That's the only thing they are leaving out....I mean even the cheapest cars these days (Kia, Hyundai) have a 5spd auto, so you think they could drop it in the Max/I35. 0-60 in 7 seconds is not bad at all, but it would be 6.3 if they threw an extra gear in there like the rest of the competition. Maybe for 2003....

 

It would seem like a logical choice... at least to most of us... obviously not the brains at Nissan though...

 

I just don't get it. Really, that is the only thing missing.

 

Because a 5-spd auto would be a radical powertrain change, and the 2002 Max/I35 is just a "refreshening." I'm sure the next gen Max/I35 will have a 5-spd auto...well it better, as it is the industry standard now.

Nissan has never really gotten automatics right. And who knows if a 5-spd will really make it faster. The Q45 has 50hp over the LS430, and has a new 5-spd auto, weighs less, yet is SLOWER than the LS430 in almost every mag comparo.