Maxima's strong points?
 

Hey everyone,

Lately I've been really thinking about selling the car for a late model 240SX. The search for one has been tough though; I haven't located a single one (w/ decent mileage & manual) in a 200 mile radius. So it's given me a little time to think about why I got the Maxima in the first place.

I just want some feedback on why you guys choose a Maxima over other cars that are more geared to modification, sport, etc. I know one reason is to be unique, but I could also acheive that in a 240SX since they're so rare (and look really good). While the 240 doesn't nearly have the power, it has 50/50 weight distribution, and unmatched road handling characteristics w/ RWD. I remember a quote from a website,

"According to Racing Legend Mario Andretti, "handling is an automobile's soul." It determines the difference between a car that's enjoyable to drive and one that's simply a means for getting from Point A to Point B."

No doubt the Maxima is fun, I still love the car...it's torque, decent handling when modified, elegant looks, but I think I would be more suited to a car that's more peppy around the twisties, and one that is smaller since I don't really take passengers too often.

Anyway, thoughts and comments would be appreciated. thanks.

the 240 isnt really a fast car unless you do a motor swap, if your into a project car, then your most likely gonna do a SR20DET swap, the major reasons why i liked the maxima is because it was convenient.....fast, 4 doors, roomy

Well, in contradiction to your situation Chris, I do take passengers all the time. Everyone wants to ride in the max, and I love to drive it. A modded max is unique, and I love the look of the 4th gen, especially with a few mods. The max is as close to a "real" sport sedan I can get right now, and in many ways can be superior to some of those other cars.

My friend had a 240, and although it's a great car, it definitely wasn't for me. Even my friend's track 350Z.. I was all about that car until I drove the fu<k out of one. It was a lot of fun, but again, the lack of "luxury" options, fading stock brembos, etc made me glad to get back in my max. I am still in love with the G35 Coupe and some other small cars, but then again, I haven't driven them.

But I would say that space, utility, and options are a big part of it. At this age, if you can bare to part with those things, a small sporty (perhaps less "practicle") cheapish sportscar is probably the way to go. Under other circumstances, I wouldn't be far from your position. Dunno if that helps ;)

It does help, thanks Jon.

emerald...I didn't really say I wanted a fast car. I know the 240 isn't fast stock form, but I can accept that. I think it might be worth it to trade power for some handling...

why I got a Maxima over another 240??

well I was looking at a 97-98 S14 a ofcourse and compared to the Max it was slower... and more addicting to mod (which really hasnt made a difference in the long run)

but I figured with the Max its quick stock so I wouldnt be tempted to build another 240

I am glad I had the Maxima its alot more conveniant to run around in... and girls dont hate me anymore for putting them in the backseat before... it was like if i made them sit in the back... I'd get no love.... EVER again

I miss the 240s handling, speed (swapped+built), and the street credibility it had

yeah we get no respect, everyone thinks were slow until we leave them miles behind :surprised :mardi:

Actually, this didn't factor into my decision about getting a maxima, but knowing what I do now, it might have been important.. The maxima community is reletively well organized and there is a lot of easily accessible information and help for DIY work. Also, being as our cars are somewhat "entry level luxury" or whatever, their drivers tend to have a more mature attitude, which I like a lot. I'm not knocking 240 drivers or anything, but more the majority of "ricers" (some maximas obviously fall into this catagory) - not for me. That goes for street racing too :o

Hmm.. now im up to $0.04. heh

space, torque, conservative, and did i mention torque which honda never seem to have.

I sold my 1997 Maxima SE about a month back and bought a 1995 Nissan 240sx SE. The Maxima was fun and very nice to have all the room when needed. In the 240, the back seat is useless and the trunk is pretty damn small especially when you get a couple amps and a sub or two in there. I live in WI and this winter I will have to help buy my wife a new car so I can take her Civic for a winter car because there is no way that I am going to attempt to drive the 240 in the snow.

It basically comes down to what you want and what you need. The 240 is a fun little sports car with unlimited performance levels, can we say RB26DETT, but it lacks luxury, space, and winter drivability. The Maxima is a fun sports sedan with lots of performance potential, but as far as performance tuning they are in two different leagues. With the Maxima you get the space and versitility which I very often miss. I miss the Maxima but I love the 240, and wish I could have the best of both worlds, one of each.

It is your choice as to what you need and want, just letting you know my experiences with both.

TurDz,

I know that you are trying to find a 240 locally but this would be hard to pass up if I were in the market. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6396
Just a little heads up, good luck with your search if that is the route you go.

Black97SE,

thanks, it's just what I wanted to hear. That is also what I think about when I compare the two cars...

it seems that every time I doubt getting a 240, I get into my Max and have a really great time. Tonight, handling seemed top notch and I accelerated on a freeway onramp from 2nd gear...it was really sweet.

We'll see though...I really love the low profile of the 240, and just as you said, I think it would suit me better at this age and time since I mostly drive alone anyway.

Once you get a 240 you'll wonder why you like the max. The 240 is a different car, you can't really compare it to a maxima. Yes it is slow but is a hell of a lot more fun to drive. There are more coilovers available for the 240 than there are mods for the maxima. The 240 is a drivers car, if you need to haul people,stuff, etc. it's not for you.

My 95 240 w/ rb25det is almost done. ;)

I would love to put a vq30de in a 240sx and take it road racing. Nothing better than the great weight distribution of the S13/14 and the best damn v6 ever to see the streets in one combination. Unfortunately it would be a lot of custom work.

The maxima would be just about perfect if it were RWD, I'd be content driving it just about forever. Nothing beats being able to control your angle of attack in mid corner.

I'm in a lucky position though, I may get to have the best of both worlds soon, but not in the same car :(

you getting a beemer?

M5 is god

nope sir :D he's getting an S14a 240!!

practicality is something you will miss... fitting a tire in the trunk of your Maxima is something you dont think.... until you realize shyte... when you cant fit a damn thing into the 240's trunk


trust me i know :)

best way dude is to get two!!! :) keep the Max and get a 240 ehehe even an earlier one and have fun!!

Re: Maxima's strong points?
 

I liked the 95 Maxima when I first saw it in 1994, and it was a C&D 10 Best. I was starting grad school so a 27k+ car was out of the question. In 1997 I wanted to get one because 2 yr. old maximas were as cheap as $13995. But then the great Nissan rebates started and brand-new 1998's were as cheap as $17995. In 1999 they would go even cheaper, $16995 for a brand-new GXE with fixed mast antenna. So it was like Maxima, Corolla, or Civic. All about the same price. I thought a fully loaded SE 5-spd brand new for high 22's was a good deal so I took it. yes, the joke is on me in the end because now the car is only worth 8 grand, but at the time, 190 hp was pretty good and nothing else was available with a 5-spd unless you went German.

A dude in my office just got the 2k4 with bucket seats in the back--nice touch, but I think the depreciation is gonna make a 4th gen's look like a walk in the park!! Over 30 grand is what he paid :bawling:

Just a small comment...

I don't like how the Maxima PLOWS into sharp corners (due to unbalanced weight distribution). Obviously, you have to press the brake to slow down a bit, but how do you guys counter this reaction? Do you slow down before the turn and try your best to accelerate through the turn?

I downshift one, and even two gears to try to get as much force away from the corner front wheel during the turn. BTW, I only do this on on-ramps.

thanks for any feedback!

yes acceleration is good, go play gran turismo, hit the "apex"

I would never get a 240 over my 96 SE 5speed mostly cause I love acceleration. I don't really take high speed turns, I'm more into straight line accelerating. I had this kid in a 95-96 Maxima SE auto black come drive up to me this morning. He said," Do you have a S/c in there? I heard that whistle the other day." I was like, "Nah, just an intake and ypipe." They were both amazed at my car and constantly staring at my wheels. Then I did a nice little spin thru 1st gear for them.hehe. I love it.


Last Wed at Etown, there was this turbo 240sx running high 12s! Really sick car! I didn't think much of it when we were waiting in line, but when I saw the big 12.8XX I was like :eek: holy ****!

Yes, I've played that game...very much actually :p


Yes, I know the acceleration is great. I take the car out on Friday nights to just drive around the freeway and the on/off ramps on exits, smoothly rowing through all of the gears just for fun. It's still a thrill, but I think I might have to give that up for a car that suits my needs more.

With the Maxima, even though I have lots of room & all (trunk and interior) I find myself adapting to give the best overall performance of the car. That means putting things behind the front seats whenever possible, and using the trunk as a last resort. It may seem weird but I figure that if I have more of the weight in the middle of the car, it should help a little performance wise (anyway, I don't like things sliding around in the back). I have Warpspeed SFCs stage 1 and 2, and potenza RE730 tires on 17''s. It yields a nice, firm ride but a bit harsh on bad roads. IMO I don't think the harshness trades off with the handling I get...I think a 240 would yield better handling even if it may be a bit more rough.

And since the SR swap is becoming more common, I could eventually do that in the future. It would be great to have turbo some day...especially with an engine built for it. Anyway, thanks for all of your comments.

Here's the strong point about the maxima's i've had, no matter how hard i beat on them they just keep on going, routine maintenance is key and it will last you a lifetime. My friends are astonished i've never had mechanical problems the way i drive my whip.(P.S. i drive well but i like to drive hard, none of that roastin the clutch shiet and redlining in neutral)

Accelerating through a turn may not be the best way to counter understeer. What you are doing is causing the front wheels to slip and thus the sensation of plow. The more you twist the steering wheel, the more it exaggerates this affect. What you want to do is brake before the turn (or during if you know how to trail brake without killing yourself), turn in, and don't accelerate until AFTER you hit your apex.


FWD is not great, but it's ok, you just have to adjust your driving style.

When you mean slip...do you mean lose traction? Isn't getting the weight on the rear wheels better for a Max since we have bad weight distribution? or am I think of it all wrong?

And in the "turn in" stage, are you accelerating or are you letting the car roll on it's own?

thanks

well, there are two aspects of vehicle physics that we have to take into account. Static weight distribution and dynamic weight transfer.

Static weight distribution is what you hear most of the time regarding 50/50 and all that. The maxima is closer to 60/40. However when your vehicle is in motion, all that pretty much goes out the window. Your static weight distribution does effect the overall tendency of your car to oversteer, understeer or remain relatively neutral but you can affect all that by accelerating, decelerating or loading one side or the other of your car.

In most front engine vehicles, the bulk of the weight of the car is in front. During a turn where there is lateral (sideways) loading of your car, the heavier end will tend to kick out (towards the outside of the corner). In a maxima, this feels like understeer, or plowing because most of the weight is in the front.

This tendency is counteracted by the phenomena of grip, or available traction from your tires. But, if you are accelerating through a turn you are transferring weight from the front of your car to the rear. Although you are getting closer to 50/50 weight distribution, you are also taking vital traction away from your front tires, which do steering, braking and provide power. The end result is that you plow forward widening the turning radius. Not the most desirable way to round a corner.

So how do you prevent these bad things from happening?. By maximizing the traction potential of your front tires. Hit the brakes before a turn, and shift the weight of your vehicle (and your available traction) to the front tires. In a 3200 lb car, you transfer up to 640 lbs from the rear to the front tires in braking.

Traditionally, the approach to a corner involves three steps. Braking zone, apex, and exit. Purists will tell you that they are three separate and distinct stages in a corner. No doubt this is the best way to learn. However often it is more blurry than it seems as they require seamless transition between the individual steps. You can practice (at low speed of course!) on the street by identifying your braking zone as you approach a corner, brake. Turn in towards your apex while releasing the brake pedal smoothly. (If you are not smooth then you're just shifting weight backwards again!) Coast. Once you've hit the apex, gradually get on the throttle and let your car naturally pull itself out of the corner and straighten out.

You will feel your weight shift forward as you enter the corner, it will be much easier to turn in with the weight of your car shifted to the front. Not accelerating through a corner will also keep the weight off your rear tires and your front firmly planted so that you don't plow. As you reach the apex and begin to accelerate you will feel understeer begin to take over again as your car swings towards the outside of the road.

Of course it is much easier to show than to explain in words, but here is a site you might find interesting. It outlines the physics of racing:

http://www.miata.net/sport/Physics/index.html

I had a 1990 240SX, and the handling was really good, but the engine sucks (leaking and stuff). Then, I grow older and wasn't really into handling, I decided to get a 4 door roomy car and Maxima suits me well. But now, I wish I won the lottery and buy a G35 coupe and a FX45.

SR20DET :D