In my personal opinion here's what I like about each gen as of 1990 I can't speak on 2nd and 1st because we never owned one and I didn't come around until the late 80s.

the 3rd gen had exceptional build quality and reliability. This generation had the perfect balance of sport and luxury

the 4th gen had the best luxury good road manners but not enough sport.
the 5th is perfect in every area but lacks sport appeal looks too ordinary.
the 6th large and in charge luxury blvd cruiser but the reliability killed it. Sporty but somethings missing.

7th if it had been a bit larger they would have nailed it. Us 6th gen owners would feel bad to downgrade to a 7th having to take a huge downgrade in space and loose our power folding mirrors.

This is my take after we've owner 6 of these cars since 1993.

my brother currently has a 06SE I have the 06 SL my uncle has an 04SE and my grandmother has an 08SE.

 

Oh, I'm not criticizing the Maxima's reliability. They are plenty reliable, no denying that. I'm referring to the spirit that the old Nissan's and Datsun's used to have that seems to have withered away quite a bit in the recent generations. They've "grown up" so to speak. I can't completely gripe about them doing that because it works and they are more popular with a larger market now.

My first car was a 77 Datsun 280Z, for example, and it was an unbelievably fun car to drive. Didn't have 300 or 400 horsepower, but it put a huge smile on my face every time I drove it. The newer 350Z and 370Z are much more powerful and an excellent performance couple, but even they seem to have lost a bit of the emotion and the passion that I remember from Nissan's of old.

That's what my opinion stems from. Nissan's are excellent cars, and they make an overall decent quality product, but they appear to have shied away from being performance minded and driver oriented characteristics in favor of refinement and feature loading. That is what depresses me about them. I wish they would just remember the enthusiasts, like myself, that cherish the soul of the car, more than it's reliability, and features.

Case in point, Alfa Romeo. Reliable? Ha. NO. Fun to drive? Very.

Nissan used to be able to blend both very well, but, to me, they have lost the desire to include the passionate driver into the equation when producing their more recent cars.

 

dfj240 seems like Maxima was the thing before 95 after that it all went downhill. They did good with the 5th gen but after that it changed, but the Maxima has a excellent reputation. If you drive one people think of them in the streets as something important and significant

 

Guys this article says the 8th gen is gonna be a RWD I don't know who wrote it but he better quit teasing us like that!

http://autoomobile.com/news/pics-201...eyond/1002472/

 

^^ seeing as how "automobile" isn't even spelled right in the website name, I wouldn't lend much credence to anything you read there

 

I again agree with you. The Maxima has an excellent reputation. It stands out and is a well known and well respected car. The problem that I have is Nissan losing it's passion for making cars that are a thrill to drive. They don't make them like that anymore. The more recent cars are great, but they're settled down, refined, and are simply good cars to get around in that happen to have good power mixed with good driveability.

I'm not knocking the build quality or the manufacturing quality at all, I'm knocking the lack of soul, and flair, and passion that they had when I fell in love with Nissan in the first place all those years ago. They were well built, reliable cars then too, but they had a little bit of an x factor, a little flair that you could feel when you drove one. Like it was inviting you to drive it spiritedly any time you felt the tingle in your right foot. You had the confidence of a well built machine, and it was always willing to deliver any time an open, twisty road lay in front of you.

I don't get that feeling from their recent offerings and I'm hoping that they will realize that and move back in that direction and bring back some zest.

 

dfj240 You're absolutely right my man they're slapping Maxima's together nowadays. But it's the way people say it. The reputation of a car in the beginning stays with it for the rest of its life thru the generations. In the 80s early 90s Maxima had a solid one. Kia's started out horrible so now they're great but the reputation it started with is here for a lifetime.

That Hyundai Genesis is a monster if Nissan can make the 8th gen a better car than that then they'll be successful.

 

It's pretty much confirmed at this point by Jose Munoz (Nissan Vice President and Chairman of Nissan North America) that the new Maxima will be FWD + CVT and that looks wise it's going to be almost identical to the concept.

In his words this will be a new path that Nissan is taking with more aggressive styling and the ***** to make production cars that look like the concept did and not a majorly scaled down version.

Only thing I can see happening is maybe the VQ37 making it into the Maxima, no RWD or manual for us though

 

D.Stillwell Because of the last two generations being a flip flop there is alot of pressure on Nissan to get the 8th gen just right. This car has to be well respected and flawless. With the 6th gen they gave us big box with a powerful engine and said here is the Maxima for 2004. With the 7th we basically said ok this is nice but we have to enjoy all this power squashed (limited space). With the 8th the formula has gotta be different simply no room for error.

 

I think the 8th gen will fare well with "most." There will always be those who dislike it for one reason or another or are biased due to their own vehicle choices but I'm uncertain if Nissan these days is making cars to keep their current followers, recruit new advocates, or both.

Honestly, though, if they are becoming more ballsy in the sense that they are turning concept cars into reality, imagine the price tag of this!

 

Propa Teknique oh yeah the price too they gotta nail it not too close to the G but not too close to the Altima. The high 30s is fair but not over 40.

 

With the 7th gen Maximas reaching near or over 40K, I think that the 8th gen one brand new off the lot would be that price or more especially with the "ultra premium" materials being used. Anyone else think that word is abused?

Anyway, I guess fully loaded and brand new would be expensive but if I get one, I only want the premium package.

Those 21" wheels on the car do look mighty good but I would opt for the stock size and then upgrade later!

 

Another smart move on Nissan's behalf would be to remove the V6 option from the Altima and make it only available as a 4 cylinder that's where the problem came in 2002. Before that you got the Altima as a 4 and those who wanted more power+jumped to the Maxima. Nissan just gave the Altima a price spike for 2015 so some tweaking there lowering the Maxima's price may do the trick. From what I've seen in the 8th gen concept the looks of the Maxima are gonna help people be able to tell the difference between Altima and Maxima now so with time things are getting better. Because the 6th and 7th gens downfalls put the Maxima's good reputation at risk so this 8th if it turns out right could be just what turns the Maxima around and back into a superstar.

 

The 7th gen Maxima is actually selling better, now that the recession is fading. A few years ago, I didn't see very many around where I live. But now, I see them everywhere I go. Folks were mostly into high MPG cars during the dark days.

Ghosn told us back in 2002 that the Maxima would be moving upscale and become Nissan's flagship sedan. It has become exactly that. It will never go back to the role of the original Maxima, which was an affordable sporty 4DSC that was a great buy for the money. Like it or not, that slot is now filled by the Altima 3.5.

The 8th gen Maxima will be slightly more expensive than the 7th gen for the simple reason that the cost of everything Nissan uses to build the car is going up. Those concerned with the Altima taking the Maxima's business have clearly not driven both cars with a totally open mind. The entire looks, feel and ambiance of the Maxima surpasses that of the Altima.

Another reason the 8th gen will cost slightly more is because it will have many of the new safety features that did not exist when the 7th gen was being designed back in 2006.

I suspect we will have a base 8th gen for around $33K and a top of the line version for around $42K. When the NISMO version arrives next year, I suspect it will range from around $45K to around $48K. Those prices may sound a little steep, but we must remember that Nissan gives more discounts than almost any car manufacturer. Once the 'newness' of the 8th gen has passed (will take a few months), then $5K or more discounts can be had by those who are willing to patiently negotiate.

Those feeling the 8th gen Maxima is a 'make or break' thing for Nissan are missing the slotting of the Maxima in Nissan's current lineup. It is not intended to be Nissan's mass-produced money maker. It is intended for those customers who are willing to pay more than they would for a Camry or Accord or Altima in order to have a more luxurious, stylish and generally impressive vehicle.

And I will guarantee the 8th gen Maxima will sell. Not as much to us fans of the Maximas of the 1980s and 1990s, but to a more upscale audience with a little more money available, and who see the newer Maximas as practically a luxury vehicle with advanced styling, but which can be had at a price between $5K and $15K less than most other luxury vehicles, primarily because most dealers of luxury vehicles do not generally give big discounts.

Those who have read and listened and watched carefully this past year already know almost exactly what the 8th gen will look like, and how it will be equipped. It will be the perfect vehicle for me, but I know it will not please some of those still expecting the Maxima to be what it was fifteen to thirty years ago. That is just the way it is.

 

lightonthehill Man I toss and turn at night waiting on the day the 8th gen comes out. And the 6th gen has its ups and downs what it lacks for in some places it makes up in others. Today I had my boss he's 6ft2 and another coworker he's 6ft1 in the backseat and his head didn't touch the ceiling. I go are you comfortable back there he goes this is nice car Chris I go it has its days you should hear me in the Nissan Forum sometimes.

And yes I've noticed alot more 7th gens around lately it's because the price is right and they actually aren't bad I like them just don't like the tight back seat I struggled with that owning a Contour for a while even though i'm not a wide dude it just wasn't comfortable with more than 3 people in the vehicle. This one with more than 3 everybody doesn't feel like they're on top of each other it's spaced out pretty good.

 

Chris - You are correct that the 6th gen had the most back seat room of any Maxima generation. My 6'1" son says he is comfortable in the back seat of my 7th gen, but that may be because he sits behind my wife, who is over half a foot shorter than he is, so doesn't have the seat way back.

I am perfectly comfortable in the back seat of the 7th gen, but when I am back there, my wife (5 inches shorter than me) is driving, and I am sitting with one of my three grandaughters, who range in age from 11 to 24, and who are rather petite.

I suspect we may gain an inch in the back seat with the 8th gen. Still not as roomy as the 6th gen, but around an inch better than other Maxima gens. What may help some is that the 8th gen is supposedly a tad wider than previous Maxima gens.

I think you will take a liking to the 8th gen when you see it in person. Photos can be misleading. It is sometimes difficult to finalize a feeling about a new gen until we see it in person. I know I am excited about this 8th gen.

 

I saw the Sports Concept car live at the Toronto Auto show back in February and thought it looked good in person. Somebody standing next to me said "Wow, it looks like a Porsche!!!" . Well, I wouldn't go quite that far, but again, I liked what I saw...

 

lightonthehill I would say I was around 5ft9/5ft10 150 pounds it feels pretty cool to ride around in a car that feels fairly large. The 7th gens are nice but all of the other cars around you in traffic are taller and bigger in the 6th gen you're bigger than everybody else around you feels like a tank man. Post a pic of your 7th gen.

 

I prefer to be sitting closer to the road with a vehicle not as big and bulky as the Taurus and MKS (older model) that I see on the road. You are right, they are taller and bigger but to me that takes away performance and especially looks.

To me, the Maxima gets it right with the 7th gen in terms of size. I had the 6th gen and it was roomy but that was because I rarely had anyone in the car with me. My 7th gen has gotten many more compliments in terms of how it feels inside the car when riding and the amount of space it has and I have had several people inside this one.

I suppose it's a matter of preference but it has never felt like the car was smaller to me. If the 8th gen is wider, I think that would be even sexier. I was driving behind a BMW 435 I believe yesterday and it looked wider than all get out but the stance was truly aggressive; it looked amazing and I'm not even a fan of BMW.

Nissan will need an 8th gen that looks aggressive especially if they plan to have those big 21" rims on the car as an option.

 

Propa Teknique The Taurus/MKS that's too big man and the 7th the seats hug you they're very comfortable. When I sat in one the seats felt like popsicles trying to hug my body. At this point my brothers 6th gen he wants out he's burned out he doesn't even wanna start that thing anymore the silver one.

 

Chris - I don't know how to post a pic (I am from an era where my older neighbors started their T-Models by turning a crank that stuck thorugh the lower portion of the front grille).

Not that it matters, because I have a stock white 7th gen Maxima with premium and tech packages. I still have OEM wheels and tires, and have not even had an alignment or wheel balance since the car was built in September of 2008. No suspension changes whatsoever.

I have made no internal changes, and, other than 1" black hard rubber molding around the four wheel wells, short wide (no one even notices them) black hard rubber mud flaps inside the back of the four wheel wells, painting the inside of the wheel wells black and adding rain guards above the four windows, my car looks exactly like the other Maximas with premium and tech packages on the dealer lots.

Nothing daring, exciting, or that anyone would ever notice unless I pointed things out to them. Other than being a somewhat spirited driver, I always fly well beneath the radar.

Of course, there will be no way to fly beneath the radar when I take delivery of my 'far out' 8th gen. That could be a problem. I have been with State Farm Insurance since 1958, and have worked my way into an exceptionally favorable rate (never a charged accident), and I would not want to ruin that.

But in the radically styled 8th gen, I will have to watch my speed very carefully. I live in a county that prides itself on very strict policing. The Sheriffs department here converts cars taken in drug busts to patrol cars. You can be pulled over by an IROC Z or a Mini-Cooper or a Subaru Outlander or a Trailblazer. I see several souped-up Mustangs zipping by frequently with Sheriff's markings in hard-to-detect shaded paint on the sides and no outside lights showing. Doesn't seem fair.

 

lightonthehill The good thing about the 7th gens is I think they can take a little more abuse than the 6th gens. Here's what i've learned about owning a 6th gen the car will be nice to you if you're nice to it. Doesn't like to be driven hard i've noticed when I do something always seems to go wrong and when I don't it doesn't Can't really drive it like a charger because these things were built cheaply and delicately. The 8th gens should be able to take alot.

 

That doesn't seem fair...heck...that doesn't even seem legal. Is that legal to do? In my old hometown (population 5,000) police would use their own vehicle but get it to look exactly like a cop car with the POLICE sign, lights, spot beam, and grille. That makes no sense that they use other vehicles but don't make it known that they are police. What if they are driving an inconspicuous police car and are parked at Dunkin Donuts and someone is being assaulted on the street or raped? That victim can usually look around and notice a police car and run to get help but with the "ghost" police cars they can't. That's most certainly not right!

Anyway, with the bold styling of the 8th gen, I would beg to differ that the insurance cost increasing would be the least of your worries!

 

i'm suprised that any law enforcement agencies don't use Maxima's on the regular for patrol cars I have a feeling they will when the 8th comes out.

 

The disguised cars are in usage in almost every state. They are invariably cars that were confiscated from drug enforcement cases, and used almost exclusively for speeding enforcement and to show off at driver's ed classes at the local high schools.

I still remember sailing along (in my 1985 Maxima) on a totally deserted stretch of highway near the King Ranch in far south Texas back in 1987, and seeing the local police using a radar-equipped 1953 Chevy with one single foot high bubble light on the top center of the car - just like the car Deputy Barney Fife drove in the early 1960s episodes of the Andy Griffith Show.

 

Any Maxima used by law enforcement agencies would be one confiscated in a criminal case. When buying new patrol cars, law enforcement agencies are usually limited by political pressure/local regulations to buying American, and it is far cheaper for them to buy the police interceptor version of vehicles, which have reinforced tires, steel wheels, heavy-duty suspension, extra-powerful battery, heavy screenning between front and rear seats, etc, etc, and need only painting and added local electronics to be ready to go on patrol.

I would add that law enforcement agencies generally buy these police interceptors in blocks of cars (not just one), and get them at a very reasonable price, because this is considered to be good advertising for these car brands.

Currently, GM's police interceptor is Impala-based, Ford's is Taurus-based and Chrysler's is Dodge Charger-based. That is why most new law-enforcement four door sedans are one of those three vehicles.

 

Something about the "Cima" on the back ruins the whole rear end of the car.
They should have used a different font.

 

What do you mean Cima? What are you referring to?

 

He is probably referring to some photo posted months ago here of some foreign version of a car similar to the Maxima. We somehow manage to get dozens of those meaningless photos around the time of each new generation Maxima.

With my slow computer system, it would take me weeks to scan back and find it, so I will just let this slide by, knowing we will never see a Maxima in the U.S. with 'Cima' on the rear.

 

Well that's a relief. I looked it up on Google and saw different body styles. One that sort of looked like a Maxima and another that heavily resembed the M37 with the same Infiniti logo but name of CIMA. It was ugly. Though it is flagged as the "upscale luxury sedan for executives" in Japan.

 

I can't wait to see a full life photo of the 8th gen my patience is wearing thin . (in other words very excited)

 

I know! I had went to the police station to do an interview for class and when I pulled up and went inside there was a guy who asked if that was the new Maxima I was driving. I said no, it will be out this year or next year. He said they don't need to rush because it looks just like a Chrysler 200. Had I not been in front of the police, I would have assaulted him!

 

They give you a darned good idea of what's coming. Take my car for example. In America its an I30. In the rest of the world, guess what it's called.

 

Looks like they showed 2 8th gen maximas in the Transformers movie, a silver one outside KSI headquarters and then a few minutes later a blue one (like subaru world rally blue) on top of the car hauler entering the facility.

 

The I30 was known as the Cefiro in Japan and several other countries, but was also known as the Maxima in several countries.

BUT

Actually, the I30 was simply the 4th generation U.S. Maxima which existed at that time, with front and rear modified and a little chrome added. When the I30 (which I test drove back around 1996) was parked right beside the 4th generation Maxima, the shape of the cabins was clearly the same. The engines were exactly the same also.

But the I30 was not suggestive of the future Maxima, as it was based on the existing 4th gen Maxima which actually arrived a year before the I30. This was to be expected, as the I30 and the 4th gen Maxima were both produced on the same assembly line at the same time at Oppama, Japan.

Nissan did not give their Infiniti line due dilligence until well after the turn of the millenium, and that is one reason Lexus and Acura took such a big early lead over Infiniti in the Japanese luxury brands.

 

The I30 they weren't too popular for some reason I think back in those days Infiniti was like the new kid trying to fit in with the popular kids in school. I see an I30 once every 150 days or so.

 

We should hear something soon on the 8th gen I notice more articles on it starting to appear on google these days.

 

I am glad I am not the only one here excited about the 8th gen.

We would already have heard from Nissan had the 8th gen been arriving in August, so we can scratch an August release. If we hear nothing from Nissan by the end of this month, then there will probably be no September release.

I think we will probably be hearing something from Nissan within the next four weeks, with the release date probably set in late September or early October. A release date later than October would not bode well for first model year sales, as the production line would be changing from 2015 models to 2016 models about a year from now, and car sales are usually dismal during the winter months.

 

lightonthehill I think the 8th gen is gonna be a beast I just a have a feeling we've been waiting on this car for so long the Maxima program needs a big shock right now. I'm gonna buy one man it just gets frustrating because I'm ready to buy a 2nd ride on the side and i'm waiting until this car comes out so I don't make any mistakes lol. Buy a new car then that one comes out and im f'd lol.

 

Chris - I know how you feel. Back during my working days, it was critical that I make the right choice in transportation, else I would be in real trouble. Fortunately, I am now retired (retired in my sixties around 19 years ago), am in solid financial shape, and my wife and I have several vehicles we can drive. So I am in position to gamble and buy the first model year of each new generation.

I am ready for this new 'rad' (did that word go out in the 1960s?) 8th gen Maxima. But I will be the first to admit that it will be difficult for the 8th gen to beat the classic lines of the 7th gen. This 7th gen styling appealed to me from the very first day, and we are still getting very nice comments on the looks of our '09 7th gen 5 1/2 years after buying it.