The future of the Maxima (2018+)
06-10-2016, 10:44 PM
#1
The future of the Maxima (2018+)
After seeing the announcement for the new 2017 Ford Fusion Sport Edition, anyone else think Nissan should put in AWD, Manual Gear box option, and a big increase in torque and hp? The new Fusion Sport starts at $33k and rises to $42k with all the options. It has 327 Hp with 380 lb-ft of torque along with standard AWD. The 0-60 is estimated in the low five range.
For a car with a similar price point, the new Fusion smokes the 2016 Maxima. I see many cars on the road which are much less expensive than the Maxima, yet have AWD. I know they don't want to cut into Infiniti's sales, but they have to adapt somewhere. I love the design inside and out of the new Maxima, but in all other departments I feel they are behind where they should be. Just my two cents.
For a car with a similar price point, the new Fusion smokes the 2016 Maxima. I see many cars on the road which are much less expensive than the Maxima, yet have AWD. I know they don't want to cut into Infiniti's sales, but they have to adapt somewhere. I love the design inside and out of the new Maxima, but in all other departments I feel they are behind where they should be. Just my two cents.
06-14-2016, 11:51 PM
#2
I'm honestly surprised they still make the Maxima if they're afraid of cutting into Infiniti sales. They're not adding features to their cars, such as the Maxima, that consumers are expecting to be standard in modern cars of this price range.
Last edited by Cotozic; 06-14-2016 at 11:55 PM.
06-21-2016, 06:11 AM
#3
After seeing the announcement for the new 2017 Ford Fusion Sport Edition, anyone else think Nissan should put in AWD, Manual Gear box option, and a big increase in torque and hp? The new Fusion Sport starts at $33k and rises to $42k with all the options. It has 327 Hp with 380 lb-ft of torque along with standard AWD. The 0-60 is estimated in the low five range.
For a car with a similar price point, the new Fusion smokes the 2016 Maxima. I see many cars on the road which are much less expensive than the Maxima, yet have AWD. I know they don't want to cut into Infiniti's sales, but they have to adapt somewhere. I love the design inside and out of the new Maxima, but in all other departments I feel they are behind where they should be. Just my two cents.
For a car with a similar price point, the new Fusion smokes the 2016 Maxima. I see many cars on the road which are much less expensive than the Maxima, yet have AWD. I know they don't want to cut into Infiniti's sales, but they have to adapt somewhere. I love the design inside and out of the new Maxima, but in all other departments I feel they are behind where they should be. Just my two cents.
manual? - no
awd? - nope...wont happen in the maxima b/c they will call it an infiniti.
until the camry, avalon, accord all go AWD nissan won't run the AWD in the Maxima. the manual transmission is pretty much history at this point since sales of cars with manual transmissions were so low it's virtually not worth their time to develop...they would probably lose money on a manual.
if you're buying cars just on their AWD then nissan is not the brand you want to look at.
06-21-2016, 11:35 AM
#5
Yeah I see what you guys are saying, Nissan won't change it until their competitors do and they start losing sales. I was reading an old review of the 2003 Maxima where they didn't like the limitations the front wheel drive put on the maxima, which was in 2002. Especially being in Canada, in the winter AWD helps a ton. If I were buying a new car now, it wouldn't be the Maxima. In 2000 and 98' the options for an AWD car similar to the Maxima's price point were quite limited (Subaru) compared to now.
You guys are probably right, guess I am dissapointed in where the Maxima has been for the last few generations in terms of sportiness/innovation, and where I thought they would be. Ah the good old days when the 130 and 135 were GLE Maxima's with small changes (Though I am guesing it did cut into their sales which is why they aren't doing that now).
You guys are probably right, guess I am dissapointed in where the Maxima has been for the last few generations in terms of sportiness/innovation, and where I thought they would be. Ah the good old days when the 130 and 135 were GLE Maxima's with small changes (Though I am guesing it did cut into their sales which is why they aren't doing that now).
06-21-2016, 12:19 PM
#6
Yeah I see what you guys are saying, Nissan won't change it until their competitors do and they start losing sales. I was reading an old review of the 2003 Maxima where they didn't like the limitations the front wheel drive put on the maxima, which was in 2002. Especially being in Canada, in the winter AWD helps a ton. If I were buying a new car now, it wouldn't be the Maxima. In 2000 and 98' the options for an AWD car similar to the Maxima's price point were quite limited (Subaru) compared to now.
You guys are probably right, guess I am dissapointed in where the Maxima has been for the last few generations in terms of sportiness/innovation, and where I thought they would be. Ah the good old days when the 130 and 135 were GLE Maxima's with small changes (Though I am guesing it did cut into their sales which is why they aren't doing that now).
You guys are probably right, guess I am dissapointed in where the Maxima has been for the last few generations in terms of sportiness/innovation, and where I thought they would be. Ah the good old days when the 130 and 135 were GLE Maxima's with small changes (Though I am guesing it did cut into their sales which is why they aren't doing that now).
the altima was made too big. then they stuffed a V6 in it, sticker price less than maxima...adios maxima.
roll back 15 years...fwd was favored over RWD on traction. AWD was still not so popular and still limited to only a few models/manufacturers, exceptions were audi and subbies.
for nissan the maxima will ALWAYS be built to a price point. the cost of the maxima can not exceed X amount because that will cut into infiniti sales which they don't want to do. so that means AWD, 2 piston brakes, bigger motors, manual trans, fancy suspension, etc etc will all have to be cut to meet that price point.
trust me...i covered the NYAS for a few years and talked to the nissan reps (they probably hate me now) and even went to TN and talked to the guys at the plant...they won't come out and say it but it's always down to price.
you're given X amount and you need to make the maxima. what do you cut? what do you put your money in?
06-21-2016, 12:49 PM
#7
well nissan basically killed the maxima all on their own.
the altima was made too big. then they stuffed a V6 in it, sticker price less than maxima...adios maxima.
roll back 15 years...fwd was favored over RWD on traction. AWD was still not so popular and still limited to only a few models/manufacturers, exceptions were audi and subbies.
for nissan the maxima will ALWAYS be built to a price point. the cost of the maxima can not exceed X amount because that will cut into infiniti sales which they don't want to do. so that means AWD, 2 piston brakes, bigger motors, manual trans, fancy suspension, etc etc will all have to be cut to meet that price point.
trust me...i covered the NYAS for a few years and talked to the nissan reps (they probably hate me now) and even went to TN and talked to the guys at the plant...they won't come out and say it but it's always down to price.
you're given X amount and you need to make the maxima. what do you cut? what do you put your money in?
the altima was made too big. then they stuffed a V6 in it, sticker price less than maxima...adios maxima.
roll back 15 years...fwd was favored over RWD on traction. AWD was still not so popular and still limited to only a few models/manufacturers, exceptions were audi and subbies.
for nissan the maxima will ALWAYS be built to a price point. the cost of the maxima can not exceed X amount because that will cut into infiniti sales which they don't want to do. so that means AWD, 2 piston brakes, bigger motors, manual trans, fancy suspension, etc etc will all have to be cut to meet that price point.
trust me...i covered the NYAS for a few years and talked to the nissan reps (they probably hate me now) and even went to TN and talked to the guys at the plant...they won't come out and say it but it's always down to price.
you're given X amount and you need to make the maxima. what do you cut? what do you put your money in?
I wouldn't buy a new Maxima today when for $3k extra I could get a Q50 with the same amount of HP, but with AWD and 7 speed auto. Or go around $10k less and get a Focus ST (Still can't believe I am comparing a focus with a maxima) Or even go with other brands and get a car in the same class of the Maxima with AWD. The only thing going for the Maxima now (in my opinion) are it's looks (Both interior and exterior).
For me the Maxima peaked in the 5-5.5 Gen. They didn't really care about it having almost everything an i30-5 did, and the Maxima was better because of it. It was luxurious (love those interiors) while still being quite a lot faster than many cars.
Sucks that it is being held back by Infiniti.
Last edited by flames101sully; 06-21-2016 at 12:57 PM.
06-21-2016, 02:10 PM
#8
06-21-2016, 02:37 PM
#9
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Manhattan Beach, Ca / Dallas, Tx
Posts: 3,751
what we think doesn't matter.
manual? - no
awd? - nope...wont happen in the maxima b/c they will call it an infiniti.
until the camry, avalon, accord all go AWD nissan won't run the AWD in the Maxima. the manual transmission is pretty much history at this point since sales of cars with manual transmissions were so low it's virtually not worth their time to develop...they would probably lose money on a manual.
if you're buying cars just on their AWD then nissan is not the brand you want to look at.
manual? - no
awd? - nope...wont happen in the maxima b/c they will call it an infiniti.
until the camry, avalon, accord all go AWD nissan won't run the AWD in the Maxima. the manual transmission is pretty much history at this point since sales of cars with manual transmissions were so low it's virtually not worth their time to develop...they would probably lose money on a manual.
if you're buying cars just on their AWD then nissan is not the brand you want to look at.
06-22-2016, 11:49 AM
#10
Several of us including DanNy were invited to the Nissan plant in 2008 when they were releasing the new 7th gen Max. They wanted our input on the new Maxima. All of us being enthusiasts asked "where is the manual transmission?" Unfortunately, it was clear at that point that they would never be making a manual transmission again in the Maxima. Honestly, I'm surprised they made the 8th gen. We will have to see if the Maxima will still be around in a few more years.
06-22-2016, 09:24 PM
#12
Not sure Infiniti's are more common than Nissans, but here in Calgary it seems for every Maxima (7th , 8th gen) there are 3 Q50's.
06-22-2016, 10:03 PM
#13
Maybe it's just here in Indy. I think I've seen two 8th gens here. It's like people would rather have the base model Infiniti than a fully loaded Nissan for about the same price. I understand this mentality of having the more prestigious car make icon on your ride, but when they seem to be a dime-a-dozen here, it isn't anything real special. But with that said, it makes complete sense that so few people drive 8th gen Maximas in my area.
06-24-2016, 08:39 AM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 361
Listen. Not to burst peoples bubbles who drive one but the maxima literally died after 2003. The 04 model should have been rwd and or awd just a cheaper G35. Nissan killed three quarters of their product line with the CVT. Absolutely NO sport models whatsoever. It absolutely pains me to say this but Ford has it in the bag. Yes some of the interior pieces are cheapo plastic because obviously they had to cut production costs somewhere.
I love my 03 and at this point I don't think I'd sell it AND if I did buy something new I would still keep the thing. Trust me I've been looking for something half decent, C63/M3/Q50. Just not confident in the long term value. Not that I'd have any issues with fixes...
The ONLY real sports car Nissan/Infiniti have is the Q/Z and even then there are better options at the price points that they have them at. I know the newer ford ecoboost owners WILL be crying when they have to replace the turbo but 90% of the people who buy it new sell it after the warranty is up.
This entire Generation is on the throw away kick, phones, cars. What happened to building something and being proud of it when it's on the road OR in your hand 15-20 years down the road? Even Truck manufacturers are following suit, Hard to hit the million mile mark when the thing is in the shop 1-2 times a month OR more. Go down and look at your local pick and pull, its a sad thing.
Another thing that bugs me is the amount of time MOST of the big companies are giving their cars up for, You really think that in 84 months your new kia/hyundai/GM is going to still be on the road?? They're effin dreaming.
Just my 2 cents is all.
I love my 03 and at this point I don't think I'd sell it AND if I did buy something new I would still keep the thing. Trust me I've been looking for something half decent, C63/M3/Q50. Just not confident in the long term value. Not that I'd have any issues with fixes...
The ONLY real sports car Nissan/Infiniti have is the Q/Z and even then there are better options at the price points that they have them at. I know the newer ford ecoboost owners WILL be crying when they have to replace the turbo but 90% of the people who buy it new sell it after the warranty is up.
This entire Generation is on the throw away kick, phones, cars. What happened to building something and being proud of it when it's on the road OR in your hand 15-20 years down the road? Even Truck manufacturers are following suit, Hard to hit the million mile mark when the thing is in the shop 1-2 times a month OR more. Go down and look at your local pick and pull, its a sad thing.
Another thing that bugs me is the amount of time MOST of the big companies are giving their cars up for, You really think that in 84 months your new kia/hyundai/GM is going to still be on the road?? They're effin dreaming.
Just my 2 cents is all.
06-24-2016, 11:18 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: NM
Posts: 2,145
After seeing the announcement for the new 2017 Ford Fusion Sport Edition, anyone else think Nissan should put in AWD, Manual Gear box option, and a big increase in torque and hp? The new Fusion Sport starts at $33k and rises to $42k with all the options. It has 327 Hp with 380 lb-ft of torque along with standard AWD. The 0-60 is estimated in the low five range.
For a car with a similar price point, the new Fusion smokes the 2016 Maxima. I see many cars on the road which are much less expensive than the Maxima, yet have AWD. I know they don't want to cut into Infiniti's sales, but they have to adapt somewhere. I love the design inside and out of the new Maxima, but in all other departments I feel they are behind where they should be. Just my two cents.
For a car with a similar price point, the new Fusion smokes the 2016 Maxima. I see many cars on the road which are much less expensive than the Maxima, yet have AWD. I know they don't want to cut into Infiniti's sales, but they have to adapt somewhere. I love the design inside and out of the new Maxima, but in all other departments I feel they are behind where they should be. Just my two cents.
06-30-2016, 08:40 AM
#17
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 159
Maxima is dead. Just an expensive, out of place, bloated ghost remains today
In fact, 90% of Nissan is pure trash nowadays. They can't compete with the other japanese brands and even the americans are beating them now
Like honestly who spends 40k on a brand new cvt Nissan. Not car enthusiasts, thats for sure
In fact, 90% of Nissan is pure trash nowadays. They can't compete with the other japanese brands and even the americans are beating them now
Like honestly who spends 40k on a brand new cvt Nissan. Not car enthusiasts, thats for sure
07-02-2016, 12:14 AM
#18
Listen. Not to burst peoples bubbles who drive one but the maxima literally died after 2003. The 04 model should have been rwd and or awd just a cheaper G35. Nissan killed three quarters of their product line with the CVT. Absolutely NO sport models whatsoever. It absolutely pains me to say this but Ford has it in the bag. Yes some of the interior pieces are cheapo plastic because obviously they had to cut production costs somewhere.
I love my 03 and at this point I don't think I'd sell it AND if I did buy something new I would still keep the thing. Trust me I've been looking for something half decent, C63/M3/Q50. Just not confident in the long term value. Not that I'd have any issues with fixes...
The ONLY real sports car Nissan/Infiniti have is the Q/Z and even then there are better options at the price points that they have them at. I know the newer ford ecoboost owners WILL be crying when they have to replace the turbo but 90% of the people who buy it new sell it after the warranty is up.
This entire Generation is on the throw away kick, phones, cars. What happened to building something and being proud of it when it's on the road OR in your hand 15-20 years down the road? Even Truck manufacturers are following suit, Hard to hit the million mile mark when the thing is in the shop 1-2 times a month OR more. Go down and look at your local pick and pull, its a sad thing.
Another thing that bugs me is the amount of time MOST of the big companies are giving their cars up for, You really think that in 84 months your new kia/hyundai/GM is going to still be on the road?? They're effin dreaming.
Just my 2 cents is all.
I love my 03 and at this point I don't think I'd sell it AND if I did buy something new I would still keep the thing. Trust me I've been looking for something half decent, C63/M3/Q50. Just not confident in the long term value. Not that I'd have any issues with fixes...
The ONLY real sports car Nissan/Infiniti have is the Q/Z and even then there are better options at the price points that they have them at. I know the newer ford ecoboost owners WILL be crying when they have to replace the turbo but 90% of the people who buy it new sell it after the warranty is up.
This entire Generation is on the throw away kick, phones, cars. What happened to building something and being proud of it when it's on the road OR in your hand 15-20 years down the road? Even Truck manufacturers are following suit, Hard to hit the million mile mark when the thing is in the shop 1-2 times a month OR more. Go down and look at your local pick and pull, its a sad thing.
Another thing that bugs me is the amount of time MOST of the big companies are giving their cars up for, You really think that in 84 months your new kia/hyundai/GM is going to still be on the road?? They're effin dreaming.
Just my 2 cents is all.
Besides that, they're making these cars more difficult to work on, and even more so to customize. Like you said, after 2003, it became a slope. I like some of the new Maximas and their styling, but they lack the integrity the older models had. They, like most new cars, seem like disposable A to B riders, and expensive ones at that.
I like to keep things as long as I can, which to me means that if I pay more, I expect just that. It sucks the car market is down with planned obsolescence.
07-03-2016, 03:02 PM
#19
The current generation is continuing Nissan / Infiniti trend towards average or mediocre cars. At it's MSRP it is a mix-mash of different mfgs with no NISSAN out-standing characteristics, ZERO!!
Drives like a large boring sedan (Toyota)
It's packed with a tons of technology (Hyundai/Kia strategy)
Has upscale good interior (European)
Is it RWD or AWD? Nope.
Is it sporty? No even sport mode was blah
Is the cost to upgrade from a fully loaded Altima worth it? IMO no. This is because 3.5 SL has more features than base Maxima, quicker 0-60, cheaper MSRP, cheaper insurance, styling is better etc..
Does it have MT transmission to try and catch enthusiasts? No.
^^ $30-50k you can get Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger etc etc etc etc.
Would I pay ~$50k for this? test drove it to give it a shot but it's nothing like the gen 5.5.. Better cars out there for 40k
They should improve the Infiniti brand so it's up there with Lexus and Acura then re-brand the Maxima... Right now Infiniti and Nissan have sh8t reputation, you are more likely to find a appraiser willing to tackle a Toyota Solaris than a Nissan Maxima.
1) If they go the brand route then market it as a bang for buck luxury sedan. Go after the Honda Accord & Toyota Camry upgraders, the BMW 32 crowd etc... Screw the sportiness aspect and sell it as a entry luxury car period. It would be their "entry" level sedan
2) Create a Infiniti Maxima model designed for the enthusiasts. With all the technology we have there has to be a way to make a decent handling FWD sedan? Less luxury more fun.
^^ What about creating a more racey body style like the Gen 7 mated to a Honda like manual transmission!?!?! Or make it a sleeper like the Holden Commdore.
3) Get rid of the Maxima and create a spiritual successor more closely related to it's origins.
Go after the Dodge Charger & Ford Mustang crowd!
Drives like a large boring sedan (Toyota)
It's packed with a tons of technology (Hyundai/Kia strategy)
Has upscale good interior (European)
Is it RWD or AWD? Nope.
Is it sporty? No even sport mode was blah
Is the cost to upgrade from a fully loaded Altima worth it? IMO no. This is because 3.5 SL has more features than base Maxima, quicker 0-60, cheaper MSRP, cheaper insurance, styling is better etc..
Does it have MT transmission to try and catch enthusiasts? No.
^^ $30-50k you can get Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger etc etc etc etc.
Would I pay ~$50k for this? test drove it to give it a shot but it's nothing like the gen 5.5.. Better cars out there for 40k
They should improve the Infiniti brand so it's up there with Lexus and Acura then re-brand the Maxima... Right now Infiniti and Nissan have sh8t reputation, you are more likely to find a appraiser willing to tackle a Toyota Solaris than a Nissan Maxima.
1) If they go the brand route then market it as a bang for buck luxury sedan. Go after the Honda Accord & Toyota Camry upgraders, the BMW 32 crowd etc... Screw the sportiness aspect and sell it as a entry luxury car period. It would be their "entry" level sedan
2) Create a Infiniti Maxima model designed for the enthusiasts. With all the technology we have there has to be a way to make a decent handling FWD sedan? Less luxury more fun.
^^ What about creating a more racey body style like the Gen 7 mated to a Honda like manual transmission!?!?! Or make it a sleeper like the Holden Commdore.
3) Get rid of the Maxima and create a spiritual successor more closely related to it's origins.
Go after the Dodge Charger & Ford Mustang crowd!
Last edited by george__; 07-03-2016 at 05:30 PM.
08-07-2016, 08:14 AM
#20
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 122
Hi all:
interesting post especially about how some of you were invited to the Nissan plant. Wow, what an honor and opportunity to provide input. Did you become aware of you through this site??
Two questions...
I have a 95 SE Maxima with MT I've owned since new. I always thought this was one of the nicest looking generations and yet still is quite modern in appearance even today. What generation do folks feel the Maxima died? Honestly I don't like the look of anything beyond the 4th generation (don't know anything about performance of them) but know a lot of folks feel there were still some good ones made after that - I'm just not sure how long that lasted.
Some folks mentioned other options out there for a modern, affordable sports car. I paid 23k in 1995 for my SE fully loaded. Could I even touch anything today for that price that would compare with what I have now?? I have often wondered about that. I have looked at a few AWD and 4WD vehicles lately and have been sorely disappointed with the fit and finish compared to my old car and even posted something to that effect on the 4th gen site.
interesting post especially about how some of you were invited to the Nissan plant. Wow, what an honor and opportunity to provide input. Did you become aware of you through this site??
Two questions...
I have a 95 SE Maxima with MT I've owned since new. I always thought this was one of the nicest looking generations and yet still is quite modern in appearance even today. What generation do folks feel the Maxima died? Honestly I don't like the look of anything beyond the 4th generation (don't know anything about performance of them) but know a lot of folks feel there were still some good ones made after that - I'm just not sure how long that lasted.
Some folks mentioned other options out there for a modern, affordable sports car. I paid 23k in 1995 for my SE fully loaded. Could I even touch anything today for that price that would compare with what I have now?? I have often wondered about that. I have looked at a few AWD and 4WD vehicles lately and have been sorely disappointed with the fit and finish compared to my old car and even posted something to that effect on the 4th gen site.
08-07-2016, 11:10 AM
#21
Hi all:
interesting post especially about how some of you were invited to the Nissan plant. Wow, what an honor and opportunity to provide input. Did you become aware of you through this site??
Two questions...
I have a 95 SE Maxima with MT I've owned since new. I always thought this was one of the nicest looking generations and yet still is quite modern in appearance even today. What generation do folks feel the Maxima died? Honestly I don't like the look of anything beyond the 4th generation (don't know anything about performance of them) but know a lot of folks feel there were still some good ones made after that - I'm just not sure how long that lasted.
Some folks mentioned other options out there for a modern, affordable sports car. I paid 23k in 1995 for my SE fully loaded. Could I even touch anything today for that price that would compare with what I have now?? I have often wondered about that. I have looked at a few AWD and 4WD vehicles lately and have been sorely disappointed with the fit and finish compared to my old car and even posted something to that effect on the 4th gen site.
interesting post especially about how some of you were invited to the Nissan plant. Wow, what an honor and opportunity to provide input. Did you become aware of you through this site??
Two questions...
I have a 95 SE Maxima with MT I've owned since new. I always thought this was one of the nicest looking generations and yet still is quite modern in appearance even today. What generation do folks feel the Maxima died? Honestly I don't like the look of anything beyond the 4th generation (don't know anything about performance of them) but know a lot of folks feel there were still some good ones made after that - I'm just not sure how long that lasted.
Some folks mentioned other options out there for a modern, affordable sports car. I paid 23k in 1995 for my SE fully loaded. Could I even touch anything today for that price that would compare with what I have now?? I have often wondered about that. I have looked at a few AWD and 4WD vehicles lately and have been sorely disappointed with the fit and finish compared to my old car and even posted something to that effect on the 4th gen site.
The 5th and 4th Gen are my favorite looks for the Maxima. 3, 5.5, and 8th gen I also like. The looks for me died when the 6th gen came out, and 2007 is when for me the Maxima became a entry level luxury car (In which I think there are better options) only instead of also having a sports aspect to it.
Today (Speaking from Canadian perspective) $23k will get you the highest or second to trim of a base car (Ex. Sentra). In today`s dollars I paid around $40k for the fully loaded 2000 GLE Maxima new. Back then I believe it was in the mid $30`s. So no, today $23k would not get you an equivalent car (Inflation has to be considered though).
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05-19-2016 04:13 PM