Well this is certainly exciting.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=126533

According to Mark Perry, Nissan North America's director of product planning, the goal is to clearly signal by the trim letters the car's minimal level of equipment.

"It used to be that GLE was our top-of-the-line trim, and that it always indicated leather as standard equipment," said Perry. "For whatever reason, we walked away from that convention and things have gotten confusing over the years. With the new designations we're attempting to go back to making it simple for consumers to determine what to expect with each trim level, especially when surfing the Web," Perry said. "It will also make things easier for our salespeople to present the cars and what they include."

Perry said the 2009 Maxima will be the first car to incorporate some pieces of the new trim designations, and that Nissan expects to roll out the new trim levels to the rest of its sedans by the end of the 2010 model year.

Perry also mentioned that SR has been reserved as an enthusiast trim, and SL will stand for luxury.

 

It dosent say the SR will be anything beyond what an SE offers. Unless im reading this incorrectly.

 

I could be reading the article wrong too. But I did not see that they are talking about the SR coming to the maxima. I would think it would be used on other models but you never know.

 

Are you guys not reading the last sentence?

 

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...nel..3.*&imw=Y

Edmunds also confirms it in their Maxima review:

 

I hope they reserve the SL trim, for the Diesel version that is to be coming out in a year and give us a SR version for they Die Hard Enthusiats. (manual)

I know nissan does not make money on Maximas with manuals but to give it that tim level they can set their own special pricing.(SER altima) If you want a manual you may have to pay a little more. Some people will pay more, some won't, but the tranny issue will be solved.

 

These press releases do not pin things down exactly and completely. But if we sort of read between the lines, and combine this with previous releases, it seems the '09 will have what is called the 'premium' package that equates to the 6th gen 'SL', a 'sports' package that equates to the 6th gen 'SE', and probably by the 2010 model year, an 'SR', which would almost have to have a manual to justify separation from the 'SE'. The 'SR' might even have the 3.7 and between 310 and 340 HP.

Should Nissan do this, I don't think they would have the least bit of trouble selling this car with a manual tranny, because the special markings clearly designating the 'SR' as a very special vehicle would draw the attention of every avid driver. This could get very interesting.

 

That press release does not say anything. I hope there is a SR model with the MT and more ponies, but I dont see a reason why Nissan should wait longer to release it knowing that there are so many cars coming out this year competing with the max. I dont think we will ever see a SR. Unless the diesel has MT and has >300hp and a much tougher suspension and is badged SR.
Nonetheless, the 09 maxima is a beautiful car and is capable of taking on any competition. The comparo with the g8 (posted elsewhere) was dumb on the part of thecar mag. Two vry different cars. A comparison with 09 acura tl(both being new models and both being FWD)wold be more appropriate. It would be interesting to see the design and the specs of the new tl.

 

not too shabby

 

Everybody's WRONG! If you go to nissannews.com, it clearly states that there will initially be 2 new model designations, the S and the SV. Here's the information and I quote...


"03.19.2008 , Nashville, Tenn.
All-New 2009 Nissan Maxima Recaptures Its Place as the True “4-Door Sports Car” Premium Performance Sedan

– Aggressive Styling, Refined Platform, More Powerful V6, Cockpit-like Interior and Enhanced Quality Highlight Changes to Seventh Generation of Nissan’s Flagship Sedan –
The 2009 Nissan Maxima, which makes its world debut at the 2008 New York International Auto Show, marks a return to the longtime Nissan flagship sedan’s roots as a commanding 4-door sports car – a vehicle that is unique in both appearance and driving feel, with renewed relevance for today’s active and ambitious sedan buyers. In other words, the Maxima is back.

The all-new 2009 Maxima will be offered as two well-equipped models, Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV, and is scheduled to arrive at Nissan dealers nationwide in early summer 2008."

 

look at the dates of when the article up top was posted, and the one that you posted. obviously they changed their minds. there will be an SR model as indicated on the article in the last sentence. whether it's a cvt or a manual is a different story though.

 

Well, I just got back from the Nashville 2009 Maxima trip. Nissan told us there was no manual coming for the Maxima. One guy really mentioned it alot, saying that we one a manual. They just continued to say no manual. They said less than 5% of Maxima's were manuals and they dropped the manual completely for the 07-08 model update.

Also, they said what the article mentioned. S is the base model and SV is the loaded model with options like premium package, tech package, and sport package. They said all of their cars are headed this way and their would no longer be a designed SE model. Just the sport package. So I don't think they plan to make a Maxima SR. Sorry guys.

 

What would the Maxima SR have that one cannot have with the S or SV model and some combination of the available packages?

If we are expecting more hp/torque and six-speed A/T or M/T in the SR model, then why would anyone buy a Maxima SR over a G35/G37, especially since they will be in the exactly same price range and size?

 

Hey everyone, I too would love for a SR model of the maxima to come out. I just do not see them putting in a MT maybe a few more HP, maybe more programming of the cvt, some facia and bumper changes. But in my opinion, the way I read this new information is that Nissan has already put the new letters designation on the Maxima. The SR will probably be saved for a sentra, or altima model. If I am not mistaken maxima is the lowers selling by volume car for nissan, I dont know if they would go and spend the resorces to produce an upgraded SR Maxima which would probably not result in much higher sales.

But thats just what I get from the reading, anything is possible and I would not mind seing an SR Maxima I am probably not buying the 1st years model so I will have some time to wait and see if there rumors are true.

 

I drive an 05 Altima SE-R, and I would gladly trade up for an "SR Maxima" in 2010... I love my Altima by the way, but this new 7th gen is just stunning...

Btw, I live in Tennessee and the folks who assemble the Maxima (Smyrna, TN) are projected strong sales for the new model, even with gas prices on the rise... Either way, a dramatic improvement in the looks and interior department

 

vladi77 - You are correct about the Maxima being a lower volume vehicle. The Altima is Nissan's 'vehicle for the masses', with just about every variation being available. The usual hope is to sell a quarter million Altimas, while Nissan plans to sell only around 70K of the more upscale Maxima sports-luxury sedan.

Of course they would like to sell more than that, and unless the economy continues this long and disturbing slide, just might. Despite the incessant naysayers on the ORG, the '09 Maxima is a very competent and stylish vehicle, and will catch the eyes of many buyers, just as darrick04 said.

About the 'SR' thingie: Nissan can have an 'SR' version of more than one vehicle at the same time. We could have an 'SR' version of Sentra, Altima and Maxima. It will be very interesting to see if and how Nissan handles an 'SR' version of the Maxima. That will tell us a lot about just how '4DSC' this 7th gen Maxima really is.

 

The SR model rumor I have seen mentions that it will be released for the 2010 or 2011 model year not during the first year. Nissan is not going to confirm that this is coming otherwise it would possibly hurt sales of the 2009 Maxima. It is very important for the new model to launch with decent sales numbers, they don't want another sales disappointment like the Titan (or the last Infiniti Q).

Some in the rumormill have also tried putting 2 and 2 together and have declared that the announced 2010 Maxima diesel and that the Maxima SR performance variant are one and the same car. If you look at what some other vendors have done with the higher powered diesels in Europe this isn't to hard to believe. BMW, Mercedes and Audi have top-end performance diesel cars that can play with the best gas-powered cars. Considering the Nissan-Renault alliance engine and its stated performance goals it is likely that it will become the most powerful Maxima engine option.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09...w-renault-v-6/

It only makes sense that Nissan would use this to their advantage when trying to market the new Max as a return of the 4DSC. The 2009 model smacks of too much compromise in a car that had an announced goal of benchmarking the Porsche GT3 for performance. Not to say that the 2009 is not a good car but, hopefully the 2010 (or 2011) is the car that can better live up to aforementioned claim.

 

I wonder what extras will be on the SR model that won't be on the fully equipped model, other than a possible MT. The sportiest thing so far that I have heard was from a rep from nissan north america at stillen. He said the SV models will have extra "bracing"(what that means, I do not know) in the rear (that the S will not have) to tighten up the back for a sportier feel. If they keep the CVT tranny in the SR, they may add new algorithms that will make the pseudo shifting more aggressive(its got potential seeing as though it does sub 6 seconds in 0-60 tests), maybe a stiffened front and rear suspension?

 

Mr. Blue Sky - The 'extra bracing in the back' has to do with changing the basic body structure.

In place of the normal wide open vertical portion of the body right behind the back seat that allows the back passenger side and central portion of the rear seats to be folded down, leaving a wide opening to the trunk, the 'extra bracing' version simply closes in much of that opening with a strong metal wall, leaving only a smaller center opening.

This clearly adds rigidity to the body, but reduces the trunk-to-rear seat passthru to a smaller opening that will handle things like skis and poles, but nothing bulky.

I see this as a tradeoff between functionality and practicality (wide opening) and extra rigidity for higher performance (narrow opening). To each his own.

 

another hype up thread i knew it was coming. well weather it will come in 6spd or not, my next ride is gonna be a G regardless. the 7th gen is nice tho. my mom is considering buying one, i'll just give her tips and pointers when she gets hers.

 

kencapel - Good choice. The G is an excellent car. If you have the extra money, don't mind the slightly less roomy interior, and dig the G styling, that is the way you should go. Whether we buy a Maxima or an Infiniti, Nissan makes money either way.

 

Not sure which one has slightly less roomy interior now.

 

The G has not only had less interior room because of less cubic feet of space; it has seemed cramped laterally in the front seat area for several years, and seemed cramped in the back seat area because of scant knee room. By contrast, virtually all car mag reviews of recent years always mention the generous space inside the Maxima, front and rear.

Based on the fact the '09 Maxima is even wider than previous Maximas, and the Maxima's front legroom has always been generous, I expect it will now seem even roomier in front. There is a loss of just over an inch in the '09 Maxima in back seat knee room. Since back seat knee room has been an area where the Maxima has had more than ample room, I don't expect the back knee room of the new Maxima to feel as cramped as the G's back seat has always been.

The area where the G may now equal the Maxima in room is front (on double-paneled roof models only) and rear (on all models) headroom. It will be interesting to see how tall drivers fit into the new Maxima.

Overall, I still see the '09 Maxima as feeling roomier than the G, except in headroom, which could be important for taller folks. We will soon know.

 

Light, here are some numbers that will help us compare the G35 sedan's interior dimensions with that of the 09 Maxima. After going through them, let me know if you still decide that the G35 sedan has a less roomy interior than the 09 Maxima.


09 Maxima dimensions (source http://nissan.iconicweb.com/assets/s...ifications.pdf):

Overall Length 190.6 inches
Width 73.2 inches
Height 57.8 inches
Track Width (front/rear) 62.4 inches/62.4 inches
Passenger Volume 96.2 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/ moonroof 38.5 inches/36.4 inches
Front/Rear Hip Room 53.4 inches/53.9 inches
Front/Rear Leg Room 43.8 inches/34.6 inches


08 G35 sedan dimensions (source http://www.infiniti.com):

Overall Length 187.0 inches
Width 69.8 inches
Height 57.2 inches
Track Width (front/rear) 59.8 inches/60.2 inches
Passenger Volume w/o moonroof 99.0 cubic feet
Passenger Volume w/ moonroof 96.5 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/o moonroof 40.5 inches/37.7 inches
Front/Rear Head Room w/ moonroof 39.1 inches/37.2 inches
Front/Rear Hip Room 55.1 inches/53.7 inches
Front/Rear Leg Room 43.9 inches/34.7 inches

 

Its pretty close but it looks like the G is roomier.

 

Deus, you are right!

Now here is something that surprised me. I was comparing the dimensions of the 09 Maxima with that of the 08 Sentra and figured that one cannot say the 09 Maxima is roomier than the 08 Sentra. While the Maxima has 1.4" more of front leg room and 0.9" more of rear hip room, all the other dimensions, including passenger volume, are either very close or in favor of the Sentra.

Here are the numbers for comparison.

09 Maxima dimensions (source http://nissan.iconicweb.com/assets/s...ifications.pdf):

Overall Length 190.6 inches
Width 73.2 inches
Height 57.8 inches
Track Width (front/rear) 62.4 inches/62.4 inches
Passenger Volume 96.2 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/ moonroof 38.5 inches/36.4 inches
Front/Rear Hip Room 53.4 inches/53.9 inches
Front/Rear Leg Room 43.8 inches/34.6 inches


08 Sentra 2.0 S,SL dimensions (source http://www.nissanusa.com):

Overall Length 179.8 inches
Width 70.5 inches
Height 59.5 inches
Track Width (front/rear) Up to 60.8 inches
Passenger Volume 97.7 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/o moonroof 40.6 inches/37.3 inches
Front/Rear Hip Room 54.1 inches/53.0 inches
Front/Rear Leg Room 42.4 inches/34.5 inches


I always felt that roominess is one very important aspect of luxury. I cannot feel I am in a luxurious environment if I do not have adequate space to free my arms and legs and move my body a little. It is true that the 09 Maxima comes with a lot of gadgets and three choices of leather but missing that roominess which I treasure and so do many (or most?) Americans.

Now that Nissan has made the 09 Maxima clearly smaller than the Altima, and somewhat comparable in size to the G35 and Sentra, I wonder what the purpose of the Maxima is. Surely the new gadgets, even the new interior design, along with the updated CVT will be transferred to the Altima during its midcycle refresh (2010 or 2011?). Is it the little (20/3) more hp/torque than the Altima V6? Couldn't Nissan put that much more hp/torque along with sporty suspension in a slightly more costly Altima SE-R (or even much more costly Sentra SE-R V6 if size is so important) and entirely drop the Maxima, thereby saving a lot?

Currently the largest sedan in the Nissan/Infiniti lineup is the M35/45 which sells for about $45k+. The 6th gen Maxima was similar in size to the M but $15k less costly. So now if someone wants a large (close to full size) Nissan sedan, he has to shell out a whopping $45k which most people will not. As a result, they will go for an Accord or Avalon or ... Thus, by making the Maxima much smaller, Nissan has completely wiped out a class of vehicle from its lineup -- a large sedan below $30k. Not only that, it has created competition among its own vehicles -- Altima V6, Maxima, G35 sedan. The 6th gen Maxima clearly stood out from the Altima V6 and G35 due to its size, what makes the 09 Maxima stand out? Is this a smart move on the part of Nissan? Only time will tell.

 

You can sit here and play a numbers game all you want but until you actually sit in all of those cars on the same lot you cannot make a judgment as to which one feels roomier. Interior numbers can be measured from sloped or curved surfaces that don't tell the whole story.
An example would be headroom, Car A has a measurement of 40.8 inches, Car B has 37.5 inches. Car B has the better headroom though. The reason is that the seating position in Car A was set 4 inches higher (like an SUV seat), Car B's seat was set lower thus it actually had greater headroom.
In the past I personally have had problems in cars with supposedly greater legroom, the reason was that the center console intruded into the footwell too far and my right leg was always plastered up against the console side (unless I used cruise control).
Hence, I will be holding off my judgment until I can actually sit in the car(s).

I also think most people on this board prefer a higher performance, better handling car as opposed a vehicle in the 4000lbs Avalon boat class.
I consider it a good thing that a company in this day and age at least tries to do something different and not just follow everyone else like so many sheep.

This thread was originally about "enthusiast" SR model confirmation.

 

i have to say, everyone is saying why get a max over a G
have you ever seen the amount of back seat between the G and the max
NO COMPARISON, max is way larger in interior space, unless they changed it all around for this 7th gen it will still have more room and be more comfortable then a G

 

By the stats posted above looks like the G has more overall passenger cubic space (w/o moonroof) than the Maxima.

The original post states one of the trims will be SL, which stands for luxury. Has Nissan had an SL before, and if yes what are some of the luxury features? I'll also be curious to see the pricing on the SL version. If it's in Infiniti G territory I will probably be doing some cross shopping.

 

Hey guys I would just like to point out 1 little thing that some of us might be overlooking. We have all these numbers that may lead you to think one way or another. Please take these numbers with a grain of salt, as these numbers are volume numbers, im sorry but I am not made of 100% air or water. Which means you may have an overall number that could be great but as stated above you just have to get into the car, set your seat to your preference and then see how you feel about the space.

 

The way I judge space is by sitting in a car. I have actually sat in the G35, and I honestly felt cramped. Over the past several years, there have been plenty other posters here who said exactly the same thing.

I remember having the thought that Infiniti had made a decision that it was more important for the center console to feel like it has plenty of room than for the driver to feel like he has plenty of room. I don't know yet how the back seat of the '09 Maxima will feel, but I absolutely know how the back seat of the G35 feels, and I certainly wouldn't want to make anything but a short trip in that seat.

I sense a conundrum. For the last five years, there have been hundreds of complaints here about how the Maxima has gotten too big and has lost its tight handling. So Nissan stops the growth tendency, shortens and widens the car, gives it a more athletic shape, a more rigid body, and makes lots of upgrades to the chassi. So now the complaints simply move to other areas, such as 'no roomier than a G35'.

I get the sense that folks are expecting more from the Maxima than they should. And the incessant comparison with the G35 shows a mind that is not totally logical. The G35 recently tested by Motor Trend had an MSRP of between $39K and $40K. I can get that car from my Infiniti dealer for around $36K. By comparison, a fairly loaded Maxima from my local dealer can be had for around $32K. To expect the $32K car to be better overall than a $36K car tells me someone skipped class during economics 101.

Both the G35 and the Maxima are excellent cars, but Infiniti is considered to be a luxury line, while the Nissan Maxima is considered to be 'near luxury'. For the money, the Maxima is the better buy, and probably always will be. Those who have the extra money and prefer the G35 are also getting a fine car. But expecting the less-expensive Maxima to be better than the G35 isn't totally fair.

The Maxima is what it is, and certainly meets all my needs at a price I can afford. Although I can afford the extra money to buy a G35, it was a clearly less comfortable and less desirable vehicle for my needs. To each his own.

 

for the money altima-V6 is the better buy, if you like rwd or awd then there is the G line,
so what do you get if you buy a maxima over fully loaded altima? a little less space inside, exciting exterior lines, better interior. I'd say most people can live without those and save money by getting the alti. And as a bonus you get the 6speed.

 

The Altima comes in a hybrid now too, but I still like the new Maxima better and when the diesel Maxima comes out it will do better than the Altima hybrid. Not to get sidetracked but I've read you can put biodiesel in a diesel car. It will have to be B11 or B20, but no higher mix than that without putting a converter in the engine. Some say biodiesel fuel keeps the engine cleaner and can add another 2 mpg. In the Chicagoland area, where I live, and many parts or Iowa and Minnesota you can buy biodiesel. I advocate this as I want to see less dependency of foreign oil.

 

i really dont care about the weight, just rwd and the badge pretty much. but i could settle for either

 

BluFlame - Based just on measurements, performance and price, yes, the Altima is one of the best buys available. Consumer Reports absolutely loves the Altima. Those folks who are really tight with their money, but want a nice passenger car, should look at Altima first.

Working against the Altima are those everlasting and ghastly misfiring rocket tail lights (I'm far from the only Alti tail light hater), the fact there are millions on the road (you literally meet yourself coming and going), the fact the Altima can be bought in some versions for around $17K to $18K (the general public doesn't know 2.5 from 3.5, and does not appreciate how good the Alti 3.5 is), and the fact most of us now live where traffic is so bad (gridlock) a manual would be meaningless.

For those like me, who want a car that won't be in every garage in the neighborhood, as well as in every parking place at the mall, who must have a heated steering wheel, and eagerly awaits the '09 Maxima's internally air-conditioned driver's seat and double-paneled sunroof, the Altima is just another (very good) Accord/Camry rival. But not my cup of tea.

 

It could be very well for those same exact reasons that people will opt for the Maxima. Budget-minded people will for sure go for the Altima, especially in base-trim forms (as so obviously seen on the road these days, the "Cure for the Common Car" has now become the common car itself).

There are different types of buyers in this world, some of which may be categorized as those who go for:

- "Best car for the money"
- "The car that i really want, features be damned"
- "Brand recognition is the top priority, price be damned"

This is easily seen in the hordes of, say, BMW 3-series leasers and buyers who get the car solely on brand name alone. There are enthusiasts in the mix for sure, just like Maxima buyers, but it's a small number. And to the majority, it's not about price, performance or even features.

Then there are those that go for the best bang for the buck (which is very subjective, "bang for buck" can be defined in terms of, say, TCO, or maybe even in terms of the features one gets, and again to enthusiasts the amount of feedback the car gives you while still offering creature comforts).

Etc., Etc., Etc...

 

Interesting that you say that. My dealer has a heck of a time selling V6 Altimas. His experience is that once they've decided to spend the money for the V6, at least 95% of them decide to move up to the Maxima for the prestige and improved creature comforts.

 

GLE
GXE
SE
SE-R

Good ole days....

 

... only because after all incentives, the price difference between a 08 Altima V6 and a 08 Maxima, comparably equipped, is about $1000 or even less. However, that is not going to be the case between the 09 Altima V6 and 09 Maxima. So not quite sure, your dealer will have heck of a time selling which of the 09 models once they come to the lot.

It is noteworthy that in contrast, during 2007-08, not many customers moved up to the G35 from the Maxima once they decided to spend the money on a V6, even though the G35 was more prestigious -- came with the Infiniti name, more hp/torque, better handling RWD/AWD, and more luxurious. The reason is the same -- price difference -- which was more than $5000 for comparably equipped 08 Maxima and 08 G35 after considering all incentives. However, if Nissan prices the 09 Maxima too close to the 09 G35, we will see many customers moving up to the G35 from the Maxima once they have decided to spend the money on a V6 or just go for the much lesser priced Altima V6.

Everyone wants value for the money. Lets see if the 09 Maxima can provide that.

 

the fact is 4-cyl altima is more than enough for 80% of the buyers, in terms of power.

I'd like to see a bigger gap between alti and maxi, otherwise I have to move finiti side but i will consider passat, mazda6 even audi a4.