Just received the April Consumer Reports annual auto issue:

"The highlight of the redesigned Maxima is its smooth, powerful 3.5 liter V6 that is mated to a continuously variable transmission. Acceleration is very quick, and it gets 22 mpg overall, but on premium fuel. The steering is oddly weighted. It is overly light at low speeds and firms up rather abruptly, which takes away from the car's handling. A low roof line inhibits rear access and visibility. Controls are simple to use, and the front seats are very comfortable and supportive, but interior materials and rear-seat room aren't as impressive."

They do not give it a "check recommended".

 

Not too surprising from a CR evaluation. The "check recommended" status is usually withheld from any new models. Give them a year to accumulate some data and the new Max will probably get the CR's thumbs up.

Anybody here submitting reports on your Maxima for Consumer Reports?

 

I have been a Consumer Reports subscriber since spring of 1961, and would not dream of missing a chance to rave about my Maxima (as I have been doing for decades). I also report on every appliance in our home, as well as vote for candidates for the CU board. The rating packet should arrive in about six weeks.

I was dismayed by some inconsistencies in CU's rating of sporty family sedans in their February 2009 issue (which arrived around January 12). In reviewing the Maxima, CU mentioned screw heads sticking out in the passenger compartment, inferior interior materials, torque steer, etc, etc, and I have had none of those problems in my '09.

Also, they do not recommend vehicles the first year after a redesign, BUT DID recommend the newly redesigned Accura TL, which went on sale later than the '09 Maxima. That was about as blatant a show of prejudice as I ever remember by CU. Of course I don't expect to see my letter of complaint show up in a future issue. The only letter to the editor I ever had publuished by CU was decades ago, when I raved about the expansion of their auto reliability tables. I guess that is par for the course.

 

Yea, that makes sense it didn't have the check yet. I wonder if they'll do a long term test or just gather data

 

I suspect this will be the only test they do (they almost never test a car more than once between redesigns). They will gather data from subscribing drivers each year, and I hope they are more honest with that data than they were with their so-called in-house 'test'.

 

Yea, I guess we'll find out

 

CR gives automatic recommendations to Hondas and Subarus because neither has had a model below average in recent memory. Nissan's record is much more spotty, so not automatic recommendation for the Maxima.

TrueDelta.com has a survey process that can yield much faster results than CR's. We've had results for some 2009s for over six months now. We'd love to track the 2009 Maxima, but need more signed up to participate first.

Details here:

Car reliability research

 

TrueDelta wants license plate number before inputing any information. I don't think so.

 

Man, damn near all Car Mags are the same, one will say they like this and then the other will say they hate this or that about the car.

The thing to remember about Car Mags is that the ppl who write in them get paid to do that job, the comments and results are purely their own and most of the Car Mag ppl tend to be RWD and Manual Trans folks anyway so they are not going to be big on the Maxima in the first place.

I'm glad that I don't buy my cars based on the spotty reporting of all of these various Car Mags because you'll never be able to find a perfect car for yourself if you listen to those ppl.

If they can find fault in a Ferrari Fiorano then I'm sure they can find fault in a Maxima, this just goes to show you how Nitpicky and difficult most of them can be.

 

Actually, that information is not required. The main reason we ask for it is that some people will, for example, own two silver Honda Accords, and need a way to tell them apart. We thought we might also have to use this information to verify that vehicles actually exist, but so far this has never been necessary.

You can just enter the color of the car.

 

bk2k3max - I procured full rights to the 'doubting Thomas' position on maxima.org through a fair and reasonable bidding process. I would appreciate it if you do not infringe on my area by expressing my exact thoughts before I have a chance to post them.

 

That statement about why CU gives Hondas and Subarus a 'free pass' explains several things, and is sort of understandable. Nissan takes a hit on such vehicles as Quest (much worse than average for years until very recently. Other than that, a fairly nice vehicle built on an older Maxima chassi), Armada (iffy reliability for years, but finally up to 'average'), and Titan (large pickups - the one area where American products are very good. Although Titan quality has recently improved, I think Nissan will either drop it or let Chrysler produce it).

Which brings us to True Delta. As a 48 year subscriber to CU, I have long been frustrated by the delays inherent in an annual rating system. For instance, I bought my 2000 Maxima in July 1999, received the annual CU survey in April 2000, filled it out and mailed it in, then saw the results of that survey in March 2001 (April issue). What is wrong with that picture?

As one who usually buys the first model year after new generation of a car comes out, CU offers me little help with my purchase. CU has probably the world's best data set of historical problems with cars. But I need current info. Because of this, I will be enrolling my '09 in True Delta within the next few days.

 

Nissan said the titan will be dropped as of 2010 and a new model will arrive based on the Dodge Ram

 

Wow, you really get it. I've tried to explain the value of having much more up-to-date results, but most people just can't see it.

Email for the survey covering March goes out today. Need just a couple more 2009 Maximas signed up to include them in the survey.

Car reliability research

 

I guess us "old folks" (taken from the post about the CVT) think alike. It's funny how embedded though the ideas that those car mags place into people's heads because I too feel victim when I read in one car mag they said that the G8 was running low 13's in the 1/4 mile and I was out at the Raceway the other day and witnessed a G8 consistently running 14.58 in the 1/4.

The first thought I had was "damn, I could've sworn those things ran 13's" and then I remember thinking I read it in one of the car mags. Amazing how that thing that thing that most critics write about their beloved RWD/Over 300HP cars backfired on them.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we all shouldn't be so swayed by what we read because in the end it's all about what you want and you shouldn't let someone else's opinion dictate what you do or don't do.

 

I just signed up.

Thanks

 

I signed up also.

 

I Dont remember ever seeing a Maxima on the recommended list...am I wrong?
(7th,6th, or 5th gen)

 

6th gen was recommended.

 

All years haven't been recommended? The bar isn't that high--only average or better in both the reliability survey and the road test evaluation.

 

There is current auto issue that I saw earlier in Borders,now they recommend the 03 as a best buy with good ratings and recommended the 07 with good ratings. The 04 was well below average and not recommended. Also saw were they recommened the 99..... in the 4-6,000 dollar range as used. The 7th gen was now ranked right behind the TL in the premium car class but was not recommended but had a great rating. I don't recall the other recent year Maxima's.

 

Well I guess it kinda makes sense that the Max wouldnt be recommended too often...I mean its only available in FWD and with only one engine/transmission choice. For the current one they ***** about the back seat being to small and that it requires premium gas. And I cant think of any other FWD sedan being more expensive, exept the Avalon...

 

None of this would keep the Maxima from being "recommended." To not be recommended, it's reliability must be "below average" in their survey.

A car has to be truly awful to not rate at least "good" in the road test.

 

Quite the contrary. Except for a newly redesigned generation for which CU hasn't yet gotten subscriber input, ALL MAXIMAS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN RECOMMENDED by CU. I have all the old CU auto issues with which to prove it. The Maximas are not only recommended in the abbreviated writeups, they also show well in the reliability tables, as well as in the 'Used Cars to Look For' section, which ALWAYS includes Maximas from all recent generations.

The FWD/RWD/AWD and/or engine/tranny availability have absolutely nothing to do with whether CU recommends a car. CU tests what is there, and tells you if other options are available. If you think CU has complaints about the new Maxima, read their writeup on the new TL. Lost of complaints there, and they didn't even include the ugly styling, because CU isn't into evaluating styling.

To even mention 'only one engine' shows a complete lack of understanding of what the Maxima is all about. When you have what Wards ALWAYS includes in its list of best engines in the world, it would be very foolish to muddy the waters by throwing in a four banger or lower-powered 6 cylinder, and we certainly don't need a larger engine in a FWD family passenger sedan.

 

True they have been recommended but if you go into the pages that have the breakdown of whats good and whats bad of each years model only certain years of each generation rate good. So they base it on if a majority of the years in that generation ranked good, ex. 6th gen. 07 and a few other years ranked good in value as used car, 04 ranked bad etc...

 

That is from Consumer Guide not Consumer Report lol

 

Sorry light, I disgree , I could use another 30-40 HP!!

 

Before all these technical innovations that keep drive wheels from spinnning, I firmly felt 300HP (or slightly above) might be the somewhat practical 'upper range' for a FWD vehicle, as maximum acelleration takeoffs tended to throw the car's weight rearward, putting the downward weight of the car more on the rear wheels, resulting in the front wheels having a tendency to spin.

But with spinning drive wheels no longer a problem, if Nissan gave us more HP WITH THE SAME FUEL EFFICIENCY, I would certainly buy it. :>)

 

Well is not the HP its the torque that these cars produce dow low that causes the problems. Every since 02 with the 3.5 these cars have been front wheel drive torque monsters that if you even have the stickiest tires they will burn rubber and take off like h*ll, and in 02 when a few dynoed them they were producing alot more torque than Nissan advertised. Since hp comes into play at higher speeds mainly I feel that the car sould handle 300-310 hp, but I'm afraid that they would change the torque curve to produce at higher rpms/speeds. Sorta like they did in the 350 in 06 and for the 05 35th anniversary ed., from 03-05 it was down low torque monster and in 06 with the higher reving engine it got few more horses for better high end pull but loss the low end torque. 07 350 with the HR pulls well down low and up top!

 

 

It could go either way: improve engine breathing at high rpm, which can harm engine breathing at lower rpm, or do something that bumps the entire torque curve.

FWIW, HP = TQ*RPM/5252

 

You can enter your car color.... Reading is a great thing.

 

Haven't you heard? No one has time to read anymore. This is a huge challenge for us.

 

TrueDelta will have updated results for some earlier model years in a couple of weeks, but we had a slow start for the 2009. Hoping for a result in November for the 2009, but it's going to be tight. Twenty owners signed up to participate so far. Another 5-10 would be very helpful.

Car reliability research

 

I go to truedelta every month, hoping that enough of my fellow '09 owners will have decided to participate that I can get a feel for how our great new '09 Maxima is doing.

Alas, each month so few participate that the data is insufficient to present. Come on, Maxima lovers. We can do better. The more folks that participate, the more meaningful and useful truedelta's results will be.

 

I'm guilty I need to start doing this....

 

Have been with TD since I started having small problems with my 06 Murano. Anywho, just added my Max, and looking forward to my first survey!

 

Thanks, I appreciate your help. Some people have trouble with the Murano, but that's the case with any car. Overall it's about average in reliability.

We'll probably have an initial result for the 2009 Maxima in November. 27 owners signed up so far. Another 10-15 would greatly increase the odds of a full result.

Results recently posted for previous generations:

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

These results cover through the end of June--now 14 months ahead of CR's current results.