This article is about the 2011 maxima, and how it will not have any major differences except for MAYBE a diesel.http://iguida.com/2011-nissan-maxima
Enjoy!!

 

nice!!!!!! the maxima is perfect the way it is!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

no...I think the new max would be perfect with that awesome rev-matching manual from the 370Z....or the legendary dual clutch from the GT-R

 

It makes sense that the 2011 Maxima would not have any changes to it. Nissan has been consistent to waiting till after the 3rd model year of a design to do the mid-life refreshening so I would not expect to see any changes till the 2012 model year and they should be relatively mild, like front and rear light changes, color changes, package options shifted around, and maybe improved cloth seating material, etc. Would not expect a complete change/redesign till the 2014 model year. That would keep it in line with Nissan's current 5 year design schedules.

I would like to see a couple of features added and for Nissan to get rid of that loud obnoxious rev drone the CVT causes the engine to make upon accleration from a stop. Their engineers are usually right on the mark in the mechanical area so I would expect them to fix this by then.

 

I know what you mean....although the drone wasn't as pronounced in my Murano....but may be an exhaust component added to it with the Max....exhaust on the Murano was whisper quiet....actually...I think the CVT was awesome for Murano....but really not ideal for a sports sedan...just my .02

 

That artical is pretty old now. I remeber reading it right after i bought my car back in January. They don't speak on facts just thoughts and opinions due to trends. Who knows what the 2011 will hold... It is the anniversary year for the car so they are likely to do/add somthing special like an extra package option.
A 2001 20th Anniversary edition got an increase of 5*hp (4*kW), different interior treatment, body kit, special wheels and other tweaks.

Guess we will just have to wait and see...
Jelously speaking, if by slim chance they get the 3.7 liter engine I'm gonna be pissed.

 

they really shoulda did this in the first place, having the 3.7 liter engine in their would have really perfected this car along with the 7 speed automatic instead of the performance lacking cvt tranny. It would have been a true 4 door sports car

 

+1

 

Now that you mention it, I was a little surprised when the 2009 Maxima came out that the tuned 3.5 Liter 303HP engine wasn't put into the Maxima, because they new Infiniti was going to put in the 3.7 liter 330HP engine into the G sedan so it still would have had a bigger engine then the Maxima.

I think 303 HP would have looked better than 290 HP BUT that would have been way too much HP for a FWD set-up. 290 HP is sometimes a little too much for the FWD set-up in rainy or snowy weather. I found that out the hard way this past winter!

 

I agree with you to a point, because the FWD/CVT layout definitely is a joy kill for making the Maxima a TRUE 4-dr sports sedan. But, and its a big but, if they had put in the 330HP 3.7 liter and 7spd automatic, what would have made this car different from a G37 sedan? Absolutely nothing, and then there would be no point for the Maxima at all because it would have just been a copy of a G37 for almost the exact same price as the G37 is. Plus, if they dump a bigger engine into the Maxima gas mileage is going to go down even more and that is something that attracted me to the Maxima over the G37 in the first place.

G37 Sedan AWD with Premium + Nav = $41,400
G37 Sedan AWD with Premium Package = $39,600
Maxima SV with Premium + Tech = $39,400

What I think Nissan should do is, for all the people like yourself who want a better sport sedan out of the Maxima, they should add a manual and RWD to the sports package for the Maxima. That way, if people want a sport version of the Maxima, they get the sport package while everyone else who doesn't want that and wants the FWD/CVT just gets, the S, base SV, or SV with Premium package in the current set-up. That way everyone is happy!

The biggest problem Nissan has, is they nailed the body style on the new Maxima and it just shouts sporty and aggressiveness when you look at it, but once you get behind the wheel and drive it, you find out that looks can be a bit deceiving.

But dumping the 3.7 liter, 7spd automatic transmission into the Maxima I don't really think is the answer. Then the reviewers will be blasting it as a rebadged G37 sedan for the same price and then you'll be in a Nissan rather than a Infiniti.

 

+2, but I read prior that the 3.7 will not fit into the current Maxima's engine bay. The 7spd auto would be great for this car, even if it was an option. I love this tranny in my Z!

 

I'm exicted to see the maxima SR when it comes out. SR on the altima looks real good.

+1 and -1 lol

3.7 + 7 speed = 100% they should have done this.

True 4 door sports car = no, it's still fwd -=(

Are you serious? If they made the sport package manual and RWD the price increase would be way bigger than adding the 7 speed and 3.7 liter motor...they would literally have to design EVERYTHING.

 

Nissan will not make the Maxima manual/RWD/AWD... ever. That's what the G is for.

 

What in heaven's name are you spouting? Granted it's no G37 Sport or a 535i when it comes to performance, to say that the current Maxima lacks sporty performance characteristics in relation to the vehicle it is supposed to be is asinine. The skidpad numbers are not bad, heck it can get sub 6 second 0-60 and some have even gotten theirs to a high 13's in the 1/4 mile. These numbers are not that far off from a 370Z...this from a heavy four door sedan with decent cargo capacity and respectable fuel economy. Then when you factor in the more responsive suspension of the Sport it gets better.

If you guys are so underwhelmed why did you all waste your money on getting one? Did y'all not test drive it first? Why all the complaining about the CVT and FWD layout when it was OBVIOUS that it comes with the 7th Gen. Seems stupid to me for a person buy something and then complain about the lack of features...when there are alternatives to choose from. I can see if it was just a practical purchase like a Versa or Honda Fit type vehicle that is inexpensive...but to pay anywhere in the 30's for something you find so many major shortcomings is questionable judgment.

Don't really care who I **** off by saying this, but it needed to be said.

 

Are you kidding me. The mags and sports enthusiast community are already whining and complaining about the price of the Maxima because it encroaches into the G37 category and are telling people the Maxima is a waste of time and money for when almost the same price you can be in a semi-loaded G37 with RWD/AWD, better handling, quality, etc? If you put the 3.7 liter and 7spd into it nothing will distinguish from the G and you definitely do not want 330HP going solely through the FWD. You'll be slipping and sliding all over the place and there is no way in hell that Nissan is going to be able to quell all the torque steer that a 330 HP FWD layout would put out. Your crazy. Plus, if you think that a 3.7liter and the 7spd isn't going to increase the price even further into the G territory your crazy. Then there would be no reason to get a Maxima over a G sedan. Why for the same engine, transmission, price, etc would I then buy a Maxima over a G? I wouldn't!

 

You really need to start reading what people say more carefully. I did not say the Maxima lacked sporty characteristic. For God sake, the exterior body style screams sport. But the Maxima does not handle or ride as crisp or firm as a true sports sedan put out by Infiniti, BMW, or Audi. I personally like that because I didn't want to have another sports sedan after having my FX. I wanted something that stood out from the crowd, had competent handling and a comfortable ride with good fuel economy and the new Max fit everyone of those requirements of mine. The FWD and suspension set-up blends a really nice balance of some firmness but mostly comfort compared to anything in the Infiniti line, well maybe a M37, but that would be all. The ride was much more comfortable in the Maxima then the G, which is a another item that attracted me to the Max over the G. I have stated on here and numerous other discussions on max.org what I like about the Maxima, including, the width of the car which = more shoulder/hip room that doesn't make you feel cramped in like it does in the G sedan, heated steering wheel, easy to use nav system and information display, fold down rear seats, super comfortable/heated front seats, etc etc etc.

The Maxima has plenty of power, acceleration, etc and dumping a 3.7 Liter 330 HP into it is not needed. This car can cruise at 120 mph with no problem with 290 HP. What you fail to understand is, I like the way the Maxima handles and performs. I'm just responding to people who think that the same freakin engine and transmission in the G sedan has to be put into the Maxima to make it better. The 290HP is more then enough for what I need in a car and it gives you a sporty/aggressive body style that stands out from something like the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry and radiates some pizazz compared to these latter two vehicles. Putting in the 330HP engine and 7spd transmission is not only going to raise the price further, which will get even more people whining that its further into Infiniti prices, but then fuel economy is going to lower, which is one of the reasons why I got the CVT because of the great fuel economy it provides. But for people to sit there and pretend that the Maxima is a souped up sports sedan on the level of Infiniti, BMW, and Audi is just questionable judgment as you would say.

 

Can we stop with the internet BS, and bathroom tissue know as car mags, 1st off everyone online has no idea what they are talking about and 99% of it is hearsay, I've been online with car forums for over 10 years and nothing changes, both the 6th Gen and 7th Gen where rumored to be RWD with larger engines and AWD, as we can currently see that never happened, and car mags do nothing more then test cars at the track for 0-60 and everything else no one every puts their car through just going to work or school.

The Maxima is a great car and sales numbers are showing, that is usually all the proof one needs, just look at the car for what it is, and what it has.

Enough with the 3.7, but the next gen Quest is getting a 3.7

What is everyone gonna say when the G line has the Mercedes Benz 4cylinder engine

 

well said Starr. Nissan will def have some diesel additions to their line-up.

 

That's not the point I was trying to make. As far as putting the 3.7 and seven speed in this car, they could have done it, with "detuned" motor, but yes torque steer would be a serious hassle.

My point was that you were saying they should make a sports package thats RWD and 6 speed, but yet were saying how its not cost effective to put the 3.7 and 7 speed in this car, which is totally incorrect. The 7 speed and 3.7 motor is an already developed piece, and all they would have to do is mount the engine in sideways and slap the tranny in, while at the same time not offering a cvt at all of course. For them to take a FWD platform, and switch everything around for one very slow selling model, it would cost them an arm and leg. I know the idea sounds great...but this forum does not account for even 1/8 of maxima drivers in the country, 85% or more would be sold CVT. Got me now? lol

 

We shall see how things work on in the future, the smaller engine for the G is for the European cars, unsure if it's diesel or not but Im sure eventually something will come to Nissan

 

I think I might take the time to go and test drive the G37 this weekend. I am curious of the first hand differences. I really like visual points of both vehicals. I want to see what the feel difference is like.

Points for the Max.
1) I do think our 7th gen body style was an amazing change and looks sportier than the G. Outside looks count for a lot. The G look great too just more so on the luxurious side and a little less on the aggressive look.


2) This is the first car I've owned that required Premium ( I've been good and only have pumped shell 93) so gas MPG is a big deal not only to me.

3) Base price comes in at $30,690 MSRP compaired to $33,250

Points for the G

1) Larger more attractive engine with more HP. 290 vs 330
G engine


2) The interior is close and nice and both sides but the G is a little bit nicer.



The outside look counts a lot for me and that's why I was attracted to the Max but what gets me is the G's top package price vs the Maximas Top package price ( no add ons like Nav and such) is $37,000 for the G sport and $36,640 for the maxima premium. That's a $360 dollar difference

 

What I find interesting is, Nissan seems to have the engine compartment much more covered and less cluttered looking then the way Infiniti has the G37!

I agree with you Flip on the body style differences. I like both the Maxima and G37 body styles but the Maxima definitely has a much more sporty/aggressive look to it while the G37 has what I would call a elegant luxury look to it. Those terms are highly subjective of course but that is about as best I can describe the differences in the body styles. I personally like the Maxima's body style a little bit more than the G's, another reason why I chose that over the G, but you can't go wrong with the G either.

 

BTW, I had a second gen g35S sedan witha 6mt. Driving wise, in EVERY aspect, it beat the **** out of the maxima. Speed, handling, fun factor, build quality, was way beyond that of the max. However, styling is subjective, and though that car was sexy...the max def looks better. Only other thing the max has on the G is interior room, the G was pretty small.

 

As stated prior and in prior threads the 3.7 will not fit in the current Maxima's engine bay. If we can't get that, the HR version of the engine along with the 7spd would suffice. Nissan could take some pointers from GM regarding torque/steer as they have produced some high hp/high torque front wheel drive cars for years and really have not had a torque steer issue (GTP, STS etc).

 

Personally, I feel a very tiny amount of torque steer still when you gun the Maxima from a dead stop. Mind you, it is the smallest amount of steer I have ever felt in a FWD vehicle with this amount of HP and torque, so Nissan should be commended on getting rid of almost 95% of the torque steer that usually plagues high HP, FWD vehicles. The torque steer is very very minor and it only needs a minor adjustment via the steering wheel to keep the car straight. It would be interesting to see if Nissan engineers could have no torque steer at all with the 3.7 liter engine. I don't see how the heck they could accomplish this, considering at 290HP the Maxima has a tiny bit as is.

I never had a GTP or STS, but I cannot believe, unless I drove one, that the 3.8L V6 supercharged or 5.4L V8 they had in the Prix did not have torque steer with the FWD layout. I find that hard to believe.

Also, I'm almost 100% certain Nissan would NEVER put that 7spd automatic into the Maxima or any other Nissan for that matter. Nissan spent an enormous amount of time, research, and money dumping these CVTs into almost their entire line-up and it is here to stay for Nissan at least. Plus, the fuel economy is better with the CVTs compared to a 6spd or 7spd automatic so I doubt Nissan would want to give that up. If you want a regular automatic, you'll have to get an Infiniti or go to another competitor. If I'm able to get a 23-24mpg avg now with premium gas and the CVT, I can just imagine what kind of gas mileage the Maxima could get with the CVT paired with a diesel engine!

Personally for me, if Nissan could just quiet down that rev drown the CVT causes the engine to make upon acceleration, the CVT will be perfect. I'm really beginning to like and get used to no shift shock with the Maxima. The lack of shift shock really gives the car a much more smooth/luxury feel to it, like a Lexus or MB, but with better handling.

 

Well trust me and I'm a big car enthusiast, those high powered Gm FWD cars do not have torque steer. torque steer does not come into play with Hp its torque......... you can have a high horsepower car with torque it just depends on how it is delivered. 5.5 gen and 6th gen Maxima's torque came in hard at lower speeds that it why many complained of that with them. Now the 7th gen on the other hand, Nissan changed things with the ECU etc. and it is a dog in low speeds....that explains Motor Trends recent test (and many here) and it took 2.8 sec or so to 30 which is real slow nowadays, but it makes up for it from 31 and beyond. Some tend to forget that since 02, the Max and have had similiar acceleration numbers, biggest difference being with the 09 vs 09 and beyond. Then you just had a choice of FWD vs RWD with the same powerplant similiar power.

 

Well-written article, but clearly done by someone not very familiar with the Maxima, or how Nissan handles it. Here are a few thoughts:

1 - The article says Nissan usually 'tweaks' the Maxima the THIRD year of each generation. That is NOT CORRECT. The Maxima was tweaked the SECOND year of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th generations. It will be tweaked for 2011.

2 - The 2011 tweaking will mean cosmetic changes that will enable us to tell the 2011 from the 2009 and 2010 models.

3 - The article says the Maxima and Altima are built on the same platform. NOT TRUE. That was true for the 6th generation, but for the 2009 Maxima, several key components of the Maxima chassi were replaced with upscale Infiniti parts for better performance. This new chassi was extensively tested at Nuremburg.

4 - The article hints Nissan can make a case for a diesel in 2011, and that could be an outside possibility. Nissan (and other makers) have said the diesel Maxima is on indefinite hold until the economic situation changes. Despite the unwarranted and irrational exhuberance of the stock market, we are many years from any real recovery from this recession, especially the real-estate aspect. No Maxima diesel in 2011.

5 - The article says many buyers opt for the Sports package, and only mentions the Premium package as almost an afterthought. In reality, the Premium package is outselling the Sports package by quite a wide margin.

6 - The article says that if Nissan sticks to its 5 year cycle, that would mean a new generation in the 2013 model year, with the midcycle refreshing coming in the 2012 model year. Wrong on both counts. The midcycle tweak will be in the 2011 model year arriving this summer, while the 5 year cycle would include model years 2009 through 2013, meaning the 2014 would be the 8th generation introduction, arriving in spring of 2013.

7 - The article says to expect the 2011 to be released in early fall. Wrong. The 2011 will begin arriving at dealers between late July and middle August. 'Early fall' would be between Sept 21 and Oct 21.

There are other arguable points in the article, but a lot of info was covered, and I would say the overall info is rather good.

 

I still have my '04 GTP Comp G and that thing has killer torque steer. When quickly accelerating while your already at speed to pass somebody the car wants to throw you off the road and into a tree when the SC kicks in, you have to really be careful. My brother's '01 GTP is the same way. Maybe that's more like HP steer though? My sister has an 07 Monte Carlo SS with the 5.3 and the torque steer off the line is much worse than the GTP, but not as noticeable on the high end. We have 5 W-Body GM's and they all have some level of torque steer.

 

Light, I love reading your posts. They always contain some well thought out opinions and information. I'm going to have to disagree with you on the three points above though.

In a nutshell, Nissan did not make any cosmetic changes to the 6th gen until the 4th year. This was the 2007 model year. This was a change from Nissan's previous practice of doing some tweaking in the 3rd year of a generation.

I'm betting on Nissan holding off on changes until the 2012 models. With Nissan's new position of moving the Maxima further upscale, I cannot see them feeling the need to tweak the Maxima as quickly anymore. Of course, I could be totally wrong. Only time will tell.

 

Agreed, except for the 5th Gen Maxima, Nissan typically, on almost all their models, waits till the 4th model year to make tweaks to the model, ie, 2007 for 6th Gen Maxima, 2006 for the 2nd Gen Altima, 2010 for the 3rd Gen Altima, 2006 for 1st Gen Murano, etc etc

Now as boone pointed out, this can entirely change but with the 7th Gen Maxima and how well its been selling month after month for Nissan, I don't see them doing anything with tweaking till the 2012 model year. Luckily for us, the Maxima seems to come out in the summer time each model year so we don't have to wait till the fall like Nissan does with the altima.

 

FAIL!!!! WTH
No 30th AE?? Oh and they need to go back to the 5spd or 6spd automatic with a 6 spd manual available.

 

Never going to happen!

 

You must have been hidden in the jungle for the past decade. The ALTIMA 3.5 is now Nissan's affordable, entry-level 4DSC. The MAXIMA has moved UPSCALE to NEAR-LUXURY, with a production goal around 60K units. By comparison, over 130K '04 Maximas were built. At only 60K units, there will be no optional engines or trannies of any sort for the beautiful Maxima. That would be economically unworkable.

 

Sherlock Boone on the case, as usual.

Of course you are correct that Nissan delayed the usual third year revamp on the 6th gen until the fourth year ('87). That anomoly slipped right by me.
I am so used to having the Maxima revamp happening the third year in every generation.

After much thought, I am tending to agree with you that the 7 1/2 gen might arrive with the 2012 instead of the 2011. It is difficult to predict, especially
with the current economy. Here are my thoughts:

1 - The 7th gen ('09) got off to a very slow sales start because of the collapse of the economy in fall of 2008. It wasn't until early this year that sales of
the 7th gen began to really take off. But now the 7th gen is selling well. Nissan does not currently need a 'new talking point' (new changes) with the Maxima.
It may be that Nissan will sort of 'write off' the first year of the 7th gen because of the recession, and consider the 2012 as the 'real' third model year, and
delay the tweaking until then.

2 - The economy is nowhere near recovery. The stock market has gone insane (DOW now over 11,000) without justification. I feel a number around 8,000 would
be more reflective of where the economy actually is. I see another three or four million homes going into foreclosure, and several more years before the
unemployment numbers drop below 8%. In other words, we have years to go before car buying returns to normal. That would work in favor of waiting until the
2012 model year to revamp the Maxima.

3 - Lurking in the background is the 8th generation. The one thing we already know about the 8th generation is that it will have to meet much more stringent
fuel requirements than the 7th gen. That would work in favor of adding a diesel Maxima at that time. A diesel could give the Maxima a ton of torque, and better
MPG at the same time. Right now, it would seem 2014 would be the most likely model year to bring out the 8th gen. That could work in favor of 2012 being
the 7 1/2 gen.

The more I think about what you have said, the more I tend to see things as you do. I think Nissan will make a few changes to the 2011 Maxima - just so they
will have something to talk about in the showrooms. But 2011 will probably not be the normal third year 'half gen tweak' I was expecting. Maybe add a new
color and delete a current one (Mystic Jade)? Maybe add a touch or button of some sort to the techno-whiz audio/comm system? But nothing big.

We will know in about three months (if not sooner). Thanks for catching my 6th gen oversight.

 

I can understand having somthing new to talk about in the showroom for the newest year. From the very first 7th gen in 09 to the second 7th gen in 2010 they already changed one standard thing and two optional things. ( they also changed up the nav slightly but i think that will contiune to change due to updates.) They deleted a color and added one in it's place ( precision grey to ocean grey ) added a new shade to the optional sport rims and changed the iPod connection to a standard USB. Do you really think they will continue to delete and add a new color? That was all the changes between 09 and 10 right?
Something has to come from the anniversary year though right?

 

Couple of years incorrect here: It was 3rd gen Altima that was tweaked in 05 not 06. 1st gen was 93-97, 2nd gen 98-01, 3rd gen 02-06 ,4th gen Altima 07-Current.

Maxima history of changes in the past varies. 1st gen 81-84 changes where made in 3rd model yr 83, 2nd gen 85-88 changes were made 3rd model yr 87, 3rd gen 89-94 real changes were made 4th model yr (91 added bright wheels, new side mirrors nothing major). 4th gen 95-99 changes 3rd model yr 97, 5th gen 00-03 changes 3rd model yr 02, 6th gen 04-08 changes made 4th model yr 07, 7th gen 09-current changes probably will be in 12 concurrent to current Altima changes. New lights, tailights, grill, wheels and a few interior changes as in the past.

 

I wonder why they upped production in 04 as in 02 they intentionally cut Max production to about 90k units and 83 in 03 in anticipation of the then new Alti 3.5 SL/SE, yrs prior 01 and below 120k units or a tad more yr to yr. I know in 05 it went back down well below 100k units again, ditto since. I wonder how many of the Maxima's sales actually are fleet sales (National, Enterprise vs individuals).

 

I've got an 03 Impala and the off the line torque steer is not bad, maybe because I dont have an LS engine.

 

The 130K number for 2004 Maximas is a little misleading. Assembly line production of the '04 actually began Jan 18, 2003.
The first '04s began arriving at dealer lots between March 5 and March 15, 2003. But the '05s did not begin production until
late July 2004, arriving at dealers in August 2004. That means Nissan built '04 Maximas for 18 months - Jan '03 until July '04.

 

That's right, in the past 4 generations the 3rd gen was the only one to break that Spring new style approach. With it coming out in late October 1988, I remember that commercial well! Nissan kept that thing under raps pretty good until unveil!