MAX828

[YT]PLREQk5CdNhC4AxKBoyLUmjom8rO-33fBc[/YT]

http://news.boldride.com/2015/06/201...-review/80795/

http://www.autobytel.com/nissan/maxi...review-129098/

http://www.carscoops.com/2015/06/fir...an-maxima.html

http://www.cnet.com/products/2016-nissan-maxima/

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/n...show/index.htm

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...sports-car-no/

http://www.thecarconnection.com/over...an_maxima_2016

http://autoweek.com/article/car-revi...-nissan-maxima

http://www.autoworldnews.com/article...san-maxima.htm

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacture...-maxima-review

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._drive_review/

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...maxima-review/

http://www.leftlanenews.com/first-dr...ima-88675.html

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review

http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-...ew/2000012114/

http://driving.ca/nissan/maxima/revi...-nissan-maxima

http://www.guideautoweb.com/en/artic...enjoy-the-car/

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/03/2...-review-video/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...ticle24767413/

gizzsdad

Might be a good idea if someone has the ability/time to merge these into one thread.

Thanks for posting!!

anish3232

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/03/2...-review-video/

MAX828

Added thanks!

MaxMus

always come down to that cvt.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

Here is a mini comparo to the TLX V6, Roman prefers the TLX drive/handling but the Maximas interior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66QHuSJHPG0

coasterswim

This is great news for those of us that are more interested in the interior than the drive.

lightonthehill

Which simply shows these particular testers went into this with tranny prejudice. They simply are not ready to let go of the second millenium. It is as if they feel moving into the third millenium will emasculate them. They need to schedule a visit with their shrink.

The CVT is now the most efficient tranny available in mass production vehicles. To get 22 MPG in city and 30 MPH in rural areas with 300 HP in a large sedan is excellent. And several testers mentioned that this CVT is clearly an improvement over previous CVTs.

You want a sports car? They are making Corvettes and Camaros and Mustangs every day. Buy a sports car. I prefer a very comfortable family sedan with a definite sporty edge. Want an auto tranny? Buy a Taurus or 300. This Maxima will never be mistaken for a Taurus or a 300, and that is why I am all over it. Can't wait.

stodge

Those are the EPA estimates, how will it fare in real world conditions. How realistic are the EPA estimates?

wtgkb8

Shouldn't have any problem hitting the EPA numbers. My 2012 Maxima SV had no issues hitting 26 mpg on the hwy on road trips. In fact...over a 3900 mile road trip last fall...my mpg was 25.8 mpg over that 3900 miles...many of which were at speeds over 75 (speed limits were 75 -80). The lifetime mpg was 23.4 mpg over 30k miles before I traded it last month. I only used 91-93 oct fuel.

I just bought a 2015 Murano...and over a 575 mi trip this past weekend...my hand calculated mpg was 28.9 mpg (speeds of 70-80 mph). The hwy rating for that Murano is 28 mpg. Have only used 87 oct fuel here as that is all it recommends.

Tommy6905

Still to this day I can not understand why premium fuel is recommended in the maxima but not in the altima or in this case the murano when they have the same motor and trans. Has anyone found any info if the new maxima still carries the tag" premium fuel is recommended for optimum performance".

Mick7

Waiting for a test with 0-60, 1/4 mile and skid pad and slalom results. Most are guessing 5.7-5.8, one said 6.0..for the 0-60. Those numbers seem to vary by the driver and method of launch. From 30-70, the 7th gen would scream. Hopefully the screaming range will be wider for the enthusiasts.

Sniff, sniff....if it only had a proper transmission. Look, mommy. I can shift gears!

MAX828

Added 8 more reviews at the top of the post...

gizzsdad

Thanks MAX828!

Though still needs to be confirmed with a long test drive, I would say the AutoWeek review best summarizes where I expect to be on this car.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

Some of us out there HATE not having three pedals. I don't mean this the least bit sarcastically, but I would rather drive a Hyundai Accent with a manual transmission than some fancy new car with an auto or CVT. And no, having flappy handles on the steering wheel is not the same.

Nobody is arguing that CVT isn't the "way of the future" so to speak. That doesn't mean we can't still loathe it and mourn the passing of the manual transmission.

We don't want a sports car. We want a "Four Door Sports Car" - which shockingly is why we are Maxima enthusiasts. You can't have a "sports car" of any type - even a four door one, with CVT. For Nissan to associate this new CVT fest with the old "four door sports car" moniker is puzzling, comical, embarrassing and annoying to us long time Nissan enthusiasts who truly want Nissan to get back to what made the Maxima so popular to begin with.

My friend just bought a 7th gen Maxima. Boy that car would be phenomenal with a true manual transmission.

I mean this broadly, and not directed to you or this board in general - but I've realized most of the people who argue auto/CVT vs true manual transmissions can't even drive an actual manual transmission, haven't ever driven one, and/or are in willful denial about the lack of "feel" provided by autos ("but modern autos shift faster than humans!!!111one"). It's about the experience though, and rowing through the gears and using a third pedal is just a driving experience that any sort of auto or CVT can never, ever match.

lightonthehill

I understand where you are coming from. I drove nothing but manual trannies from the mid-1940s until the mid-1950s. I even drove nothing but a 5 speed manual Datsun 200SX from 1978 until 1984. I love manuals. In fact, my daughter, who began driving with a Mazda rotary engine sports car in the 1970s has refused to drive anything but manuals to this day (she just bought a 2015 manual Mazda 6 last fall).

I also drove manual tranny vehicles during my three years in the army, and drove manuals while in Korea and Japan.

But in the early 1980s, I found I was changing gears around 850 times on the way to work, and the same on the way home, and seldom getting to use 4th and 5th gears. Spent most time sitting in gridlock. Sorta took a lot of the fun away.

We need to remember that NISSAN DID NOT DO AWAY WITH THE MANUAL MAXIMA. WE DID AWAY WITH THE MANUAL MAXIMA. Nissan made manual Maximas for eight years after folks had begun to move away from them, and for four years after folks stopped buying them.

I feel folks moved away from manuals because most families have at least one driver who does not know how to drive manuals, and the Maxima IS NOW a family car. Also working against the manual is the gridlock we now have around the country. Another factor is the fact the Maxima was taken to a low-volume vehicle in the 2002-2004 period, and it is not economical to have more than one type tranny in a low volume vehicle unless the price is high enough to cover the additional enginnering and meeting the additional government testing. The final nail is the gradually increasing fuel efficiency requirements, which greatly now favor the CVT.

The manual will still be available in some vehicles for those who love the nostalgia of shifting. There may even come a time when a manual is an extra cost option in the Maxima SR. But if Nissan goes to that much effort, they might as well go whole hog and have a real NISMO Maxima, which could cost around $45K.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

Kudos to your daughter! That is awesome.

And yes you are correct. Manufacturers cannot hardly sell cars with manual transmissions, so yes, we - the collective car-buying public - are responsible for the death of the manual. I can't blame manufacturers for not building manuals as of course it all comes down to business decisions (and increasingly government mileage restrictions). Still doesn't mean I'm happy about it.

But even at that, I don't think Nissan should call this new Maxima any sort of "sports car" with a CVT. I think they could have built the exact same car and avoided the totally unnecessary 4DSC throwback stuff. All it does is set the car up to feel like a bit of a fraud even though it very well looks to be a really nice car on its own.

I'm still somewhat shocked Chevy offers a manual option on the SS sedan now. Evidently, they've only made about 5 and for all intents and purposes they're practically impossible to actually purchase one, but the fact Chevy offers it as an option is comforting.

gizzsdad

Just for the record, I had to go back and take off my shoes to count, and 9 out of my last 13 cars have been sticks, since 1978. Interestingly, the automatics were because a stick wasn't available at all, including my '82 Z28. Also, our 5 trucks (since 1980), which my wife usually drives as daily drivers, have all been sticks. Even she now thinks the next truck needs to be automatic.

So I've been precisely where you are, as recently as 6 years ago. But - I do have to agree with Light - I have had to come to the realization that my preference for manuals indeed makes me a dinosaur, at least with respect to the automotive buying public. Some people have a REALLY hard time getting there, including you, it seems. Best of luck!!

Oh - and just as a reminder - the GT-R, as sports car as you can get, comes only with a paddle shifted automatic. Admittedly a DC auto, but auto nonetheless.

lightonthehill

Several of the testers whose reports are now posted here mentioned the same thing. The '4DSC' motif caused them to be more severe in their judgement.

What if I convince my friends at Nissan to change the quip to ''Four Door Sporty Car?' After all, when they took the Maxima upscale and the price went well above $30K, they quietly dropped the 'affordable' from the mix.

Of course the reality is that this new CVT is most likely going to outperform either a manual or the automatic tranny, both in economy and in zero to sixty. The primary shortcoming of these new CVTs is the emotional factor. Folks tend to like the familiar.

Some feel the CVT takes too many decisions from their hands. I decided to play their game, and have worked very hard these last six or seven years in learning to drive all over again in order to maximize the fun and efficiency of my CVT. Just pushing the pedal is not the way to drive a CVT.

gizzsdad

Actually, to placate the snobby magazine writers, the marketing moniker should be 4DNLSE (4-door Near Lux with Sporting Edge) car!

lightonthehill

The reality is that a 4DNLSE is exactly what I am looking for. I never take my car to the track, and there is a county mounty behind every bush in the county in which I reside, and very few places with a speed limit over 45.

There is one angle I don't see covered very well here - This 2016 Maxima is the most powerful, most fuel efficient, most completely optioned, safest, fastest Maxima ever built. The past is sadly the past. The future is with us, and we might as well enjoy it. Nissan has done their best to give us that opportunity.

NissanFreak2000

Very well stated! Yes, in my opinion, this Maxima is the best one that has been put out by Nissan. Would it be a added perk if they had a 7AT or DCT, sure, but at the end of the day, I am happy with the new improved sport CVT that they put in the Maxima! The new king of the Nissan sedans has arrived!

FanaticMadMax

Reading this post, everyone has mixed feelings and thoughts about the CVT and the 4DSC motto. With that being said, I have to agree with most of you, that things have changed, the game has change, we all tend to be stuck in the mind of what a 4DSC should be with manual tranny or regular auto. The hard truth is that we have to accept that CVT is here to stay whether we like it or not, so we have to adapt those ever changing technologies of today and well in to the future than the days of yesteryears we all grown to love and used in our comfort zone. I, for one, dreaded and hated the CVT, now finally accept CVT is not only a common place for most auto manufacturer but also that they are improving the reliability of it. Now the focus is what I am seeing with the New Maxima is I am loving the design and style, there are no car manufacturer that really stands out, that's where the most matter is the emotion of the car, the passion of driving it. That what gonna get me in the door buying one in the near future.

stodge

Have the NHTSA OR IIHS published any safety ratings for the 2016 yet? The 7th gen's were rather poor.

lightonthehill

We need to be careful how we word things.

Consumer Reports, who will not recommend a vehicle unless it passes NHTSA safety tests, has ALWAYS recommended the Maxima. I think what you are referring to is the fact the 7th gen, a design finalized in late 2006 and which Nissan began tooling for in 2007 and building in January 2008 for the June 2008 release to dealers, did not have the safety technology that has been developed since then. But it always passed the NHTSA crash tests.

There is no question the new Maxima has safety technology that did not exist when the 7th gen arrived, but much of that technology will not be part of the NHTSA safety testing. As to the testing itself, I will be very surprised if the new Maxima does not pass fairly easily, as Maximas always do. But I will also be surprised if this testing takes place in the near future. Maybe this fall. There is usually a 'built in' delay with this sort of thing.

stodge

No, technology isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the safety ratings themselves:

http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shop...vehicleId=8096

3* frontal
2* front passenger

It seems there is a weakness in frontal impacts. Side appears ok. Maybe I'm reading the ratings too literally, but 2* and 3* are not that great. Sure technology would make a difference, but I look at the structural strength of the car excluding the new fangled technology.

gizzsdad

IIHS is considered the most comprehensive impact tester to my knowledge.

The only thing they considered "Marginal" was head restraints and seats.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/veh...a-4-door-sedan

New Altima:

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/veh...a-4-door-sedan

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

Oh I'm well aware. And I may be a Nissan traitor for this but that is the exact reason I'm not really a fan of the GT-R. It's pretty much a robot.

A very fast robot, but a robot nonetheless.

I'll happily take me a C7 Z06 Corvette with a stick shift ANY DAY over a GT-R. They have nearly identical 1/4 mile performance in stock form, but I'd have a much more satisfying driving experience in the Vette!

R1600Turbo

Until you take it to a real track and heat soak ruins your day 3 laps in with the Vette.

lightonthehill

OK, I see what you are talking about. The 4* for the driver position is fine, but the 2* for the front passenger is disappointing, and gives an overall frontal rating of 3*. Only by receiving a 5* rating for the other safety items measured enables the Maxima to attain a good overall 4* rating.

Drivers usually driving alone may not be bothered by the front passenger rating, but my wife and I are almost always both in the car, alternating driving, and that 2* is of concern to me. Surely Nissan has taken care of that with the 2016.

bk2k3max

The only thing that throws this car off for the vast majority is the "4DSC" moniker and the CVT.

If Nissan dumped that 4dsc sticker/moniker that would accelerate this car into another plane above cars that are considered premium, this review bite summons up why Nissan always leave themselves subject to scrutiny from everyone who reviews the car with the "4DSC" in their minds>

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The unfortunate thing about Nissan's marketing tack is that I would never even be mentioning that the Maxima didn't feel sporty to drive if the campaign surrounding the vehicle wasn't so focused on highlighting this aspect of its character

That quote came from the very first link and if you read most reviews they always tend to echo this sentiment.

IMHO Nissan has a choice to make if they really want to see this car hit its' mark in the auto world and excel past the premium brands and that is:

1. Lose the "4DSC" moniker
2. Offer a limited number of stick shift models, 7-8-9 speed models
3. Lose the CVT (something I know won't happen) and replace with one of those new dual clutch or more sporting transmissions.

If they do this, I think this will make the car complete in the eyes of many. I'd still rather that they offered a Coupe version of the Maxima (they do for the Altima, Honda does for the Accord).

Imagine if they offered a 2-door/coupe Maxima with a real manual or one of those sequential selector type transmissions or at least a 7-9 speed, that thing would hit the roof with sales and be a beast to boot but this is Nissan, they package their cars to maximize the usage of their parts and would never consider offering a Maxima Coupe.

NissanFreak2000

I would hope and think that with all the new technology that the 8th would have better protection than the previous. Will be interesting of crash rating it receives.

R1600Turbo

As long as the Z is around, that won't happen.

lightonthehill

I think Nissan is aware that the definition of a 4DSC is going to be changing in the very near future. That old 'manual/RWD/etc etc' motif is from the second millenium, and will gradually be relegated to dinosaur status. Government regulations, fuel efficiency requirements, the disappearing cadre of manual drivers, growing traffic congestion, etc, etc, almost mandate that things change.

Manuals are now the least efficient tranny, both in fuel efficiency and in acceleration/performance. Automatic trannys that can come close to CVT efficiency are heavier and more expensive. Not that it matters that much, as we are gradually moving into a world where the driver will be a computer, and everyone will just be along for the ride.

The 'coupe version' samples you gave are for high volume vehicles (300,000 to 400,000 per model year). That volume covers the high cost of designing, building, testing and getting goverment certification for variants. Not that it matters, because Nissan proved beyond any possible doubt that the number of folks wanting a manual of a vehicle of the Maxima type is abysmally small. Dealers were not able to give manual Maximas away for years before Nissan finally gave up.

And, unlike the high volume cars you gave as examples of 'coupe variants', the very definition of the low-volume Maxima is a FOUR DOOR whatever.

Like you, I sometimes tend to daydream about what would make a certain car exactly perfect for me. But after having visited dozens of assembly lines over the last sixty-five or more years, and having done computer programming for a Ford assembly line at one point, I finally understood the financial implications of variants of a vehicle, both for the manufacturer and for the dealer, who has only limited lot space available for many variations.

I suppose the secret is to accept that the current Maxima is not going to satisfy those who insist on having the type of vehicle they remember from the past, but which will certainly be a wonderful combination of good features that will more than satisfy those of us who are willing to accept that perfection will never quite be there, and can look at the overall package and weigh the positives against the negatives. For the vast majority of folks considering buying this Maxima, it will be everything they are looking for.

Tommy6905

But why every new generation claim its the return of the 4dsc, if they were smart they wouldn't even mention it and people would forget.

lightonthehill

I looked at this the same way for years, sort of rolling my eyes whenever I saw the little stickers in the rear door windows.

But, as the Maxima continues to improve, and is now outperforming some acknowledged accepted 4DSCs, I am forced to accept that the only way this Maxima falls short of 4DSC territory is the CVT (which some folks already say is not necessarily something that means the vehicle cannot be a 4DSC), and that certain 'feel' and 'feeling' of road feedback we got through the steering wheel and the driver's seat in 4DSCs (and which most current drivers were not sufficiently acute or skilled enough to notice when they drove true 4DSCs).

The defining line is a lot closer than some here would have us believe. I suspect that probably 95% or more of 2016 Maxima purchasers will feel they are, in fact, driving a 4DSC. And for the way most of them will be driven, there will be no noticable difference. So I no longer worry about whether this car meets the strictest 'requirements' for a '4DSC.' I accept it for what it is, and I know it will give me the great satisfaction I have gotten from all My Maximas over the decades.

MAX828

Added 1 more at the top of the first post...

george__

iTrader: (1)

Sad to see the Maxima getting beaten by the Acura ouchie.

What about mazda6 vs Maxima for driving?

This aint no 4dsc, told ya.


Craig Cole and his review. So funny

MAX828

Added a solid in-depth look review...

NissanFreak2000

Awesome find on the in depth review! Good to see all the little details. Usually not a fan of white cars but I do have to admit that the 8th gen pulls it off very well. Loving the front lip spoiler!