Dave B

I'm currently out of town working and I've got a rental 2k2 Taurus SES. My coworker somehow managed to get a 2k2 SE rental. As luck would have it, I'm doing work at an old Air Force base with lots of open and long taxiways and such. I grabbed the keys for the 2k2 and took it for a spin since I've never driven one. Things I noted about the 2k2 vs my 96 SE:

1) The 2k2 has a more comfortable driving position, maybe because it's an auto and I don't have to worry about my left foot.

2) I definately don't like the dashboard. The center pod is too narrow and the dash is too low. I like the larger and higher setup of the 4th gen dash. The gated shifter is cool.

3) The 2k2 doors rattle when you close them, especially with the windows down. Other rattles came from the center of the dash and thunks from the rear suspension.

4) The steering feel is much better in the 2k2 and everything that mounted to the steering column is awesome. I wish the 4th gens were like this. The turning radius is indeed laughable.

5) The ride of the 2k2 isn't great AT ALL. The 2k2 rides as rough as my 4th gen on Intrax. I even checked the air pressure for over inflation. My 96 also feels a bit more solid overall however I've got SFCs. The 2k2 does handle quite well for stock though, nothing like my 96 with a aftermarket susupension and grippy tires, but it's good for stock. The rear suspension feels particularly stiff. I can see why many people complain about the ride of the 2k2. If anything, it's probably that 52+lb tire/rim combo.

6) The power from the 3.5VQ is impressive. This car feels very much like a stock GTP I drove. 0-90 (manually shifting 1st and 2nd) felt very strong. I could definately tell that my 4th gen would pull on this car from 60mph on. From 0-60, it would be close. Launching the 2k2 is very easy and it never feels "laggy" off the line. Shifts are good, but could be more solid. This car feels like the only thing holding it back is a 5 speed auto.


My rental Taurus:

1) Excellent ride (16" with 215/60s)
2) Feels more solid than the (gulp) 2k2 Maxima
3) Quiet ride
4) Okay power (3.0 "Vulcan" V6 ~170hp)
5) Poor shifting auto
6) Poor handling


2k2 Max vs 2k2 Taurus

With me driving the Maxima and my coworker driving the Taurus, we lined up on a lone concrete taxiway. Both cars were manually shifted and the race went to 90mph, whomever got there first. On the 3rd honk we went. Immediately the Max takes the jump and never looked back. When I shut down at 90mph I guesstimated I was ahead by 6-7 cars. My coworker (engineer-type) thought it was close to 100' (close enough).


Dave

Craig Mack

If your friend drove the 2k2 Auto maxima, and you were driving your '96 5spd, who would take who off the line and to 60mph?

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

Then again, these *are* rentals....

Frank Fontaine

I used to rent alot of Fords but now I usually get GM. Try an Olds / Pontiac and it will be fascinating. You'll feel everything is quite nice in the handling dept and superior, but the car will be slower. Build not bad either.

Dave B

Craig-
What's "off the line" mean to you? 0-20, 0-30? It would be close, but I think I could take the 2k2 auto from a complete stop if I launched well. If I FUBAR the launch, it will take me to 40mph to start pulling on the this auto. In 0-60, I would probably get the 2k2 by a car or so.


blizz20ma-
There's nothing "detuned" about a rental car. They don't have govenors, etc. A rental Max runs just like any other Max.


Dave

SteVTEC

Except for the fact that it's probably been "abused" other times and b/c people are probably too cheap to put the right gas in and just fill it up with 87. If somebody brings it back to the rental with less than a full tank I can almost guarantee you that the rental place puts in 87 too.

Subtract 10-15 HP. Unless Dave has specifically run the tank down and put 91+ in

Mystical2k2SE

I heartily agree that the Maxima does have it's shortcomings. My trade in '98 Grand Am GT handled much much better than my '02 Maxima SE. The steering feel was better, and the Pontiac wasn't as floaty as my Maxima is on the highway.

But to make blanket statements based off a rental car is ridiculous. "The 2K2 doors rattle..." Since when? I have 5000 miles on my Max. No rattles, squeaks, or anything of that kind.

The interior does have other issues, but rattles are not of them. You really can't judge a car by a rental, because it's like someone else said. People generally abuse rentals. Truth is most rental cars are crap, irregardless of make and model.

Craig Mack

By off the line, yes I mean from a complete stop. I here about all the power the new 2k2's have from a stop and was wondering if our 4th gen 5spds still have the torque/power to beat them out of the hole and to 60. I do alot of city driving and as I really like punching it on the highway, I like low range power better. It's good to know 4th Gen. 5-speeds still have it.

CoolMax

iTrader: (7)

Like racing on airstrips?

F23A4

A Taurus more solid than a Maxima!?! Own one for more than 3 months and you'll change that assertion.

Dave B

How can you abuse the interior of a car? The car is immaculate and still smells new. The 2k2 has about 8K miles on it. Both front doors rattle when you close them and a rattle comes from the deep center of the dash and the rear struts thunk on bigger bumps. I really doubt this car has been abused because the tires look brand spanking new. Some cars are just built better than others.


Dave

Dave B

Taurus SES has 10K miles on it and it feels like it's built from one peice of metal. Honestly, it's one of the most solid cars I've ridden in next to a few Lexus'. You can hit the dash hard with your hand it the dash doesn't make a sound. When you close the doors, they feel extremely solid, regardless if the window is up or down. For a Ford, this build quality is really impressive.

Dave

Dave B

IMO, Nissan does a lot of things right. I was just pointing out my likes/dislikes about the 2k2. The Maximas are extremely reliable and better put together than many Hondas I've driven and riden in.

Honda/Toyota have made huge marketing ploys stressing thier reliablity. Nissan hasn't done this. Resale is based largely on demand. Most Americans are pretty damn boring for the most part and don't care that much about handling and acceleration. 0-60 in 8 seconds is considered "strong" by most of the buying public. Take a look at the best selling cars in this country. You've got the Civic, Accord, Camry, and Taurus. There's nothing performance oriented about these cars. They get good gas mileage, ride soft, are relatively cheap, and are pretty reliable. In this country, that's truely what counts. 8 times out of 10, when people find out you have a Maxima, they so "oh, that's too nice of a car for me. I got the Accord instead."

You should remember that resale doesn't mean the car has to be reliable. It's demand. Corvettes, Grand Nationals, 94-96 Impala SS, and Supra TT aren't the most reliable cars on the yet they all have great resale. Same goes for SUV/trucks. It's all about demand because most of these cars have very poor reliabilty.

Has for for Maxima sounds like a tin can in the rain, that rental Taurus is the same way. Even though it's a bit quieter on the inside and feels more soild, rain is still noisy in the cabin. I don't know of many cars that aren't noisy in the rain.


Dave

8702

Dave B, when you say your car can pull on the 2k2 auto, how much do you mean exactly? we've seen people with 2k2 autos running around the same 1/4 times as you get on your max.

TurDz

iTrader: (3)

Good write-up Dave.

Virus

iTrader: (1)

Having owned a Taurus for 4 years, I can attest to the reliability and workmanship of them. My taurus had abolutely no problems. Supple ride, no interior squeeks at all. They handle like crap however and unless you get the 200+ horsepower engine, you'll notice how underpowered the car is. The one big drawback is when you go to sell the car. I bought mine for 2500 less than blue book and I traded it in for 2800 less than I owed. Ouch is right, but the damn Maxima just realed me in! Needless to say, I'll be keeping this one for at least 5 years.

almostki

Very poor reliability in a Toyota SUPRA? Sorry but i gotta chime in. Supras are one of the most reliable sports cars, ever. I know people who drive 900hp supras as daily drivers with NO problems.. these are 10-11 second 1/4 cars daily driven. My car is daily driven too. Before i got the single turbo put in, my supra had stock twins, BPU, pushing 437RWHP and 444ft/lbs without n20. So thats close to 500 flywheel. Every single day I abused that car like no other, Turning the boost up to 2 BAR on stock internals and stock turbos.....

I drove it for 10 hours with the new single put in and it didnt even ave a single problem(went to g/f's friends house).

Right now i can boost 2 bar and my best run was 10.1@130 or around there. don't have the time slips handy now. It's a toyota for goodness sake, they have some of the most reliable cars ever and the 2JZ-GTE is that.

Dave B

Yeah, I see what you're saying, but keep in mind my 60 foots are pretty weak due to a lot of wheelspin. Most of the autos are pulling off 2.1-2.2 60 foots. The real truth is in my trap speeds. My trap speeds are consistently in the upper 96mph+ range which is 3-4mph faster than most auto/6 speed 2k2s. From 60mph on, I can tell my Max has better pull, especially in 3rd and 4th gears. The 2k2 auto feels a bit slower when the speedo sweeps past 80mph.


Dave

Majisto

My family used to rent Tauri fairly often. Every time we'd go on a trip and rent a car, we'd request a Taurus. Why? Because they're a very well-built car. Sure they're not increidly fast (The exception being the Taurus SHO, which I have heard there is a rivalry between Max and SHO owners), but they've never broken down on us before. Hell 5 years ago we rented one for a few months before buying a new car, and that thing went upto Dallas, Houston, all round, and got beat up pretty good in the rain, up and down hills, and no problems. Ever. The 200 HP Duratec is a good engine, but if you're comparing that to a 2k2 Maxima's 255 HP VQ engine...I don't see how they can compete. Maybe a 220 HP V-6 SHO? They run high 14s - low 15s. I haven't seen a Duratec break the upper 15s. I'm not surprised you smoked him.

costcowholesale

iTrader: (12)

just wondering why do u wnat a 4th/5th generation maxima to play with?? (yr sig)

almostki

cuz i love maximas, sleepers... 4 door.. VQ engine.. 'nuff said