It seems that the 8th gen is bringing in lots of new customers that weren't interested in the previous generations. Myself being one of them. They finally got the interior and the exterior right.

 

Hey, how about a billet or aluminum mesh aftermarket grille? Or would that be too much chrome? Maybe just the lower piece?

 

I don't like the new body style either. It doesn't do anything for me as a loyal Maxima fan. The new body style looks too robotic and too angular. No sexy curves! Kinda reminds me of Voltron and Transformer cars that I played with as a kid.

The interior though is sweeeeeet! The different packages and available options can be confusing. I'm already looking forward to the next redesign.

 

5 different packages, no options.

Not sure where the confusion comes from.

 

Pretty long wait. Nissan has moved from releasing a new generation Maxima every four to six years to a system where new generations will appear every six to eight years. I expect to see the 9th gen Maxima in the 2022 to 2024 model year. I am very relieved that I love this aggressive 8th gen styling, or I would have had a long wait till the next redesign.

Folks have moved away from sedans to SUVs, etc. Nissan will be updating its SUVs more often than its sedans. There was actually talk of discontinuing the Maxima a few years ago, but Nissan decided to try one more time. I'm hoping the 8th gen Maxima sales improve, as Nissan will not continue to pour money into redesigning and building a vehicle that folks are not buying. If the Maxima is dropped, I may move to Mars or Jupiter. Or maybe Zeta Reticula.

 

There's always the next M....

 

Like it was said earlier, Nissan is taking risks. Much like they did with that LeMans GTR. But my problem is that the Maxima doesn't look special next to its sibling Altima. The Altima has nearly the same Dimensions as the Maxima and even has the same displacement (for V6), but different tuning. The Maxima has appeared to me as an overpriced Altima.

What's worst, the Maxima suppose to bring back the 4DSC, but it isn't listed under "Sports cars."

For 7th Gen, they created a commercial that transformed the Z into a Maxima, but according the the engine, that have ceased since the 350Z. But the G37 (and the wretched names Q40/Q50) have taken over that. They should have rebadge the G37 as a Nissan. And use that transmission instead of the CVT.

I wish they also end making all the similar grilles across all models.

 

In reading your post, it is very clear you must not have sat inside or driven the new Maxima. No one who has done that would equate the Maxima to the Altima. The Altima is 'middle' everything, and aimed at 'everyman.' The Maxima, especially in its upper models (SL, SR and Platinum) is more than the 'near luxury' definition Nissan has placed on it. It has upscale materials, fine leather everywhere, and the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in. And we have a growing body of posters here who now prefer the new and improved CVT to other trannies.

To each his own.

 

Anyone own a platinum pearl white with cashmere interior? Dealer has a real good deal on that combo near me- but only looked at the pearl white/charcoal in person.

 

Agreed! The Maxima and Altima can't even be compared. The Altima is a nice middle of the road car, its nice, but nothing special. The Maxima is unique, has better features inside and out.

 

I don't have to sit in it. I'm just saying the car has lost it uniqueness especially compared to the Altima
Maxima - Altima
Wheelbase (in.): 109.3 - 109.3 = 0
Overall Length (in.): 192.8 - 191.5 = 1.3
Overall width (in.): 73.2 - 72.0 = 1.2
Overall height (in.): 56.5 - 58.1 = -1.6
Track width (in.): 62.4 - 62.0 = .4

It just very disappointing that Nissan brought back the 4 Door Sports car moniker, but do not list the Maxima under sports car. Even "Road and Track" said it wasn't worthy of the name, and noticed its Altima comparisons. Motorweek is happy with the car.

I just wish the Engine and transmission separates the car instead of 30 hp and its interior. To each, their own indeed.

 

I suppose it's possible you haven't paid attention in awhile, but the Altima and Maxima have had similar dimensions since the early 2000s. Once the Altima got the V6 trim (2005 maybe?) the cars got even more similar and the appearances even more so. I would go as far as to say this new model is the first time in a decade that the two cars have become more dissimilar.

Just be happy Nissan hasn't taken the Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Acura route and made all their midsize/fullsize sedans look identical from the front for the last 5-10 years. Can you tell the difference between an ILX, TLX, and RLX from lets say, 50 feet away? I sure as heck can't.

 

Oh, I knew this. The 5th Gen, in my Opinion was the last one where I saw the individuality. This 8th Gen made me appreciate the 7th Gen more. When the ILX was introduced, it was know to be an Acura Civic. Which is no different from a Infiniti 4th Gen Maxima (I30) or the Lexus Camry (ES300). But when two cars are pretty much the same, makes me think Nissan Failed trying to accomplish different cars underneath the same frame as VW perfected. If I see an ILX, compared to a Civic I can see the difference. ILX is rare to see in California.

 

Exactly, couldn't agree more. The 8th gen is the first generation Maxima, since the 5th gen, that Nissan actually made the two cars different. I will say that this Maxima is the best one since the 5th generation.

 

My feelings also.

Car mags and others testing the Altima and Maxima sure can tell the difference in the driving and handling between these two. Anyone simply sitting in these two vehicles can tell the difference. The Altima is a fine car at a very reasonable price, and will serve someone primarily interested in reliable transportation very well.

But for those drivers looking for something extra, something that is really fun to drive, something not like every other car on the road, the Maxima can fill that desire for a lot of folks.

I absolutely love my 8th gen Maxima, but understand not all folks see things the same way, or are even looking for the same thing. So be it. I know what I was looking for, and I found it. Getting lots of compliments from relatives, friends and even strangers, love driving this baby, and couldn't be happier.

 

Comparing a Honda to an Acura is kind of absurd, sure they're both owned by the same company but that's like heralding Nissan for making the Altima and Q50 different.

How in the world can the 8th gen make you appreciate the 7th gen more? You don't like the styling, I get that (but considering you haven't even driven one yourself maybe you should withhold judgement?) but what else does the 7th gen do better than the 8th gen?

 

One thing the 7th gen does a lot better than the 8th gen is complain about the 8th gen!

 

That's about all I can think of. I mean seriously, who actually thinks the exterior/interior of the 7th gen looks better than the 8th gen? I like the 7th gens, but they were not "sporty" at all, they looked like a bulky family sedan. And let's not get started on the interior improvement..... all I have to say is, welcome to 2016 Maxima! Glad your interior finally made it to modern times.

http://wot.motortrend.com/1504_refre...a.html/photos/

 

Very much agreed!!

 

Lets just see how they rate the 16 Altima with its revised suspension parts and tuning before in the SR before we reserve judgement on that now as the 16 is highly revised, tuning to the suspension can do wonders if done correctly.

 

After watching a video of the new Altima, I think it looks even less like the 2016 Maxima than it did in the pictures. I like it, it looks good, it looks like a family sedan, not a sporty sedan at all (it actually reminds me of the new Accords).
http://www.carscoops.com/2015/09/201...er-design.html

It appears that with the new Altimas, the 3.5L engine will only be available on the SR model and I agree that particular trim will be somewhat similar to the Maxima. The question I have is not so much why the Maxima exists but why an Altima SR exists. It will most likely be in the low to mid 30s, still won't do anything as well as the Maxima performance wise, won't look as aggressive, the interior, while an improvement over the past generation, will still not be up to the Maxima level.

 

Well performance wise the 3.5 Altima despite having 30 less Horsepower is just as fast as gen 8, gen 8 just had tad better handling but with its new suspension revisions for 16 it may be a toss up.http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...t_test_review/ We have had 3.5 Altima SE/SR's alongside Maxima SE/SV Sports for years, they just did away with the SR for the 13-15 model years but its back. So it really just depends on which feels best you in this matter, sorta like Acura/Honda has the TLX V6 and Honda Accord V6, similar just one is thousands cheaper etc etc. Just depends on which one floats your boat!

 

I agree. The new body style is menacing and so aggressive. My 2012 is not as sexy anymore right next to it. I think the grille is gorgeous on the Platinum and the light setup is amazing. I like the fact that there is color contrast on the Pearl White which is what I plan on getting.

I parked my 2012 SV on side of a Platinum after the test drive and they seem like two totally different cars. Inside seems more familiar but they adopted a lot of features and materials from Infiniti vehicles.

On another note, it seems the design language for the upcoming vehicles will all be somewhat similar. I think this is great as Nissan will have a line that is all collectively identifiable but individually distinct.

http://www.carscoops.com/2015/09/nex...outfit-in.html

 

The difference between the Honda Civic and the Acura ILX is that the ILX is in Honda's luxury brand. Should I also bring up how GM did it for Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac? To use Altima and Q50 is not in my comparison because that FWD vs RWD. My argument is that Maxima should be a rebadge an Infiniti because the Altima and the Maxima are blending in. Maxima's namesake has been around longer than Altima but it seems like Maxima is the higher end trim of Altima. Doing the opposite of the Celica Supra. When Dodge came back with the Charger name, the first one look similar to the 300. On the 2nd time, they look like two different cars. But they were under two different brands. I never sat inside the Maxima, but it my comments refer its exterior. I don't have to like a car because I sat in, I think most modern cars have interiors I can live with. (Excluding the infotainment center)

This car just does not have the exterior and drivetrain that I thought a Maxima should have. But the Altima similarities to the Maxima doesn't help its case for me. I'm also not a big fan of the black panel on the front end. That's why I prefer the FR-S over the BRZ (sans Rocket Bunny kit), or older Corollas to the current.

The design, in my opinion, is too bland compared to the previous ones. It doesn't grab me as a car I would always fall in love with. Read Bob's article about the cars' design.
"Take the Tesla Model S. If that had been an ugly car, it could have an extra 50 miles of range and nobody would buy it." -Bob Lutz