Hello

After being away from my previous (2006) Maxima SE 6spd I recently decided it is time to give up the manual transmission and give the new 7th generation maxima a chance. I looked up a few local dealers and finally narrowed down the 2013 SV w/ sport pack that I'd be willing to test drive. All things considered, the car is very reasonably priced given all the recent Nissan incentives and overlooking the subpar CVT I decided to say screw it and go ahead and test drive it anyway. The car car looks great from the outside but once you get closer, this is where I started to have issues.

First, I notice the final assembly was mediocre at best on the pearl white Max I looked at. The front bumper edges were sticking up over the hood and the rear bumper was overtightened on the left hand side and sticking out on the right; not by much but enough for me to notice. The salesperson immediately noticed my discomfort and offered to show another vehicle, which unfortunately for him, it resembled the same problems. The paint looked like it has been repaired on the splash guards as well, almost painted with a F#ck it attitude. The inside of the fenders where the metal is bent had paint chunks that were both visible and easily spotted at the touch. After walking the lot, I noticed that all of their brand new maximas looked like this.

I really wanted the car until I saw all this, is it just the 2013s? I've searched here and haven't seen any factory assembly/paint complaints. How is the quality on the rest of the car after say 40k miles of use?

 

One thing I noticed with the 13 is the new wheels are horrible looking. I prefer the standard 18s over those. And also the exhaust tips, changed from sharp edge to rounded edge( Altima much). sorry alittle off topic but i do agree, as for the paint issues I'm assuming its from transport. Check out another dealer and see if they have the same paint issues.

 

I looked at about 6 different maximas on the lot, same dreadful paint job and bumper assembly.

 

I've got a 12 and I have no exterior issues with paint or bodywork on my car. If I nitpick the dash is a little off on the right side where it meets with the panel from the pass door but that's it

 

I have a 2010 with no issues really, the only issue i have is the god awful conpression sound coming from the front end which the dealership claims is normal...whateva roll my windows up and it goes away. i have the winter frost, on Friday I washed, Clayed and wAxed it. Looks better then when it rolled out of the factory. Have you considered preowned with one of the earlier models or maybe wait for the new generation

 

I buy a used, I hate depreciation especially on an overpriced 2013 Maxima. I'm driving the same Maxima with a little bit more miles for half the cost.

 

havent seen or heard of this before, but then again havent inspected the newer 2013's. the quality on my 09 is fine.

 

Ditto!

 

I like the 19" on the 2012-2013 black edition more than the earlier one that came stock on my 09.

 

i have the same issues on my 2012... never really paid much attention to it, but did notice it.

 

I have the exact car, 13' Sport in Pearl White! I've noticed the rear bumper issue on mine but it really doesn't big me at all! You really have to "look" for it though, and my paint job is perfect!

 

The issues that you pointed out would be of minor significance to me. I have the 2012 with the sport package and love the car. The CVT got a bum rap from the press, many cars are heading in that direction. In fact it is standard now on some Honda accord models.

 

Never had a problem with my '09. I did adjust the hood very slightly so it lined up perfectly with the fenders, but that was easy to do. Never a hint of a paint problem.

Of course, having driven American-made cars from the late 1940s until I switched to Datsun/Nissan in the 1970s, I long-ago made it a habit to not look too closely at the alignment of body parts.

I understand that absolute perfection in a car would require more money than we are paying for the Maxima. Aditionally, absolute perfection serves little practical purpose in an object that drops in value the moment we buy it, and which will eventually be scrapped.

Having said that, of course we should expect REASONABLE matching of parts, with discrepancies not easily noticable to folks glancing at our car. Such things as a trunk lid that has a 1/2" gap between it and the bumper on one side and a 1/4" on the other is not good. Having one tailpipe 3/4" lower than the other is also not good. I have seen both those problems on recent Maxima generations, including the current one.

 

Sounds like a troll to me. Come on, every single car? Subpar CVT?

Sure

 

Got the 19" wheels on my new Pearl White 2013 Maxima 3.5L SV (sports package).

Whatcha think?

 

Looks good bro!

 

I had a '13 Altima and can tell you I was disappointed with the Maxima in many respects when compared to the '13 Altima. I'll name a few:

Poor paint quality and even inclusions in the paint in the door jams.
Odd white hazing on weather stripping.
Carpet not fit tight to foot wells, loose.
Rear seat cushions lift right up and expose wire harness.
Molding on various trim pieces are irregular.

All in all, the Altima felt like a more carefully put together car. The best Maxima was either my '01 or my '03 by far!

 

HAHAHAHA! I'm a chic, dude! What hot woman can't drive badass fast cars?!

 

Ha! Looks good sis!

I am familiar with ladies having nice rides. I have several female friends with sporty cars. My sister has a Mercedes E550 .

 

Thanks dude! Not too many females on here, so I can understand why you assumed I was a "bro." Nope- just a cool chic who likes to drive fast cars!

 

Welcome aboard!

 

There is nothing "sub par" about the CVT in this car. The thing is a rocket and the CVT provides *instantaneous* response.

That being said, I absolutely love mine (2013 SV) and the quality and attention to detail is top notch.

 

If no troll.... Give me a few months and you might be able to buy my Maxima. LOL The Mopar bug has bitten me again and I'm starting to look at new Chargers. I like the Maxima, but loved my Charger. Haven't fully made up my mind yet.

 

Dodge-Chrysler has been known for good engineering for half a century. But since I began subscribing to Consumer Reports in the 1950s, they have consistently put out products that draw 'much worse than average' reliability ratings. That is a shame, because they have several current products (including the Charger) that I think have very attractive styling, lots of power, etc.

But Dodge-Chrysler has come back from bankruptcy to profitability, and their future looks good. I think they will eventually overcome their reliability problems, and when they do, their styling and performance should win over even more buyers.

 

I paid $32K for a 2013 SV, I didn't see anything for $16K that wasn't beat with 50K plus miles as I looked at used ones

Best one I saw ( value wise) was $19.5 for a 2009 SV with 25k miles but no warranty, tires needed to be replaced soon and no maint records


The earlier models tend to have quite a few common issues

 

I had no clue Maximas were considered "fast cars." I guess the whole 4 door thing kind of kills it for me and that they really aren't that fast I guess.

 

Given the recent escalation in this thread I thought I'd chime in. First of - congratulations to the lady with the pearl white max; I have an identical "unit."

After test driving a few other vehicles and either having to foot out a $15,000 difference in price or accepting the imperfections - I chose to accept the imperfections, all and all it is not bad ride.

 

Thank you! I'm LOVIN' my new 2013 Maxima (in gleaming pearl white)

She is SO fast! Took her to 90 mph in the tunnels in 5th gear (not even 6th) under Mercer Island in Seattle. Smooth and FAST! Gotta love the CVT in it.

Just put to 2 JL 10" speakers and an Alpine amp in the back of mine last week. She's a sweet ride now. Even the boys at the Bellevue Nissan Dealership are "wowed."

I intend to race her on a track back in Texas. Yee Hah! I'm going to leave those Texas boys in the dust!!

Later...

 

Thank you! Here's a few more pics for your **glistening** pleasure...

 

Someone who actually likes CVT :|

 

I DO like the CVT. At any point when I'm driving (at any speed) I can hit one of the paddle shifters and it automatically goes into the corresponding standard gear. It's quite efficient when I'm going 70 mph and want to pass someone so I hit the + paddle shifter, it goes into 5th, I kick it down to 4th, then 5th and 6th and pass the hell out of them. She's super fast especially from 5 to 6.

 

And my hands never leave the wheel...

 

Cease and desist with the bs harassment or I'll start handing out ban tickets....

 

Congrats on your purchase. Nice color.

But let me know when you make it to Texas, let me see if you can "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN".

 

Hrrrrston, eh?

Oh yes, I will let all the Texans know when I arrive. And I bet I can "catch ya." Mastering the CVT and she fast. Houston is a fun place to drive. But, I like Dallas better. Get on the N. Tollway and zoom zoom!

 

Of course if you're going to race each other, make sure it's on a track where it's nice and legal.

We don't discuss road racing here on this forum.

 

duh...

 

Well, I joined the club. 2013 white with black interior, sport pkg (black wheels) with tech pkg. Hope I enjoy. Coming out of a 2010 dodge ram

 

Congratulations on your purchase!

 

Thanks.