AppDevNJ72

Has anyone compared the Maxima to other cars in the same segment or even luxury sedans like the Q50? I am in the market for a new car and had my mind set on a Q50; however, I like the fact that the 2017 Maxima is a better value in that it offers features such as Apple CarPlay support as well as ventilated seats, which is not currently available in the Q50. However, I would have to sacrifice AWD, which is something that is nice to have during the winters here in NJ. I just wanted to see if anyone else was in the same boat and what made you choose one car over the other.

raven69david

I came from a QX56 to the Maxima. We miss the amenities and the atmosphere that we got from our Infiniti dealer. At Nissan, it feels so bleh. They always ask if you're gonna leave the car and they make you pay for loaner cars. It was definitely a step down in what we were used to receiving from the service department. We really feel we made a bad decision going from Infiniti to Nissan and plan to trade the Maxima as quickly as possible and go back to Infiniti. As long as the Q has BT I'm perfectly fine with that. The only thing CarPlay will do for me is allow me to avoid map updates. Otherwise everything else works perfect through the BT right now in the Maxima.

I didn't buy this car for performance but rather for the style. This car isn't a sports car nor does it drive like any other sports car I've owned. But it is fun to drive, no question about that. IMO, if it had rear wheel drive it would be perfect for this segment.

outzider

I did cross-shop the Q50 when shopping for my Maxima, but I was shopping against the 2016. Neither had CarPlay or Android Auto. The Q50 had AWD, the bigger engine, and a real transmission, which were all high points. Salespeople were far more attractive, too. :P I felt the Maxima was better looking, more comfortable, and a far better price/performance ratio -- I had to pay a lot more for a Q50 with the features I wanted in the Maxima Platinum, so it was a pretty easy decision for me. It helped that I found a Nissan dealership that wasn't trying to be anything but a dealership, so I didn't have to find myself disappointed later on.

My cross shop/test drive list was varied, btw -- Audi A3, VW GTI, Fiat 500x, Buick Regal GS, Infiniti Q50, Acura ILX + TLX, Chrysler 200, Kia Optima SX-L, Nissan Maxima Platinum.

AppDevNJ72

In addition to the Q50, I am cross shopping with the 2017 Audi A4 myself. The A4 has Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support, ventilated seats, and AWD, not to mention that cool virtual cockpit display. The only thing is that it has a 4 cylinder engine, so I will have to take it for a test drive and see if it has enough performance for me.

outzider

I think you'll be pretty happy there. The 0-60 on the '17 A4 is pretty similar to the Maxima.

Aj_max3.5se

You don't like Subaru's?? 2017 sti 305hp symmetrical awd, good resale value.

outzider

Nope, not really. I haven't driven one of the STIs in the past few years, but I did sit in one, and knew I wasn't interested right from that point. My pre-drive shopping list was a lot longer, until I sat in a bunch of them. Since I commute in my car as well, I wanted something with some comfort and luxury, it had to at least outdo my 2013 Chrysler 200, and for me, a lot of cars got knocked out of the running. Again, just me -- not knocking the STI at all for other people.

mls277

I have been looking at the Ford Edge Sport- its' 45ish sticker loaded- thats the only other car I'm considering.

Currentking

I also looked at the Audi A4 but the cost factor was thru the roof and not much negotiation on price since its a 2017. Performance is similar to the Maxima and the interior is awesome. The downside for me was the interior room. It lacked the back seat space I needed and with all the bells and whistles that I got with the Maxima it would have come in at a much higher price tag!
I bought my wife a Mercedes CLA250 which was about the same price as my Maxima SR and I don't think it holds a candle to the Max.

turboman808

Haha. I own a really badasd wrx wagon with a built sti motor. Fun car. Still i wouldnt want to daily drive a subaru. They are toys to me.

Same for jeeps. I love to offroad. Driving in the street is miserable.

I traded the optima sxl for thr maxima platinum. The sxl was fantastic but the maxima just felt i little more special.

This was for my wife. I tried to convince her to get a golf r. Wasnt having it. Thats ok. Get the golf r for myself in a few months.

Aj_max3.5se

I own 2016 sti, which is only drives on weekend and maxima is my dd. I never liked vw, they got problem after problem, we had gti came to our shop with 30k and he stretched the chain with low miles.

turboman808

Haha. Let me rephrase that.

Im getting a golf r. Im then taking it straight to apr for their stage 3 setup. So im just begging for things to go wrong.

To be fair ive had more issues with subarus and porsches then anything else. Im guessing its a boxer engine thing.

Nguyen1

I was close to just getting the nissan rogue SL premium for few grands under my Maxima SV. Was really close to biting on it but the maximas beastlyness swayed me lol. The sun shing through that pan roof at the dealership was pushing me towards the rogue, the roof only on sl and plat maxes sadly, wish it was on lower models.

lindros2

The price difference of an A4 was just way too much. Once you start shopping and run the numbers you'll see - "virtual cockpit" cars are Premium Plus or Prestige which doesn't residualize AT ALL. An A6 (for comparison) was $29k for a 3-year lease (all fees/taxes/etc.). Maxima Platinum? $16k.

EDIT - A6 2.0T Premium Plus, not even the 3.0T.

I came from back-to-back BMW 535i's (both leased new) and am very happy with the Maxima. Is it perfect? No. Is it half the price on a lease? Yes.

You get what you pay for. So I lose a loaner car during service, but BMW loaners have gone from bad to worse (5-series/X5 > 3-series > 1-series/2-series > X1). So there's that.

graf304

Going straight to stage 3, huh?

APR has a good product from what I hear..a buddy of my has a stage 1 S6. I have yet to ride in it after the tune but he's been real happy with it.

Stopsweatinme

I traded a 2015 stage 2 GTI for my Maxima. It was FAST, but it went through 2 clutches.

Make sure you do a DSG tune or a Southbend clutch if manual trans.

Very fun car to drive!!

Mason Hatcher

I moved from a 2013 Passat SE. It had the 2.5L inline 5. The Maxima is far and above a better car.

I test drove the Chrysler 300 as well. The Maxima rides better and performs better. I could have gotten more content for less money with the 300, but the ride, drive and performance of the max were too good.

aradhakr84

Before choosing on Maxima, I was dead set on either getting a luxury sedan like ES 350 or performance sedan like Subaru WRX. I also test drove the Dodge Charger R/T and Chrysler 300. Maxima beat every car on my shopping list as it has best of both luxury and performance I was looking for. I wasn't looking for a super fast car but a car which can hold its own.

Lexus ES 350 - Not worth the price and features when compared to Maxima. I was not ready to pay 39000-43000 for a car when I can get similar features on Maxima for less and engine was bigger in maxima as well.

Dodge Charger RT - Very cheap interior. Did not like the design at all. I know most people like the charger aggressive design but it just did not grow on me. I chose to look at charger only for the hemi engine. But I am plenty happy driving maxima than I felt when driving charger. People will argue here stating that charger is fun, but I feel my maxima is more fun.

Subaru WRX - WRX with CVT is not worth the 30k price. I mean its a compact to smaller midsize car. My maxima is bigger and performance is equal. Unless its an STI, WRX is not that fast compared to our maxima as they both have CVT.

Mercedes CLA 250 - Don't even get started. This car is the WORST car I have ever looked at. Design is good but that is all I can see in CLA 250.

These are the cars I looked at extensively and decided to get a Maxima for significantly less than the competition without sacrificing luxury or performance.

mls277

For the price i think this is a great car. I had the 7th gen and enjoyed 8 years of daily driving- only in the last year or so did the car start to seem like it was a "used" car, some rattles, repairs, etc...but it was still a great car when I traded it in and I'm sure my dealer will make some money on it.

DC_Dude

Wsup mls. So you get the maxima? What year, color, and trim did you get??
Congrats!!

lightonthehill

After a very long time looking and calculating, mis277 finally got a very good deal on a 2016 Platinum. I will let him fill you in on color, price, etc. I am so happy for him.

mls277

DCDude/LOTH,

2016 Platinum, Black/Charcoal- dealer demo (got it well below what an SL stickers for) 0% for 72- traded in 7th gen and got close to KBB. full warranty 3/36k.

Fit my budget- and looks great. It would have cost me quite a bit more to get into a 2017 SL than this 2016 Platinum. It has miles so its broken in- recalls were taken care of (I have the carfax) and maintenance was taken care of. I questioned going with a demo, but so far it really seems like a good deal.

First impressions:

Likes: The car is much more sports car like- the CVT is more responsive- the nav system etc is all great (I didnt have the tech on my 7th so this is completely new). The dual moonroof I might have been able to do without- I see how SR owners might not miss it. The LED headlights are as nice as the HIDs in the 7th if not better- the car is sharper looking in general its got an edge to it.

Dislikes: Im not sure its a dislike- but there is a definite difference in the space of the car. The 7th gen was big inside or felt big inside, the 8th is like a muscle car interior- i feel like I'm sitting lower- less leg room, less room in general- but the trade off is this car performs and feels like it can really drive. I'm sure its fun on a road trip but I'm yet to try it out.

mls277

LOTH the funniest part is I bought the 7th gen on the spot with no research and got hit hard on interest even though I got a few grand off the sticker. Learned my lesson and took my time on this one!

DC_Dude

So did you tell them you had a trade in?? How did you negotiate the price?? I am going to a few places this weekend myself.

Thanks

mls277

I told them about the trade but had the NADA and KBB pricing printed out. The 0% was the key. I went to a reputable dealer that I use for service that happened to have that specific car advertised. The deal also fit my budget- if it didn't I was going to wait another year.

lightonthehill

mis277 - You are correct regarding the seating being lower in the 8th gen. Nissan said they did that intentionally, in order to give a more 'sports car' feeling. Fortunately, the driver's seat height can be adjusted. Unfortunately, the front passenger's seat height cannot be adjusted. My wife does more of the driving than I do on long trips because she cannot see out of the front passenger seat.

There have been discussions here regarding possible ways of raising the front passenger seat, but nothing specific has come from this. In the old days, we could change things like this. But there are so many factors involved in front seats these days that we must be careful making any changes.

mls277

I like the seating- simply noting the difference. I like the sportier feel and gladly give up a little space for the awesome drive the car provides.

DC_Dude

So I spoke to a dealer today regarding a demo, but he indicated that he would be willing to knock off $500 from the 34K price he quoted. Also, it has 5,000 miles on it and was only driven by the general sales manager. Thoughts??

outzider

Seems high for a 5k mile vehicle, though you're still going to get 36k from point of purchase. I'm guessing this is a Platinum?

mls277

Mine was close to that- 4k miles though- The 0% in there too- and my trade was close to KBB. I ran carfax on it just to be sure (can request dealer provide it). Also took an hour going over it considering it was driven. Probably could have a new one brought it for a little more. Just make sure you dont buy it cause its there- I looked at this one online for a month before heading in- decided if I get the deal I want I'd buy it if not id go get a silver SL.

JP Pinales

guys any input?

Iam currently looking at a silver/ charcoal leather 16' Plat for $35,900 0.0apr .. not sure if this is good or if I can find one for lower. Currently have a 12' chevy cruze which is hurting my back when driving and have a year left to pay off :/

Currentking

I don't think that's bad but you probably do better. I purchased my SR with midnight package for 35k. I think my sticker was just over 40k

JP Pinales

MSRP is $41,455.00 I keep going back and forth with gun metallic or silver.

lightonthehill

I chose between those two colors plus white. I finally settled on Brilliant Silver. The good thing is that you can't go wrong with either Gunmetal or Brilliant Silver. Those are both excellent colors for this edgy Maxima design.

Currentking

Is that the msrp or the dealer asking price?

My msrp was $40,640 but dealer price was $42,200 due to "service and pin striping."

BIGIRISHSTL

Passed on the new maxima for a used 7 series. Didn't like the back quarter or back end and overall aesthetically looks like a Mazda 6. Interior is great but is really just catching up with the rest of the cars. Finally the same chassis and drivetrain modified. Not really all new in my book.

Plus spending $40k and have it look like a $20k car seems like a shame. Hard to pass this up with less than 20k miles on it and it has all the perks of any car out there and then some. The tech is crazy in it. Don't mean to **** on the parade but just my $.02. Still love Max's just not the 8th gen as much.

outzider

It's all a matter of taste, as we see pretty often in these forums. I hope you enjoy it!

BIGIRISHSTL

True except for some design and specs that are widespread and diluted. To each his own and everyone has opinions... ;-)

14GmMax

Nice 7 series but I'd hate to get the bill when something breaks on that. I have friends who have bmws and audis and they're nothing but problems. Good luck though!

lindros2

As the former owner of five BMW's in a row (most recently two 535i's and an X5), there is no way in hell I'd buy a used one - even with an extended warranty (prices are now up to $7500/year for a V8).

"Less than 20k miles" is great, but the V8's are toxic (both the N63 and N63tu) - I've seen numerous entire drivetrains on dollies in my local BMW center.

Love it or hate it, the Maxima - especially a new one - is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than a 750Li.

When I ran the numbers on new ones (36 month ease, either 10k or 12k miles/year) - total out of pocket over 3 years; includes Georgia TAVT tax:

2016 Audi A6 2.0T = $28,000
2016 BMW 535i = $29,500 (although this is now less)
2015 BMW 750i = $44,500 (close out)
>> 2016 BMW 750i xDrive = $52,500 (check it - this is a "deal")
2016 Nissan Maxima Platinum = $17,500