06 manual Maxima just written off when I was rear ended. Loved the car but had engine and transmission replaced under warrantee, with no other issues. Looking at 2013 and 2014 SV right now as replacement. Should I stay clear of the 7th generation or have they proven to be relatively reliable. Thank you in advance.

 

Hold off just a couple hrs and look out for the new maxima 8th gen....should be previewed on a Nissan commercial during the superbowl....

 

Or you can get a 2014 for a great price because they are trying to get rid of what stock they have right now.

 

The 7th generation cars have classic looks and have been proven to be reliable. You can get a great deal on a 2015. I would not get a new car in its first model year. In addition the 2016 is ugly.

 

I agree I would never get a first edition car ever, and the news ones are fugly as hell, that is why I got the 14 and not the 15.

 

I digress. I owned a 2007 Altima 3.5SE 6MT for 2 years until it had 50,000 miles on it. It was a flawless vehicle and it was the 1st model year. Believe me - I put it through it's paces.

I owned a 2009 370Z - 6MT sport package. I owned it for around 30,000 miles and also put it through HELL. No problems with it. Aside from being a new mode-year, this was also a new engine (VQ37HR) Nissan had put into these vehicles. No issues.

I have a 2010 Maxima SV now, 135,000 miles. It does have the known TSB issue of a bad #1 main bearing and bilateral leaky head gaskets (externally leaks coolant). The coolant leak has required a 1 pint refill in the time I have owned it since new. Otherwise, it has been a phenomenal vehicle. Couldn't ask for a better car, so far.

Just do yourself a favor and replace the transmission fluid every 30-45 thousand miles. Otherwise, these vehicles have proven to bee extraordinarily reliable.

The bad #1 main bearing - it knocks when the torque converter isn't locked (idle and below 11mph), but to my knowledge, there have been no documented failures, ever.

Late,
Trav

 

What exactly does this sound like, and is it when you are driving and in the car or under the hood?

 

Engine warm and idling, it is audible under the hood and most audible under the oil pan. I hear it inside the car, also - EVERY time I come to a stop in P,R,N or D - it's a light tapping. I also hear it when pulling out, driving at low speeds in parking lots and even up to 3000-4000 rpm when accelerating with the TC unlocked. Once the TC locks up, the engine becomes much smoother. It kind of has a rough/rattle type quality until TC locks. Then it's fine.

Numerous threads on the .org about it.

 

I have noticed when pulling away from a stop a kind of rattle sound coming from behind the gauges/dashboard. I can't hear anything with the hood up or outside of the car. I thought it was just the transmission. My car is a '14 and has 15k miles on it. With the car warmed up and hood open I don't hear anything but the injectors.

 

I was offered 13k off a new Maxima here in Ontario.

 

That's exactly how much I saved on mine here in Orlando, Florida.

 

Got one in GTA (Toronto) 2014 SV with Premium trim for 14K less MSRP+PDI.

To get the biggest discount, I had to do Nissan Canada Finance at 5.99% over 36 months. Good thing was I was able to put 21K down. So the remaining loan would result in a lower interest lump

34200 OTR (30000 + 13% tax + 300 (3 months interest). I plan to pay the principle after 3 payments which is the minimum you must pay for the finance.

So not bad for a fully loaded power car.

BTW, there is no 2015 Nissan Maxima model. Nissan is dumping all remaining 2014 through this year and releasing a 2016 probably in autumn of 2015. That is the reason for the huge discount.

The car is great for the price. You can't pick up any car of this calibre for the price that I paid.

It is a thirsty car compared to the competitor but oh how fun it is compared to any of the other car. The only car I would say just as fun would be a Mazda6. It has less power but it is so much fun to drive. The Mazda6 is beautiful and well pointed. However, by the time it alls add up, the car is closer to 40K just like all the other competitor like Accord, Camry, Sonata and Optima. I also find with Mazda SkyActiv and their weight saving philosophy, the car feels flimsy. The doors does not feel solid and too much noise are entering the cabin.

 

The Mazda6 is a great looking car. My wife had a 2006 Mazda3 hatchback so we went to the Mazda dealer to look at the new models in 2013. We loved the look of the Mazda6 but I was very disappointed that they don't have a 6 cylinder engine.

My wife doesn't mind, but for my tastes I prefer at a minimum 6 cylinders, especially if I'm going to be driving it periodically. We ended up getting a 2013 Kia Optima, with ironically, a 4 cylinder engine, albeit with a turbo.

I can't stand driving it because I have big hands and the steering wheel has spokes on it. And I tend to drive with my hands on the bottom part of the wheel and the gap between them is not big enough for my tastes.

Plus the radio and navigation features are way behind those of the Maxima.

 

I seldom see anyone mention the annoyance of spokes (especially wide ones) on the bottom half of the steering wheel. Like you, I tend to use the bottom half of the wheel on long trips, and, depending on spoke width and placement, they can be very annoying. I seem to recall my 2000 Maxima having that problem. My 6th and 7th gens have been fine in that regard.

My daughter loves her 2015 Mazda 6 with manual tranny. She has preferred manual since back around the late 1970s, when she 'took control' of my 5 speed manual Datsun 200SX.

 

I just read that they are skipping the 2015 verison all together. So it's a 2014 or wait for 2016's. It's so hard to tell from the initial photos how it will look in person.

 

I would rather have the last year of an old model than the first year of a new model

 

100% agree.

 

+1