Nissan Maxima design team....

 

my friend is an engineer for nissan at the proving grounds here in AZ. he HIGHLY recommended i get the 5th gen over the 6th gen or over the altima for one simple reason.....the 5th gen max is made in japan. he specifically pointed to the far superior quality of the 5th gen interior materials/construction.

and he said the max will likely never get a v8 or rwd....that is why God created infiniti!!!!!!! and to answer the earlier post, the M35/45 is based on the FM platform (G35).

for me PERSONALLY, 5.5 gen = faster, cheaper, smoother interior, & sportier shape than 6th gen.

 

I'm in love with my 5.5 gen, but I will not be upgrading to a 6th gen Maxima after this car. In fact, considering the way the Max is going, I probably won't be getting another Maxima at all. I still love Nissan/Infiniti, though. I love the G35, and I think the new M is even sexier than the old M (and I loved the old M). I'll probably be keeping my 5.5 gen until it falls apart (hey, it's a great car!). After that, I'll be looking at an Infiniti.

 

my 05 altima 3.5 se reminds me so much of my old 92 maxima se that i have fallen in love with the idea of 4dsc all over again. But i love my 5.5gen. and my maxima handles night and day better than the IRS on the alti

i do beleive if owners of Maximas want this fealing over again. of a sporty 4 door. it has been taken over by the 3.5litre altimas. the maximas are dope, they are just not the same.

 

Oppama babies are children getting a start on the right foot. Another reason I went with the used 03 over a used 04/new 05, the last of a gen built by the JA Pan Company. Money was a zero factor in the decision, I could have had 2 new 05's, they just looked silly, thrown together and "hurried". I totally agree on the construction and superior quality perception. My 03SE feels much more in tune with the road than my old 97SE. The 97 was extremely nimble but the 03 is more of a rock going toward the edge of control than the 97. I never got my girlfriend to grab the overhead "panic strap" in the 97 but she never lets it go now in the 03!

 

i hated the 6th gen when it first came out...i thought it was damn ugly...but it definitely does grow on you...i like it more and more everytime i see it...i sat in one at the philly car show....i thought the interior was different...wasnt a huge fan of it....but pretty nice IMO..but i wouldnt have picked a 6th gen over my 5.5....wouldnt have been able to afford it even if i wanted to..

doug

 

I agree that the Maxima has lost its way with the 6th Gen. I have tried and tried to warm up to that car and even seriously considered buying an '04 at one point, but find I like it even less now than when it first came out. It just looks like a bloated limo to me. Can you imagine an even bigger and more portly "Maxima" for the 7th Gen? Uggh. No thanks. Right now the 5.5 Gen stands as the ultimate Maxima, IMHO. The Altima will probably prove to be. effectively, the new Maxima going foward.

Jaeger

 

The 6th Gen Maxima design was in already done when the Altimas came out. The Altimas were made to look like the maximas to give it more "class" so it would sell better. Again, contrary to everyones beliefs the Altima was designed AFTER the Maxima. This is I know from someone that was involed in the designing of it. I knew what it looked like years before it went into production.

 

Actually, I am LMAO....this entire thread seems to be about insecurity.

 

The point still remains that the new Max shared the Altima platform, reguardless of design times.

 

I honestly didnt start this thread to be about insecurity. Im really not "insecure" about my car in any way. I still pull up next to a new Max on the road, and dont even notice it as a Maxima. They should have just named that thing something else, like "Minima". We as consumers can never realy have a total say in what car designers do, but the selling trends for the Maxima have gone way down with the intro of the new body style. Im still in contact with frined at the dealership I used to work at and they say that the drop in sales is partly to blame for the rise in Altima sales and partly to blame because everyone who comes in to the dealership and owned an older version of the Max just cant get over the hideous styling that the new Max has taken on. Its sad really. Ever since I was really young I knew I wanted a Maxima (Loved that comerical where the birds chase the black Max all over town like bombers!). Ever year they redesigned the Max, I was excited and longed for one and now I could never see myself behind the wheel of a 6th gen, and its not just because I already have one. I plan on fixing mine up and keeping it until it falls apart. Eventually when I get out of Pham school, maybe Ill give Motorex a call and toy with a Blackbird!!!

 

Would the 6th gen mark the return of the 4DSC since it's the first Max with IRS since the 3rd gen.

 

Here we go again with the 5th gen owners bashing on the 6th gens. I own neither and I would go for the 6th gen. I agree the front needs a little work but I love the rear of the 6th gens. If only I can get a 6th gen with a 5.5 gen front.

 

It's true. Every Maxima after the 3rd Gen got cheated on a lot of stuff the 3rd Gen had.

 

You're just defending the car because you own.......... are paying on one. Fact of the matter is that the 6th Gen got hit with the biggest ugly stick in Maxima history. Nissan adding 10 more hp than the 5th Gen was also a stupid move. I would/ve given the 6th Gen more credit if they had thrown in the 4 liter VQ instead of doing boring this vehicle. I don't know if the Max will be phased out all together but their needs to be some drastic changes to the car as a whole in order for it to live up to it's 3rd Gen counterpart.

 

Kinda reminds me of that skit Conan O'Brien used to do (still does?) where he shows what the babies of a hollywood couple would look like. They're always ugly and deformed. It would be the same situation with the Max.

 

I agree on all points. The 6th gen is UGLY!!! The butt is ugly, the front is ugly, the side looks ugly, heck the interior is even uglier!!! The car is slow, the VQ35 engine is rough, everything about the car is ugly!!!...

That's why I got one, because Ive got poor taste in cars...and Im happy with my car. now I dont know about the Non-6th gen friends that we have on this forum if they are happy with their cars, but I guess when you bought your cars, new or used, you bought it because you like it, NO MATTER WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY, right? Now I know some of you are "disappointed" that NISSAN created an "ugly" version of the flagship named MAXIMA, but would you be disappointed that your neighbor has an "ugly" house? or an "ugly" furniture? or an "ugly" DVD player? to the point that you tell EVERYBODY how disappointed you are? hmmm...I don't think so...you wouldn't. As long as you are happy about your own house or your own furniture, right? you wouldn't care less about your neighbor's property, right? unless of course if their house is getting more "attention" from other people than your house...now that's a different story...

CHANGE is constant, and CHANGE will always be RESISTED. That's why Im not surprised at all why there are a lot of 6th gen haters in this world. But one thing I noticed though: EVERYTHING will always get criticized, but the ones with the most criticisms, are the ones that are given the most attention. Thank you guys for your negative comments about the 6th gen. they just made me all the more curious about the car, that led me to test drive one, and eventually to buy one.

BTW, are you happy with your car...?....

 

Well stated.

 

I dont think the 6th gen is slower than the 5.5 gens, can some one provide a real source confirming this.

 

I like the way the 6th gen looks, except for the fender gap in the front but that can be fixed. And to correct some people, the last 4DSC was the 3rd gen, not the 5th. I think the 6th gen is closest to the 4DSC also because it brought back the IRS. To each their own, and if you like what you own, it aint no thang.

 

Well put joemax1. I'm happy with my 2005 GL, it is the right combination of appearance and power I was looking for. This is my first Max, perhaps that is why I like it (remember when you got your first Max?) . When I was shopping around for a new car, this was nicest 2005 in terms of styling in its price range (black on black looks sharp on this car). A few years ago when big hind ends were coming out on various cars, I didn't like them. I guess I just got used it (although I would like it smaller). I find the grill interesting, so far not planning to change it out. The dash grew on me quickly (the instrument cluster is a nice change from what everyone else is doing), I like the GL package which includes some wood trim to break up what otherwise may be too much of a metal look. I can also understand where some of the longer term Maxi owners come from, I had a 95 Monte Carlo and did not like the new styling of the latest ones (especially the Tuper@#$% interior). As a smelly ogre once said, "change is good donkey".

 

I have to disagree with that. When the 1995 model came out, Nissan was quick to shout on the rooftops that famous "0-60 in 6.6 seconds" number. So, the sporty nature was still there. I mean, that's like saying Camaros, Firebirds and Mustangs are not sport cars because they (most) don't have IRS like the corvette. Big deal.

By 1994, not only was the max quicker than the 3rd gens, but the Taurus SHO was no longer good competition. To me the whole independant rear-suspension bragging rights are just that, bragging rights, as I test drove two 92 SE 5-speeds before settling for my current 95 SE 5-speed (which feels lighter and more free-reving compared to the 92's), also my mom has a 94 VG, and honestly, I don't think 3rd gens handle better. So they can brag all they want about the IRS, I am more than willing to put up with the solid beam axle.

As far as looks, I would rate maximas that way:

1st- 4th gen- Prefer 95-96 look over 97-99, except for the front bumper on 97-99, which is better than 95-96, as well as the steering wheel, but the grill and rear end is better on 95-96's.
2nd- 5th gen- Close second, but the rear-end needed work. Overall larger and beefier than the 4th gen, interior is even better, stock 17" wheels look great, too.
3rd- 3rd gen- Boxier but with the right rims it looks nice, and interior design is pretty damn good for cars that started selling in 1988.
4th- 6th gen- I sort of like the front and profile, and rims, but it looks alot like a bloated Saturn Ion (Embarassing), interior dash out-an-out sucks, rear end is blah, and way too big, at a whopping 3500 lbs. FWD boat.
5th- Never liked either the 1st or 2nd gens, boxy as hell, dated. But hey, 1st gens got IRS and RWD.

Except power

They should have kept the 4th gen and thrown the VQ35 in. Just change the front and rear ends to say "there! We've changed it!". It would have kept the cost down (remember, brand new 4th gens could be had for less than 20 grand), would have run 13's stock, and with the cash saved we could have had ALL WHEEL DRIVE for the price of the 6th gen (3.5 is mounted tranversally in the Murano). I speculate that an AWD 3.5-powered 4th gen bodystyle would sell a heck of alot more than the current 6th gen does.

 

3rd Gen

4th Gen

5th Gen

6th Gen

 

IMO just because the platform has changed does not make the 6th gen any less of a Maxima. The FM platform is used on the Z and G cars, which means its gotta have something good going for it. Nissan spent 89-03 steadily refining the Max as they went along, and the changes were pretty smooth. The 6th gen is the first Max in a loooong time to have drastic changes made to it, and you people are clearly scared of change.


But the market must also be taken into account. Japanese companies spent the 80s playing the fuel economy card and designed simple, modest cars with simple, modest proportions. Japanese companies became a force in the American market into the 90s and now operate on the level of the Big 3, making cars that cover the spectrum of classes. Throughout these years the trends in design have made cars (especially flagships and semi-luxury cars) larger, stronger, and more imposing asthetically. The Maxima has followed that trend and has gotten larger from the 3rd, 4th, to 5th gens. The 6th gen not only "outdid" the Altima, but it also followed cues from its competitors - 300C, Avalon, Five Hundred, etc... cars that are larger than their predecessor.


I've driven plenty of them and I think the 6th gens rock, but that's just me.

 

I totally agree with you, i feel that most people are just fearing that something is different. i work at a BMW dealership and all i hear about is how all the old generation cars were so much better. The Biggest thing lately is the new 5. "everybody" hates it, yet i see them sell all day. the same thing goes for the 6th gen max. "everybody" hates them but i see those things everywhere and i like the change.

 

yep 6th gen remind me of an altima too much....

 

According to the North American Automobile report 2007 (i think) will see an Altima coupe and with the the introduction of the Altima SE-R you can totally see where the "speed oriented" focus will be.

 

Or start the maxima all over again as a replacement for the sentra and work its way up again .

 

When will people start realising that Nissan is not marketing the current 6th gen towards people who typically wanted previous gens? It is for an older crowd, and competes with higher level cars like the Acura TL, Toyota Avalon, etc. The new Altima is the new "Maxima".

 

I have always thought of the Maxima as more car than the Accords and Camrys of the world will ever be or were designed to be. As far as I was concerned, the Altima and prior to that the Stanza was their competition.

In 2002 when Nissan introduced the current Altima I felt like I paid too much for my 2002 Max because there was not as much separation between the Altima and Max as there had been previously. That feeling haunted me the entire time I had my '02. Now that I have an '05, I feel a lot better about my Max because even though the two cars may be based on the same platform there is a world of difference between the two. Sure, you can tell that the both share a common design philosophy but trying to say they are too much alike is a little overboard.

The Maxima has evolved and I believe it is closer now to what it should be than it ever was.

 

I think the new max will grow on everyone over time. When the 5th gen first came out I thought they looked horrid too.

 

Most people on this forum didn't like the 5th gen looks when it first came out and thought it was too big - same way they are doing now with the 6th gen. I've really grown to like the 5th gen and the 6th gen is growing on me (still not very much though).

I think the last true 4DSC was the 3rd gen (not just because I own one). Nissan's marketing used the 4DSC theme for 3rd gens. 4th, 5th and 6th gens are all nice and sporty cars and definitely have some advantages but they're not part of that original marketing strategy that was 4DSC.

 

2004 max representin!! So you either love it or hate it.....to be completely honest, i dont want my max to be anything like the 5th gen model. The interior of any other maxima looks very plain vanilla, very boring, and is something you could see in any car from the 1990's. I love the minimalist look of the new max, yes its cold, utilitarian...its supposed to be that way...some like it like that, and some like caddy's DeVille. But you people gotta stop acting like they ruined an icon here...how much does your maxima have in common with a 1989 maxima? Not much right? The style of the 2003 looks so much like the 1996 most people wouldnt even know the difference looking at them both. So what do you want Nissan to do, never overhaul the antiquated maxima and have it look like a complete dinosaur among new offerings like the GS430 (which, by the way looks ALOT like the 6th gen if nobody here noticed). The maxima is 5-10k cheaper and much cheaper to insure than a G35 coupe, and to everyone this makes it unpractical. The altima is too little and not unique enough for me and I dislike the look of the G35 sedan as much as 5th gen owners hate the 6th. I personally like large sedans like the BMW 7 series and the S class, sure it would be nice if the max had a V8 now, but The performance is still best to date on for all maximas so why is everyone whining? If theres such a problem with a 300hp front driver howcome everyone on this forum drools when they see 10Psi of boost!? Some people in here make no sense at all.

 

AMEN!

People get wayyyy too uptight about these things and makes you wonder if its jelousy getting the best of them. BTW, if the G35 and 3.5 alti and the laundry list of other nice cars are so much better than a 6th gen, get one! Cant afford one? Then you'll not only have a more powerful car, you can stop getting sick to your stomachs over what Nissan is doing with its maxima. I wish the 6th gen was called the Nissan SE350 and they discontinued the maxima name so that less people would have their panties in a knot. I did NOT buy this car because it will smoke anything under 30k. It drives great ands is alot sportier than other sedans ive driven. If All I wanted was all out performance you'd see a mitsu lancer evolution in my garage.

 

BTW, I totally respect and give props to maxima owners of ALL generations. Why is it that you so rarely see reverse hating? I mean, how often will a 6th gen owner attack the integrity and quality of the 5th gen? Or a 5th gen owner go to the 2nd gen forum to remind everyone they made a mistake when they got their ride? Thats because 90% of this trash is an inferiority complex. So what you have a 5th and wouldnt be caught dead in a 6th? Ya knwo what, if I owned a 2003 maxima I honestly do not know if id want to move up to the 6th gen. But ALOT of these people never owned or have driven a 5th gen or older, me included. I drove a 145hp taurus. The 6th gen is heads and shoulders better than that car in every way and thats all that matters to me...remember that guys.

 

Wow A lot of diverse opinions in here.

I myself liked the look of the 6th gen, but over time grew to not like it at all, its too much like the altima. The 5th Gen looks great from the front but that back is hideous. 4th Gen is sexy from all angels. 3rd Gen Sexy from all angles.

I just seems like their turning the Max truely into a Family car, it looks like it was styled for a family of 4.So The Max may rest in peace with a family of 4 and groceries in it than, Boost Guages, shift light etc.

 

I remember hating the rear end of the 5th gen when it first came out...now I absolutely love it when lowered with the stillen rear section and the 2k/2k1 SE tail lamps.

 

The FM (350Z)and FF-L (Maxima)platform have nothing in common.

Aside from that, each gen from 3rd-5th all have their own characteristics.

3rd gens require more man handling in the steering, clutch, shifter ect...

4th gens are softer in all of its controls, steering, gas, brakes, clutch, shifter and even interior switches.

5th gens have a similar weightyness of the 3rd gen only more solid feeling over the road.

Oh and, since my 4th or 5th gen doesn't come with 4DSC stickers, it doesn't count as one like my 93 SE

 

Very well put! Thanks for saving me some typing!

 

Six gens look amazing from EVERY angle...