ReyZMax

lightonthehill, got it!

What i really most wanted to convey is that I went with a Maxima again! Don't get me wrong, I loved my 04 (72K miles) and was actually going to trade it in for the 06 (with the cash back offer Nissan was running) but my sales guy (whom i just leased a Murano from for my wife) did such a good job in working the financials to get me into the 07 that I couldnt refuse. I just have this feeling that I am going to be a Maxima guy for life now! Odd looking back to 2003 when I first considered the 04 Maxima, reading about how brand loyalty and probability of getting a Maxima again was so great among Maxima owners, that i decided to get one. Now, here I am on my second and looking forward to my third and forth and so on...there is just something about these cars!

jcalabria

Congrats from a 6-timer! I've looked elsewhere every time I have re-upped, but there is just a unique combination of qualities in a Max that you don't find in many cars. In my mind, the only true competition it has is the TL (I like the G35, too, but it is a somewhat different animal), but it's hard to switch brands when the Max's service record has been so clean.

lightonthehill

ReyZMax - In case there is any doubt in your mind, my sarcasm was not aimed at you. Quite the opposite. I was most happy to hear from another '07 Maxima driver who really likes his car.

I would love to know exactly how the CVT tranny performs is daily driving, and how you feel about it. I'm sure you are aware the '07 is the first Maxima to ever have a CVT. I plan to replace my '04 SL in spring of 2008 with a 7th gen '09 model Maxima, which I'm sure will also have the CVT tranny.

I am now in my 58th year of driving manuals and automatics. The manuals ranged from a 5 speed on my '79 Datsun 200SX to a 3 speed on my '49 Studebaker. The automatics ranged from my present 5 speed all the way back to a two speed in the early 1950s. So the CVT will be a bigger change for me than for some younger drivers.

But it is a change I make without hesitation, as I am convinced that, long range, the CVT will offer advantages in accelleration and fuel economy over a tranny that shifts. I only wish the manual was still an option for those who strongly prefer manuals.

Thanks again for your report, and let us know about the CVT.

bfar2001

For all of you other '07 owners...what kind of gas mileage (city/highway mix) have you been getting so far?

HGN2001

My first tank struggled to get into the 16's in mpg. Second tank nudged the 17's. Third tank barely made it into the 18's. I've not had much occasion yet to do very much highway driving, and there's still only about 1500 miles total on the car, so this has been mostly local stop/start driving with a little 10 mile stretch of highway on my daily drive - and that highway's in a 10-year reconstruction project, so there's lots of lane closures and stop/starts on that too.

My old 2002 Max was routinely getting 21 to 22 in everyday driving, and easily got just above 30 on all-highway driving. I'm hoping the new one replicates that.

Harry

bfar2001

It's good to know that I'm not the only one getting right around 17 mpg on a second tank.

jcalabria

With mostly city driving average has risen from 16 initially to about 19 so far. Some periods of "heavy foot" driving have gone as low as 12. Brief highway stints have run around 26.

Making a 1300 mile round trip to Florida this weekend - we'll see what she does with extended highway driving.

Currently about 3100 miles on her.

simbany1

iTrader: (3)

So I'm looking to lease a 2007 Maxima SE with the DPP within the next few weeks. Love the new front end and interior. It was between the Max and the TL. I just felt that you get a lot more for your money with the TL. While I love the TL exterior I just see so many of them in NYC. I've been driving a 2002 Passat for the past 4 years and while I love the way it drives and how you get a great feel of the road, I felt like it was time to switch. The new Passats, while the exterior has grown on me, just didn't have enough features to go with the higher price. The V6 is a lot of fun though. Didn't even have bluetooth integrated. It does have the phone button on the steering wheel but wasn't functional in the North American Passats. That would kill me to see that phone button there but not be functioning....

Anyway, now the hard part - which color?!?! I have it down to the Precision Gray and Radiant Silver. Anyone have pics of the Precision Gray? Searched all over the forum but couldn't find any. I've seen the dark slate, radiant silver, majestic blue and the frost white. No precision gray.

Tuxguy

New headlights make it look like an Accord

simbany1

iTrader: (3)

Any more pics of the 07 Max in radiant silver?? I feel like it's a little more metallic then the previous silver. I actually like the radiant a little better...

07SE

I have not reset the gas mileage computer since I got it. After 2000 miles it is at 21.6MPG. That is a mix of city/highway, 500 mile highway trip and a couple hundred miles of abuse after I hit the 1000 mile mark as I had fun seeing what the car can do.

I will be resetting the gas mileage readout before my next trip to Pittsburgh this coming Thursday to see what it reads for 500 miles of highway at 70mph.

Nick

07SE

Having seen them both, I like the Precision Gray over the silver, but what matters most is what you like.

Nick

simbany1

iTrader: (3)

I do like the Precision Gray but the new radiant silver has a nice finish to it compared to last years silver. I've had silver for my past 3 cars and, call me boring, it's just easy to maintain and looks sharp, even when it's a little dirty. If the Frost White was available with the charcoal interior, we'd be getting that. I don't know why they took away that color combo this year....

Mike_TX

Wow. That's pretty bitter sarcasm from a usually restrained org guy.

But I think it's important to remember that whatever the perceived merit of our opinion may be, Nissan did in fact lose some of us as customers because of the CVT.

I - somewhat reluctantly at first, I'll admit - traded my '04 Maxima SE for an '06 Acura TL. Pretty much the same car in terms of size, FWD, power, etc., although a different styling approach and as it turns out, a better dealer/service experience.

And although I really, really enjoyed my Maxima, I'm satisfied I made a good choice by not getting an '07 Maxima. One of my greatest joys with the TL is the Nav ... I'm about convinced Acura has the #1 OEM navigation system in the industry, bar none. Otherwise it feels very much like the Max - although with less torque steer, a little better ride quality and a nicer interior.

But I think the jury's still out on the Nissan CVT and may be for a couple of years. Face it - early owners are like beta testers for Microsoft, since no one knows for sure how the CVT will hold up to American driving and climate extremes. I certainly don't wish anything bad on Max owners, but I won't be surprised to see a boatload of whining and complaining on this forum this time next year.

And if not, I still will not have missed a beat worrying about it. The TL is a peach, and I'm enjoying the same excellent gas mileage, good performance and comfort as with my Maxima, but with a good ol' 5spd automatic and a better sound system to boot!
.
.

jcalabria

I was "this" close to jumping for an '06 TL instead of the '07 Max. If the Nissan dealer had held to his initial pricing, or had the lease offer that Acura ran last month been available back in late June, I probably would have.

Since a 6-speed is no longer an option for me (at least until I give in and get my bone-on-bone left hip replaced), the lack of a manual tranny was not an issue (though I definitely feel the ol' 4DSC image slipping away). While some part of me wishes at times for the "normality" of a conventional auto, I have little or no concern for the reliability of the tranny, based mostly on three years of exemplary service in the much heavier Murano.

As I said, I like the TL a bunch and in no way want to jinx you or your new baby (plus, I think Honda has gotten their act together in the last two years or so), but the past reliability of Honda automatics in V6 applications actually had me somewhat more concerned about the TLs tranny than Nissan's CVT. When I was shopping in '03 and comparing the last generations of Max vs TL, I questioned the Acura dealer pretty hard about the tranny issues. He finally said, "don't worry so much... we keep at least 3 tranny's in stock here so it won't be out of service for more than a day or two." That didn't give me the warm and fuzzies. Again, I do believe that Honda has fixed these issues, but that WAS in the back of my head when shopping this time.

Here's hoping we all enjoy our very nice cars for many, many miles.

Defiant_Max04

iTrader: (1)

They need to stick a V8 in the upcoming Max..fuel economy my ***..

lightonthehill

Mike_TX - I totally understand why some long-time Maxima owners have switched. As I have posted on several threads on the ORG, I feel Nissan made an error in judgment by not having a manual tranny optional on the '07, even if only available in two or three exterior colors. Something to at least give the manual fans a reason to consider staying with the Maxima.

My son, who drives more carefully than I (usually has his 4 year old daughter with him), has driven a TL (Type 'S') for three years, and is on his third tranny. He has had two years of back and forth with Honda, who set the VIN cutoff for long-term tranny warranty just below his VIN number.

Yet he STILL he loves his TL. He went that route because his first choice (Maxima SE) had serious torque steer during his test-drive. The '04 SL I bought has zero torque steer, but that may be because I keep the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) system on full-time.

Yes, the Maxima is definitely moving away from its 4DSC heritage. That will lose some Maxima fans for sure. But I love everything about the Maxima, and feel the CVT will eventually reach the point where it is proven to be reliable and offers both better accelleration and better fuel economy.

I'm not sure we are at that point yet. I am very surprised Nissan dropped both the 5 speed auto and manual trannies as options for '07. They better hope the CVT proves reliable long-term.

maxyargeau

i love the 07 interior

JimGoFast

having had my new 07 super black se for only one week i can only base my information on the past week of driving. as soon as i can start my own thread i will do a complete right up with pics
as for now i will just give some general observations of my new ride

1) cvt trans is awsome for daily driving,nice and extremly smooth, however for hard acceleration i would say switching to the manual mode would be better. the cvt under hard acceleration feels like a slipping clutch. IMO
2) the cosmetic changes from 06 to 07 make a huge difference, interior fit and finish is very nice as well
3) controls are nicely layed out, and easy to use
4) blue tooth works great.
5) xm radio (no navy ) works great and the aux input for ipod is also a nice feature.
6) trunk is huge!!!!!!!
7) bose sound system, the only stock system ive heard that is better, is in the infinity M45 sport (listen to blue man group dvd, in a M45 with suround and you will hear what im talking about)
8) leather seating is well made and very comfortable, though could use some more side bolstering


I love this car, the cvt under accelration is not as bad as it may sound, but just may require some getting use to, coming from a 400hp/tq car with a 6speed, im a bit tarnished when it comes to acceleration. However, the comfort and smoothness of the cvt, makes up for all of that. by the way im averaging 20.5 miles so far, car has 472 miles on it

bens240za

I've driven this car. My opinion, visually, is that it is basically the same car with normal yearly tweaks. The interior has a much classier look now that the crease down the middle has been smoothed out. The front bumper is much better without the fake skinny bottom slot and the two fog lights(?) pointing outward. The new fog lights are in the right place.

The big disappointment for the real enthusiast driver is no manual transmission will be available. As cool as the CVT transmission is, it’s still an automatic. That simply means no more brand new Maxima's for me. I therefore just bought a 2003 Maxima with the 6sp. It’s been nice so far.

lightonthehill

benz240za - The 'fog lights pointing out' on the '04 thru '06 Maxima were the cornering lights. The cornering lights were moved up into the main headlight compartment for '07, and the fog lights were moved from the main headlight area down to the bottom corners, pointing forward.

I agree with you that this move was clearly an improvement. I wish my '04 SL had the '07 front end.

I also agree Nissan should have kept a 6 speed manual as an option for '07.

I sort of agree with you about the CVT being an automatic. But it is an automatic that does not have the shift points that have sometimes been problem areas, as well as points where there was a tiny loss of acelleration (hence a tiny loss in fuel economy, since the motor keeps running) in many automatics for over half a century.

You will like your '03. My '00 SE has never given me the slightest bit of trouble.

takenit2dmax

I like the interior better in the 07, not too fond of the exterior.. looks too much like an Altima.. And it's a damn shame they lost the 6SPD manual.. What were they thinking?

bfar2001

Anyone else having any problems with the tire pressure monitoring system? I took the car back to the dealer within a week because the light was on the night I bought the car and the service department was closed. When I took it back, they said that it just had to be reset/flashed. Now about 3 weeks later the lgiht is back on. This is really frustrating...and I'm still getting about 17 mpg.

lightonthehill

bfar2001 - While you wait for a chance to let the dealer look at your tire pressure moniyoring system, I would invest in a good gauge (unless you already have one), and use it to keep the pressure correct.

And I would simply ignore the light until the dealer gets it working right.

Even when the new tire pressure monitoring system on your car is fixed, you should still check the pressure in each tire every few weeks, and before every long trip. I don't know what the 'trigger' point in PSI is for Nissan's system, but it might let you ride along with only 28psi in one tire, when you are trying to keep 33 in all four.

And be very gentle using a tire guage on these somewhat fragile and sensitive valve stems.

BadBlackMaxSL

iTrader: (1)

Saw a Red 07 SE with the wing at the car wash the other day; hot, hot and hot. I'm almost hoping someone will crash out my Max so I can move up to the 07.

TheBigDog

I am looking into getting an 07 Maxima and mod my own 7" Touch Screen into the existing radio screen (and move the radio screen to the compartment under the controls. I did some research on mp3car.com and saw that this is commonly done w/ an 05 or 06 model. However, this picture concerns me....is that a full size radio screen (double din)?

jcalabria

The radio display is much smaller than a double DIN. I'm not near the car right now to measure for you... maybe these pics will help:


The main radio control panel (w/o the display) is close to (if not exactly) a double DIN. You can't see it in the picture you had, but there are actually two displays... the larger area is for the radio, clock, outside temp & trip functions. The thin upper band has a display of its own for the climate control functions.

blkmaxima18

Interior looks real nice, donno about the exterior though.

MaXXXpower

iTrader: (4)

Definitely love the interior. Exterior looks good. Don't know about the CVT.

04BlackMaxx

Its because of money, they are thinking they can save some by ending an option that has little demand, sorry guys.

04BlackMaxx

Maxxpower: those rims look like the ones im buying this month, id love to see some better shots if you have them, maybe from the side. What size and make/model are those rims? Thanks

Caster Troy

Not gonna lie,, very nice, but ill stick with the 06

LA02MAX

iTrader: (3)

That's exactly what the versa's are seeing. It's an unbelievably widespread issue, so nissan better release a TSB pretty soon...

Caster Troy

It's a good look

http://www.cardomain.com/member_page...12_32_full.jpg

maxhead

Has anyone dynoed the CVT to see what really gets to the tires. Supposedly, it is supposed to have the same drivetrain loss ratio as a 6 speed. I drove it and it seems really fast, but I'm coming from a 4th gen so every 6th gen will feel fast to me. For those who have driven both (manual 6th gen and 07 w/CVT) what do you think.
I like the exterior and interior better and I'm buying one soon. Trying to figure out if I should get one of the last 2006 6sp on the lot, in a color I'm not crazy about, or the CVT (I like everything else about it).

lightonthehill

maxhead - You probably don't consider your innocent question to be 'loaded', but it is.

There are folks here who would never touch a CVT, and will leave the 'world of Maxima' before buying one.

There are folks here who feel the CVT is the wave of the future, and offers the eventual promise of being the most efficient tranny ever built.

And there are those in between, who are very interested in how good and how reliable this CVT will be.

Everyone has their own opinion. But if I was going to drive my car in normal situations and in a normal manner, I would definitely opt for the CVT.

However, if I lived in a very mountainous area, or intended to drive very agressively, or have always loved shifting for myself, I would probably opt for the '06 6 speed, because we don't really have a long-term reliability record for the Maxima CVT as yet.

bell

why can't I post new threads?

I just leased a maxima 2007 se., and have a few questions to owners 2007.

First: Did someone figured out is it possible to close outside mirrors when you're locking the car?

Second: I read the manual 10 times and did not get how is the corner lights working? When are they turning on?

Third: Is there a way to change driver setting (turn off light 45 seconds, exit/entrance seat and whell and etc.) with no navi on a car?

thanks you guys.

SilverMaxima06

I have an '06 and the cornering light works when you actually have your turn signal on. You'll definitely notice the difference. My cornering lights are out board (i.e. on the bumper sides) where as my fogs are inboard in the headlight housing. In your case with the '07, your cornering lights are actually in your headlight housing.

jcalabria

First: Don't think so.

Second: With the turn signals.

Third: Some of them yes, but only by the dealer and his magic computer.

lightonthehill

bell - As the first two questions have been answered #1 - no; #2 -the right cornering light (which is enclosed in the headlight assembly on the '07) comes on when you have your lights on and turn on the right turn signal. You can guess the left.


So, addressing the third question:

As to the automatic moving of the seats forward/backward and the steering wheel up/down when entering or exiting the car, that function (among many others) can be turned off/on under one of the 'personal' settings on the regular screen (no 'navi' required). I turned that option on and off several times in my '04 without navi over two years ago.