About a year ago, I had to let go of my 2001 Isuzu Rodeo because it was falling apart at an exponential rate. I didn’t have too much time to think about which car to buy, but I knew I wanted a car that was a bit faster to keep up with the crazy drivers in NJ and I wanted either a 4 door sedan or hatchback. To be honest, the maxima never even crossed my mind when I was searching for cars. I had forgotten that it even existed, but when it popped up on the truecar website with 10k off msrp, it piqued my interest. Long story short, I ended up settling on a 2012 Nissan maxima S because for the price, I couldn’t find any other car that came close to its HP rating… bmw’s and audi’s were a bit too expensive, I didn’t want a boring camry or accord, and I already knew a lot of people with vw’s so I didn’t want one of those. The only thing that bugged me was the CVT.

Ever since I bought the car though; I’ve always wondered if the maxima was considered a fast car and if the CVT was hindering it like so many reviewers seem to think. After doing some digging around, I found some information that was very surprising. First of all, I’d like to point out that although the 0-60mph stat is most commonly used to determine the performance of a car, it actually is not a very practical number as it is obtained by “launching” the car and nobody launches their car continuously in the real world. So, the rolling street start 5-60mph stat is a far better indicator of performance in real world driving situations as well as the 30-50 & 50-70mph passing times. Looking at the C/D car stats the maxima has a 5-60 of 6 seconds and a 30-50 & 50-70 of 3.2 and 3.6 seconds respectively.

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...axima-sv-1.pdf

if you look at the 5-60mph stats of other cars such as the bmw 328i, 335i, 335d, Acura TL, VW GTI, Passat V6, Ford Focus ST, Honda Accord v6, Hyundai sonata 2.0T, Hyundai genesis coupe 3.8, infiniti g37 sedan, Audi a4, Volvo S60 T6. The Maxima beats or matches them all and barely loses to the 335i by .1seconds.

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...swagen-gti.pdf

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...tober-2012.pdf

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...ril-2012-1.pdf

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/2009-bmw-335d-1.pdf

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...0t-limited.pdf

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...s-coupe-38.pdf

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take-road-test

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...powertrain.pdf

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...ison-tests.pdf

I found this data very interesting and if these stats from C/D are to be believed, it shows that the maxima is actually a pretty fast car for the money considering almost all those cars I listed above are more expensive. I believe the reason this car performs so well compared to all the other cars in the 5-60mph test is because of the CVT as there is no time wasted in shifting twice or three times to get to 60 mph. Even though the maxima doesn’t feel fast because of the lack of shift shock, in actuality, it is a pretty fast car. What are your thoughts about this? And have a happy new year!

 

Yeah, it's more of a "quick" car to me. Your point, however, is reasonable.

I was no fan of the CVT. This was the first car I've owned to come so equipped and my only other experience with CVT's was in rental cars (Altima 4 cylinders) and I hated them.

In this application, however, it's an excellent transmission. Smooth as silk and fuel efficient, the CVT in this car with this motor produces excellent results. I'm always in the power band when I need to be and during the break in period, I always felt acceleration was excellent despite the fact that I never went past a quarter throttle.

Now that I have a well broken in car, I have very few complaints about the car. The only issue I have with the CVT is every once in a while, very very rarely, I'll put the spurs to her and the CVT will whine a bit. Apparently, this is normal and to be expected, but the first few times it happened, I got a little freaked out.

Everyone I know that hates CVT's has changed their minds after driving my Max. Also, in the higher trim levels (sport or premium plus tech and nav), the car is downright luxurious. Friends that drive more expensive cars always make comments about how nice it is inside.

And those seats! Dreamy for this guys back. The wife loves them too. Plus, she never misses an opportunity to borrow my car and scoot around (of course, the car comes back to me with lower mpg than when I gave her the keys, so...).

It's a great car in any trim. An S is inexpensive and drives great. Stepping up to more expensive trims provides extra sportiness and luxury.

I've had the car for 7 months and over 11,000 miles and I am very, very happy.

Enjoy your ride.

 

some more cars i forgot to include, Subaru STI, EVO, R32

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...powertrain.pdf

Yes, its not porsche, merc amg, m3, s4 fast but for the price it is quick compared to other cars in its price range and form factor.

 

Looks like you've been doing your research and answering your own question lol Happy New Year!

 

yeah its quick, at higher speeds you start to see the difference between it and real sports cars but for speeds you can drive legally on public roads the Max is no slouch

 

You should of put it in sport mode immediately to force sport mode and a downshift

 

It is damn quick car for it's size and price but it is not fast. Fast is my 2300lb turbo Miata.

Funny thing is, my neighbor has a 535i and he just pulls away like a Sunday drive.

 

Yeah I honestly don't find many cars fast after owning my Raven R1! : )

 

If you buy it new, NO. Better value out there

Pretty sure the car will be good enough for regular street driving but once you get on the highway more sports oriented vehicles will kill it. CVT transmission probably makes this even worse

 

The 7th gen Maxima is not a track car, but simply an aggressively styled four door family sedan with a sporting edge. The CVT does limit accelleration from a standing start, although the newest Nissan CVT in the '14 Altima will supposedly cure that in the 8th gen Maxima once Nissan has the bugs out.

BUT, just as the original poster's research reveals, in actual highway driving situations, such as pulling out to pass at around 45 MPH, this car gets to 85 MPH almost before I can get my foot off the pedal.

I have owned nothing but Maximas since Oct 1984, and I am convinced this 7th generation CVT gives better passing times at highway speed than the OEM versions of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th generation Maximas I have owned, whether manual or automatic.

I will admit I have been interested in the CVT for around 20 years (probably because my degrees are in engineering and geophysics), and have always known that, once perfected, and all else being equal, a tranny that has no shift points should outperform a tranny that has shift points in both accelleration and fuel economy.

Early CVTs were understandably anemic, unreliable, and turned many folks off to CVTs. The CVT is not yet clearly superior to the best shifting trannies, but eventually should be.

 

Depends on your frame of reference. My frame includes 1000+ HP GTR's, track prepped sportbikes and a turbo Camaro that kills literbikes on the highway. If you're only comparing it to family sedans, it's quick enough.

BTW, comparin 5-60 times is useless. Same with top gear acceleration. First, anything with a turbo is gonna be slow in a 5-60 magazine test. The way they do the test is to fully release the clutch, roll at 5 mph and then floor it. Nobody drives like that. If I'm rolling at 5 mph in an EVO and need to launch, I'm gonna slip the clutch and floor it to build boost quickly. The top gear acceleration numbers are useless because in a Max, the trans is going to drop the trans ratio. If I'm in an EVO, going 30 mph in 6th, I'm not gonna floor it without downshifting.

Most of those cars you listed would punch off from a Max in most situations out on a real road.

 

@lightonthehill - These cars new around here have a MSRP of $40,000 CAD...

Now if you want to spend $40,000 on a brand new car and you want something fast there are better options out there in that price category LIKE...

Infiniti G37 and its successor Q50 (starts out at $40,000 CAD)
Audi A4 Quattro
Dodge Charger R/T
Dodge Challenger R/T
Hyundai Genesis 3.8 GT (if the person was into a 2 door)
Chevy Camero Coupe
Lexus IS 250 - RWD or AWD. Stretch the budget a bit and you can get a IS 350 RWD or AWD.

etc etc

All MSRP for those cars are either cheaper or under $40,000 CAD. (prices found via their Canadian sites)

Conclusion: If you are paying $40k+ for a Gen 7 Maxima, it isn't a very good deal because there could be better alternatives out there depending on what you want.

 

True if you wanted to compare MSRP prices, but that is night and day compared to what you would pay at the dealership. As of today, 1/2/14, I can get a base S for $24.3k and fully loaded with premium package for $29k through Truecar in my area (SF bay area). So to me, yes, if you buy this car brand new, no better value out there. But that's just me.

 

I don't know about Canada, but in the US you can buy a 2013 maxima S for 21,000 USD not including taxes and fees. Prices may vary depending on location but that's the truecar price around my area.

 

^ was about to say that, im seen fully loaded ones go for high 20's to low 30's depending on the part of the country.

 

^
holy crap you can get Maxima in US for under $30,000!?

Lucky USA but everything is cheaper down there.....

 

Wow, nice. I havent seen it that low, it's $22.6k for a 2013 S in my area now. I bought my 2013 S at the end of December of 2012 for $26.7k before taxes, etc. I looked recently and the the price currently is $24.3k before taxes, etc. for a 2014 S.

 

How much is a Evo in the US?

 

To answer the original question.

No.

Buy a G/Z if you want a quick car, look at GTRs and its class if you want a fast car.

 

in the 1/4 mile G37s can hit 13.6. G35's are around 14. one of the 7th gen owners ran a 13.9 in his bone stock 7th gen, others low 14's. so yeah that 3.7 liter and vvel does make a difference. i agree though, if you want a fast car get a GTR.

 

I think the best word to describe the Maxima, like others have said, is "Quick". Great acceleration, both from a stop and moving on a highway to pass people, but it's not the type of car that's going to pin you to your seat and let you brake land speed records. All I'm going to say though is next time you roll up to a maxima at a red light, give it the respect it deserves!

 

george - Because of this forum, I found out many years ago that Canadians pay very steep prices for Maximas. That doesn't seem fair, and makes me sad. Where I live, the Maxima is easily the best buy of the cars you listed, especially when interior room, reliability, standard features, styling, dealer price flexibility, etc, are considered.

I actually have gone to my Infiniti dealer several times in the last ten years, and he will not give me anywhere nearly as much off MSRP as my Nissan dealer. Which is OK, as I do not like RWD or AWD. I have also grown to love the CVT. Driving a car with a CVT is an entirely different experience than driving an auto tranny or a manual. A subtle touch makes a great difference with a CVT.

Most of the cars you mentioned are not at all suitable for my driving needs, lifestyle, reliability, etc. With kids and grandkids, 2 doors are a non-starter, and back seat room is important. The Lexus IS350 AWD driving test was in my local newspaper Friday, and had mixed reviews. Also, the tested version was over $50,000, and the grille was absolutely grotesque. And it comes with different size tires on the front and rear. I absolutely would never want that.

I would not accept a Dodge if it was given to me at no charge. A quick look at Consumer Reports reliability records will show why.

I have looked at lots of cars, read the test reviews every week, and have found nothing that even comes near the Maxima in meeting my specific needs.

I do have many specific things I will not do without. For instance, I lost circulation in my hands way back around age 75. Since then, if a vehicle does not have a heated steering wheel, during the cooler half of the year, my wife has to do the driving. When Maximas added the heated steering wheel back in the 2004 model year, few cars in the Maxima's price range even had that as an option. I also must have the rear view camera. When I bought my '09 over five years ago, rear view cameras were not available in many truly affordable cars. But they were in the Maxima.

I have owned nothing but Maximas since 1984, have found them to be extremely reliable, and have a Nissan dealer 4 miles from my home who treats me like royalty (I know his employees by name, and have all recommended maintenance done at his service dept).

Every person has different needs, expectations, and desires. Only the Maxima meets all of mine at a very reasonable price.

Getting back to the original thread-starting post, Maximas will cruise at over 130 MPH, but who in their right mind would need to do that on a public highway? If we are talking track, the Maxima is a fast, sporty, stylish, maneuverable, near-luxury family sedan, not a hot rod or race car. Elapsed time runs from a standing start do not enter into my world of driving, and should not be done on public highways.

Despite the naysayers here, I have been driving since the late 1940s, and I find this 7th gen Maxima is the quickest from 40 MPH to 80 MPH (where I need accelleration to pass on two lane roads) of any family sedan I have driven. And I have driven cars that could lay rubber trails right on up the highway. But I quickly outgrew that when I realized how often the tires would need replacing.