Well I know one big difference, the parent company of that CTS is bankrupt and didn't Nissan say they lost money on the manual due to lack of interest, i.e. sales?

This is a FWD car the last time I checked.

 

Oh i wish i had a G37!

 

Two completely different cars with two completely different demographics........ nice comparison

 

While true, but for that very reason don't you think the desire for manuals would be a lot more among Maxima owners that CTS owners? My read on Maxima owners from this forum is that they tend to be more performance oriented than what I perceive Cadillac owners to be.

 

While I can see what you are leaning towards with the performance thing I still have to disagree with the comparison. Cadillac owners are known to be a little more of a "high brow" crowd that can dig a little deeper into their pockets for unique options like that. Now I am not saying that Nissan owners are cheap but knowing myself as a Nissan owner I would never pay what the crazy price would be to have a 6 speed bolted on to my max when I could just buy a Altima or something like that. Also I believe, and I may be wrong here, that even as a specialty option that has to be specifically asked for Nissan could never afford to have those kind of things on standby and interupt the manufacter line to do something like this where as Cadillac could no doubt perform this (maybe not so much anymore hehehe )

 

Agreed!! Very well said.

 

Cadillac CTS vs. Maxima .. hmmm
I just saw a 2009 Maxima ... first time i can see my car from the other drivers point of view... Wow! The car looks fast and sporty to me! More than any Cadillac i saw... I would agree with the 2 different crowds theory (unless you buy that 550 HP V or whatever it is.. too lazy to look it up).

 

I try to keep an eye out for other maximas on the road. Cuz when I see one from the other perspective (which isn't often) it's a beautiful sight. I love this car....

 

Norm; thanks so much for contributing this information.

We ALL want Nissan to stay in business, but transmission mode is a personal choice, and no amount of arguing for either side will diminish a human being's need to choose and to get what they pay for.

Most drivers who are enthusiasts know that a manual transmission is the preferred way to completely integrate yourself into the driving experience. There is no substitute. The testers at the car magazines know it, and we as Nissan purists know it as well.

I am sure that owning and driving a CVT automobile is an enjoyable experience - especially when it's a Maxima. However, for many, the greatest amount of pleasure is derived from COMPLETELY controlling the vehicle - which involves manually shifting the transmission. Driving a manual transmission requires skill - which impresses anyone who sits in the passenger seat of your car.

My first Maxima (1998 GX) was a 5 speed. I loved it. But when I got my second Maxima (2004 SE), a 6 speed manual, I drove it for hours on end with no destination in mind at all - the sheer joy of upshifting, downshifting, and watching the road spread out before me was the greatest driving pleasure I had ever experienced. Five years later - today - I still drive my 2004 SE 6 speed manual with no destination in mind at all, and I really enjoy the trip. Not because I can sit back and relax, but because I can literally become one with my vehicle - and spank an a$$ now and again (yesterday I trounced a Chevrolet Cobalt SS from a stoplight by 2 car lengths).

No matter how wonderful, fast, accomplished and coveted, I don't want a non-manual Maxima. Let's hope I'm not forced to buy one.

 

I still don't buy the argument that it would cost Nissan a lot of money to offer a manual transmission. After all, the 09 engine is pretty much the same as the 06, so they have, or can remanufacture all the parts. Besides, a manual transmission is cheaper than an automatic--CTS is an example.
Now that I finally got my 06 with the manual, I enjoy it a lot more than the CVT in my Civic.
The paddle shifters are a poor substitute for a manual!

 

I doubt that the hardware is the issue.

Think certifications, all of them (not just EPA). ABS, traction control, stability control, brake assist (if present), etc., will all need their algorithms tweaked, tested, and certified at least internally within Nissan. From what little I've read concerning ABS from people who have been involved with it, this is not a trivial effort.

We may see the time where if it is in fact available, the MT is the extra-cost option . . . I hope not, but it is a possibility.


Norm

 

If manual Maxima's were in such high demand this wouldn't be an issue now would it?

Sorry about the Civic with a CVT, yes that must be pure hell...

Since you have a 06 Maxima with a MANUAL I don't understand why you keep bringing this up???

Hmm maybe this is a conspiracy... LOL

 

Man this thread is getting super old. We should see if we can get it booted into the general forums. It appears that everyone that is arguing for a manual 09 Max doesn't even have an 09 Max.

 

My guess is a manual Maxima would have about the same demand as a manual Lexus IS, a manual G35 sedan, and a manual CTS.
I would have bought an 09 Maxima if it came with a manual, and I would really like for Nissan to reconsider their position. If you are happy with the CVT, fine. I just like my cars my way.

 

That's cool I had two Maxima's with a manual loved both of them but I don't miss it I actually like the performance of the CVT.

As for Lexus the IS F the auto-transmission is amazing....

In your analogy their must be a lot of disappointed Lexus IS F people since the ONLY option they have is a 8-speed Auto but hey it's only the fastest and most powerful Lexus built to date.

But why go to the trouble of creating an automatic transmission that performs better and faster than a manual? After all, the simple yet effective manual transmission is held in high esteem by driving enthusiasts everywhere.

In the process of creating a maximum performance car, Lexus has done nothing less than turn what is typically thought to be a weakness into a solid advantage.

To illustrate the point, let’s get right to the qualities that make it so:

• One of the world’s fastest shift times for street legal production car. At about 0.1 second (upshifts), it’s faster than you.
• Full manual shift control that can be instantly accessed by moving the console-mounted shift lever to “M” and then using either the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters or the shift lever. In manual mode, it shifts only when you tell it to.
• A direct feel unrivaled by conventional automatics, made possible via clutch lockup (yes, like a manual) employed in second through eight gears
• Ultra-quick throttle blipping downshifts match engine and gear speed to avoid sudden engine braking—an advantage during performance driving, on the track or on the road
• First gear torque multiplication for maximum off-the-line acceleration
• Smooth, yet quick and drama free automatic shifting, if that is what you desire

The transmission team started with a new 8-speed automatic transmission design from the Lexus LS 460. This may sound like physical overkill but IS F would have notably more power than the LS and certainly be driven more aggressively, so a robust design was required.

The cleverly designed gearbox is actually relatively light and uses a special planetary gear set that allows a more compact design. The whole unit weighs only 212 lbs yet has more than enough torque capacity for the IS F’s 5.0-liter engine.

These qualities add up to create a track-worthy, ultra-high performance transmission that works for you by responding to your demands the moment you want or need it to. And unlike other transmissions built for high performance duty, there is no pain required for your gain.

The IS F Sport Direct Shift transmission manages to be both an amazingly effective manual and a refined automatic. One stereotype…dead on arrival.

 

As Norm Peterson explained so well in his fine post of 1:22PM Monday, there is much more to producing a manual Maxima than you seem to understand.

And as MaxLoverAz explained so well in his pointed post of 9:50PM Monday, it is not the costs or technical work stopping Nissan from building a manual '09 Maxima; it is the simple fact Nissan built the manual Maxima for 25 years, and by the end of those 25 years, dealers would not accept the manual Maxima because they couldn't give them away. Building them would have been a foolish waste of money.

Nissan did not cancel the manual Maxima; the market did.

 

Couldn't agree more.... Close This Thread I Order!

Just kidding Mods....

 

I love that quote lightonthehill!!

 

Sadly, that's where most of the blame lies. The typical customer's preference - never mind what led to it - is a larger part of the market than only part of the enthusiast group's preference will ever be. But it's still bothersome to have one's choices dictated by the preferences of others, however indirectly that comes about.

Whether Nissan was actually taking an actual money loss on each MT car sold or merely didn't make enough over actual cost to make it worth their while to keep it going is secondary. If anything, their "Shift . . . [insert thought here]" approach can be taken as being subtly closer to pro-MT than anything in any direct competitor's televised advertising campaign.


Norm

 

MaxLoverAz why didn't you get a automatic 370Z with a 7 speed automatic with paddle shifters? The auto is just as fast or faster than a manual 370z.

 

The technical marvels you describe make a good point. The sad thing is most IS-Fs will be bought by people who will never use those capabilities, and just like a lot of BMWs, rather buy the car for bragging rights, as they drive their cars to impress others, and to show off that they can buy a $60,000 car.
The real truth is most folks here grew up with automatics, and like the convenience, as they can talk/text on their cell phones, and eat their breakfast on their way to work.
Since this is a Maxima enthusiast forum, and for a good part a performance enthusiast forum, I thought a come feedback on the number of folks who would like to see a manual woould be interesting.
I also realize that the folks who bought an 09 Maxima are in the position, like the song says: "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with". And I can also appreciate the fact they had no choice in transmissions, but chose a Maxima anyway.

 

Great read! Thanks for a relevant post. I recently, well more like 6 months ago, tried the EVO X with the Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission. Quick quick shifts and super cool throttle blips.

 

None were on the lot except in Magnetic Black which in AZ is not a very wise color choice. I test drive both and I really have no preference over either one and since I'm old and don't go to the track anymore except to watch the speed thing isn't an issue with me. I don't have to row gears to feel my mojo.

 

I really like the look of the new maxima, but the none manual was the deal breaker for me. I recently checked out the new g37 at a local dealer and wasn't able to find a 6 speed on the lot. Dealer tells me that when they get em they sell them right away. This tells me that there is still a market for manuals. I believe it was a selling stragery for nissan to move buyers upscale to infiniti if they want a manual. That being said I do believe we will see a manual tranny 7th gen before the 8th gen appears. The maxima used to be a very popular car among auto magazine writes, but nissan has killed what most people loved about the car. I plan on driving my 03 6 speed into the ground and moving on from nissan after that. Subaru is looking really good right now.

 

That has been my experience as well. I've checked out manual Altimas, and they disappear quickly. I have a hard time buying the urban myth about manual Maximas or others lingering on the lot. We drove a manual G37 a couple of weeks ago, but disliked the clutch engagement, and the Maxima rides nicer, is roomier, and has more amenities.