Though my max is less than a year old, I have to admit to the maxima family that I have been contemplating the idea of getting rid of my baby for a 370z. I really don't need the space and think that the z will be more fitting for myself, anyone have any comments or interesting stories regarding the 370? I test drove a touring model (pearl white with orange interior) and have to say it was a fun car to drive. Definitely felt a little heavy but still a treat on the road.

If I do get rid of the max I will most likely part it out and sell the aftermarket parts on the org for you guys

 

The Z is an exciting vehicle. But then I find the Maxima to be exciting, and actually more unique in styling than the Z. The Z and the Maxima are both excellent, reliable vehicles. This is simply a matter of driver preference.

The Z of course has a few 'trade-offs' such as a smaller front passenger compartment, no useable rear seat, smaller trunk, a stiffer and choppier ride, and more road noise, especially at speed. Balancing that, the Z has slightly better fuel economy, slightly better accelleration, a slightly better slalom time, and an entirely different personna.

I would think the Nissan commercial handled this situation very well. I'm talking about the one where the father is lovey-dovey with his wife, and then she breaks the news to him that she is pregnant. He goes out to his garage, looks with deep concern at his beautiful Z, then pulls all the parts on his Z out far enough until it suddenly becomes a stylish 7th gen Maxima.

In your case, it sounds like this will be strictly a case of driver preference.

 

I think a Skyline would be a better choice :-)

 

Read around the370z.com for a bit... Lots of good stuff there...

 

Love my Z, you will fit right at home inside as the Dash is basically the same. Z turns heads wherever you go and unlike Light said if you are into accelleration its more than slightly quicker than the Max, its noticeable quicker especially up top and handles much better. I chose Z over Max this go around as my 03 is still in excellent shape and my wife has a G sedan so I wanted a fun toy for me since another sedan was not needed, if you do go Z you will love it!

 

If u parting bro....I will take the lip...

 

a 370z will look real real nice next to that Italian Monster in the garage. I was looking at the 370z the day I got my car, I love the outside but the interior was very uncomfortable for my taste. It a sports car and thats it, thats the thing I love about it.

 

We've been a Max-Z family for many years. I drive the max; my wife has the Z. We each prefer our own, although love sharing on occasion. I must admit that the '10 370Z really is a sexy car, but it is not practical for me to drive in New England winters. The wife drives her Z 9 months of the year then garages it for most of the winter and resorts to her "work" minivan. By the way, her Z is an'03 that has only 21K miles and is cherry! Looks brand new! Justs drives it around our small hometown; but everyone knows when she is passing by due to that throaty exhaust roar.

 

Depends on the view of the driver. Yes, the Z is half a second quicker to 60. That is a BIG difference for those into fast starts and/or elapsed time runs. For the average driver who doesn't often go with wide open throttle, that difference has little or no effect on daily driving, because the Maxima has more than enough power to zip the car along very fast.

In effect, the Z is a sports car, while the Maxima is a functional family sedan with a sporty edge. Totally different class of vehicle. I should not have even compared performance statistics on these cars, because their purposes are completely different.

 

True they are totally different but alot of Z and Max guys own both or go from one to the other lots.......Z is over 1 to 1.5 sec faster than Max to 60 depending on test and with the 7spd auto can trap some 8-10 mph faster depending on test which is significant ....With that said both are good cars in there own right.

 

Well personally, I like both the Maxima and 370Z. If you've seen the new Nissan commercial for the Maxima lately, apparently the Maxima is a Z (you have to see the commercial to understand what I mean).

But there is a big difference between FWD/CVT and a RWD/Manual obviously so it depends on what your needs are. If you want a true sports car with those typical sport performance and driving dynamics then you have to go with the Z. While the Maxima has a sporty flare to it, its not sports car and meant more for comfort, luxury, and versatility with a sporty nature to it.

You really can't go wrong with either car.

 

lmk if you get rid of it. I would be interested in the front lip.

Kenny

 

I sort of go with the mag tests and Consumer reports tests, and I have yet to see one where the Z was a full sec faster than the Max.

But YOU ARE CORRECT that the Z is definitely more than the half second faster I erroneously gave earlier. I had thought the Z was 5.6 to 60, but I checked several places, and 5.2 to 5.3 seems to be the general figure. The Max numbers range from 5.8 to 6.2, depending on the tester, but I think 6.0 is the lowest number I would trust, while the Z is approaching a full second or so faster, which is a BIG difference.

I should have realized the much lighter Z would have a big advantage over the 3600 pound near-luxury Maxima. An expert driver could lower the numbers on both cars, but that brings in a factor over which we have no control.

As you said, they are totally different cars, and both are very good at what they are designed to do.

Thanks for catching my misconception on the elapsed time for the Z.

 

Here you go light, with the 7spd auto. A couple of other test got similiar numbers with the 7 spd auto.

4.6 sec to 60
13.1 @ 108 in 1/4 mile.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test

I want those numbers next time I go to the track, my numbers in my sig it had 2,100 miles on it. Now that its broken in with 13k I want to see what it can do!

 

Hey, are you trying to tell me the Car and Driver tester was more proficient with the Z than the Consumer Reports tester? In retrospect, don't bother to answer that.

4.6. Wow!

 

Lol.... no comment on that, but its pretty accurate for the 7spd auto though. Few other sources got similiar numbers as well, and me using my not as accurate equipment got a 4.9. This tranny has its quirks but in all out accelleration it is great light, if the Max had this tranny I would say it would be a solid 5.5 sec car to 60.

 

With 290 HP, I think you might be right.

In 2002, when Ghosn said the Maxima was moving up to near-luxury, and the Altima 3.5 with manual tranny would become Nissan's 'affordable 4DSC', I knew the days of the manual Maxima were numbered. Nissan did continue the manual option for 4 more years, but a manual trammy did not fit very well with the 6th generation Maxima, which was truly a large, roomy family sedan.

But when Ghosn announced that the 7th gen would take the Maxima back to its 4DSC roots, I held out a little hope the manual might be brought back, as it would fit better with the image of the 7th gen Maxima. But by late '07, most economists felt we were headed for a recession, and the more astute car manufacturers immediately began to cut back and simplify their products. So no manual for the 7th gen Maxima.

At this point, I do not expect to see another manual Maxima. Newer six speed automatics and CVTs both get better fuel mileage than the manual, and MPG is is going to become extremely important when the 2015 MPG requirements kick in.

 

Biggest difference for me: Max - front wheel drive / Z - rear wheel drive. Prefer the rear wheel.

 

The Z is so dramatically different that it's hard to compare the two. It's significantly faster, NVH is much higher, it has poor visibility and very little space, and it handles almost exactly like a BMW 1-series. My impression was of a wonderful toy. If you're the sort who prefers that in a daily driver, it's such a bargain, particularly the base car with the Sport package.

 

well they are definitely 2 different animals. They call it a 4 door sports car and it's really not, its still a sedan, an exiting one but not like a Z. My dad owned a 350 and LOVED it and i did too, too much fun almost but i think your opinion about it feeling heavy is false, no offense but that's not true at all. Its lighter still than the max and already minuscule 350z