The 8th generation of the Maxima has begun arriving at the dealers. Can't wait to hear from actual buyers and what their experience is with Nissan's new flagship!

 

Now lets not get too excited.

On second thought, I am VERY excited. Years of waiting, and now it is here! And so far everything seems to indicate it is more than worth the wait.

 

The dealers in my area don't even have an 8th gen on the lot.

 

There are hundreds of Nissan dealerships, so it will take a little time to get this new Maxima out to all lots. But I think Nissan would be wise to get at least one or two to every dealer to take advantage of this intro excitement. Most folks would not consider buying a car they have not even seen in person.

 

My dealer already got two of them, SR and SV in their showroom. I have yet have to check it out since I have to make a visit to the part dept to get some replacement parts for my Max. Gives me the reason to see their new Maxima in person, likely pre-sold by now. Since I have a friend who works in the finance dept. already told me they got two in the showroom. You know how it goes, get the customer in the showroom, instead of roaming in the lot looking for one.

 

Dealers in my area said over the weekend there should be a shipment. Patiently waiting...

 

I see some on that nissan locator if you put the miles out far enough in the search. Biggest issue is that lack of sunroof on the SR. Not sure why they didn't make that an option? Or did they change it since I looked into it?

 

I will be different and say... Why not put shift paddles on the platinum? The 2011 premium had paddles. But what will ahppen is next year they will put a regular sunroof on the sr. And they will probably put paddles on the sv and platinum at some point also. They have done this type of thing every year for the last few generations.

 

Actually, the 7th gen Premium had paddles from day one. Mine has paddles, and was assembled in Sept 2008. There have been model years where significant changes did occur, but also model years where almost nothing was changed.

I do think there may be a roof option on the SR at some point. Paddles? Maybe. But I think Nissan may reserve those for the SR.

 

Nissan told us the sunroof was omitted from the SR because it adds significant weight that will slow the acceleration down (a tenth of a second longer from zero to sixty is a big deal for some buyers). Worse, that weight is well above the center of gravity of the car, which will reduce slalom performance. The tendency of consumers to fret over a tenth of a second here and a tenth of a second there is what puts manufacturers in this compromising position. We are our own worst enemy. That is why we lost the manual Maxima - folks simply did not buy it.

 

How much is the frame's rigidity compromised because of a sunroof I wonder? Is there a big difference? Or is it microscopic?

 

So Nissan went from panoramic sunroofs to none at all. Strange.

 

Only on the SR model.

 

It is my understanding that on the 2016 Sport model (the SR) they went from the standard sunroof that was on the 7th gen Sport to none at all. The panoramic sunroof is now standard on the SL and Platinum models.

 

The white SR I saw today going down the road looked real good.

 

Good point, stodge. I had forgotten that body rigidity was included as one of the factors leading Nissan to omit the sunroof on the SR.

 

and the 60/40 split seats that was replaced with a pass through opening in the rear in the 7th generation due to rigidity issues now returns on the 8th gen? does nissan have a clue as to the rhyme or reason on why they do things?

 

Amen. Get real Nissan, BMW,Lexus and your own cousin Infiniti can get it right with a sunroof on their "True" Sports Sedans 3 series sport/M3, Q40/Q50 sport,ISF series without worrying about rigidity etc, if you get the suspension bits/calibrations right you have less worry of that..... SV Sports/SE Maximas have long been decent handlers with sunroofs......

 

It is what it is. If I can get over not having cooled seats, the SL might be the way to go.

 

Just bought a 16 SR Deep Blue Pearl over the weekend...absolutely love it...Nissan got it right with this one, no doubt. The new technology, fit and finish are spot on!

 

Pic of my 16 Maxima SR

 

Congrats on the new Maxima! Think your the first one on the board! Car looks amazing in that color! You will have to give us a daily review,lol!

 

Sweeet... Looks great.

 

Fine looking car! I'm surprised you are taking time posting on maxima.org. If that Maxima was mine, my garage would stay empty most of the time. Open road, here comes crazyprelude!

 

How much did you pay? What was the price on the sticker?

 

Spoke to a dealer today and was told no increase over the sticker price [ NJ ] .

 

That is what I like to hear. Dealers around where I live deal very well after the first few months, but gouge with ample padding during the early days of a new generation.

 

Working in our favor, the competition is very aggressive with the sale prices. The typical Maxima deals will be back soon after they unload the 2014s. They are advertising them for 9000 off sticker and I am sure there is room for more.

 

Hey guys! Thanks for the compliments on my Maxima. I have put it through the paces today and have learned to have additional appreciation for all of the thought Nissan has put into this car. Such as -->


Rear Seats Fold Down and they have the release in trunk
The Floor Mats are badged instead of white lettering(which usually stains)
Bluetooth connectivity is MUCH better than previous models, especially with audio streaming
Bluetooth system actually sounds clear and people can hear me just fine
Double pane glass to reduce noise
Sport Mode, simply put - it's damn cool!


I have put 300 miles on my 16 SR and here are some of my observations.


I did manage to get the Active Trace Control to engage today and that felt very different. Really digging the sonar warnings as well - really helpful in traffic. Adaptive Cruise Control is taking some getting used to.


Overall, I am lovin' this car!


PS - I paid sticker on the car, but had some good negotiation on my trade. It's usually one or the other or both that either get increased or decreased. I felt as if I was treated very fair by my dealer.

 

Awesome! Glad and jealous to hear that you are enjoying your Maxima. Pretty sure your itching to get past the break in period so you can really see what it can do! Thanks for the information!!

 

Oh, you know it! I have been pretty mild on the car except for a couple of times. :-)


I have been averaging 25 mpg with mixed driving conditions. My last 13 Maxima, I could barely get 21 mpg....

 

Off topic, but correct! Got 11k off my 14 last week. Big upgrade from my 08, enjoy the 16s those who got one!

 

Crazprelude - Congadulations and Enjoy your new ride, looks awsome !

I also agree with you that the dealer you speak of is usually very fair.
Wondering how I know which dealer ? Well late last week I saw your
car sitting in the lot with the sold tag in windshield which was one of three
cars this dealer received. They were also supposed to get a Forged Bronze
SR which they never received.

I am going for a Platinum around Sept as my 2012 Maxima Lease will be closing out.

Questions. Have you noticed anything with the steering ? When I tested
the SV StormBlue they have on the lot in normal mode steering felt very soft
or loose at start speeds , as speed increased the steering tighten up. In Sport mode it was fine ?
Glad to see you are getting 25 mpg in mixed driving ! Only going to get better.

Enjoy the ride.

Randy

 

Snapped a few pics of a gunmetal sl they had in the showroom sat in it for a few, I gotta say it was very comfortable. The high middle console also made me feel like I was in a cockpit

 

SL looks nice. Consider this, if you take an SL and add every accessory...Alloy Wheels, spoiler, lighting, rocker panels etc.. the car ends up only 5 dollars more than a Platinum but the car will stand out. You essentially give up the around view, cooled seats, and power steering wheel. And I guess the coffee cup thing.

 

The pics of the gunmetal look gorgeous! Love that color!

 

That Gunmetal looks GREAT! I LOVE the interior, all the stitching really accentuates all the shapes inside the car. I'm excited to soon see a Gunmetal with Camel interior!

 

Thats the way to do it. 11k. wow.

 

Thanks Randy!


The steering feel on my car is rather consistent between normal and sport mode. It only feels slightly firmer in sport mode. No crazy difference to me. Great to hear that you will be making your purchase later this year. No doubt you will enjoy the new ride. I saw a Black SR in Southern Pines today with the tan interior and it was really sharp! Really like how they are matching the stitching to the car vs just a standard color.

 

That gunmetal is very nice!

I noticed the tag holder on the front bumper. That was a problem with the 7th gen, in that holes had to be drilled through the bumper to mount the tag holder. Is the 8th gen grill/bumper designed in a way that either the holes do not have to be drilled, or if they do, are not noticable on that blacked out part of the car?