http://www.altimas.net/forum/showthr...3&pagenumber=3

Here is the post I am referring too..


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Originally posted by Polished2002
Its still eating me to find out how it fears against the 2002 Max.
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Me too. I've been lurking about the Maxima.org forum since I bought my car and have noticed those guys have quite a superiority complex, to say the least. We Altima drivers have been the ugly stepchildren for so long, it's painfully obvious that they're having a really hard time dealing with the fact that a cheaper car targeted to a "lower" demographic meets and/or exceeds the performance, styling (interior notwithstanding) and handling of their up-on-a-pedestal Maximas. From reading some of their rather ugly posts comparing the two cars, you'd think were we driving hot-rodded Yugos and they were tooling around in M3s. If anyone has seen a more textbook case of Small Pecker Syndrome, please point it out as I'd like to read it.

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When summer time comes we'll see some true 1/4 mile times - not enough regulars to the track have posted their numbers.
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Yep. I've seen a few Maxima timeslips in the low to mid 14-second range that looked pretty impressive, but I've yet to see a reliable-looking dyno run on an '02 Max. I'd be particularly interested in seeing a 6-speed.

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I definitely would like to see some 1/4 mile runs on the car with some VOLK TE-37 wheels or similar weight wheels.
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I have an e-mail buddy in Canada who bought some TE-37s for his modded NX2000. He swears by them -- extraordinarily light, pretty strong and really spiffy looking. They look very nice on his car. I'd be curious to see a timeslip of an '02 3.5 wearing a set of standard-size 17-inch Volks myself. Might be worth a tenth or two if the stock wheels are as heavy as reported. (When I rotate my tires for the first time in about 6000 miles, I'll report the grunt factor here for all to see. Hehehe.)

Jarrod

 

 

however the new maxima compares to the new altima, they have to remember that every other altima other than the 02 is disgustingly hideous and slow. i have no problems with the altima comepting with the maxima. i still like the maxima better.

 

That guy seems alright. He mentioned Canada is his post!!!

 

you mean he was alright up until the point right???

 

ok

 

but doesn't every car owner think they're car is better, especially on a BBS?

 

Russ, you sure know how to drag a lurker out of his hole, don't you?

I'd been meaning to post a thread on this forum for the last month or so on this subject and hadn't gotten around to it. Now that my words have been lifted from afar, so to speak, I suppose I'd better pipe up and offer some 'splaining.

First of all, I don't think everyone here suffers from SPS. I've seen more than a few posts from what seem to be rational people regarding the new Altima. A few have praised its exterior design; some have briefly shown interest in the multilink IRS; a number have expanded on the VQ35 (naturally), although mostly to debate whether it puts out 240 horsepower, 255, or some number in between as installed in the Nissan passenger cars.

However, the people in the SPS crowd (and you know who you are ) have said some pretty vicious things about the '02 Altima that frankly have taken me aback at times. I just don't get it. I may be mistaken here, but I assume that the majority of folks on this forum are Nissan enthusiasts as well as MaxiManiacs, so what's to be gained by taking cheap shots at a car whose platform you'll be riding around on next year should you buy an '03 Maxima? Other than the interior design, which I won't attempt to explain because I can't, and possibly the taillights, which are a love-'em-or-hate-'em kinda thing (ring a bell, fifth-generation owners?), I think the car is one heckuva home run and just the thing to hoist Nissan out of the sea of red ink it's been drowning in for years. And as you all surely know, a company flush with cash is much more apt to market niche performance cars to gearheads like us than one struggling to keep its head above water by offering massive rebates and incentives just to move its utterly nondescript and boring inventory.

I've also seen the following question posted rhetorically here more times than I can count: Why would anyone lay out $25K for a new Altima when you can get a flagship Maxima for the same price? Well, I struggled with this very question when I decided that my most beloved ten-year-old Sentra SE-R was due for retirement. I knew I wanted a VQ35. And I also knew I wanted it in something other than a pickup truck with extra seats. That left the Maxima, a known quantity, and the brand-new Altima, an underwhelming but nevertheless reliable and dirt-cheap last-generation example of which my wife drives.

So my thinking went like this: The '02 Maxima is a four-year-old design due for revamping next year that looks a bit dated and hasn't aged all that well, having been frumpy to begin with. Offered as standard equipment is the Beam-O-Matic, which no matter how you dress it up is inexcusable in a flagship near-luxury car such as this. Plus, everyone and his dog drives one in my part of the country; they're as common as Accords.

The '02 Altima, however, is a brand-new design that's really very bold and, I think, sexy as hell for a four-door family car. Interior space is cavernous, especially the back seat, which is positively Town Car-like. It has a trick aluminum multilink rear suspension in addition to the gee-whiz factor of an aluminum hood and decklid. It has the same VQ35 in the Maxima, possibly detuned a bit although nobody knows for sure. And in 3.5-liter form it's extremely rare and will continue to be so, as not many folks will want to pony up the extra $5K or so for the V6 when the four-cylinder model tools around town just fine. Sadly, the car also has an interior that clearly involved the reverse-engineering of a Pontiac, right down to the materials supplier.

So what to buy? Well, you know what I went with. But I think the Maxima is a fantastic car as well. And I think Nissan makes a heckuva little car in the Sentra. And the pickup truck ain't too bad. Neither are the SUVs. You get the idea. I don't necessarily think that the Altima is "better" than the Maxima or vice-versa. It's different. No car is perfect, and the faults for both of these cars are pretty ticky-tack when you get right down to it. Excluding exterior design, which is way too subjective to qualify here ("The Max looks better!" "No, the Altima does!" "No, the MAX!" "Boner! Altima!"), the way I see it, if you want a VQ35 with a really nice interior and Jap-hands build quality, go for the Max. However, if you'd like your engine with a fresh and ultra-stiff platform design and an IRS and can live with the cheap interior, then buy the Altima. Especially if you don't mind a redneck in Tennessee throwing most of it together with a set of Vise Grips. (I think the same Billy Bob who built my SE-R whipped together my Altima. Not a bad thing if true, as the SE-R was a rock.)

Jarrod K. Wright
'02 Altima 3.5SE 5-speed
'98 Altima SE 5-speed w/engine package 1A (truck motor)

 

This is pretty much all over from what I have seen.

SuDZ

 

jwright
Lurker


If you worry about what others say about your particular car on various boards, you will probably end up w/ an ulcer. The Altima is nice, if others don't agree, then forget them.

 

anyone got cliffs notes?

 

jwright: You have a very eloquent style of writing. Are you a professional writer or something?

I also agree with what you said, however you shouldn't care if others liked you car or not. You paid for it, you like it, and that's all that matters.

 

I have a tremendous amount of respect for 93-97 Altima's. They were built very solid and can take a tremendous amount of abuse and wear, they are also very peppy for a 4 cylinder, especially with the 5 spd. The 98-2K1 were still great cars but I always hated that dull and dumb rear end. As for the 2K2 Altima, I was anxiously waiting for its release and definitely thought I would wind up buying it. I was convinced that it would be a really great poor mans version of the GS 300/400. I definitely think the exterior styling lives up to that billing, so does the drivetrain, but the interior is just a complete joke. The interior actually looks like a poor mans version of a $15K Pontiac Grand Am. The layout of the climate control/stereo looks like something I would see in a KIA, and dash materials are just plain disgusting, the awesome gated shifter doesnt even help one bit, neither do the knockoff Lexus GS guages which for some reason look horrible even though Nissan ripped them off almost to a T (Minus the indiglo). Now Nissan has already taken steps to try to correct some of this, they have already changed the leather in the Altimas. From the digusting Vinyl looking dotted material, to a more rich looking smooth material. I dont know if they are taking any more steps for now as the changes would have to be drastic.

I think when the 300HP 2003-2004 RWD Maxima comes out, Nissan should make the interior of the Altima look exactly like the outgoing Maxima(Which is pretty damn nice and Nissans version of a slightly poor mans BMW 5 Series interior) as well as give the Altima that 15HP boost. Then the 3rd gen Altima, IMO instantly becomes the best value/overall package that money can buy.

P.S. Were all on the same team.

 

Well said,
to add... I think the 2nd generation Altima, 98-01 years is just as well, if not even better built compared to a 4th generation maxima.. Interior is pretty solid, although yeah, they are ugly as hell from the rear, especially without a spoiler, but still overall decent cars, especially for the money. I think I'd take one even over a 4 banger Accord or Camry in a heartbeat if I was looking for a good deal on a 4 cylinder sedan.

About the new Altima, I can't comment, still haven't gotten a chance to drive one or let alone sit in one.. I'm very interested in seeing just how ****ty the interior really is. For a car like this and in this class, I personally would not be concerned over which car is slightly faster if I was at the point of buying one or the other. Quality and styling would concern me a little more, so the Altima might be slower or faster by .2 of a sec at most.. Big deal, both cars are still damn quick for a sedan under 30k $.

 

<<Well said,
to add... I think the 2nd generation Altima, 98-01 years is just as well, if not even better built compared to a 4th generation maxima.. Interior is pretty solid, although yeah, they are ugly as hell from the rear, especially without a spoiler, but still overall decent cars, especially for the money. I think I'd take one even over a 4 banger Accord or Camry in a heartbeat if I was looking for a good deal on a 4 cylinder sedan. >>

I think the people that bought most 93-2001 Altima's really didnt care much about overall styling or luxury. They just wanted a daily driver that will be reliable for at least 5 years, that also looks very acceptable and seats 5. They really are dime a dozen here in NYC and about a good 80% of them are all GXE Auto's with hubcaps, no moonroof, and really no other options which backs up what I just said.

 

i apologize. i have never liked the "bubbly" rear of the altimas. thats just my opinion. i didnt mean to sound like an a$$. the "disgustingly hideous" part was overboard but all i meant was that i dislike the rear end of the previous altimas.

 

Jeff and Max, your point is well taken. You're exactly right on this. I hope I didn't give the impression I was up nights with cold sweats over what's been posted on the Maxima.org forum. But I know more than a few '02 owners on Altimas.net -- myself included -- were a bit puzzled by some of the more hostile posts here. They didn't make sense, but then again neither does the Aztek, and I only occasionally get bothered by *that* abomination.

The gist of my rather verbose post (my apologies) was summed up by NYC GXE rather well: "We're all on the same team." We're both dressed properly for a night on the town; you folks here just have silk linings in your dinner jackets.

Thank you for your kind words, but no, I'm not a writer. Although with my, ah, style I think if I was, I'd demand to be paid by the word. Or syllable.

Thanks for your input, folks.

Jarrod K. Wright
'02 Altima 3.5SE 5-speed
'98 Altima SE 5-speed

 

 

The last 2 years of the Stanza was the best looking Altima in my book:P j/k

When comparing Altima to Maxima, the key faults of both are;

Beam in the Maxima.
Interior in the Altima.

I really don't think the beam in the Maxima is that inferior. It's very light as compared to most other beam suspensions it is compared to because the others also have drivetrain components. So, that helps That being said, I prefer the Max

DW

 

We have some people with an Acura CL complex over here..

 

Exactly why my almost 60 year old Dad got rid of his 96 troublesome Grand Am GT 5spd for a 2001 Altima GXE Auto. He wanted a reliable daily driver with an auto (due to his shoulder has been hurting now). He doesn't care for much at all. He wanted a car that at least had some pep in the auto form, and the Altima 4cyc met his needs.