up on the 6- as much as I really don't like the Mazda-name. (Must be the Ford association).

MM1

monoblocks

Before I bought the Speed6, it took me a while to get over the Ford connection as well...and the silly 'zoom zoom' commercials. But despite Ford's influence, and actually partly because of it, I've discovered that the products the Mazda brand sells aren't all that bad after all. With my generation of the 6, "Forzda" probably did dip into the corporate Ford parts bin perhaps a bit too much, but the same could be said for the Volvos and the rather cheezy Jaguar X-class I tested around the same time frame. So far the Speed6 hasn't let me down in terms of reliability despite me probably having too much fun spooling up the turbo far too often, even if the interior cabin is a bit on the chintzy side for its own good.

I still think I made the right choice then by choosing the Mazda over the smaller, more stripped out and more expensive WRX STi or the Evo, although I admit that I was sorely tempted, particularly by the Mitsu. But already with the Porsche, my yearly insurance budget's already was bad enough as is; taking on another pocket rocket just wasn't in the cards (sigh).

mkaresh

A MS6 is far more livable than an old STI or Evo, which IMHO would be hard to live with on a daily basis. But also not nearly as fun. Such is the common trade-off.

I enjoyed driving the new Maxima more than I enjoyed driving the new Mazda6. To me, the Maxima's steering and handling feel considerably sportier.

MAXIMAK99

What the how the H***! How did I all of a sudden end up on Mazda 6 fourm?

lightonthehill

I mean really! When the ball is over, and its time to take the princess home, would you rather be asking the carpark valet to bring the black Mazda around, or the black Maxima?

Put another way, Mazda now makes decent vehicles. A Mazda will get the groceries home, and get little sister to Sunday School. But a Maxima is more than a vehicle. A Maxima is even more than a lifestyle. A Maxima is a statement.

Compusmurf

Folks are correct, this is a Maxima forum, not a Mazda forum. Please refrain from too much discussion about other vehicles.

bk2k3max

Prior to buying my 09 Max I viewed several cars and test drove the Mazda 6 both before and after I drove/bought my Max and to me Mono makes some interesting points but the Mazda just didn't seem to have the overall fit and finish of the Max nor did it turn in well like the Max does.
The Mazda6 felt somewhat cheaper in quality and it wasn't faster than the Max, yes the trunk is bigger on the 6 than the Max but those of us who bought the 09 Max didn't buy it to haul groceries, we bought it to haul *** and because we like the look, the name and overall feel/appeal of the car.
Maxima has a great history and the Mazda6 is bogged down by name recognition to its' history, so unless you're just looking towards $ only or for both a bigger trunk and $ then there's lilttle to no reason to buy a Mazda6 when the Max's prestige and history says so much more.

Oolatec

iTrader: (5)

Depends on what kind of... gadgets...

monoblocks

Neither...my black Porsche. A different kind of statement.

I know, I know...it's a Maxima forum.

That said, the Max doesn't live in a vacuum. It shouldn't hurt to make comparisons to other cars.

monoblocks

What can I say? Sometimes I get the case of the cheapies, and although I typically don't haul around a bunch of dead bodies, I do have to tote around my dad's walker so hauling capacity is indeed most dear to me, particularly for what's supposed to be a BIG car. Besides, $6k will pay for a fair amount of upgrades. Or for a lot of gas.

I don't disagree with what you say in a straight up comparison. For a front driver, the new Max was a reasonably impressive car during my test drive, EXCEPT for that bloody, unkempt torque steer I experienced. Perhaps the CVT could use some fiddling as well to give it better sensory feel, though honestly I didn't drive the car long enough to be sure. It seemed a bit hard to gauge the engine speed by ear when using the self-shift mode and it certainly has nothing over the reaction speed of a dual-clutch autobox solution.

But as I stated earlier, I didn't think the two cars were really in the same class; an Acura TL--however fugly it's become--is probably a more appropriate competitor. The Max is simply a more refined ride that's better screwed together. The other car goes up against Accords, Malibus and Camrys, and is built accordingly (no pun intended).

That the other car wasn't really in the same category in terms of finish quality and interior materials is not in doubt even for me; the price difference alone certainly reflects that. A truer competitor for the other car would be the Altima, except for the size. But in terms of performance, I didn't feel the new Max and the other car were all that far apart. Acceleration wasn't all that different, though the Max felt a bit more composed doing it and probably was a bit quicker to 80 (I took the other car up to 95 or so--the benefit of not having a sales rep tagging along), though both cars didn't have all that many miles on them. Both cars had telltale understeer when tossed hard into a corner, which is no surprise for tail draggers. But both cars felt relatively composed despite the nose-heavy nature. For the limited amount of hard driving I managed to do (more in the other car than in the Max--remember, no sales guy along to glare at me), neither car really seemed all that satisfying to me, but then again I don't think either car was truly built for serious hard driving. The other car's steering suffered from numb on-center feel, but both cars' racks weren't necessarily the most communicative; certainly no BMW killers here. Both cars handled poor pavement about the same--very good--though the other car was a tad noiser doing it; chalk it up too poorer insulation perhaps.

In the end I couldn't get over the price per performance factor. I saw value with the other car, even if it was a bit of a pretender. With the Max, I saw genuine quality on top of great looks but not the sort of canyon carving, butt-slinging driving performance I prefer these days, even in sedans. So when all said and done I called it how I drove it, cheapies and all. Besides, there's just not enough love for Maximas from the general, non-enthusiast public to make me consider the car legendary or prestigious anymore (especially with the way they depreciate), not in the same way certain other rides like Infinitis, Lexus or BMW wear the badge. Plus, the soft soap bar look of the 4G through 6G cars never sat well with me at all. Hard for me to say there's legit legacy after those bodies.

See? I can go through an entire posting without saying Mazda...oh damn!

lightonthehill

monoblocks - I can't disagree with much of what you just said. I agree the '09 Maxima and the 'other car' are in very different classes. The Maxima is advertised as a sporty near-luxury flagship, with MSRP ranging from around $30K to $39K. I haven't seen that other car advertised as 'near luxury', and with prices beginning around $20K or less, I don't expect to.

I am also surprised by the trunk size comparison. I believe it was Consumer Reports (I know it was one of the testing mags) who said the '09 Maxima trunk was 14 cubic feet, and was the largest in its class. Of course there aren't many vehicles that are truly in whatever class the Maxima is in. Maybe the TL. But 14 cubic feet is big. Maybe the shape of the Maxima's trunk was less suitable for your purposes.

I am assuming the '09 version of the 'other car' has improved its performance drastically over it's '08 version, where it had a noisy, thirsty engine that took over 8 seconds to cough its way to 60, and for which Electronic Stability Control was not available.

Economically, the 'other car' gets very high marks. But, considering the big price disparity, one could not expect that 'other car' to measure up to the Maxima in many things.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Whatever, sometimes I just need to explain that the 7th gen feels HUGE compared to my triumph GT6

mls277

Pick up my SV Sport tomorrow...excited to give it a good run!

lightonthehill

mls277 - Why are you bringing the Maxima onto this Mazda/Triumph thread? Oh! Hold on. My mistake; this actually IS a Maxima thread.

I know you are excited about picking up your '09 tomorrow. Even after owning nothing but Maximas for 24 years, I still get all tingly when the day I pick up a new one arrives.

NYPD-Arnold

iTrader: (8)

You're not doing it right. Error 404 Porsche not found. Can't gloat without teh Porsche.

monoblocks

Oh, c'mon...ANYONE who chooses a Brit sports car deserves much love. He don't need no stinkin' Porsche. I need my stinkin' Porsche.

Suppose this is BAD time to start ranting about my Hyundai Genesis test drive, huh? (That V-8 is SWEET!)

lightonthehill

V8 Genesis? Nice car, but different class. RWD, tons of HP. BASE MSRP of the Hyundai Genesis V8 is around $38,500, while the base MSRP of the '09 Maxima is almost $9,000 (NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS) less. The base Genesis MSRP is about the same as a top-of-the-line '09 Maxima SV with both Premium package and Tech package.

Some folks like the fairly plain and conservative slab-side styling of the Genesis, but I find the coke bottle (with haunches) styling of the '09 Maxima much more exciting.

As I said, the Genesis is attractive, playing off the BMW/Maxima reverse-chopped rear portion of the back door windows. But the only styling 'risk' with the Genesis is the absence of the traditional maker's symbol in the grille area. Hyundai left that off because their image is not yet of the esteem that warrants being placed on a premium-level vehicle.

Having several very dear Korean friends I have treasured since spending over a year there in the 1950s, I usually lean toward Korean products. Except in cars, where I am a Maxima fan for life.

monoblocks

Um...I had been only kidding about posting about the Genesis. Sorry I even brought it up...almost.

Actually the sticker on the Gen that I tested was just about $42k total with some sort of technology package as the only option (starting price was $37,250, before destination charges and no second sticker). The (second) sticker on the Maxima Premium I tested was a hair under $36.5k, with no GPS nav. The same dealer had loaded V-6 Genesises (Genesi?) for just under $36k. I didn't negotiate with them, but it seemed like the Hyundai dealer was in a wheel-deal mood, although it was more for the V-6 than the V-8 (he only had two of those, and I just thrashed one of them).

As for looks...yeah, it's a bit dated...kinda reminds me of an earlier iteration of an Altima, only bigger...and with that KILLER engine. Nicely built, too. And RWD...

Now it's time to go find a Hyundai forum and blather on mindlessly about the thing...

mls277

It may be a nice car but I personally wouldn't spend 42 grand on a Hyndai and I actually own one of their SUVs and I think it's a GREAT value. Hyndai is a good bang for the buck car but to go and spend BMW/Maxima/Mercedes/Lexus type money on it wouldn't be my thing to do.

dsm_2xtreme

Diddo. Besides I was reading Car & Driver and they said in in the first sentence: Let's make this clear right now. This is NOT a BMW, or even close. It is not even a sports sedan. I was like OUCH!!!!

michaelle8885

I'm sorry, but what is DS mode? The driving modes I know is the standard driving in D, paddle shifting, and when you slide the shifter to manual shift mode.

lightonthehill

I don't have my '09 yet, and so this will be better answered by someone who has an '09. Very briefly, the 'DS' is a 'sporty' version of 'D', allows the RPMs to go higher, and holds the RPMs when cornering, so the car will already be at the right RPMs for instant accelleration as you leave a turn and hit the gas.

pearle

You put the car in Ds mode by shifting the shifter to the left when in D mode. It kinda emulates a shifting auto transmission with sporty gear ratios and, as lightonthehill stated, it does try to keep RPMs up when it thinks you might want to get back on the gas. I find it gets confused at times, however.

BluFlame

iTrader: (2)

irish: stop doing engine swaps in your driveway, you reduce home values on your block and your neighbors dont like it.