jwaters943

You haven't?

19 wheels:


Closeup of tire sidewall (P245/40R19):


18" wheels:

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

Any photo's of the non Nav Interior yet?

bonzelite

iTrader: (2)

You don't engineer a car on the Nurburgring to handle poorly.

bonzelite

iTrader: (2)

19s were posted in numerous pics earlier in the thread, page 2.

lightonthehill

jwaters943 - Thanks. Turns out I had seen them, but did not realize it. I was not observant enough to catch the rather obvious differences between the 18" and 19" wheels, as they have the same motif (ten spokes, arranged in convergent pairs).

bronzelite - Thanks. You have to remember I am old, and do not always totally comprehend what I am looking at.



Edit - Interesting that both wheels posted here by jwaters943 have Goodyear tires (the 18" ones are Goodyear RSAs). The 'teaser' shots of the '09 released by Nissan before the New York Auto Show showed Bridgestone tires.

bonzelite

iTrader: (2)

no worries, apologies

Sal Collaziano

The more I see this car, the more I like it.. I think it's going to grow on everyone. Yes, the 6th Gen was a very striking design - but this is also going to turn lots of heads.. I'm anxious to take a test drive..

chernmax

iTrader: (15)

I loved it the first time I saw it just like the 6th Gen. This car will sell!!!

VQ30GTR

Most likely this is how they will control torque steer. Electronically through the CVT. In a Manual most likely the average person would be spinning all over the palce with close to 300 HP at the FRONT wheels. This is why the G35 is rear wheel drive-no?

My 5th gen opinion is that I like the new version, looks like a poor mans G35 (me) in some respects. Also remember the G35/X gets like 19/18 mpg. I assume the new Max with CVT and the 3.5 will be better, especially when regular hits $4 this summer, let alone premium. Also "Advanced Timing" makes those of us who had theirs advanced look like innovators!

Oh well my.02 worth, spend it how you like.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

Possibly, or they could have revised the shafts.

doublea

iTrader: (7)

It's kind of funny that you bring this up, my wife has recently bought a Rogue with Paddle shifter an until I saw the new max I though maybe I can buy the rogue steering wheel with paddle shifter and put it on my 5th gen. I'll try to buy the 7th gen steering wheel and see if I can swap it on my 5th gen using it with the Suprastick V4 that would be a nice improvement on the 5th gen.

Thanks for bringing this up.

AA

Wills98MaxSE

7th gen looks awesome, wish they would've brought back the white-face gauges on the SE

SilverMax_04

I agree -- don't like the orange colors on parts of the new gauges.

Libz

okay being on this maxima forum is making me think worse about my car? WTF is wrong with the 6 gen... i LOVE my 6 gen i think its beautiful ...especially with work done. this 7th gen imo is not in comparison to my 6 gen i don't like anything about this... then again i havnt seen it in person or giving it time to grow on me

lightonthehill

Libz - You are right about the 6th gen being a better vehicle than some say. I have had four wonderful trouble-free years with my '04, and even this past week I bumped into two old acquaintences (not at the same time), and the first words out of both their mouths were 'new car - very nice!'

Even though I have minimum mods, and mostly just keep it clean, it still draws favorable response and admiring looks from friends who can't believe it is four years old. Part of my likely delay in moving to the '09 (might wait until fall) is because it will be very painful letting my beautiful '04 go.

I have gone through this withdrawal pain each time I let a Maxima go. Sometimes I still see my first ('85) Maxima when driving in the area where the current owner lives, and it is still beautiful. I can easily spot Maximas I have owned because, among other things, I always construct and install 1" wide, 1/2" thick black rubber molding around the edge of all wheel wells.

But, as much as we love our 6th gens, I think that, once you see the 7th gen in the 'right' color and lighting, it will grow on you. It has definitely grown on me.

tjdehya

Long time Maxima lover here, but I was severely disappointed with the 6th gen (sry 6th gen owners but it’s just my opinion). So my last Max was the 02Max which I traded for a real and new 4DSC the 350hp 06Dodge Charger. But I am getting tired of the 14-18mpg and miss the days and luxury of the 22-28mpg of my Max.
I am looking forward to test driving the 7th gen next month but unless I absolutely fall in love with it I won’t be buying one till this fall after I test drive the 09Acura TL which should be here in Sept.

Fully Loaded Max at $37000 Vs a $38000 fully loaded TL, I just think that Nissan may be making a mistake with their pricing... oh yea and the TL will have AWD and the 3.7 300+hp engine that Nissan should consider sticking in the new Max at some point.

jcalabria

Two things about the Max versus TL comparison:

• We'll have to wait and see what the TL 3.7 is like but, historically, Honda VTEC engines have been a bit top-end oriented, so a few more HP on paper may not translate into much (and possibly less) in daily driving situations.
• Once the "new-ness" wears off at the Nissan dealerships, the spread in street-prices is likely to be much larger than the spread in MSRPs. Occasionally Acura offers decent lease deals on TL's, but Acura dealer's rarely discount like most Nissan dealer's do on straight sales.

SilverMax_04

I agree. Having put almost 72 K miles on my 04 w 6-speed, I continue to be amazed at the low-speed torque that comes from my VQ engine. I go around a corner and the engine pulls very nicely in 3rd gear, even when going up a hill. Honda engines historically don't have that much pep at low engine speeds.

lightonthehill

By Thanksgiving, there should be at least a $3,000 difference in DRIVEOUT price between a loaded '09 TL and a loaded '09 Maxima. Even with the shortening and downsizing of the '09 Maxima, it should still have at least as much interior room as the traditionally less-roomy TL.

bb700092

If what Nissan claims -- that they have built the best handling FWD sedan in the world -- is true, then I doubt what you said will happen. And if what you said happens, then I will have to doubt Nissan's claims.

lightonthehill

bb70092 - The reason it will happen is that there are many buyers looking more at zero to sixty times than at superior handling. This board has been filled with elapsed time talk for the past month. For lack of another tenth of a second zero to sixty, many folks will look elsewhere - even to the rough-looking gas-guzzling G8. Because of that (and adhering to their usual practice), Nissan will be discounting the price of the Maxima to two or three thousand below MSRP by Thanksgiving. Count on it. By next spring, the '09s will be available at invoice or below.

I don't see a time when I will be able to drive out a G35 for the same price as a similarly-equipped Maxima. Certainly not at my Infiniti dealership; I tried.

carnal_c30

iTrader: (38)

The car definitely looks better in person, and I am guessing that one Huge advantage the max will have over the tl is looks. The facelift on the rl and the new tsx are hideous

Once again no offense to 6th gen owners but the car is leaner meaner and definitely a return to the 4dsc philosophy of the 3rd gen
Only thing that I wish they would do is make a 6spd then we would be gravy =)

chernmax

iTrader: (15)

IMO, the fatter all these new cars get, the thinner the 6th gen looks and properly modded will spank the **** out of any other comparable car or Max Gen!!! Sorry no offense...

sicivic89

iTrader: (58)

Well, a few of us have driven the 2009s at the Nashville trip. I drove up to the event in a rented 2008 Maxima so I had a good comparison of the 6th Gen vs. 7th Gen. Stock for stock the 7th Gen is much faster and is big improvement over the 6th Gen. The car is good bit more powerful and is very stable in the turns and this was driving a non-sport package car.

You need to go drive one before you say they suck and that the 6th Gen are better.

chernmax

iTrader: (15)

Dude, please post the link or comment I made where I EVER said the new 7th Gen suck, I have been a fan since day ONE!!! I commented on the dude who keeps saying "sorry don't mean to slam the 6th Gen again but, bla, bla, bla, bla... Reading with comprehension is your friend!!!

sicivic89

iTrader: (58)

My bad. I thought your previous post was comparing the 6th gen to the 7th gen. But you were comparing the 6th Gen to other cars.

SilverMax_04

Sorry, but it ain't a Sports Car without a manual tranny.

I'm old enough to remember when the Ford Thunderbird first came out (about 1955) as a 2-seater. They tried to say it was a sports car, but it only had the crappy Ford auto tranny and it did not corner well. Looked nice, but that was it. You need more than looks in a car.

Sports Cars are supposed to be fun to drive. And part of the fun of a sports car is shifting gears.

bb700092

The 7th gen has to be better than the 6th gen in some respect, otherwise why would anyone buy it? We all believe that the 7th gen is faster than the 6th gen, however I do not know if it is "much faster". I am surprised that Nissan failed to reduce the weight of the Maxima even after reducing its size so much so that it is now smaller than an Altima.

The 08 Maxima came with 255 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 252 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm while the 09 Maxima will come with 290 hp @ ??? rpm and 261 lb-ft of torque @ ??? rpm. If those ??? are higher than 6,000 and 4,400 rpm respectively, which I believe they are, then the increase in hp and torque will not be felt as much. BTW, the 08 Altima V6 came with 270 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm, is larger in size than the 09 Maxima, but still manages very close 0-60 mph and quarter mile times with the 09 Maxima. So is the 09 Maxima really "much faster"?

Looks depend on personal taste, hence no point claiming a "big improvement" in that department. For example, while me and Chern are both 6th gen owners, I do not like the looks of the 09 Maxima (especially headlights and grill) while Chern does. Also, even though the interior of the 09 Maxima might have better quality materials than the 08, I do not like aluminium borders around each ****/switch in the dash. The 08 Maxima w/o navi looks much more clean and classy than any 09 Maxima interior picture I have seen. Here are some pictures to show what I mean http://forums.freshalloy.com/showpos...35&postcount=8

IMO, the only aspect in which the 6th gen lacks is handling where the 09 Maxima can get substantial improvement. However, it needs to be realized that it is very difficult to build a sedan as large as a 6th gen (almost equal in size to an Infiniti M) with sporty handling. Sedans comparable to 6th gen Maxima size having sporty handling cost at least $45k, a whopping $15k more than the 6th gen Maxima. It is nice to see Nissan concentrating on improving the handling characteristics of the Maxima. However, now that the 09 Maxima is even smaller in size than the Altima, its handling should be compared to that of a 09 Altima, not to a 08 Maxima.

I wish you had driven up to the event in a 08 Altima V6 instead of a 08 Maxima and made comparisons regarding their performances.

chernmax

iTrader: (15)

We Cool!!!

Sal Collaziano

It really depends on where all this power lies within the horsepower/torque/rpm range.. I have a feeling you'll see most of your difference in the upper RPM range..

DCUnited10

good stuff

Nicksd84

Just adding to the long line of comments which I'm sure have been stated. Overall, I loved the new max when I saw it in person. I currently own a 6th gen max and my only refinement would be to square up the back end and match it up with the rectangular motif of the front. And I just don't like the wheels that much. But... the wheels can be changed after market, and seeing some p-shops of after market wheels I just think it enhances the overall look of the whole ride 10-fold.

silver slug

i'm sure this has been stated, as well, but the front looks like a cross between a volvo and an infiniti q45 (in the grille area). the steering wheel controls look somewhat cheesy, almost like they belong on a car of a lesser caliber. either way, i wish i had some money and could buy one!!!

raildawg856

i just got my max i love it so far, i just want to know where to go 4 add ons?

crazy97

iTrader: (1)

With 35 more hp I expected the 09 to be quicker than my 03... But adding 400 pounds over 6 years will tend to kill any accelleration improvements. hehe

G09madmax

almost 2k miles, i'm show boating on the road with my 009. lol

johnsd2

I picked up my 09 on 6-30-08 and have 2200 miles on it and I think it is so much better than the 6th gen. I had 2 of them. A 04, put 57,000 miles on it and a 06, put 67,000 miles on it. The 09 is more stable at higway speeds plus gets better mpg. I drive alot and the new Max. is a much better road car, get alot of looks from Audi and BMW drivers.

lightonthehill

johnsd2 - That is exactly the type of post we need; the experiences and thoughts of a high-mileage driver who has put several thousand miles on this new '09.

Several here have expressed concerns about reliability in the first year of a complete redesign. That is a very valid question. There will always be minor adjustments, etc, on any new vehicle, but it would be interesting to know exactly everything you have had done since you took delivery of your new Maxima. Your input in this area (as well as all areas concerning the '09 Maxima) will be much appreciated.

johnsd2

I am going on 2 road trips in Aug. Chicago area to Rochester, Mn. and then to a small town 20 Minutes south of Canton, Oh. I will let you know how the car ran. The seat bottom cushion is longer and alot more comfortable than gen. 6. So far every thing is going fine with the car. When you shut the doors it has a more solid sound to it. For people with gen 6 Max. I put a set of Yokohama YK520's on the car, after the install my dealer let me drive a new 08 for a day to compare the difference from the stock tire and the Yoks. it was a much better ride and handling with the Yoks. The car he gave me was a demo with about 3000 miles on it. I will get more info on the trip to you. I have a Premium model, the double glass roof is great it gives the car a more open feel. I drove both a sport and prem. model, the double glass roof is alot better. My 04 and 60 were SE's. It is a nice change to have the prem. one with adifferent trim pkg. Lightonthe hill, I will try to answer all of your questions on the car. My dealer did order my car for me as soon as he was allowed to, that is why I got it so soon. It has every option except for the trunk organizer.

pearle

On Tuesday I traded in my 00 Maxima SE for a 09 Dark Slate Maxima with the Sport & Tech packages, plus a couple of other options. I have only put about 150 miles on it so far but my first impression is that I miss very little about my old Maxima, which I was rather happy with. Going from practically zero tech to an abundance of tech is taking a bit of adjustment but I'm loving every second of it.

I didn't care for the styling of the 09 Maxima when I first saw photos of it online. After seeing one in person, however, I changed my mind. I recognize that it's slightly controversial but to me the car looks great. It has a very aggressive stance and looks down right formidable. The 19" wheels make a big difference as they reduce the wheel gap. The 18" looked a bit funny when I first saw a Maxima that was equiped with them.

In a couple of weeks I'm going on a long road trip from New England up through Atlantic Canada to Newfoundland, which should give me a good taste of what to expect from this car. At this point I do not regret my decision to purchase it in the least.