I was thinking about it and it really doesn't make sense for an old person who will never take the car up to redline to buy a Maxima. The main advantage the Max has over the other family sedans is the engine. An accord or camry is just as reliable for cheaper. The only reason I can think of is a fully loaded Maxima is more luxurious than an accord or camry but that doesn't explain all the old ladies driving around in base GXEs. Most of the fully loaded Maximas around me are driven by either young people or people in the late 30's early 40's. Why do they pay the extra money for the V6 instead of just getting a 4 cylinder camry or accord when they're never gonna use the extra power because they are the ones that make people think the Maxima is a boring family sedan.

 

because they are old and senile.

 

My friend...just because they are older doesn't mean they don't use the power that their car has. My mother is 50 this year...and drives a Lexus RX300...and when I ride in it with her (rarely) she definitely uses the power it has. I've been in the car several times when she's raced some one to a merge out of a stoplight.

It's not only a power difference, it's a refinement and sound difference...a V6 has to strain a lot less to accelerate at the same speed as a 4 banger...and lots of people don't want to listen to that annoying 4-banger sound...

Finally, passing power and merging power....you don't get those with a weak little 4 banger....those are things that people use everyday duing their commute.

 

well, there is one good thing about it... every other maxima out there wouldn't be fixed up. if every maxima out there was fixed up like our acura/honda rivals, then it would be "normal" and "boring".

 

I was told that old people like the power "just in case they ever need it". I've only had 2 times where an old person used the power. 1 onld guy on the freeway ran me upto 110, and an old lady tried to get a jump on me at a light and we ended up pushing it to 85 before I shut down thinking "this lady probably doesn't have the reaction time I do so I will back off and let her go". Both were pretty kewl and both smiled at me.

 

becuase the maxima is a family sedan ... not a civic

 

Old people buy them because they are a 4-door family sedan. My question is why do younger people buy them and think its a sports car??

 

I know that there are some old people that do use the power but I'm referring to the ones that you see driving 35 in a 40 and crawling off the line.

 

If it had IRS and RWD, it would be a sports car.

 

WOW...how long does it take some people to think up these questions to ask! its a car, who says you have to be a certain age to drive a car??? especially a Maxima....

 

<sarcasm>
You are all getting played... Remember, it's a 'Sporty' - 'Family' - 'Sedan'.
<sarcasm>

Sporty for: Young & restless drivers

Family for: Uhh, your family

Sedan for: Old & 'calm' people - most of the times...

Nissan is messing with all of us minds... big time!

Hey, as long it's good for picking up groceries, for picking up chicks, for racing (to win...), for modding (to dead...), for going on long trips relaxed - it's all good!


P.S - I still think this question doesn't make much sense.

 

Because we love the performance of the the Maxima. What you are missing is it is the second car.

 

But it don't and its still a 4-door family sedan. It has a good engine or lets say a great engine but thats it. Of course thats why I bought it but thats not why most people buy it. I just happen to like a little bit of luxury without totally taking performance out of the equation.

 

the good thing about it being both a 4 door sedan and having the power that it does, is that it is still considered a sedan by insurance standards, and so it helps to keep the rates down...which is very important for 16 year olds like myself...and there is no such thing as an age bracket for the maxima, because the sedan part appeals to many people, the VQ appeals to others, so it's for everybody

 

Why do some elders rent apartments? Because they don't have a choice. Do you know it takes $560,000 to step up to a 2-bedroom condo in Frisco? If you don't have that you're stuck with maybe 700 sq. ft and 1-bedroom. Of course many elders would like to drive Devilles, Eldos, XK8, 745, S420or430, etc., but not everyone can afford it. So they have to be careful with their money and they get a Maxima which has a "pseudo" luxury and costs 20 grand less than the Caddy they really want. Do you think that elders care whether the car has a Northstar V8 or not? Do they use all 300 hp when they drive the Cadillac car? Can you handle 300 ponies yourself?

I know you were just playin'.

 

The maxima is one of multiple identities...You got your base plain jane GXEs for those mid aged and older folks and parents who mainly go back and forth to work and cart their kids around to soccer practice and whatnot. Then you get your GLEs or one with almost all lux options for those who want a little luxury flavor but cant afford the likes of a lexus LS, Caddy DTS, BMW 7 etc. Finally theres the SEs and 5 speeds for the ones who want the performace side out of the max wether they be teens-20 year olds (yours truly) to mid 40s males. As far as the power/performance aspect...with the older folks and the GXEs and GLEs the power is "there in case they need it"...with the younger SE/manual folks the power is "there all the time"

 

Hey,we are young and old. We love our Max

 

I was thinking about it and it really doesn't make sense for an old person who will never take the car up to redline to buy a Maxima. The main advantage the Max has over the other family sedans is the engine. An accord or camry is just as reliable for cheaper. The only reason I can think of is a fully loaded Maxima is more luxurious than an accord or camry but that doesn't explain all the old ladies driving around in base GXEs. Most of the fully loaded Maximas around me are driven by either young people or people in the late 30's early 40's. Why do they pay the extra money for the V6 instead of just getting a 4 cylinder camry or accord when they're never gonna use the extra power because they are the ones that make people think the Maxima is a boring family sedan
#1 Because we can afford to in more ways than 1!
#2 Because we may be old (if 38 is OLD) but we are not dead yet!
#3 Because we like kickin the $hit outta punks who are full of themselves!
#4 Because we are much wiser and know a GREAT value when we see it!
#5 Because it makes kids who think they know it all ask stupid questions!
l8tr -- SS

 

#6...because my kind parents were nice enough to give me a car...and a very nice one at that

 

Maybe they decide it's a sports car after they beat a V-8 Mustang .

While the Maxima is a sporty sedan many just consider it a refined sedan. It is always nice to know you have the power if you want it, even if you never use it.

I see lots of older people or women driving corvettes and other sports cars very slowly. To me this is way worse then driving a Maxima slowly, they have a car that is uncomfortable, gets poor miledge, can't carry anything, etc. - The only thing it does good is go fast and they don't do that. At least a Maxima is comfortable, practical and happens to be relativly quick.

 

young peopl seem to think they are young forever

 

2000SE. Did 135mph/4900rpm last week on Queencreek Road with a pie-eyed wife. (Indian country) Might be able to kick your *** too. 58 years young.

 

my mom is over 50 and she drives a 96 Maxima SE. 'Course she drives like a bat out of hell, but she LOOKS old. She raced someone once too LOL! She hates rice!

Anyway Maximas are supposedly luxury sedans, and they are more fuel-efficient than a Caddy, and they are comfy and easy to get into and out of....

 

My mom has a 5th gen Max. She is in her 60's and is always the first to fly out of the toll booths. She uses the Max's power VERY well.

 

Duh? Why do old people drive porches?

 

LOL! *applause* *applause*

 

Nissan's advertisting department would be breaking their arms patting themselves on the back if they saw this thread ...

 

People like this 46 year-old grandfather may be unusual(just like those 16-20 year-olds who drive Maximas rather than riced-out Civics) because he has a few mods and takes his Maxima to redline on a fairly regular basis.

One of my best friends (48) drives an Integra that looks bone-stock - it's turbo'd and he wins his class in autocross 8/10ths of the time. My boss (52) drives a supercharged JaguarXJS and scares the sh*t out of the kids in 5-litre Mustangs.

Why don't we buy the "luxo-barges" by Lexus or Cadillac - or upscale econoboxes like the Accord and Camry?

We learned to drive in cars that had manual transmissions, carburetors with manual chokes and that did not have power steering, power windows, power locks, power seats or air conditioning. Those cars usually had mirrors only on the driver's side - and you had to stick your hand out the window to move them.

We're the guys who bought the original Datsun(Nissan's old name in North America) 510's and 240Z's instead of Chevy Vegas and Mustangs in the '70's.

We bought RX7's, Honda CRX's and 3rd generation Preludes with 4-wheel steering instead of CavalierZ24's and Trans Ams in the 80's.

In the 90's, our kids were getting bigger and we needed more room and more doors. Some of us bought Accords and minivans and found they weren't as much fun to drive.
Others bought 3-series BMW's and almost went broke with repair bills and insurance. Those of us who bought Sentra SE-R's had a blast.

Now, we have grandkids and our joints aren't quite as supple as they once were. So, a four-door with good seats and room for groceries and all the stuff the teenagers and/or grandkids need to lug around is a priority.

This grandfather bought his Maxima because he (AND his wife ) wanted a car that:
- had a manual transmission
- handled well and gave you some road feel(unlike Accords and Camrys)
- could accelerate well with its V6 (unlike Accords and Camrys)
- didn't have "cookie-cutter" styling (unlike Accords and Camrys)
- didn't cost a small fortune to maintain(unlike anything built in Europe)
- could make our friends with 5-series BMW's envious for less than half the money that they spent (more to spend on the kids, grandkids, retirement savings,etc.)

Oh, BTW, this grandfather has NEVER owned a car with an automatic transmission.


Mark

 

Puleez, the Maxima was never and will never be targeted to 20+. This is a family car. The average age of Maxima owners is 44.

 

I think the elder generation like it because;

1) The Maxima is BIG car. And it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. The Camry is only just now catchin up. And forget about the accord in terms of size when compared to the Maxima.

2) The Maxima has a more sporting image than those others, so they can vicariously live their youth thru the Maxima more than in a Camry.

3) The Couch like front seats. Not quite a cadillic bench, but not Recaro's either.


DW

 

I’m 65 and love my Maxima. I appreciate both the power and luxury. And I don’t need to break any laws to enjoy its performance. To say it’s a young people’s car sounds a bit prejudiced against old people to me.

If Chuck Yeager, who’s in his 70's, can still fly a jet fighter at the speed of sound (which he did last year) then us earthbound senior citizens can drive our Maximas to full advantage.

 

age has nothing to do with people that enjoy driving,especialy as a hobby. once a car person always one.

 

Old people buy whatever the **** they want to buy! Damn, they have earned it!

Some of you seem to imply that they only drive 10mhp and never use the power. They probably just want a decent sized car so when one us young drivers, plow into them from driving 80mph+ on the freeway/driving like an idiot, they don't instantly die.

 

Just to side track a little, on my roadtrip in the Midwest, I came along a senior couple in a Toyota Avalon. We were in a wide open highway in the middle of nowhere. Gorgeous afternoon sun. I cruise by them at 100 mph, and go on my way. 20 minutes later, I see them coming up on me fast!! I'm like OK, let's see what this avalon can do. I downshift to 4th and blast off. The gap had closed to around 3 car lengths, probably because they were coming in fast, but I soon matched thier speed and kept going. Took it all the way to 140. I know their Avalon MUST have been limited to 130. It was fun I thoguth to myself, when I get into my senior years, i'm gonna be just like him

DW

 

LOL, those old people drive like Maniacs and use every bit of the power

 

DITO..Maxima is no camaro or mustang......

 

That's because they are cop magnets, and they don't need to check every 5 minutes that their V8 has power.

The less power ya got the more ya gonna race, just look at Hondas

Nothing better than cruising 15mph past a rice mobile in a wildly loping V8 with more displacement than their trunk space.

 

I like your response because it's very logical and sensible, and demonstrates values. Call me old-fashioned but I think your car should be 1/4 your annual salary and your home about 3-4 times your annual salary. When I read some posts it's amazing how much $$$ people are able to waste by the time they turn 20 years old.

The Maxima is a very good car when you're not critical about performance and handling. You actually get a lot of hp for the money. VALUE!! A guy I workout at the gym with drives a A6. When I told him you key in your PIN# and after 120 times you get $150 back, he got all upset that he's been going for 2 years and didn't know about that benefit from the health plan. See? Even a guy who has the A6 cares about $150. Some people here change their auto parts and accessories more than underwear!

 

I agree. And comparing it to one is completely unfair. It's also unfair to say that a Maxima is an "old person's car" or (on the other hand) that "old people" shouldn't drive one. Think about it - if the only thing Maxima's had was performance (ie, take out the roominess, comfort, nice features, etc. would you want one? Would there be any reason to buy it instead of a camaro or mustang? Of course not. It'd be the equivalent of a camaro with a civic's engine. The Maxima just plain fails horribly at being a true sports car.

Then again, Nissan isn't saying the Maxima is a sports car. I know a lot of people think Nissan is really trying to push the "sporty" image, but anyone with an IQ greater than dirt should be able to realize that the Maxima is a sporty for a sedan. You buy a Maxima because it's a lot of fun to drive AND it's nice and comfortable for taking road trips with a couple of people and some luggage. And it's completely suited for daily driving.

Which is why I think that anyone who's actually jealous when they see a camaro or mustang driving down the road probably made a horrible mistake in buying a Maxima...

 

Maxima is classified as a premium midsize car. In my opinion, younger folks (16-25 yrs old) simply want to improve their image by buying more upscale thing. A high-school kid would certainly look good in a car that most of his teachers can't afford. Indeed, Maxima is the car for dynamic family folks, from higher 30's to 50's.

I am 24 yr old college student, and I just hate those little 2-dr coupes. All of my prev. cars have been sedans.