Hello people. I'm doing my research on the new Maxima. I'm living in the New York City and the road conditions are crazy. My main concern is a comfortable and smooth ride. I want to get the SV model. Will the sport package with the 19' wheel gives a more comfortable ride or harsher? Should I just go for the premium package? Thanks!

 

A smooth ride in NYC? Surely you jest!

If ride quality is a priority, get the Premium Package. The Sport Package is much tighter and you will feel the bumps more.

BTW, I surmise that the $28K offer from the dealer for an SV+Premium was a red herring?

 

Going with bigger tires always makes the ride harder. You have less air and cushion under the rim and will feel the road more.

 

I have the sports package and it can be a rough ride on bad roads.

 

i test drove the sport pkg and loved the way it drove, did not think it was bad at all. thought it handled bumps excellent..

 

I purchased a sport package and man it was a rough ride. It was so rough that I took the car back to the dealer and exchange for Premium version after 30 minutes of having the car. The dealer let me exchange it without any question.

 

Hey, is it a lot smoother after you changed to the premium version? Can you give more details on how rough the sport package is? Is it a night and day different between 2 versions? So should I opt out the sport option if I live in NYC? Thanks so much!

 

Um...

I think there are 4 versions:

-S
-SV
-SV with Sport
-SV with Premium

S, SV, and SV with Premium are all the same.

Sport Package is the only one that adds some sportiness.

 

Is it noticeable, like night and day different. I live in NC and the road is smooth but man I really feel the bump on the road. I tested both version Sport and Premium. When I test drove the sport, it's a bit bumpy, but I said I can live with it at first. But boy I was wrong, I drove the car from the dealer to my house and turn it back immediately for exchange. It is really bumpy, if you live in NY, I would said forget that Sport and get the Premium. I used to live in MA so I know how the road is like in NYC. Premium ride a lot nicer, Sport rides so rough just like a freaking SUV with bad shock.

Sport version have a different suspension and a 19" Rims and summer tires, so you will need snow tire during winter.

 

Nice wording on the title man.......it's gunna be more stiff with sport so go with base.

 

I never had an issue with the Sport package. Yes, the ride was a little bit firmer but it was not as dramatic as I thought it would be. I personally bought the Premium because I loved the black roof, but I wouldn't have had any problems driving the Sport.

 

I am not going to lie, when I drove both I didn't notice a difference in how they drove.

 

I took both on a 48 hour test drive each.

I found that the SV + Sport responded well to bumps, the turning was sharper, body roll was limited and it felt much more '4DSC'

the SV + Premium is much more softer and luxurious of a ride. There is more body roll, the steering seems a little heavier and over the same bumps was a much more softer ride.

As far as person preference, I say take both out for a spin and decide for yourself. My dealer gave me both cars for 48 (each) and I took them to work and used the same roads both times and really made note of the differences.

In the end I decided on the Premium Package with Navi.

 

Sport model's ride is a little firmer, but get it on the curvy back roads and the difference in handling is very noticeable. This, combined with the looks of the 19" rims, etc. make the Sport worth considering even with the bumpier ride.

 

I haven't drove a 6th gen in a while. How would you guys rate the 7th gen Sport and Prem vs the 6th gen?

example: In terms of sportiness...

7th gen Sport > 6th gen > 7th gen Prem ???

 

I drove the SV Premium and it was smoooth...the Sport package feels a bit more tight in terms of bumps..but it's still smooth.

 

i have the Sport Edition and Live in Bronx which is pothole city in New York and seems to ride well and don't feel bumps alot its a smooth ride in my opinion

 

Youngsters may not be able to detect much difference between the ride of the Sport package and the other three versions (S, SV, SV Premium), but when you are nearer age 100 than age 50, I assure you the difference is both noticable and appreciated.

If I were young again, and lived in an area where the roads were good, I would opt for the Sport because of the tighter handling, flatter turns, a feeling of being planted to the road, etc.

In my dreams, I drive the Sport package, and am still fairly young (under age sixty). But when awake, I am always searching for the next toilet. Desperately. In my SV Premium.

 

I don't think there is a big enough difference between the two IMHO. And didn't the Premium version beat the Sport version in one of those online magazine performance tests?

 

Edmunds test. When it comes to size of wheels and stiffness of suspension there is a law of diminishing returns which in this case apparently is maxed out with about 18" wheels. It has been suggested that summer tires would regain the lead for the Sport suspension but that would be at a cost in tire wear plus the tire costs plus a very minimal gain. I have considered using 17" wheels with a little fatter rubber. My car handles fine and is a little too responsive for my wife who likes to use all of her lane when driving.

 

I agree with this. One additional detail is that the ride difference is more a function of tire profile (sidewall height) than of tire size. Since the 18" and 19" wheel/tire combos are fitting into the same wheel well, the 19" tires need a smaller profile (40 profile, as compared with 45 profile for the 18" tires). The smaller the profile (i.e., the shorter the sidewall), the firmer the ride.

If 19" tires with a 45 profile were mounted on the 19" wheels, they would ride as comfortable as the 45 profile tires on the 18" wheels, but would no longer fit easily into the wheel wells on the '09 Maxima, and would no longer have the slight handling advantage of the 40 profile tires.

'Comfortable ride' is purely a subjective opinion, but it has been my experience that, once the tire profile drops below around 45, the ride will be considered as uncomfortably firm by the AVERAGE driver. Of course the performance fanatics here on the ORG would understandably disagree.

 

i have to dissagree there, i test drove the sport pkg with 19's and i live in MA and the roads now are all pot hole and chewed up. the sport suspension i thought was great! handled nice and not bumpy at all, just nice and firm. I was really impressed taking off ramps , the car handled amazing, as i pushed it doing about 65mph.
its all a matter of taste. i like sport suspensions in my cars. dont like the soft bounce of a reg. suspension and they certainly have more body roll.

 

I would like to know more about this,,, I am going to buy an 09 Max, I test drove the Premium SV it was NICE...but I would like the sport package...unless it makes the ride TOO jarring.

 

Its a smooth ride.

 

Everyone has their own idea of what a 'smooth ride' is. I make it a point to test-drive both versions (SE vs SL with the 6th gen, Sport vs non-sport with the 7th gen), and although I love the firm, flat sports ride and handling when driving around town or on short trips, I love it much less on long freeway trips. In fact, I find it almost painful on long trips on bad roads.

There is another factor to consider; the Drivers Manual and placard inside the '09 specify 33 psi for both sport and non-sport models. I have always carried between 35 and 37 psi on all my Maximas (so my tires will wear evenly). With that higher psi, the sport versions of anything always ride even firmer than when test-driven at dealers, and the non-Sports versions are less-wallowy and better handling than when carrying only 33 psi.

In other words, never buy without trying both.

 

If the tests were accurate there is NO advantage to the sport suspension which is outperformed by the standard set up on skid pad and slalom. For some, the look of 19" wheels may be a factor but if the road tests are correct that is the only reason to get the sport package. It would be interesting to see the HP and torque loss with even bigger wheels such as 20" and above. I have read about 15-20 whp and torque loss in some vehicles. Anyone have any numbers?

 

I drove the non sport SV and it was just fine....so I will have to go back and drive the Sport package to compare.

I suppose a compromise is to have the dealer swap out the stock wheels and phut some bigger ones on there, and add the spoiler. Has anyone done that?

 

I agree with you 100%!! My experience with driving cars that have a selector mode for Sport or Luxury settings has been that you notice how hard the car rides (especially in a Cadillac STS) in Sport Mode but when you switch it to Luxury the car feels soft and floaty-almost as if you're riding on a cloud. (if that makes sense).

As far as Sports cars like the Vette and others, I've always notice how hard the cars ride and it is as though you can nearly feel the pavement through the tires due to the immense grip they put down, you can also feel nearly every bump and ripple in the road which makes it bad for long trips.

So to answer the question: IMO, NO the Sport doesn't ride better than the non sport version, it may grip better and take the turns better due to bigger/wider tires and stiffer suspension but you feel all the bumps and hear more road noise which is bad for long trips as Light and I mentioned.

 

I have read every road test I can on the internet comparing these two packages, and it confounds me that some say the sport package has "not a hint of harshness" while others say it ruins the ride. Wow. No concensous at all.

Even here, some say one, some say another. Oh well...I guess I will have to drive em back to back!

 

Honestly, though I agree with you that there is conflicting info but this is the dilemma you get when you ask for opinions. You know that all saying "Opinions are like Elbows".

The best way is to formulate your own opinion for sure, at least that way you do not allow the biased opinion of others to taint your own driving experience.

 

Each person has their own driving needs. The sport package is tighter and the ride is firmer. The premium is smoother and less harsh. If you have a need to be planted firmly going around a curve, then the sport package is for you.

Here is a little known fact:

Some of the sportiness of the sport package is due to chassis reinforcement in the trunk area. This is why the sport package has a pass-through rather than fold down seats. But the reinforcement is also in the premium package. The way I see the lineup is:

SV < Premium < Sport

 

I was also told that the premium roof is pretty heavy since it's all the fancy glass and what not - that's why they don't make the sport package available with the premium.

 

And as far as the premium not having fold down seats is due to the extra bolsters for the rear passengers. makes sense to hear it, don't know if that is entirely why they did it.

 

The Premium doesn't have the fold-down seats because it has a structural reinforcement panel running across the entire width of the car just behind the back seats, exactly like the Sport version. The panel is solid, except for a small pass-thru behind the rear fold-down console. This panel makes the body much more rigid.

 

That is Nissan's contention. They say all that top weight above the center of gravity is not in keeping with a sporty performance. In looking closely at all the paraphernalia associated with this double-panel roof, I can't say I disagree.

I am still a little surprised that this Premium performed essentially the same as the sport version in some tests. I know the optional summer tires that are available at no charge with the Sports version would have helped its performance. I also feel performance cars might do well with more than 33 psi in the tires. 33 psi can result in a considerable amount of give and roll in the tire sidewalls during extreme maneuvers.

 

Right, the support is there because they can't have the seats fold down because of the extra bolsters. Either way you look at it I feel it's better to not have seats that fold down because increase in performance (due to the reinforcement) and seats wouldn't collapse in a crash. Just my thoughts - it's really not even a big deal.

 

Now I understand what you are saying. I thought you were using the term 'bolster' to denote extra rear seat padding, but you were referring to the increased structural support. I should have understood an NCSUpilot would talk in engineering terms. As an aside, I am a UNC 'tarhole' grad, but have no ill will toward State. State is where I intended to go until I received a scholarship from UNC. State is where my brother spent six years preparing for his career as a nuclear physicist. Good school.

 

I have no complaints about the Sport's ride. I think the 19" rims are a better fit on the Max than the 18"s (IMHO). I like the feel of the handling setup and think there is minimal body roll...it feels very solid in cornering. I have had no problems in the City other than the occassional cringe when I have hit a BAD pothole (the ones where you can see the Taxi's roof in the hole)

 

I will test drive both to see. Thanks!

 

I agree the handling is excelent and very responsive thats very important in case of fast thinking in case of an accident, to me is bit harsh but still smooth...my 2 cents