Ok, I'm ready for my 2nd new Maxima (first was 97 SE). I've settled down to either a 2011 SV Sport w/ monitor pkg and sport technology pkg OR SV Premium w/ premium technology package.

I see the tires/wheels are different, grille, headlights are smoked and comes with a spoiler. Also sport-tuned suspension.

Am I missing anything really important here? I'm going out to TD both of them tomorrow or Tuesday and would like to be informed enough as to not really have to rely on the sales guy.

thanks all

To my understanding the Premium package has a heated steering wheel, rear A/C and stereo controls, wood grain trim, panoramic roof. With the Sport Package you lose all those feature but gain a spoiler, 19s, and silver trim instead of wood grain. The spoiler can be added to the Prem. package though.

If you want the most features just get the Prem. and upgrade the wheels if you want.

With the Sport and Tech, the monitor is included standard 19

With the Premium and Tech, same features as Sport but it adds, rear window sunshade, heated and cooled front driver seats, one touch auto up and down on front and rear windows and wood trip, standard 18

The Sport supposedly has a Sport Tuned Suspension but you be the one to decide how it rides

I think for the features it adds the Premium Package is a better deal vs the Sport however you will have to be the ultimate judge.

in my 2010 sport + tech...i have heated seats and heated steering wheel. and the trim is a gray texture look (almost like carbon fiber). i also have one touch up and down front windows only...not the rear.

Well it depends on what you want, I personally would choose the premium package over the sport's package because you get all those extra luxury features that make life a little bit more easier then the lack of them in the sports package. From the reviews and people I've spoken with, the sport package doesn't do that that much to increase the sporty factor the Maxima already has. You still have CVT/FWD which has its limits currently to sport sedan capability. Plus, your in for a harsher ride with the sport package! Unless that floats your boat better.

With the premium you can always add other mods to make it sportier.. eibach springs, front and rear strut bar, larger wheels , etc . I personally love the look of contrasting look of my dual sunroof.

Not sure exactly what packages mine has, since I got it used, but I have the following features and would love if someone could tell me if this is a package or simply sounds like the first owner had everything added on at time of purchase.

18" Alloy rims, spoiler, HID headlights, heated mirrors, heated steering wheel, heated seats, premium leather w/rear bucket seats, single sun-roof, tap-shifters, touch LCD screen, Navigation, Bose, 9 GB Media Drive, RCA & iPod connections, colored splash guards, reverse camera, auto-telescoping wheel/seat, memory locations to save 2 driver preferences, wireless voice-activated bluetooth.

It's close to the Sport Technology/Sport package, but I don't have the 19's if those came with that.

it is a preference thing..... the premium has the panel moonroof, but the sport has 19" wheels and spoiler. also the sport still has a normal sunroof. i personally don't like woodgrain, so i'm glad the sport has the fake carbon fiber look. the sport + tech still has leather and heated seats and steering wheel so nothing is lost there. my only gripe about the sport package is that both rear seats don't fold down, it only has the small pass through. with having a new house, i can't really load up my car like i used to in the hatchback i had.....

it sounds exaclty like the sport+tech minus the 19's.....MAYBE the previous owner had aftermarket wheels, and then just swapped wheels with someone with 18's. i seriously doubt someone would add all those factory options cause it would be costly. my guess is the wheels were just swapped

I'd get the premium package and see if the dealer can "throw in" a set of 19's as part of the deal.

the loaded up Premium is the same. i believe its the package without the rear bucket seats that allow you to fold both seats down

i'd get the premium...if you get the sport package like everybody said you get 19s and "sport tuned suspension". in my opinion the regular with 18s handles excellent.

MSRP on my Premium SV was $38,110...switch it to the Sport Package and it's $39,770

and you lose:

Dual Sunroof(with auto one click powered shades)
Air Conditioned Drivers Seat with Low/Medium/High Control Switch
Auto Window Up and Down for Rear Doors(only 2 front doors on Sport)
Wood Trim
Rear Air Conditioning and Radio Controls
Power Rear Sun Shade
Premium "Perforated" Leather Seat Trim(apparently Sport Package is not perforated, did not ever realize that)

just click on the different tabs at the top of this page for different comparisons....

http://compare.nissanusa.com/NNAComp...?page=features

looks like auto on/off headlights aren't on the Premium. also the front stabilizer bar is a tad bit larger on the Sport. also the Sport has less ground clearance.... a lot of the "available" on the sport package, are included in the "tech" package that most dealers equip with sport packages anyway....

it says "session timed out"

i've got auto headlights on my Premium

The differences is the 2011 has heated/cool driver seat dual panel sunroof rear window shade automatic Dwn on the fob for all 4 windows not only front like in the sport and for the 2011 the rear audio and a/c has been deleted also u can make a deal and try to get the rear spoiler included the sport comes with a sport tuned suspension spoiler and the nice 19" wheels In my opinion i would go with the premium well I did and just change the suspension afterwards get springs and strut bar and fstb

With all the weird issues I read about the dual sunroof making cracking noises I think I'm okay with not having that (although the solid black roof looks tight).
A/C seats would have been NICE. I'm sure I'll be regretting not having them in the summer.
Rear window auto up/down - no biggie
Wood Trim - yuck
Rear controls - rather not have people in the back messing with it
Power Shade - tint works fine
Perforated seat - think I'm okay

Wonder if it's possible to upgrade the seats from heated to heated/cooled? I'm guessing that requires replacing the entire seat though...

I hear ya on the sunroof, i just had mine fixed but it was due to something else.

I live in Vegas so the AC seat is very nice in the summertime.

Rear controls has a switch up front to turn it off. It'd be good for people with a baby and the wife is in the back seat or somethin.

Powershade...I've got limo tint in the rear so don't use it. Plus as it rises it starts to touch the window and scuff the tint(if any)

Perforated Seat...I'm guessing it's the red stitching. I like it and it's caught alot of people eyes when the sat in my car...but yeah, I could do without also

Oh, also if you get the dual panel sunroof it deletes the sunglasses holder by the dome lights. that was a problem for me but have gotten used to it

Going with the sv premium with prem. and premium tech, rear spoiler, splashguards, floor mats for 35455 out the door.

Wish Nissan made a remote starter kit for it.

I am thinking about adding a front strut tower brace and rear anti-sway.. worth it? I want it to handle like it is on rails so-to-speak.

Rear controls were removed in the 2011 model.

I would get the sport package with the tech sport package. You get the best of both worlds.

ditto.

yep. wish u could the panoramic roof with sport but its a small sacrafice.

I agree, I think the Sport/Tech package is the best combination of features.

I've read that the Stillen strut and sway bars are extremely high quality and definitely worth it. I'm thinking of doing the same modifications to my car and waiting until after Christmas so I'm not that Scrooge who bought himself tons of presents.

I would go racingline front and rear strutbar since te cheaper and just as good of quality as the stillen ones. It's what I have now On my sv premium and it's great.

Are they? I couldn't find any direct comparisons between the two as far as weight/bar thickness/material/ultimate end performance. I also looked at the Racingline stuff, but guess I'm working under the presumption that Stillen is not just more expensive but better. A presumption.

If someone who has seen or worked with both can comment, I think that will seal the deal and I'll be going Racingline as well. Can't justify paying more for a sticker on the bar with a name, but I can justify it if they make it out of better materials.

I have the stillen front and rear bars on my premium and they really helpout alot on the cornering

About the seats, they are the same red stitched seats on both Premium and Sport. Personally the rims and the finish on the Sport 2010+11 had me sold. Don't care for those other things such as double roof, sunshade, controls, etc. When you have tints those things are useless as you are trying to keep it dark anyways. Opening both sunshades beats the purpose of tints although it would be good if you see a cop nearby and open the sunshade to lighten up the tints

I had to have the Premium with Tech package because:

In the brutal heat here south of Atlanta, I not only use the rear sunshade, but always keep it up from April until October. It gives protection to the parcel shelf, rear seat leather and rear seat passengers, yet the driver can see through it. The local sheriff frowns on deep tints.

That Georgia heat was also a reason I needed the individually air conditioned driver's seat. It really makes a difference in the' swelter factor' for me. The car can have the HVAC on anything between cold and hot (I'm almost never alone in the car), while I sit in cool comfort.

The Premium has very subtle mood lighting that gives me the exact hint of light on the console and controls that enables me to find everything at night, yet does not bother night vision for the driver.

I am a little surprised at how frequently I use the auto up-down rear windows (twice today), available only on the Premium.

The dark double-panel roof of the Premium really sets my white car off nicely. I leave the inner screens open during the cool half of the year, making the interior seem bright and cheerful. In spring and fall, whenever I am moving fairly slowly in town, I open the entire roof and enjoy communing with nature.

As others here mentioned, it is possible to supplement the suspension of the Premium to make it ride more like the Sport. I somewhat approached this in a cheaper way: Instead of the recommended 33 psi, I carry 37 in front and 36 in the rear, and this moves the ride of the Premium a little toward the 'Sport' ride, with firmer ride, quicker turns and reduced body lean. This higher psi also seem to give a more even wear pattern on my tires for my style of driving. Not quite a 'Sport', but not bad.

But there are those folks out there who will prefer the Sport all the way. That is why Nissan gives us this choice.

i have auto headlights on my premium. no auto windshield wiper thou

Yes, even the basic 'S' with no option packages has the auto headlights, while no Maxima with any package has rain-triggered wipers.

Just picked up my brand spanky new Max. with all the goodies. back up camera. the two moonroofs, nav package, what a sweet ride,The color is awsome, the crimson black that changes colors in the sun and shade.

Correct EXCEPT for this:
Premium "Perforated" Leather Seat Trim(apparently Sport Package is not perforated, did not ever realize that)

My SV sport/tech 09 has the same seats, perforated an all, as the Premium does.

That's what I thought but wasn't sure. That's what KBB.com was stating in the differences, maybe a typo.

Although, I have seen the Maxima with leather interior without the red stitching.

One thing not mentioned is interior color. If I was in the market for a '11 Max SV, I would get the dark Blue exterior and would want a beige interior with it......beige is NOT available on the SV Sport ......which means black (or charcoal) interior, which is darker.

With the dark interior, it would really be nice to have an A/C driver's seat in the summer time, which is also a part of the SV premium. Therefore....for me....SV premium is the way to go.

Also, not a huge deal for me, but the accessory rear spoiler is different from the factory-installed spoiler with regard to the rear package tray area...due to the re-location of the third brake light.

Many high option SV Premium cars will come fully loaded with the optional factory rear spoiler (standard on the SV Sport).....but some will not.

FWIW....

I could've easily got an SV premium but those sexy 19 inch wheels were too much to pass up, plus the premium's extra features were not too important for me.

There's a little bit of misinformation in this thread but it gives you a pretty good idea.

I actually bought one of each. I got a 2009 Premium + Tech for my girlfriend and then bought a 2010 Sport + Tech for myself a year later.

After owning both for a couple years, I wish I could buy a Maxima with both Premium and Sport Packages like you can a BMW, et all. But I understand why they do it, as they cannot step on Infiniti's toes too much.

Objectively, I slightly prefer our 2010 Sport over our 2009 Premium. The Sport feels, sounds, and drives much more solidly, which, I suspect is due to the lack of the panoramic sunroof. Moreover, we have had numerous issues with the 2009's Panoramic roof: creaking, rattles, fitment, and, like I said, when you take off a car's roof and replace it with glass you significantly weaken the rigidity of the structure. This effects handling, NVH, and makes the cabin noisier to be in.

Basically, if I could take the air conditioned seat, power rear sunshade, and one touch rear windows from the Premium and add them to my Sport, I would have my perfect Maxima.

Well that, plus a good AWD system.

Exactly what I wanted out of the Premium package. Too much from the Sport/Tech attracted me but I know I'll be missing the AC seat in the summer...oh well from what I gather the AC in the Max is very powerful so shouldn't be too big of an issue.

I think the 7th gen Maxima's are Nissan officially stepping on Infinity's toes. I really hope they keep fine tuning these cars and keeping all the luxury options. I love having my coworkers, who are real estate agents, talk about wanting to upgrade their Lexus/Benz when they see all the options I got in my Nissan. Nothing makes me feel better than knowing they'll spend double what I did to get it too.

Does anyone know why the rear controls were removed in the 2011 model?

^^^Prob cause it was extra money they were spending for nothing, plus I think that feature is pointless, this isnt a limousine, its a sporty sedan.