Highway rpms ??
 

Hi


I recently purchased a low mile 2011 Maxima which is in great shape. I believe it has just about all options other than navigation.


I previously owned a 2011Toyota Tundra 5.7 , and actually still miss the truck . However , I'm not missing the 15 mpg highway fuel economy , and truthfully wasn't towing as much as I previously was. With a long line of Nissan cars in our family , we decided to purchase used.


My only issue with the Maxima , aside from the fact that my wife's beloved 2013 Altima isn't so "beloved" anymore as she seems to be reaching for the Maxima's keys more than the Altima's , is the rpm at highway speed.


At 80 both the Altima and Tundra were right around 2000 , whereas the Maxima is around 2500. Seems like a nit pick , but it translates to much higher noise at cruising speed.


I was just hoping to get some confirmation that it is normal. Admittedly , I didn't pick up on it during my starry eyed road test.


Thanks

Not in my car to verify, but sounds normal to me. I feel like when I'm doing about 70 I'm probably around 2,200 rpm's. But honestly, I'm just guessing. Plus, I've modded my car with intake, full exhaust and ypipe, and then some. So I can't comment on the extra noise.

I've lost sense of traditional transmissions because my wife now drives a '13 pathfinder which also has a cvt.

I dont really pay attention to that but it's always around 2k rpm unless i'm accelerating

That's about right as I travel most of the time on the highways at 62 and the tach is at 2000.

Thank you.


I guess it says a lot about my admiration for this car , as an OCD personality like myself , could only find this to complain about .

Funny, as a fellow OCDer I picked up on the same thing as one of the few annoyances I have with the Maxima. It spins a few hundred rpm higher on the highway than my 2009 Camry 3.5 did and our Armada does. Seems like with the torque of the engine it could easily lug along at a lower rpm when cruising.

We are about to take an annual 1,200 plus mile trip with the Maxima next week using the same route we take every year. I'm curious to see/compare what mpg we get with the higher revs (Camry would get between 30-33.5). I'll be happy if I can touch 29-30 mpg.

If you keep the speed between 55-65 mph you should get around 28 or even 29 mpg if your car is in top running condition using premium gas. The mpg really fall off though when the rpm's get above 2100.

Agreed . I actually find myself cruising along quite a bit slower on the highway due to the higher rpm. In my case , it probably helps fuel economy because of it.


Naturally , I give all that fuel savings back at all red lights and stop signs

I run at 79mph on the highways in Florida . Which is the speed limit but don't look at the rpms .

I owned a 6th gen 2007 model with the first CVT in the Maxima before my current 2012 7th gen...and the current generation gearing is actually running a few hundred rpms lower at cruising speed. If I remember correctly...it would run at 2500 @ 70mph where my 2012 runs 2100. In fact...at 80 the 2012 is running right at 2500 rpms from my experiences the past few yrs. Regarding engine noise...Unless I'm running less than 40 mph...or over 3000 rpms...I never hear the engine at hwy speeds. The wind/road/tire noise masks any engine noise at 70 mph plus...

Mileage has been right at expected for me too. I took a 4k mile road trip in Oct...through KS, CO, WY, UT, ID and NV...and with the terrain out west and the 75-80 mph speed limits (80 speed limit I would set cruise at 83). My trip mileage was 26 mpg with that speed and terrain...and a fully loaded car.

If u actually got that mileage that's awesome man. I don't get even close to that but I tend to have a very heavy right foot. Gas prices and mileage won't rule how I drive. If I wanted to accelerate and play the mileage game I wouldn't have bought this, rather a sorry *** Prius

I usually have a heavy foot too...especially around town and on curvy back roads. That trip I took included a run up and down Pike's Peak and some mountain roads east of Salt Lake City. I had some fun on those roads for sure (used Ds mode and paddles often to hold rpm up and down the mountains...and through the curves). I would say 90% of that 4k miles was freeway above 70 mph with cruise set.

My lifetime average is 23 mpg (91-93 oct) for the 26k miles so far (keeping track since I put the first tank of fuel in the car from new)...and I am rarely light on the throttle once the engine is at operating temp. However...when traveling the interstates in the long boring stretches...it's cruise set most of the time. Plus my daily commute is 5 miles each way with light traffic and at speeds of 35-60 mph.

Ok I'm jealous of the pikes peak. That's sweet man. Def jealous. Hope u kicked the crap out of it up and down.
My brother lives out by salt lake but I didn't have my Max when I was out there, wish I did.