Nissan Maxima

6head · December 2001

I also bought a 2002SE and stayed with the standard radio. I am alittle disappointed with the sound and I am interested in your project.

I know you haven't completed the project but want to know how it goes. How much were the replacement door speakers, do you notice a big change in sound quality, and how hard is the installation process? I am less inclined to install a subwoofer.

obiwankenobi1 · December 2001

Interesting. I think the stereo is great. Although, when I first got it, it wasn't that great. It may sound weird, but now the stereo sounds much better than it did at the beginning.

Hmmmmmmmm.....or maybe I am as high as a kite off the fumes coming from the BMW K1100 RS motorcycle that was started in the showroom about 15 minutes ago and is still running! Hopefully I'll live long enough to post again! :-/

SOMEBODY TURN THAT THING OFF!!!

max2001 · December 2001

I have PIAA xtreme whites in the headlights and the fog lights. Had them in since this summer and no problems. As long as you stay at stock wattage you should have no problems. Oh and make sure you don't touch the glass part of the bulb, getting any kind of oil on the bulb is bad and will severly reduce the life of the PIAA bulb.

aes1519 · December 2001

Anyone else experience a startup problem with an 01 SE? Monday morning my SE (with only 7500 miles!) wouldn't start (low pitched whining noise, lights, radio, etc. all worked). It was the first cold morning we've had, but the car was garaged. After towing it to the dealer on Monday afternoon, they finally got to look at it this morning and said it started up with no problem! They were checking it out but I'd like to know if anyone else had a similar problem. My mom seems to recall this happened to her once or twice with her 95 SE.

Any thoughts? I'm also checking the Maxima.org forum. Thanks.

lsc · December 2001

The speakers probably had to be broken in. Similar to home speakers.

tgif888 · December 2001

Have the dealer check the computer chip in your remote. It happens on my 00 Max. The dealer said my Mobile speedpass had interference with the chip. Dealer needs to reprogram the computer chip and it will solve the problem.

jzauberman · December 2001

Max2001, thanks for the input. I'm going to try a set of these bulbs in the headlights. Do you notice a significant increase in output?

Mirth, I bought my SE at Bill Cook in Farmington Hills, MI. I dealt with a gentleman named Tim Maxwell who was price competitive and extremely professional. I did the same type of price research that I expect you have done/will do and simply asked that Cook match the price that I obtained elsewhere via the internet (I believe the best price I obtained was through CarMax in Wisconsin). Cook was able to match the price and I was happy to give them the business. My experience with them over the past 10 years has been exemplary. I was so happy with how I was treated that I actually bought Tim a gift and gave it to him when I picked up the car. Tim's professionalism and integrity became very apparent after I decided on the vehicle I wanted (it was in stock) and left the dealership. Tim agreed to set the vehicle aside until the end of the month when the lease on my Volvo expired. Tim did so but through a mix-up I ultimately learned that one of the other salesmen used the car as a demo, putting a little bit of mileage on it. Even worse, someone had backed the car into a pole! Tim was unaware of this but I discovered it a week or two later when I took a ride to the lot to "visit" my car which I was to pick up a couple of days later. As soon as Tim learned what had happened he put his coat on and asked me to wait for him to return. I had no idea where he was going. Five minutes later he drove up in another Maxima -- same color as the one I had originally selected -- it had just come off the delivery truck. Despite the fact that it had some $500 of extra equipment and had a build date some 6 months later than the car I originally selected Tim gave it to me at the same price I negotiated for the original vehicle selected -- no hassles, no stories. All in all, a very pleasant buying experience.

canadiancl · December 2001

You mean the chip in the KEY that controls the immobilizer, right?

tgif888 · December 2001

Yes.

bianca2 · December 2001

Nominate that salesman for sainthood! What a nice story, and such a difference from the usual encounters described on here.

mike367 · December 2001

Have had a 2000 Maxima SE for 64,000 miles now. Very minor problems: A creaking noise from the passenger side A-pillar when cold outside (since new); Drivers seat seems to shift in its tracks just slightly when cornering very fast; a check engine light that has plagued this car since new (Dealers have fixed it but it still comes on now and again) Other than these problems, this has been the best car I've ever owner. Plenty of power (I've got a 5-speed). Decent handling (although it does understeer quite a bit in hard corners) I did have a starting problem earlier this week (The first cold day here in Massachusetts) It took me about 3 minutes to get it fired up. No problem since then. If anyone else has had any of the problems I listed, I'd like to know.

mirth · December 2001

Thanks Jeff. It's nice to know that Bill Cook is a good place to go, since it's closest to me. Since it has so many franchises in that one dealership, I was worried that the sales quality might suffer.

habitat1 · December 2001

Mike, I have a 1995 SE taht has been a great car, although I've experienced some of your little annoyances.

Creaking noise at passenger A pillar: Had it back to the dealer twice and they were unable to reolve it after taking the dash apart and applying foam tape everywhere. Then, as luck would have it, I stuck a wood shim in the space between between the A pillar and dash and it worked. You can trim it down so its hardly noticable. Try it and let me know.

Check engine light: Mine came on for first time ever about 5 weeks ago (at 117k miles) After two or three fill-ups it went off by itself. Dealer said it may have been due to oxygnated gas.

Start up: Have had that problem two or three times in 7 years. Seems to be when it's cold and humid/rainy. Happened this morning. Dealer has never found anything wrong, so hopefully it's just a quirk.

Other than that (and an airbag sensor light that had to be reset for $75) I have had zero complaints or repairs over the life of the car. Got 90k miles out of front brake pads and am still on original rears. Clutch is good as new. Engine still strong as new (a freebie compression test showed within a few percent of a brand new car tolerance).

Hope this helps.

marsha7 · December 2001

do home speakers really have to be "broken in?"... I realize shoes and blue jeans need that, but aren't speakers normal right out of the box? what's to break in???

storyteller · December 2001

With audio it is hard to separate lore from science, but audiophiles have long maintained that many speakers sound better after use. Just like shoes and jeans, speakers need to flex to do their thing.

amazing2u · December 2001

Here:

http://www.nationalpost.com/specialreports/story1.html?f=/stories/20011214/863354.html

Finally, I was getting tired of only reading about the Altima.

ccyoung · December 2001

sysadmin1,

Glad to hear your tranny is working properly now. I have a 2000 GLE and had the TCM replaced about 10,000 miles ago. I have started to notice some slippage again especially when cold. When the car is warm I don't notice the slippage that much. What can you tell about the solenoid they replaced? Part Number, tsb Number etc.

Thanks

habitat1 · December 2001

I read the above link and it, unfortunately, appears to confirm what a test drive several weeks ago told me. I'm not a 0-60 time fanatic. It's certainly not a all encompasing measure of a cars performance.

Nonetheless: My 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed rated at 190 horsepower, 205 ft-lbs torque: 0-60 in 6.7 seconds. 2002 Maxima SE 6-speed rated at 255 hp, 246 ft-lbs torque: 0-62 in 6.7 seconds (according to above link)

So, for all those extra horses, ft-lbs of torque and another gear in the transmission, the best Nissan could do performance wise was an extra 2 mph in 6.7 seconds. And it can't be explained away on added weight. The 2002 Maxima weighs about 200 lbs more than my 1995, but 200 lbs less than the BMW 530i. And the BMW 530i 5-speed, with 225 horsepower gets to 60 in 6.7 seconds according to BMW. According to the seat of my pants, the BMW 530i is slightly quicker than my 1995 Maxima and therefore, the 2002 as well.

This inflated horsepower garbage is getting out of hand. I am perfectly content with the performance of my measily 190 horsepower Maxima. So much so, that I decided to keep it another year or two and get a Honda S2000 as a third car. It's just too bad that Nissan is unable to achieve actual performance gains in spite of throwing so many more ponies at the Maxima.

About 2000 posts ago, I suggested to others that were all excited by the 255 horsepower (originally reported as 260) upgraded engine. I respectfully suggested not holding one's breath if you were hoping for a Maxima that could match the acceleration of the previous generation 240 horsepower M3. Apparantly, and unfortunately, my advice was correct.

corkfish · December 2001

Anyone seen any reviews offering this? I drove both the 6 speed Maxima and the 5 speed Altima and I have to say that the Altima feels much quicker and even seems to have less torque steer and wheel hop.

sgrd0q · December 2001

First of all different testers achieve different results. Most tests are done under different conditions too, so unless the source is the same it is unrealistic to compare figures.

Second, in the article they measured acceleration to 100kmh, not 60mph, which is more than 2mph difference. At that speed the drag is significant and the extra 2mph can account for more than 0.5 seconds. I remember seeing 6.7 secs. 0-60 times for the 190HP Maxima, but I also remember seeing 4.7 secs. for the 0-50 test. That is, it takes 2 more seconds to get an extra 10 mph. As you get into higher speed the drag increases exponentially, and an extra mph will require even more time.

And finally, yes the HP number or the torque number alone are not everything. You need to look at the whole curve (either HP or Torque, as one defines the other). But curves are difficult to compare, whereas max numbers are easy to compare. Generally, you need a torque curve that is fairly flat and long around its maximum, so that you can keep the engines RPM in that range. On the other hand a torque curve that peaks sharply and drops sharply will not be very helpful, even though it may have an impressive maximum torque number.

habitat1 · December 2001

..I've been running more than 6.2 miles when I run a 10k?? Good, that explains my slow times. And, as I've aged and added a few pounds, I've noticed that my "drag" has increased exponentially too!!

Seriously though, I know that the performance equation is a lot more complex than I made it sound. That wasn't my attempted point. And I remain a big Nissan fan. But the idea that the 2002 Maxima may barely able to keep up with a 1995 when they put so much marketing effort into "255 horsepower" is a little puzzling, to say the least. I will reserve my judgement until I see R&T do a test, since you are absolutely correct, different testers come up with different numbers.

P.S. According to my calculations, 100 kph = 62.14 mph. And you were close. The 0-50 time for the 1995 was measured by R&T at 5.0 (still have that June 1994 issue). That would suggest that the 1995 SE 5-speed would be more like 7.1 from 0 to 100 kph. However, that's still not much of a difference for all those extra horses. Mind you, a 500+lb heavier 540i 6-speed with 282 horsepower scoots to 60 in about 5.5 seconds and keeps going like a rocket well past 120. I can only speculate that BMW's "horses" must be about three hands taller than Nissan's.

afty · December 2001

I wouldn't take that 0-60 number very seriously. Wait until a real car magazine like Car & Driver or Road and Track tests the car, then complain.

For reference, Motor Trend and Road and Track have both gotten 6.3 0-60 for the new Altima, which has 15 fewer hp than the Maxima. I'm pretty sure the Maxima can run in the low 6's.

jzauberman · December 2001

For what its worth I find my 01 Maxima SE automatic perhaps a little less sprightly from a standing start than my 93 SE was, although the mid-range acceleration is quite sufficient and satisfying for me. I think the 01 must be a couple of hundred pounds heavier than the 93 was -- I have not checked the stats but this is my "seat of the pants" impression. I do agree with the various comments made that the increase in hp. doesn't seem to be translating into real world faster acceleration from a standing start. Then again, how often do you engage in stoplight challenges? Personally, I don't have the heart to punish the machinery in this manner. Even though the Max may not be as quick as a 530i, a Volvo Turbo, a 3.2TLS or any number of other rides, for my money it is still a very satisfying package whose quality of assembly, materials, undisputed long and trouble-free life (if minimally cared for - my two previous Maximas ran well over 100,000 miles with shockingly few visits to the dealer for anything other than scheduled maintenance - my Dad's 93 has in excess of 140,000 miles with no major problems at all) and general robustness is hard to beat. Having stepped out of a Volvo S70 about a year ago and owing a 2000 Acura 3.2 TL, I find the Maxima an all round better package -- no rattles, squeaks, Dealer who is obnoxiously insistent on trying to convince you to overmaintain your vehicle (each of the foregoing pertaining to my Acura), or predisposition to minor mechanical failures (Volvo). I'm pretty happy -- I'll stick with Nissan. Happy motoring to all.

2002maxima · December 2001

As I posted above I have just purchased a 2002 Maxima SE and decided to replace the stereo speakers. I had a stock stereo (non-Bose). For those interested here is info on my install and the results:
I removed all door panels and found the locations for each were exactly the same size front and rear. I created a wood mounting bracket for each of the doors (again each was identical so it was a matter of tracing the first one). The bracket was made from 1/2" MDF. The installation in each door was really painless, only taking 2 hours including the brackets (for all four doors). I replaced each of the stock speakers with Infinity 652i's.
I then took apart the rear portion of the car. Seat,Plastic side trims along the window, trunk surround, and finally the rear shelf. I again created a mounting board out of 1/2 MDF and fit it to the stock hole left for the Bose subwoofer. I mounted a Kicker Freeair 8" sub in the board and mounted it to the shelf. I then cut a hole in the rear shelf matching the location of the subwoofer, and created a speaker cover again of MDF and speaker cloth available at most fabric stores. I reassembled the back portion of the car. Total time was about 3 hours.
Lastly I installed a Soundstream USA 180 amp under the passenger seat to drive the sub. I fed the amp from the left only speaker lead which can be located under the plastic trim on the lower part of the door seal / jam. I only needed one channel as the amp was running in bridged mode. Amp install took about 1 hour or so.
I am extremely happy with the results!!! I have listened to the sound of the Bose system side by side with mine and I can honestly say there is a huge difference!! My system is very clear, detailed, and the staging is much better than the Bose (partially due to the Infinity tweeters being adjustable to 360degrees, making it possible to aim them at the driver / passenger). The bass in the vehicle is very accurate, impact is great, without excess mud / boom.
Anyway the result was an incredible difference from the stock system, and definitly and improvment from the Bose system. Especially since the speaker are now nearly broken in and have warmed considerably. The cost was about $400 and about 7 hours of install time (a weekend job).

riez · December 2001

Don't forget that initial torque critical toward acceleration. A 3.5L V-6 just doesn't have the same torque as BMW's 4.4L V-8 or GM's supercharged 3.8L V-6. The Nissan 3.5L V-6 is a wonderful engine but you can't expect it to perform miracles. However, I do expect it to out accelerate similar or heavier weighted cars with smaller engines (e.g., Cadillac CTS w/3.2L V-6, Lincoln LS w/3.0L V-6, IS300 w/3.0L I-6, and 330i w/3.0L I-6).

And the relationship of redline to the timing of shifts can really be a factor. Car that can get to 60 mph in 2nd gear usually out accelerates one that requires a shift into 3rd gear due to approaching redline.

gone2vegas · December 2001

i'm consisdering buying a '02 maxima, like everything about it but only one question: how does it handle in the snow/messy new england road conditions?

habitat1 · December 2001

..about as well as any similar sized front wheel drive sedan. Better than virtually all rear wheel drive sedans, probably not quite as good as an Audi "quatro", BMW "x" or Mercedes "4-matic".

I travel quite a bit to northwestern Pennsylvania (i.e. "snowbelt") and to visit my wife's family north of Portland, Maine. We will take our Isuzu Trooper if we know there is heavy snow on the ground or coming, but otherwise go with the Maxima. It has handled everything it's been through quite well.

P.S. We have a 1995 SE 5-speed (i.e. 15" wheels and "H" rated tires). If you get a 2002 SE with 17" wheels and "V" rated tires, you may want to consider all-season / snow tires with steel rims for the winter. The standard tires on the GXE or GLE are probably fine. Also, I think a manual transmission offers more control in messy conditions, but that may be because that's all I've ever owned. I've "rocked" myself out of a few sticky situations that an automatic would have been more difficult to modulate.

realyecat · December 2001

Base GLE.

My only concern is that the GLE is not cutting the corner as good as a Altima, not to mention a Subaru WRX. And SE is just not my cup of tea.

bianca2 · December 2001

I can't imagine that you will actually be able to easily find a base GLE with no options, but if you do, $23,800 would be an excellent price. Is this an offer you already have or what you want to offer the dealer?

realyecat · December 2001

The dealer has several. I am pretty sure I can get $23800. I am also considering a I35 but I don't really need the heated seats.

Do you think Infiniti really is built better than Nissan as C&D suggests in a recent survey? I suspect it's just because Infiniti has longer warranty and Infiniti owners are generally more mature.

godeacs · December 2001

Considering the base GLE invoice price is just under $25K, I'd say you are doing REALLY well to get it for $1,200 UNDER invoice. I got the same car 2 months ago (mats/mud guards only) for $25.8K!

realyecat · December 2001

5 year reliability study , not C&D.

Just to clarify.

Anybody care to compare the quality of I35 and Maxima based on real-life experience?

bwia · December 2001

Bought a brand new--not a program car or demo, 2002 GLE today (Metro west Boston) for $25,611 with the following options:
Floor mats
Front side airbags
Front and rear painted splash guards
Power sliding glass sunroof
Sunroof wind deflector
Traction control system
Rear spoiler. This a special add on (thrown in for FREE)since the GLE is not configured with a spoiler.
And two free gift certificates to a fine Boston restaurant to boot.

I think paying cash probably had something to do with it or today was my lucky day.

habitat1 · December 2001

..I'm not sure you will find any one person who has owned both, but I have a 1995 Maxima SE and a good friend who has a 1996 Infiniti I30. We have both kept detailed records of our cars. My Maxima has 118k miles and has required virtually no repairs of significance. I don't count resetting an airbag warning light for $75 (had to do full diagnostic test to make sure something wasn't really wrong) as significant. The car has averaged 24.01 mpg since new. The car still looks great, especially the paint finish. Much better than the average Accord or Camry of similar vintage.

As for my friend's Infiniti, he has 83k miles and has had similar positive experiences. He has averaged 22 mpg +/- with an automatic and a bit more city driving than me. He got the Infiniti mainly because his wife doesn't drive a stick and, at the time, he thought it looked a bit better than the Maxima GLE. Just yesterday, however, he comented that he thought the looks of my '95 Maxima (shadowline trim, less chrome) has aged better than his '96 Infiniti.

I suspect that as a brand, Infiniti has an advanctage over Nissan relative to quaility. All Infiniti models, I believe, are still made in Japan. Comparing the Maxima and the I30/I35 however, is nearly a tie, IMO. They are both still made in Japan, use the same engine, and seem to have similar good reliability ratings. A concern I would have in the Washington DC area, however, is the quality of dealer service. My friend only has two dealers that are reasonably convenient to him and neither are as responsive, or as reasonably priced for routine service, as my Nissan dealer (VOB). So much for the Infiniti "marque". The extra year of warranty proved meaningless, since neither of our cars has ever needed a $100+ repair that would have been covered under any warranty. However, I estimate that he pays roughly 20% more for the routine service every 15k miles than I do. For essentially the same car. Prices in your area may vary.

bianca2 · December 2001

habitat, how much do you pay for 15k mile service? We just paid $200 for the 15k stuff, which seemed like a lot to me. This included the oil change and all the standard stuff listed as necessary at that point. Normally the oil changes are around $25 or so, I think. We're in NoVa and take it to Mike Pallone in Springfield.

sgrd0q · December 2001

BMW uses I6 and V8 engines which have more torque at lower RPM than V6 engines, generally speaking. The whole HP or Torque curve is important, not the peak at the end of the curve. This is particularly true for 0-60 times, when you have to go through low RPMs.

That would largely explain the exceptional performance of the previous generation M3 (240HP and 0-60 in 5.7 secs.) and the 540i, relative to their maximum HP.

Oh, and don't forget the manual transmission. BMWs have very fast transmissions. You need to shift once to get to 60, and if that is slow it will kill your time.

mike367 · December 2001

In reference to the apparent lack of acceleration improvement in the new 2002 Maxima, I offer the following: Check the C&D test of the new Infiniti G35 (same engine). I think the 0-60 was in the low 7's (7.1?). If this is the case the new 5-speed Maxima should be doing 0-60 in the low 6's. Guess we'll have to wait and see when they finally test one. Anyway, I'm going to test a new one this afternoon and compare it to my 5-speed 2000 SE. I'll follow up here with a seat-of-the-pants comparison.

afty · December 2001

BMW also makes exceptionally efficient drivetrains. They lose less power from crank to wheels than most other cars.

riez · December 2001

There are a ton of factors that go into acceleration figures. Some are tied to the driver (e.g., their skill and how they aggressively "launch" the car). Some are tied to the tires. Some are tied to the track (e.g., altitude and surface). The day the car is tested: temperature & wind. Others are tied to the car. Weight. Drag. Individual gear ratios and final drive ratio play a big part. So can internal efficiencies (or drivetrain losses). And the engine's output at specific RPMs, not to mention how the gearing impacts what RPM you'll be at at a given moment in time. Some factors are more important than others. But they all end up impacting the final figure for a given run (or series of runs) on a given day.

sglator · December 2001

Guys,

as it was noted earlier, AutoWeek got stick-shift 2002 Altima with 3.5 V6 to finish 0 - 60 in 5.9 sec.

So it's pretty good comparing with 5.7 for E36 M3

sgrd0q · December 2001

FWD cars have a disadvantage, because the weight shifts away from the driving wheels during hard acceleration, and traction becomes more of a problem.

Despite what has been said so far, the 2002 6-speed Maxima should get sub-six second 0-60 times.

realyecat · December 2001

Thank you for your info.

zexxey · December 2001

I have driven both the 2002 Altima 5 speed and the 2002 Maxima 6 speed. Hands down the Altima seems MUCH faster over a broad range. I am so torn liking the interior of the Maxima better. But I feel the improvements in the Platform of the Altima make it a better driving car. Then add into that build quality of Japanese VS U.S. A. I also heard that the Maxima for 2003 will get a V8.
( Salesman coming back from a Nissans Meeting)
Also spoke with a Tech at the local dealer and posed the question would you BUY a Maxima or Altima. He said Altima is a better handling car but he to feels the interior and drivers position in the Maxima is superior. So His answer .. Wait till 2003.. when you will have a Maxima sharing a better driving platform of the Altima along with a upgraded interior of the Maxima. He said hopefully they wont blow the drivers position when the Maxima becomes bigger due to sharing the Altima Platform.
Decisions. .Descisions..

dabronxr · December 2001

All this talk yak yak yak!. I just bought a 2002 GLE. I was on the shoulder of a main road waiting to get on road. When I saw an openeing I started to accelerate, then some moron right behind me on other side of street shoots out of a driveway crosses over double yellow and is heading toward me. Hmmmmm hard brake or floor it... I FLOORED it! I am used to driving an 85 olds so I wasn't ready for what happened. The car took off like a damned rocket, the tires spun, not only did I leave rubber, it looked like a smoke show! I really dont care about the .5 second differances you all get into. When I need it this car LAUNCHES!

godeacs · December 2001

Sounds like you've broken your new Max in well! I've been thinking the same thing - this car moves. All this talk about 0-60 speed counts only on a drag strip or racetrack....quibbling over fractions of a second in a "family" car is ridiculous....lol

sgrd0q · December 2001

Well, I guess it is interesting to know what the new Maxima is capable of. I for one would like to know. Purely out of curiosity.

I agree with you though. The car for what it is is fast enough. Why would one need a large 4-door sedan to accelerate faster. I have a 2001 GLE (with the 3.0L engine) and that is fast enough for me. 0.5 seconds in a 0-60 test for this car do not matter.

But can you feel a 0.5 second difference? You bet. I've owned/driven a number of cars, including my '97 M3, and anybody can feel the difference. And a one second difference feels like the difference between hardly moving, and shooting ahead in a rocket.

riez · December 2001

godeacs... Have you seen the TV and print ads for Nissan and Infiniti products lately? Nissan and Infinit are NOT pushing Altima, Maxima, or I-35 as sedate "family" cars. Nissan is aggressively advertising these cars as all around performance sedans. In that market, acceleration does matter and half a second can seem like an eternity!

Guess that is why Nissan is pushing Altima 3.5SE with 5-speed manual and Maxima SE with 6-speed manual (not to mention the hot Sentra SE)?

I love the I-35 print ad which shows the woman in a formal-type evening gown holding her racing helmut as she looks at her silver I-35.

aes1519 · December 2001

Thanks for the input and sorry for the delay in replying. The dealer asked about the key/chip issue, but eventually couldn't find anything wrong that would explain why it didn't start. Sounds like it's the same quirk others had mentioned.

roar1 · December 2001

I'm a longtime "lurker" and rarely do I post, however, all of this jibberish about USA vs. Japan
Quality issues, compels me to comment.The Altima is made in Smyrna, Tenn. at a manufacturing plant that has been rated one of the best in the world. The Altima has an
absolutely "bulletproof" reliability record. Also, two of the most highly acclaimed vehicles
( Camry/Accord) are built in the USA., with equally impressive reliability records.

What really matters is how a company has demonstrated its Design, Engineering, and
Manufacturing expertise, and Nissan, Toyota, and Honda have done this in this country.
No, I'm not going to buy a Hyundai made in Korea, or a Jetta from Mexico, but I definitly
would buy a Maxima made in Smyrna, Tenn. Actually, I currently own a' 94 Altima and a 2kMax and quite frankly, I think the quality of Nissan's Japanese built cars is down a tad from the past.
imho.

habitat1 · December 2001

When I shopped for my 1995 Nissan Maxima, Honda and Toyota were still coming off some pretty bad press relative to quality control on the U.S. built Accord and Camry. That was a factor I considered, although I can't say it was a deciding factor. Nor do I think it's fair to assume Nissan might have similar problems in Smyrna. But the fact still remains that none of the higher end Japanese manufacturers have entrusted their US plants to build their flagship brands or models.

I would really like to see a detailed and objective study of US vs. Japanese plants, quality control systems and analysis of the fit and finish of the cars that come out of each. Perhaps it is only an "image" problem and the US-built cars are now every bit the quality of their Japanese counterparts.

Do you have a source for the rating of the Smyrna plant as "one of the best in the world" and does the source rate other plants as well? When I recently bought a Honda S2000, I heard repeated claims that the Tochigi, Japan plant where it is produced is considered to be "the best in the world" in terms of tecnology and quality control, but I never saw a source.

Thanks in advance if you can provide anything further.

Nissan Maxima

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