I keep seeing posts where people are hating on the Maxima's performance or that of the CVT tranny.
Not sure if people are hating because they believed Nissan's "4- Door Sports Car" campaign of days gone by and are finding out that this was nothing more than a marketing ploy by Nissan.

Sure, the Maxima did offer respectable performance when the Maxima was offered with a manual transmission, but how many generations ago was that?
It seems like people hate because the Maxima's performance is a lot farther away from that of the 350/370Z than they would like.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, let's be realistic-- the Maxima is a sporty sedan, but it's NOT a sports car. While there are many of us here that would like to drive a 350/370Z for its performance, I am sure that each of us here has a reason why they are driving a Maxima instead.

I find it interesting to see people complaining about the Maxima's performance. Is it because you didn't know what you were getting when you bought the car? I'm pretty sure that if you're on this forum, you are a car enthusiast and knew EXACTLY what you were getting by purchasing the Maxima-- and yet, you bought it anyway...

I used to own a 2003 350Z with the MT. But now, I drive a 2014 Maxima SV Sport. BIG step down in performance. But I'm okay with that because having a comfortable daily driver is now what is important to me. I knew exactly what I was getting when I signed the papers at the Nissan dealership.

I think Nissan has brain-washed a lot of people with their "4-Door Sports Car" ad campaign for the Maxima. Somehow, I don't think that there's as many owners being critical about the performance of their cars on the Camry or Avalon forums...

 

It's a sporty sedan.

I'm coming from a Mazdaspeed 6
AWD, 6 Speed manual
That car is/was a 4DSC.

I love the CVT, especially in sport mode
The Max takes off like scaled cat

 

Isn't that marketing's job? If they create sales by making bold statements that are not false they did their job, and did it very well. That statement is very subjective, meaning different things to different people.

In my own case this car is the sportiest 4 door sedan I have ever owned. For me it is a 4-door sports car.

 

I agree with Richard.

 

I agree with you in that it is one of the sportiest 4-door sedans I've ever owned. This is my third Maxima that I've owned in my lifetime. Especially when compared to cars like the Toyota Avalon or even Honda Accord, I think the Maxima is much sportier AND better looking.

I would say that you and the majority of the owners here on the forum are happy with your car. Like I said in my original post, I'm talking about those that complain about the car's performance because it's not "Z-like" enough for them. I'm just saying that perhaps their expectations are a little too high.
If you are realistic about your expectations on performance (our cars will do 0-60 mph in about 5.8 seconds which is very decent for a 4 door) than the Maxima will live up to your expectations...

 

I've read enough on this site to tell that peoples needs and wants usually travel in different directions eventually ending up clashing with one other, thereby spending 5-10K in performance mods hoping to get what they really wanted only to be disappointed in the end finding out the 7th gen is still mostly a very good sporty 4 door sedan CVT and all.

 

I never bought into "4DSC" on the 7th gen, and am glad that sticker was not on the window of my 2014. The Maxima is what it is, a sporty fwd family hauler. I knew it was no faster than the Altima/Accord/Camry V6 family sedans when I bought it, but I still love it over the others due to its sporty ride/handling and good looks. When you throw in the fact that I got a loaded Max for thousands cheaper than loaded versions of those other cars it was a win/win for me.

I also really like the CVT, even if Nissan limits the power 0-30 and at higher speeds (likely to save tranny from us racing it from every stoplight). Now that I am used to it, conventional auto transmissions feel old-school to me.

 

I knew what was I was buying. This is my fourth Maxima. I've owned a 1992 GXE, 1996 GXE, 2002 SE, & now my 7th generation. I really like my car. I made a few tweaks to the suspension & made the car even better for me. Power wise, I'm good with what it does.

 

Out of my two cars the 4 door sports car is definitely not the Maxima.

 

I agree... Unless you're going to do something radical like dropping a turbo or supercharger in the Maxima, you will only get modest performance gains from adding things like a cold air intake or even an upper intake plenum (I had both in my 2002 Maxima)...
But it kept me interested till I bought a 2003 350Z...

 

I think the Maxima is the sportiest family sedan out there. It can wear many different jackets to satisfy many different tastes.

 

I did...woops.

 

I did to a certain extent...but what made me more of a believer was when I stayed right on the tail of a friend's 2005 350z (auto) with borla exhaust and a CAI a few years ago when driving my wife's 2009 maxima with zero mods. From around 60-120 we were literally nose to tail

 

Right on man. Granted I've done a few mods but I think this car kicks ***. I have this and a beater and I feel priveleged every day that the weather is nice and I get to drive mine. I keep mine garage kept and don't drive in rain or snow or dirty roads as to keep it clean. Call me a snob. But it takes forever to clean this biotch so it just makes sense to me. At any rate I love this damn car.

 

I don't think advertising made us pick this car. Nor did I think I was buying a coupe with a v-8. It is exactly what a lot of people have said. It has great curves, is sporty for a 4 door, and is fun to drive for a FWD sedan. Of course this is my 4th one! This to me is a niche car since it is really fighting only a couple of other cars out there including the Avalon and some others. I wouldn't compare this to accord or Camry, that's the Altima's class. I love these cars and I will continue to love them for there looks and value for what you get.

 

Coming from a heavily modified bugeye (wrx), I knew what I was getting into when purchasing my maxima. The maxima is extremely sporty and packs a punch, but by no means is it a 300+whp beast. The maxima fits what I need in my life right now. With two kids its nice to have a comfortable family sedan that can get up and move when I am alone in the car and want to have some fun. Unless your goals are to be out racing wrx, evo, genesis coupes, or 370z this is not the car for you, you have to be realistic here. I love my max, its everything I hoped for.

 

Yeah but by the look of the mods you've done to your car, you definitely picked up where Nissan fell short... LOL

 

Even in the early 4DSC days I had another car that was considered more of a 4DSC which was a '91 SHO.

The '91 SHO definitely was sportier than a '91 Maxima. Nissan had a 160hp single cam 3.0 with a 5,500 rpm redline when Ford teamed up with Yamaha to make a dual cam 220hp 3.0 with a 7,000 redline! The SHO went 0-60 in 6.6 seconds when the Maxima did it in 8.8. The SHO did 15 in the quarter and topped out at 143mph, The Maxima did 16.5 in the quarter and hit 137.

4DSC is strictly marketing crap. Maxima even had a twist beam rear axle for many years. I will say the 4th gen was a great car, they finally had the VQ and the car was very solid and still was built in Japan. The 5th gen was a refined 4th gen and loved my '01 and '03. If that '03 had a 5 speed auto in place of the 4 speed auto it would have been fantastic. The '03 did have a decent amount of power at 255 with the sacrifice of the smoothness the 222hp 3.0 used to have.

 

I never pay attention to advertising, other than to look at the styling.

I carpooled in a 1982 diesel Maxima (yes, the 1st gen had a diesel option), and have owned every generation since. In fact, I have owned nothing but Maximas since buying two 1985 2nd gens in October 1984.

I have loved every Maxima I have ever owned. Styling and function are important to me, and I felt every Maxima generation met my desires in both those categories. Those wanting better than zero to 60 in six seconds are not looking for a 'sporty' car; they are looking for a 'sports' car. I don't need a sports car. Zero to 60 in six seconds with styling I love and ample creature comforts works very well for me.

 

Diesels of the '80's were horrible! Having said that, most cars of the 80's were horrible.

 

My Nissan Maxima is my first car with the company and I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. I had three cars in my life time (1996 Mitsubishi Galant from 04-05, 2002 Mitsubishi Galant from 2005-2012, 2010 Nissan Maxima from 2012- present). The Maxima is best the car I ever owned. It's very smooth and quiet, love the cvt, love the styling and its a head turner

 

Sports Car
—noun
a small, high-powered automobile with long, low lines, usually seating two persons.

Does that make "4 door sports car" an oxymoron? Lol

I have recently become a member of the Max family. I like my windows tinted, so that is usually one of the first things to get done with any new car. I have been debating wether or not to take off the 4DSC sticker in the back window, or get it tinted in forever???
The Max definitely has a sporty feel, but would not call it a sports car by any means.

 

Altima's the new four door sports sedan for Nissan, it had a NISMO model and offered manual transmission longer than the Maxima did. At least in Canada?

When I was new to this brand I always thought the gen 6 Maxima was just a luxury Altima lol.

 

I've always looked at the Maxima as the Japanese Cadillac, not a sports car per say but an entry model into the luxury series. I've had a 96, 2002 and now a 2010. What i'm most disappointed about is the quality of the interior. I hate rattles, my 2002 was awesome in those terms in both summer and winter, my 2010 rattles like no bodies business in the winter! The sunroof sounds like there's 2 loose pieces of something banging against each other until i crack open the sunroof....not what I want to do in 5 degree weather. Now I know that lets them add more bells and whistles to keep the cost down, but that could make this my last Maxima

 

I drove my son's 02 Maxima the other day. I do have to say that even though it almost has 220k miles, it felt more solid than my 7th gen. I will be adding some closed cell foam around the problem areas....this should help.

 

The 7th gen is just a good nice sporty sedan not a "4 door sports car", sorry but that's the titles of the BMW M3s, Audi RS4s, C63 AMGs, Caddilac CTS-Vs etc of the world. Really you dont have to look far outside of nissan to find a better option as far as a sports car with 4 doors, the G35/G37/Q50 literally is a 4 door sports car because its just a stretched 350Z/370Z chassis with a 4 door body plopped on top.

Everytime i hear these debates im just like some of you guys must really have not driven other cars, not just normal speeds up and down the road but actually driven them. You can artificially make any car feel amazing to drive at normal speeds which gives the impression of sportiness, but just push the car around one bend where simple physics takes over. It turns into a completely different experience. The planted and control feeling of the front and rear in all situations, the limited amount of body roll, and the sheer confidence gained from this feeling. Not biting understeer which is often found with the FWD and family cars of the world. Torque steer which is fun for some but most others hate it.

Now i have a heavily modified 4th gen and a very stock E60 BMW. The stock car would wipe the floor with the modified car in any performance situation outside of sheer acceleration. And the E60 is not a sports car.

 

I have been fortunate so far with mine, no rattles or whistles at 46,000 miles. Fingers crossed. Having owned a '01, '03, '05 and now a '13, I agree fit and finish has gone down hill.

 

Sounds familiar to what Nysschen said about infiniti before he left:
http://www.thetorquereport.com/2014/...eau_rouge.html

 

Ya I remember reading that article and this part seems fitting:

"Tell any Cadillac or Audi engineer 'build me a 560hp sports sedan' and you have to reign them in," de Nysschen added in his post. "At Infiniti, it seems easier to push water uphill. More enthusiasm for 'driver's aids', apparently, than 'driver's cars', in some quarters, it would seem."

Nissan has become extremely soft with CVTs in almost everything. Their race cars have total transplant drivetrains in them anymore.

 

I would definitely have to agree! I traded in an E60 for my 7th gen and the handling is nowhere close. That's not to say that I'm disappointed with the Max, but there is a whole other class of 4 door sportiness out there, and I wouldn't consider them to be sports cars either

 

I never did. I see other maxs here in vegas with the 4dsc sticker on the rear window and i just shake my head. Dont get me wrong i love my car for what it is, but as a nissan flagship sedan, it lacks in a major way. And yes i hear the haters now chiming in about infiniti, i know its the parent and they have better sedans and blah blah blah. But im talking strictly nissan. I hope the 8th gen at least has 300hp. In a going green world, we still need some hp, better luxury options and to be competetive.

 

I always thought my 2011 felt mre like a luxury car which was fine with me

 

Nissan sells 2 sports cars--- the GTR and the 370Z. Period.

 

Honestly if I wanted a 4dr sports car I would've gotten into an EVO or STi, but like many here they wanted decent performance with comfort. The maxima does supply just that without steep Benz/bmw/lexus pricing.

I came from an 03 Z also! I do miss the car but it was time to let go. Miss the car but this is still fun for me and great for DD. I guess I'm bias and since the Z, I want to stick to the nissan family.

...I think I'm brainwashed!!!...

 

I'm the same way about Nissans since I've had pretty good luck with them...

 

Right? I've gone from a Acura to a Mitsubishi to a Honda and then finally to a nissan Z and the Z had Andy 0 problems. I say almost cause there's things like bushings cracking/wearing and other parts that just need to be replaced due to usages of the vehicles. The other cars mentioned had things like tranny rebuilds to major engine work.

So yeah loyalty is kinda sticking to nissan at the moment lol.

I love driving my '14 maxima to work and for long trips. So far it's been a pleasure and I'm planning to get another Z in the near future!

 

I like a 4-door performance sedan because 5-days a week I'm carrying a computer bag/case to/from work that I place in the rear floor area behind the drivers seat. Also, a 4-door is handy for hanging shirts on the garment hook that I pick up at the cleaner on the way home from work.

 

Agreed. I do the same everyday!

 

A Porsche Panamera, is a 4 doors sport car, the Maxima is a 4 door sedan with a sporty feel so to speak. After trying a BMW 335i and a M5 recently it felt like even with all the mods I did to the max, it will never feel like that. But even though I will be shopping for an M5 soon I'm still anxious to drive my max after a 7 year garaged face lift.

 

If you are looking at E60 M5 please get the MT. Save yourself the headache of that SMG with its pump failures. The rest of the car is typical BMW BS, seat mat sensors, aux coolant pumps blah blah blah, little things.