In 01 Ghosn announced it and it started with 02 model and progressed since, in 02; memory seats, auto entry, heated steering wheel, Nav, Hid's etc etc was available on the Max and was never prior. It was also the year that production went intentionally (as you stated because of the 02 3.5 Altima) from about 120k units a year to well under 100k units, it has remained that way since. Hope you have been well Light!

 

Just adding my two cents here. I agree with you that the comparison is between two different model generations. However, this is how the industry do it in order to gauge product life cycle. When a newly redesigned generation comes to the market, the expectation is a big jump in sale figures versus the previous year. And the sales will plateau in subsequent years and eventually decline. Seeing the sale decline signals whether the next generation is overdue. You don't see a high degree of a year-over-year change in Honda Civics/Accords or Ford F-150's even if they have new models because those are high volume vehicles regardless. High volume economy and mid-size market are more closely tied to brand recognition and overall economic conditions. That's why it is so highly contested among the manufacturers. For upper class vehicles though, the year-over-year comparison between generations is crucially important. That shows how receptive a new model is to the customers and even if the market for such a class is still worth competing in going forward. If manufacturers didn't see a high increase of sale figure with a new model, that could signal a failure of the new design and a mid-model life cycle facelift may be needed earlier than expected - think of the Porsche 996 (ie: 1998 911).

 

MONTE - You have corrected me on that before, but my old brain can't seem to learn new things these days. That 'failure to remember' began back as I entered my eighties, and has gradually grown worse. I can remember things I did back during the 1940s very clearly, but don't ask me what I had for breakfast this morning.

Yes, there were an unusual number of upgrades right in the middle of the 5th generation Maxima's life. The '00 and '01 Maximas were mostly a complete restyling of the 4th gen. But the '02 had meaningful new goodies inside the car, beginning the move upscale.

I have been very busy arguing with surveyors, county officials, etc. I will be glad when I have nothing more to do with real estate.

 

I hear ya Light, that's always an issue especially when you move to a more rural location. I know that you guys will be happy when that's all said and done! BTW you are doing quite well for your age on the memory front of Maximas and other Datsuns/Nissans, better than 99% of everyone else!

 

MONTE - Thanks for the nice remarks. I have the courage to try to remember things from the distant past because I know that, when I do slip up, there is a poster here who will pick up the pieces and let us all know the truth. His name is MONTE.

 

Nissan Maxima sales climbed to 6,569, up 70 percent when compared to September 2015.
With a Year to Date increase of 84% - Maxima 8th Generation is selling well.
Total Year to date sales 49,376.

 

Thanks, Randy. Some days I don't see one on the streets, but Sunday I saw three 8th gens, and I was only on the road for around fifteen minutes. This is a very noticeable car, but I am paying so much attention to the heavy traffic around me that my wife is usually first to spot the 8th gens.

 

Some days I see 3 or 4 , some days I see none. What's been interesting the
Maxima' I see cover all flavors from Mamima S to Maxima Platiunm.

 

And another thing I notice is that almost all 8th gens I see look very clean and shiny. I think Maxima drivers in general really care about their cars.

 

i wish i could keep my maxima neat and shiny everyday.
love staring at it after a wash and quick waxing...

 

Hard to believe, at least in my neck of the woods. I rarely ever see a '16 Maxima. I took possession of my Maxima January. Since then I have seen less than 20(give or take) on the roads around San Diego County. Truth be told, many are sitting on dealer lots. Just because production numbers are high does not mean actual sales numbers are high too.

 

Those were not production numbers Randy gave us; those were SALES numbers. I see several 8th gen Maximas every day I drive around in my area. As I posted somewhere here around a week ago, I saw THREE 8th gens in a twenty minute drive around my home while simply taking care of chores. I think numbers are different in different areas of the country. My sightings are also influenced by the fact there are FOUR large Nissan dealerships within a 30 minute drive of my home. I think Nissan is the leading car make in sales in this area, with probably Ford, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Toyota in that order as the next leading brands. This is definitely not a GM area.

I think California may not be a 'hot spot' for 8th gen Maximas. I recall MONTE also mentioning that there were not that many 8th gens on the road in the LA area while he was there.