Are you disappointed with Nissan for announcing the Altima as a superior car model to the 5th gen Maxima while in the middle of its production cycle?

 

Is the Altima Nissan's new flagship now? I just thought that the Maxima is still the superior car, but the new Altima now just has a bigger powerplant, well it will this fall.

 

Nah.. Maxima is getting 260+ hp, with the same platform as our current 5th gen's... it's gonna be a rocket..

How much this rocket may cost, is another story entirely..

If Nissan plans to price the Altima close to camry's, and accord's, the Max (as the superior car) has to naturally cost more..

**sigh**... is the max no longer gonna be the killer value it is now??

-Tom

PS.. FYI, current rumors place the Maxima in competition with full-sized sedans, like the avalon, in 3-4 years... IMHO, it's gonna get BIG, HEAVY, and SQUISHY :-(... the altima is the next performance sedan from Nissan. 2002,and 2003 maximas are definitely the ONES TO GET!!!!

 

Interviews with Nissan execs in the last couple of months leading up to the release of the Altima clearly state that the Altima and Maxima will share the same platform once we hit the 6th gen Maxima in 2003. I wouldn't expect Maxima to get Big, Heavy, and Squishy. I would expect this to happen to Infiniti, although I'm not even sure what "Squishy" means in a car. I think the Maxima will continue to be a performance sedan (look at the 7-series BMW's)...more powerful, although perhaps not faster than the Altima.

It all makes sense. How many car companies out there ship their largest model as their fastest and best performer?

Chevrolet Largest: Impala
Chevrolet Fastest: Corvette
Honda Largest: Accord
Honda Fastest: S2000
Toyota Largest: Avalon
Toyota Fastest: MR2 Spider?
Dodge Largest: Intrepid
Dodge Fastest: DUH!!!!

And the list goes on, and on.

Or, if we're lucky, the newly larger Maxima 2003 will get the V-8 from the Q45.

 

What is a Dodge DUH????????????

Just kidding....

 

i belive it was the dodge caravan... burns rubber i tell ya

 

Nah... it stands no chance against a Chevy venture.. WARNER BROTHER'S EDITION... BOOYAH!!!


And I was almost certain that the Maxima was being moved up to a full-sized platform....

As for fastest/performance, there's no doubt that Nissan has "Z" on their mind!!! Not altima!!!

-Tom

 

no its the dodge omni. LOL Kidding aside, a well modded dodge omni glh (shelby) can sure rip.

 

Well, people could drive the Altima thinking that it was the old tradionally Maxima. All they did was switch some names around. No big deal, still the same stuff!

 

If mine doesnt rip right on by a Viper Ill be ticked.

 

ALl About TIming, MAn

I don't care how some of you enthusiasts will try to find some daylight in this dark cloud that has been put over our heads, but with the announcement of the new midsize 240hp ALTIMA, Nissan has basically said "to hell with the current Maxima".

The right thing to do would have been to announce the power increase and future plans for "the flagship" before ANY lesser car. They make the Maxima look second rate to ALTIMA, at least until SOME kind of formal announcement on the plight of "the flagship".

Needless to say I'm piissed. I will keep my car, but I don't feel as good about it as I felt when I purchased it 38 days ago, even if it was at invoice!

 

Heh.. don't buy a computer!!! or 38 days later, you're liable to be ****ed :-)

Would you have felt better if Nissan put out a crappier altima... I would not.. kudos to them on a job well done... can't wait for the new Maxima specs!! viva Nissan!!!!

-Tom

 

although the altima is going to beat my max 2k1 in a race, i still think my max se ae is superior to the altimas...no matter wat....my car rules

 

I was kinda bummed about the added HP of the new Altima at first, but since I don't race or anything it doesn't bother me now. I still think that looks-wise the lines of the 5th gen max are still better than the altima.

 

Actually I'm glad the Altima got an upgrade. It shows me a preview of what is to come for the Maxima. This question should be directed to Altima owners who recently made their purchase. This is the second time they have been juked, (meaning Nissan decided to do a major styling change of that size class without any warning), remember the STANZA.

 

Why I think this is good news...

I've read and heard consistently that Maxima and Altima will be built on the same platform in the future. Meaning that by the time the new Maxima comes out, the bugs should have been worked out of that new platform. In a way, the Altima is a guniea pig for the Maxima.

I've heard of plans for a 260HP Maxima (and seen articles on the Infinit I35) which out-rates the Altima - making it sound like Nissan intends to keep the Maxima on top.

Based on the photos, the Altima seems targeted squarely at the Honda Accord, the HP boost seems appropriate to this effort. This leaves room to market the Maxima/I30 as a luxury "cut-above" the Accord - targeted more in the direction of the Acura TL... and in fact outside of the US, the Maxima is really what we know here at home as the I30.

The Maxima will have full independent suspension in a few years.

I think it all bodes well.

 

That's why I build my own!

 

AMD or Intel? I got 1.3ghz Tbird.

 

Take a look at my post on this topic
I got some pics of the beast........
DUAL EXHAUST........YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME....
Thats just cruel....
Whats next a sentra with a super charger...
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=34651

 

1.0ghz Intel overclocked to 1.1ghz
524mb memory
ABIT BX133 motherboard
120gig HD (4-30gig 100ATA)
SB Live
Matrox G400 (upgrading soon)
Rewriteable DVD 4.7gig RAM drive
Rewriteable 8X CD
56X CD ROM
250mb Zip drive
10/100 ethernet
Cable modem for Road Runner
56k modem

 

In the long term the Altima is a great move for Nissan and a good indication of things to come for the next Maxima. In the short term, the Altima will cannibalize Maxima sales. The move is not so good for Maxima owners, with the more poweful larger Altima on the market, used Maximas will take a huge depreciation hit when you try to sell them. The depreciation hit would be more evident if the V6 Altima comes close in price range to the current Maxima SE. Glad I leased my car!.

A good move for Nissan, the Altima might just be my next car.