BBmaxi

iTrader: (1)

it's one of those cars i've always admired, broad, narrow waisted, tough, wide, sexy....something I will always walk up to and say "holy cowabongas! this car rocks!"

but the practical side of me is telling me to get the prius...a few years from now the maxima will be worthless and the prius will be paying for itself just by driving it! 50mpg is no joke.

should I splurge and enjoy while Im young ? or shall I be a dork and get a prius.

sgirgiss1214

Enjoy it when your young. you need to enjoy your car, that aint gonna happen in a Prius, the mpg aint THAT bad if your easy on the car. Just get a Max, be a big boy.

BBmaxi

iTrader: (1)

dang man, something tells me it's going to be the max because thats where the emotions are.

I'm used to cars that drive emotion, I don't think I'll ever be happy with a prius.

sgirgiss1214

You will pull your hair out with a prius, that car has no personality, its just metal and wheels, the max on the other hand, thats a car with plenty of personality and style!

jommbi

I had someone ask me to roll down my window so they could tell me how nice my car was. You're not going to get that with a Prius.

sgirgiss1214

+10000000, the Max is a real attention grabber!

djdavebse

yea when im parked up sitting in my car almost every guy that passes they turn back to look at the car you wont get that with the prius

shadowx3081

Yup I like when this happen even when my max is dirty then still turn back n look enjoy your car and that's with a max prius is no attention grabber

legalize

Maybe they look cause its that dirty, or enough leds to look like a ufo?

Flip2cho

When I'm parked at work I still get small groups of people walking around my car ( they don't know in still inside b/c of the tints) looking to see what kind of car it is then walking back to the front to look at the grille w/o a Nissan badge. You won't get that with a prius.

Doesn't really sound like a tuff decision. Besides for the weight and HP you get, the MPG is pretty impressive. Maybe one day they will through a Turbo on here like they did the Juke.

bk2k3max

Well it all depends on which is more important to you: Gas mpg or having the style, power and seXXXy looks of a car that looks like no other on the road.

You should still see 31 mpg on the highway or even more if you don't get to hard on the pedal, you won't make 50mpg but you'll snap a lot of necks as you ride down the highway.

smarty666

Couldn't agree with the other's opinion as well on the mpg issue. You won't get prius numbers obviously, but unless you live in the city and do primarily all city driving you can get some pretty great mpg out of the Maxima for the HP and torque this car has.

I live in rural western NJ and I get mid to high 20's as AVGs in the fall and spring at its best and avgs that go down to only 23 or 24 mpg in the winter and summer months. Can't really complain about that considering the amount of power under the hood.

I too have gotten 31-34mpg on several long distance highway/interstate trips!

lightonthehill

If you do mostly inner city driving, you should give the Prius strong consideration, because congested city driving takes the Maxima MPG down below 20.

If, however, you are on fairly open roads or freeways a lot, the Maxima 'rocks.' On freeway trips, most folks here on the ORG get between 27 and 31 MPG. On freeways, I usually get 29. That is excellent for a 3600 pound car with 290 HP.

Of course, if you are into looks and style, I don't have to tell you which car looks athletic, aggressive and sporty, and which looks like a repainted Russian tank.

ovilla

The Prius is a point A to point B car for the budget minded. Nobody will ever notice it (or ever comment on it) and only YOU will be getting some enjoyment out of the MPG. Then many years down the road, when it needs a new set of batteries, your resale value will take a huge hit (and you will wish you had a Max, or some other car, at that time). Anyway, to me owning a Prius would be too much like paying on a utility bill (like water or waste disposal) - there's nothing special about it and it's just something you need to do.

Car ownership, if possible, should be something that you enjoy. If you're going to be making X number of payments, you should get some true enjoyment out of it. The car should be what you want to get, within reason, not just what you need (unless that's all you can afford). It will be much easier to make payments on a car that you truly enjoy and makes working hard all day worth it.

RedOakRoaster

Flip2cho - I agree with you 100%. I also put the 2 piece billet grill on and people twist their necks taking a second look at my car. My wife thought I was crazy, till last night a front seat passenger in a Fire Truck turned his head almost in a circle to stare at my car....now she believes....I saw a motorcyclist almost rear end someone staring at the Maxima..



Flip2cho
"When I'm parked at work I still get small groups of people walking around my car ( they don't know in still inside b/c of the tints) looking to see what kind of car it is then walking back to the front to look at the grille w/o a Nissan badge. You won't get that with a prius."

Kmoney

i even get other 7th gen breaking their neck staring at my car when i drive by them..lol

Mr. Brett

iTrader: (7)

Ever driven a Prius? It's like trying to drive a cinderblock. No guts whatsoever...

And the style of it just...eh. I mean, Toyota could've been a little more creative than "ZOMG FUTURISTIC SPACE-CAPSULE DESIGN," with the Prius...they could've made it a little sportier. (Tesla Roadster, anyone?)

At the end of the day, it's your decision. But honestly, I don't think the Prius is worth the 50MPG. My Max does 33-34 on the highway...granted, I have an 02. But I still don't think that's too terrible for a 3.5L V6.

IIRC, my Max still turns heads, even 8 years after its production.

I'm sure most of it has to do with my Stillen lip and loud muffler, though. I constantly get people asking me where I got the front lip for my car.

Norm Peterson

Assuming that both are affordable and that you will be making payments either way . . .

Ask yourself which car you'd actively want to keep, after you're six months or a year past paying it off. Make that your call, not what you think anybody else's choice might be.

Ask that about every car that you ever look to be buying. Don't find yourself at age 60 or whatever looking back and realizing that you have more automotive regrets than enjoyment.


Norm

Compusmurf

Honestly, go drive the Prius if you haven't already. I did, I found it uncomfortable to sit in and very bland. If you really want the hybrid, there HAS to be better alternatives out there.

If you're thinking future and your area is setup for it, forget hybrid altogether and consider full electric. Some Best Buy's will be installing charging stations at their stores soon and other places are jumping that way. Nissan sold out their first batch of the electric car and I don't even know if any have shipped yet!!!!

one less digit

I know this site is very biased for obvious reasons, but in a very realistic view.....the prius is soo gay

Mr. Brett

iTrader: (7)

Nah. I could think of a ton of cars I would take over my Maxima.

The Prius just doesn't happen to be one of them...

one less digit

well I like Lamborghinis too but there not in the same price range

Mr. Brett

iTrader: (7)

Actually that new "sport" hybrid Honda has out looks pretty legit.

Not sure if I'd ever drive it, though...

ekrunch

Wow, is this seriously a question? Prius vs Maxima?

Seriously man, I travel a lot and get a Prius for a rental quite often. They suck... bad. The screen in the dash is kind of neat for the first day or two, after that it's pointless. For a daily driver, I find the controls of the car hard to deal with, and the options in the Prius are a joke compared to the Maxima. Not to mention the car just isn't that comfortable. Even the "sport" Maxima blows away the Prius in terms of ride comfort.

Like everyone has said here. Get a Maxima. Enjoy yourself. The Prius is a rolling brick and the mileage in the Maxima really isn't that bad. Just keep your foot off of it when you accelerate. (I actually accelerate pretty hard and still manage 22 in town)

Go drive both, one right after the other. Drive the Maxima second because you'll want to be at the Nissan dealer to buy the car once you stop laughing about having test drove a Prius.

ekrunch

I almost spit water when I saw this one. ZOMG!

Good one.

gtmassive75

iTrader: (1)

7Gen..7Gen..7Gen..7Gen...just go buy it...

smarty666

Get the Max! Get the Max! Get the Max! Get the Max! Get the Max!

LtLeary

If I could fit inside a Prius, I may have bought one myself. The tech is good, it is great on MPG. If I just had a small commute, why not? But I am a tall man, I can't fit inside a Prius and I drive about 45,000 miles a year so comfort is important...much more so than MPG. But to the OP...if MPG is a critical factor to you, then you could certainly do worse than a Prius. You should NOT let "shiny" ever interfere with good sense. Be pragmatic. Good luck with your decision.

smarty666

It's always amazed me how the Maxima and Altima have class leading front headroom and near the bottom of the class for rear headroom? That roof line must really slope for that to be able to occur in the same car!

Glenns25

Are you serious! I have driven a Prius and could not wait to get out of it.

Norm Peterson

I'm sure that there are folks who actually enjoy owning/driving a Prius. I'm equally sure that it takes a different mindset than you'd typically find among people enthusiastic enough about "conventional" cars to become members of a forum such as this one. From a slightly different population, but still an internet forum, I know of at least a couple of engineering types who are at least satisfied with theirs.

At a minimum for most performance enthusiasts, a Prius represents a reversal of priorities from "performance with economy that you can at least live with" to "economy with performance that maybe you can live with". Or "economy with performance that you hope you can live with" if you're on the verge of purchase.

Whether that level of re-think is acceptable for an "only car" or just for one of two or more cars still ends up being a very individual matter.


Norm

BBmaxi

iTrader: (1)

yeah fuel mpg is a big concern no, cost of fuel will be going up and these 6 cyl engines getting less than 30 mpg will depreciate faster than you can imagine within the next few years.

but of course, the car is beautiful.

umdpru

for what it's worth, I doubt you can get near the advertised mpg in the prius in practice. Its power is so anemic you'd likely be stepping on the pedal just to get **** poor (read the best it can do) acceleration out of it.

Plus, you'd have Maxima lust everytime you saw one and you'd regret the Prius.

I was considering getting an Altima Hybrid due to MPG's, however, I knew I would hate the stupdi hybrid everytime I saw a Max. I own a '10 SV now!

BBmaxi

iTrader: (1)

I hear ya, the lust will always be with the max.

goog67

I have the best of both worlds,a 09 max for fun and a 09 versa for boring point a-b gas saving jaunts.One minute your driving the versa bored as hell,kind of slouching so nobody sees you.Then driving the max with a big smile on your face,sitting high cause you know everybody is looking at you!!Both serve their purpose but if I could only have one...bye bye versa...

minsbang

if you're still questioning about this topic, how about you pick out something that's in the middle?

4 cyl altima, accord, or camry?

pelzzman

altima, hands down

lightonthehill

The Altima has been Consumer Reports' top rated car in class for the last three or four years, but Accord and Camry are also excellent vehicles.

If you don't mind driving a car that has countless millions of copies on the road, Altima, Accord and Camry all offer a solid combination of good performance, decent looks and high reliability for a fair price.

TBA

I was in the same boat when considering my next car. I drive almost 50 miles each way to work, so the Prius would have some advantages. Plus, the main highway has an HOV (car pool) lane that certain hybrids cay use without a passenger in the car - a definite plus.

But the Prius was just so bland I couldn't stomach it vs my 2001 Altima. And the 7th Gen Maximum is so comfortable and pleasurable to drive, the gap became so much wider. It's corny, but I get so much every time I look at my Maxima I don't regret the choice at all.

Then my buddy got a Prius. We go to lunch and alternate cars: his Prius, my Max, so I'be gotten some passenger seat time. Like others have said, it has a very tinny feel. It's probably a very structurally save car, but closing the door emits a thin hollow sound vs. a hearty THUNK. (Probably due to less insulation to reduce weight, like the hybrid Altima). I find his Prius very Spartan and not comfortable to ride in - the seats are flat and quite hard. I don't like the current interior either - it has a high console extension that goes between the front seats - very strange and uncomfortable to me.

But my buddy is not nearly the car guy that I am, and he like the MPG. They is something to be said for gassing up maybe 1-2 times a month, but it wasn't worth the trade-off to me.

Volkster23

21.5 mpg average with 75% city driving and a heavy foot. I'm pleased, especially after owning a mini-van that averaged 17 mpg driving like an old lady