6th Generation Maxima (2004-2008)Discussion of the 6th generation Maxima. Come see what others are saying.
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35 and a SL not really by my choice( wife liked the color of the HID headlights) actually went in to get a 3.5 alty but came home in the max. BTW she is pretty banged up from hurricane wilma(that bish) will show pics when i get home from tampa its like a battle zone around here in pompano beach........ laters
35 and a SL not really by my choice( wife liked the color of the HID headlights) actually went in to get a 3.5 alty but came home in the max. BTW she is pretty banged up from hurricane wilma(that bish) will show pics when i get home from tampa its like a battle zone around here in pompano beach........ laters
I see mid-life crisis on the graph There are more 31-40 in SE's than SL's...
There are also more over age 51 SE's too, both in number and on a percentage basis. Does that make it an old age crisis?
I just turned 66 and bought the SE because I had to have a manual trannie -- got tired of auto trannie problems. I also have a Dodge Ram pickup with a 5 speed manual. I hate auto trannies -- nothing to do with age. There are a few of us old farts on this site. The best known is lightonthehill who knows more about Maximas than anyone else I've heard from here. And he explains things so well.
SilverMax - Sorry to let you down, but, after two decades of always opting for the Maxima with the firmest suspension, I have entered my 'Buick' phase; I own an SL.
I suppose that is a strong indication my next decision will be whether to go with senility or dementia. That could be tough, as I may soon enter that phase where I no longer have the ability to make decisions.
I have another 'letdown' for you; my 'expertise' on Maximas is little more than parroting what I have learned from over fifty-six years of driving. The last twenty have been in Maximas, but the first thirty-six were in Studebakers, Hudsons, Chevys, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Datsuns, etc. I actually got to drive a TerraPlane passenger car for one day back in the 1940s. I knew folks who drove Pierce-Arrows, Tuckers and Henry Js.
So always remember that any 'sage' advice I may post here just might be four or five decades out of date. Don't be surprised if your service manager laughs at a suggestion I may give you.
Of course, my second vehicle at this time is still my 2000 Maxima SE. I love everything about that car. But my bladder does not, so I use it for shorter trips, where I won't be too far from a toilet for too long a stretch.
The SL, on the other hand, floats down the Interstate forever without churning my innards. Great for long trips with my wife.
I told my wife that 'SL' stands for 'Senior Luxury'.
As for a manual tranny, that was all there was back 'in the day'. The first auto trannie I experienced was in my '55 Pontiac Bonneville. They were fairly primitive back then.
While driving Datsuns (which, in case there is someone who doesn't know, was the brand name used by Nissan until 1983/84) back in the 1970s, I always opted for manual trannies. But I counted the shifts on my way to work in Atlanta traffic one time back in the early 1980s (driving a 5 speed manual '78 Datsun 200SX), and realized I was changing gears over 1,000 times just getting to work and back (stop and go for over an hour each way). I decided that was more exercise for my right arm and left leg than I needed.
SilverMax 04 I quess where you live its wide open country. I had a few manual cars in my day. But here in NYC the stop and go traffic is a killer. Its nice to know that there are some of us old timers around. The nycmaximas club I belong to, I could either be the father or grandfather to most of the members. But they are a bunch of great guys and girls and it keeps me young.
Ramberg, thank you for the concern and the wife and i are just fine but after watching the storm hit and destroying my car i said to my wife lets just get the hell out of here for a while so we went north of tampa to a town called spring hill where my wife has friends so till it comes back to some sort of being normal in our area im up here for atleast a week or so( no electric or gasoline which means no job for right now but we are safe and it's like a mini vacation) and im hoping that your family down here in plantation is okay as well again thank you for the concern.
SilverMax - Sorry to let you down, but, after two decades of always opting for the Maxima with the firmest suspension, I have entered my 'Buick' phase; I own an SL.
Light: You are certainly not a let down. When I get to your age, I too may go for Senior Luxury. Also, I've driven a Buick, and the SL certainly is not a Buick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
I suppose that is a strong indication my next decision will be whether to go with senility or dementia. That could be tough, as I may soon enter that phase where I no longer have the ability to make decisions.
My guess is that when you get to this condition you will likely be dead, or nearly so. What the young don't realize until later is that none of us will live forever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
I have another 'letdown' for you; my 'expertise' on Maximas is little more than parroting what I have learned from over fifty-six years of driving. The last twenty have been in Maximas, but the first thirty-six were in Studebakers, Hudsons, Chevys, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Datsuns, etc. I actually got to drive a TerraPlane passenger car for one day back in the 1940s. I knew folks who drove Pierce-Arrows, Tuckers and Henry Js.
You at least have the ability to remember what was worth knowing and parrot it back to us in a style that makes sense and tells us something. I remember our exchange here about double clutching, for example. Because you have me on age, I only remember (being a kid at the time) when the "step down" Hudson was first introduced -- that configuration became the norm for all cars a few years later -- and remains so to this day. I also remember when the new Studebaker style came out in the late 40s and you had to look closely to see which end was the front.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
So always remember that any 'sage' advice I may post here just might be four or five decades out of date. Don't be surprised if your service manager laughs at a suggestion I may give you.
Might happen, but you also seem to be up on whats new in cars, too. I do remember that I recently taught you something about "parking brakes" in cars with 4-wheel disc brakes, but then none of us knows it all. And when it come to Max's you certainly have me beat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
The SL, on the other hand, floats down the Interstate forever without churning my innards. Great for long trips with my wife. I told my wife that 'SL' stands for 'Senior Luxury'.
I run 35 psi in my new Michelin tires and the SE does not churn my innards -- unless the road surface is terrible -- like I 76 in NE Colorado. When the road is like that, I drive in the left lane because the trucks have done a good job of tearing up the right lane much more than the left.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
As for a manual tranny, that was all there was back 'in the day'. The first auto trannie I experienced was in my '55 Pontiac Bonneville. They were fairly primitive back then.
Well, the first car I drove was a 55 Olds that belonged to my father. It had a Hydromatic trannie, which was a very dependable trannie and was better than the slush box (Dynaflow) that GM had in their Buicks. The Hydromatic was so good (for its day) that it was used by Rolls Royce in their cars. Rolls did take the GM-made trannie and rebuild it. But the technology remainded the same.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
While driving Datsuns (which, in case there is someone who doesn't know, was the brand name used by Nissan until 1983/84) back in the 1970s, I always opted for manual trannies. But I counted the shifts on my way to work in Atlanta traffic one time back in the early 1980s (driving a 5 speed manual '78 Datsun 200SX), and realized I was changing gears over 1,000 times just getting to work and back (stop and go for over an hour each way). I decided that was more exercise for my right arm and left leg than I needed.
Have to admit that would be a pain (in the leg). But I still find that the manual trannie is a thinking trannie -- because you the driver are thinking. An auto trannie can't see what is coming, so can only do what it is programmed to do.
SilverMax 04 I quess where you live its wide open country. Peace Warren
When you get out of town, it does become wide open country. But there are over 1/2 million people in the county, with most of them living in town.
Addendum: Our paper today had an article that complained about the large size of "town": "Colorado Springs covers 185.7 Sq miles according to the Census Bureau, much larger than some cities with more people. Denver for example covers 153.4 Sq miles. Seattle is 83.9 and San Francisco is 46.7. These figures don't account for suburbs, so those metro areas are larger than Colorado Springs."
The population here certainly is more reasonable than Chicago, where I lived for 35 years. Back then, I did commute on the Illinois tollway in a Celica with a manual trannie the last 5 years I worked. It was not as easy a commute as riding the train downtown -- which I did for about 30 years. See my post to light (just above) on a thinking trannie.
SilverMax_04 - You were clearly more astute than I back in the 1950s. I did not remember which GM makes used hydramatic and which used dynaflow.
In fact, I was so dumb back then that on a trip from Bel Air MD (northeast of Baltimore) to Sierra Vista AZ, carrying my wife and my worldly belongings in a 1953 Chevy 210 (base sedan), a tire blew out.
And why was a blown tire so dumb? Because there was no tread left on the tire, and it had blown through the center of a football-shaped worn part of the tread where every one of the standard (at that time) four plys was worn thru. The effect looked like four footballs within each other.
The guy at the service station just stared at the tire and stared at me. Then he mumbled something to the effect that it might be a good idea to check my tires every year.
I made that same trip from Bel Air to Sierra Vista a year later in my '55 Pontiac, and it caught on fire three times enroute, due to the ground cable from the bottom of the engine block to the chassi being broken, which opened the electrical circuit, which made the generator (now known as alternator) run full tilt until it overheated and caught fire.
No one was able to spot the problem because that ground cable was enclosed in a sheath, so the break was not visible.
Three new generators, three new voltage regulators and three new batteries on one trip. All paid for out of my very generous U.S. Army salary. Don't even bother to ask what that salary was.
I could relate some real horror stories about my experiences with cars in the distant past. But these don't really belong on the 6th gen board.
I could be wrong, but I can't help but feel my experiences with cars back in that era make me so very appreciative of the wonderful reliability I am getting in every Maxima I have ever owned.
And that brings me back to the thread: Considering looks, performance, interior room, amenities and overall comfort, my '04 SL is easily the best car I have driven in my 56 years on the road. I absolutely love it.
SilverMax_04 - You were clearly more astute than I back in the 1950s. I did not remember which GM makes used hydramatic and which used dynaflow.
You give me too much credit. It was the guys you hang around with as a teenager that made the difference for me. We were all GM fans. GM had hydromatic trannies on Cadallac, Olds, and Pontiac. The dynaflow was only on the Buick. Chevy was the last to get an auto trannie. The powerglide (I believe) was its trannie, which was kind of like the dynaflow. Without a doubt the hydromatic was the best of the bunch with four speeds obtained through two sets of planatary gears coupled to a fluid drive. The automatic shift from 2nd to 3rd was the roughest because one planatary gear set went from low to high and the other set went from high to low. In 3rd and 4th gears the fluid drive was bypassed (it was only needed to allow the trannie to stay in gear when the car was stopped). Rolls Royce used that trannie for years, even after GM stopped using it in the 60s. It was one of the strongest auto trannies GM has ever built. Most of their newer auto trannies suck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
And why was a blown tire so dumb? Because there was no tread left on the tire, and it had blown through the center of a football-shaped worn part of the tread where every one of the standard (at that time) four plys was worn thru. The effect looked like four footballs within each other.
I had a similar experience with my father's 55 Olds. It was parked next to a church and we were loading for a Boy Scout trip. Then one of the rear tires started losing air. While it did not blow (like yours) the tread was worn through the plys. That was when I found out that my father was not very good at taking care of a car and I took on that job for him. I was 16 or 17 at the time (started driving at age 15).
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
I could be wrong, but I can't help but feel my experiences with cars back in that era make me so very appreciative of the wonderful reliability I am getting in every Maxima I have ever owned. And that brings me back to the thread: Considering looks, performance, interior room, amenities and overall comfort, my '04 SL is easily the best car I have driven in my 56 years on the road. I absolutely love it.
My only Max certainly has been very reliable -- much better than the 1998 Olds we had before. My two Toyotas were quite reliable, but Consumers Reports suggested that GM had built a better Olds with the 98 Intrigue -- wrong. My favorite car has to be my 65 Corvette with a soft and a hard top. It was not that reliable, did not get good mileage, had to have premium, but it was quite a car. I bought it new at age 25 for $5,500, and put chromed wire wheels on her. I was married 3 years later and sold her when we had our second child at age 33. We could squeeze one child behind the seats (no child car seats then), but not two. Bought a used 62 Pontiac, which was more reliable than the Corvette and had room for 4. Nothing like the 04 SE, but what a large trunk. Last summer I hit 50 years on the road.
Ramberg, thank you for the concern and the wife and i are just fine but after watching the storm hit and destroying my car i said to my wife lets just get the hell out of here for a while so we went north of tampa to a town called spring hill where my wife has friends so till it comes back to some sort of being normal in our area im up here for atleast a week or so( no electric or gasoline which means no job for right now but we are safe and it's like a mini vacation) and im hoping that your family down here in plantation is okay as well again thank you for the concern.
So far they are alright. No electric yet. But they have plenty of stuff to eat and water. They are using the grille alot. I sent them a case of batteries.
Addendum: Our paper today had an article that complained about the large size of "town": "Colorado Springs covers 185.7 Sq miles according to the Census Bureau, much larger than some cities with more people. Denver for example covers 153.4 Sq miles. Seattle is 83.9 and San Francisco is 46.7. These figures don't account for suburbs, so those metro areas are larger than Colorado Springs."
New York City Area, total (includes inland water area): 468 sq mi
Population, total: 8,085,742
Brooklyn where I live has a population of about 2,267,942 and about 71 sq. mi.
I could relate some real horror stories about my experiences with cars in the distant past. But these don't really belong on the 6th gen board.
I could be wrong, but I can't help but feel my experiences with cars back in that era make me so very appreciative of the wonderful reliability I am getting in every Maxima I have ever owned.
And that brings me back to the thread: Considering looks, performance, interior room, amenities and overall comfort, my '04 SL is easily the best car I have driven in my 56 years on the road. I absolutely love it.
Light, thanks for your sage and humble insights. It's clear to me that part of why you appreciate the Maxima so much is that you haven't forgotten from where you came, you remember what it was like to drive lesser vehicles. Your humility and gratitude are very refreshing. It would be wonderful if more people had your views. Can one be truly rich without gratitude such as yours?
Though I don't have quite as many years on the road as you, I very much enjoy driving the Maxima too. Like you, my (2005) SL is the best car I have driven.
wsu - Sage? Humble? Could I ask you to repeat those remarks to my wife? But hold on a minute while I finish taking out the garbage and vacuuming the house.
You must have gotten the 'humble' from finding out about my long hot summers in the early 1950s working in the carding room of the White Mountain Laundry on South McQuesten Parkway in White Plains, NY (on the edge of the Bronx).
There was no AC in those days, and when the temp inside reached 120 degrees, folks were free to leave if desired. But I had only the three summer months in which to earn enough to pay my college expenses for nine months, so had to stay.
I was carding wool blankets, so I was covered with sweat and prickly wool from 7AM to 5PM every miserable day. And my room was in the loft of a boarding house operated by an old German couple at 689 East 243rd Street in the Bronx. No AC, and I shared a small bath with six other boarders.
So yes, the 6th gen Maxima may seem somewhat plusher to me than to some.
6th gen Maximas are now very commonplace around where I live south of Atlanta. Two years ago, I saw mostly SEs around here. Now, I see just as many SLs. I actually spoke to drivers of two SLs today when we crossed paths in parking lots. Both had big smiles on their faces. Both loved their cars. BOTH WERE PARKING IN THE SHADE AT THE FAR REACHES OF SPARSELY FILLED LOTS, JUST AS I WAS DOING. No dings, please.
I have been driving my '04 SL a little more aggressively lately when I find myself on a back road with sparse traffic. I am still feeling no torque steer. Not that I mind TS that much; it is sort of a hint of power under the hood.
I am very impressed with the lack of any lag when I touch the gas pedal; instant power. Although the acceleration is strong, it is very smooth; no jerking or rough shifting. And the steering is precise. The first time I saw the 6th gen, I thought it looked too 'bulky' to be maneuverable. I was wrong. This car is very agile, and seems to enjoy curvy roads.
My wife and I were looking at the interior of our SL out in the bright sunlight today (my half of the garage is temporarily occupied by furniture I am refinishing), and we were both impressed by the quality, fit, and attention to detail of everything. And this is a vehicle made in the US, not Japan.
But I am rambling again, wasting server space; the moderator will probably forward the monthly Maxima.org server bill to me.
26 w/ an SL. i wanted to get an SE but the dealership i went to didn't have any SEs w/ xenon or leather. i'm getting old anyways , might as well get an SL
26 w/ an SL. i wanted to get an SE but the dealership i went to didn't have any SEs w/ xenon or leather. i'm getting old anyways , might as well get an SL
26 w/ an SL. i wanted to get an SE but the dealership i went to didn't have any SEs w/ xenon or leather. i'm getting old anyways , might as well get an SL
Maybe you need to move out of Florida, all the retiree's are affecting your judgement . 26 is getting old, please...
i know, it sounds crazy, but i have issues w/ getting older, i don't know why but i just don't want to...
Hey, don't let the passing of time force you in to anything you don't want. I submit that yes, you do have to grow older, but no, you do not have to grow up. I know a lot of older people who have never grow up. In some cases that is good (energetic, fun, spontaneous, creative, passionate, et al), but in many cases it is bad (selfish, impatient, impulsive, petulant, irresponsible, trivial, etc...).
I must wholeheartedly echo the sentiments of others who assert that 26 is not old, though in many respects age is relative.
Yes, 26 is not too old. I don't remember turning 26, but I am sure it was not a traumatic event.
For that matter, I don't remember my 70th birthday, either. But again, I'm sure it was not a traumatic event. I was still shooting jump shots at 70, but now move further behind the three point line and shoot long treys. Gets away from the defender and saves stress on my knees.
The wonderful thing about the Maxima is that it can be enjoyed at any age. I loved the first Maxima I saw a quarter century ago, and have owned nothing else for over two decades.
I fully intend to be driving Maximas when I am 95, but have already agreed with my wife that, whether a competent driver or not, I will hand her the keys to my Maxima when I turn 96. She will be my Maxima chauffeur from that point on.
My wife and I will be spending this entire week at the courthouse (jury duty). We park our SL in a conspicuous spot, and can't help but notice every head that passes seems to turn and look at our clean, shiny Maxima. Warm. Fuzzy.
There are more 31-40 in SE's than SL's...
and I have an se.
04 RE edition, 6-speed, shortened shifter, y-pipe, greddy sp2, fujita CAI, stillen RSB, momo race knob, intrax drop on front, custom painted engine bay, tenzo R rally style seats, 19" centerline wheels, toyo T1R rubber, custom pedals, and DP floormats, And Apex'I Safc II, eclipse TI 15"s, concept audio 2410 amp, Kenwood DDX-7017 headunit, dyno proven 231whp NA. 
. 26 is getting old, please... 
Stop Global Whining!!!
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