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Maxima drivers to talk about their experiences with the car and also be mentioned in the column as a driver. Please email me at lori_f@eudoramail.com by November 4 at 5:00 p.m. EST
good to me . Many years ago I had a 440 cu. in. / 375 hp. Mopar
that did 0 - 60 in 6.4 . It's amazing how much power and performance
they're getting out of these hi-tech V-6's !!!!!!! AND it's not turbo-
charged or supercharged. Even Nissan's 2.5 4 cyl. puts out a
naturally aspirated 180 hp !!!!!!!!!!
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/roadtests/2001/december/200112_shorttake_infiniti_i35.xml
I agree, engine tech these days is very impressive, especially considering the emissions reguluations and fuel economy they have to design around. We certainly have come a long way!
the '02 max. Automatic. I realise that all of the interest is focused
on the 6-spd. however , 90% of Max. buyers purchase the auto. trans.
The 3.5 V6 really does transform this car over the 3.0 V6.
Maybe someone will do a road test on an '03 Auto. but I doubt it. Now,
all eyes are on the '04.
IMO, Nissan has milked the slow shifting 4-speed automatic in the Maxima/I35 for way too many years. The V6 gem of an engine is rates an "8 or 9" on a scale of 10. The automatic transmission a "4", in comparison to many of the 5-speed and now even 6-speed automatics out there. Fortunately, the 5-speed automatic in the G35 is more like a "7". Even the Honda Accord and Acura TL have better automatic transmissions than the Maxima, IMO.
As I've previously admitted, I am probably a manual transmission "lifer". So take what I say, with that in mind. There is, however, one automatic that I've driven that I would rate a "9". The AMG C32. Try it, if you ever get the opportunity.
http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/deptog.asp?dept%5Fid=37
of a second ) up or down .However, there is a big difference between 8.0
secs. to 60 ( '00 GLE ) and 6.9 secs ( '00 I35) imho.
I disagree that the media hasn't done a review of an Automatic Maxima
because it's an automatic. As I said earlier, all of the performance
emphasis is on the 6-spd. soooo, the media tests the 6-spd. However,
because the majority ( what 90% ) of people buy the automatic , the
media should also test what the majority drives. Again, my 2-cents.
My automatic happens to be very fluid and seamless. It does it's
thing and is completely un- obtrusive. I do agree with you about the
number of gears. I was really hoping that the 5th gen. would have had
a 5-spd. Tiptronic type trans. After all , Hyundai did it . I guess Nissan
has to save some of the good stuff for " Infiniti ".
This brings up a question that has always fascinated me. Why do most
people buy the SE model. It can't be for the "performance" because
most people pay extra for the automatic rather than driving the 5-spd.
I'm guessing it's a combination of features vs. price . Would that
be a correct assumption ?
Btw, I was a " lifer " also until I " blew-out " my left knee. Thus my
interest in auto-sticks.
As for the SE, I thought the percentage that are manual transmissions was more like 30%. Given that most GXE's and all GLE's are automatic, that would result in 80-90% for all Maxima's. In any event, your point about testing the automatics is a fair one.
Even for those who elect an automatic, the firmer SE "sport" suspension may be preferable for some. My architect leased 4 loaded GXE's in 1996 for himself and his partners as company cars. When their leases came up in 1999 3 out of the 4 switched to SE's after feeling the difference in my car around the Washington Beltway.
Also, when I said 1-2 rungs, I wasn't referring to 10ths of a second in 0-60 times. I was referring to differences that I could easily notice. I won't dispute the 0-60 of 6.9 seconds that was clocked for the I35, but that sure seems a lot faster than the 2003 SE automatic that I test drove 2 weeks ago. Maybe I need to mash my foot harder. My sense was that there was at least a full 1+ second 0-60 difference between the automatic 6-speed. And that sense passes the acid test - that was roughly the difference in the previous 190 horsepower and 222 horsepower versions of the Maxima. Adding another 33 horsepower, but keeping the old 4-speed automatic and pitting it against a close ratio 6-speed seems like it should result in the same 1+ second difference (or even greater). Wouldn't you agree?
6.9 and the 6-spd. Max. 0-60 was 6.2 ( .7 sec
difference ) . Thats pretty close to 1 second.
You know what ? This higher math is giving
me a headache. I need to lay down and rest.
Have a great weekend Y'all !!
Does anyone have any experience with changing from 55's to say 60's. There is a significant price difference.
Help!
ride and the alloy wheels .I have an '02 Merlot GLE and this car really
stands out with that color and those wheels !
The hood vibration is referenced in TSB # 01-042 ( Jan 02 ).This was earlier
in the year and affected a small percentage of vehicles. If you have a late
'02 build date ( which I'm sure you will ) this probably won't be a factor.
The ' in cabin microfilter ' can be changed by the owner , however you will
need to remove the Glove Box. Most people don't want to fool with this
so they take it to a dealer. More info. on the TSB and disassembly of
the glove box can be found over at maxima.org.
My ' 00 GLE has 215-55/16 Toyo Proxes AO5 's and my ' 02 GLE has
215-55/17 Bridgestone Turanza EL 42 's. Both are quiet, good riding
tires but unfortunately are expensive. I do know that people are buying
Dunlop SP Sport A2 's ( a little loud but reasonably priced ) .Also consider
Yokahama Avid V4 's. I would recommend that you get ' Traction Control ' and
try ( 1) winter with the stock tires. I would imagine that if you went with
something like ' Blizzaks ' that they would be very loud on dry pavement.
In fact , I'm not even sure you can put ' Blizzaks' on a fwd car.
I hope you get your Maxima soon so you can start enjoying those 255
ponies. :-)
Seamless , smooth shifts and all at the right time with no hunting. Is
it the luck of the draw ?? Nissan did make some changes to the auto
trans in ' 02 to handle the output of the 3.5 V6.
I haven't owned an automatic in 25 yrs. and now I have two of them. I
just want them to be trouble free for 175,000 miles. I've got my
fingers crossed.
The great thing about a manual trans is that when you replace the
clutch at some point the trans will then be as good as new. And
it's relatively inexpensive to replace a clutch. Once you start having trouble
with an automatic, it will be expensive to repair and may never be right.
My confidence level is VERY low when it comes to repairing automatics.
All you can do is periodically flush the trans , replace the filter and say
a prayer. ;-)
I do have to say that I have 74,000 miles on my 2000 SE and it is still tighter and smoother than my 98 Grand Prix with only 20,000 miles.
Does anyone know if the auto trans should only be flushed or should the pan be dropped? I believe the dealer told me that Max does not have a replaceable trans oil filter. Is this correct?
Had to vent.
I just read about the HIDs being stolen off of Maxima--I think someone complained about how easy it was to remove these on a Yahoo auto board. Has anyone heard about this and can shed more light (no pun intended) on it?
Thanks.
There is a link over at maxima.org where you can buy a set of anti-theft bolts
to replace the factory fasteners on the HID's.
At 40,000 miles I had my auto trans flushed . Basically, it's like a trans-fusion
( no pun intended ) . New fluid goes in as the old goes out.
eblum : Excellent question in regards to the trans filter. In my line of business,
all hydraulic pumps have a filter. The auto trans is a hydraulic device.
I certainly HOPE there is a filter, although I don't really know at this
point. Does anyone else know ????????
But yes, there is a filter. It's usually cleaned (or replaced) when flushing out the fluid.
She liked bigger cars, so she had Bonnevilles for the last part of her life. She passed in 2001, and had a 1993 Bonneville that I sold privately because I couldn't afford to gas it for my ~100 mile a day roundtrip commute.
Yes, you can put Blizzaks on a fwd car BUT you have
to buy four of them......otherwise you will have
a huge vehicle stability problem.
I bought a set last winter for my Max because my
daily work commute is 90 miles, all interstate
and the Potenzas don't cut it in eastern Ohio in
winter.
They are loud and not comfortable but a necessary
evil. By spring, all I'm thinking about is getting
them off the car.
berbel
On the other hand, a 9,000 mile "repo" that's had 3 owners in a year is not the kind of used car I would buy. I have a friend who has bought a few cars like that at a "sealed bid" auction. He has had relatively good luck, but he also bids at least 30% less than what a well documented excellent condition "certified" used car would go for from a dealer. In your case, since the dealer retail is about $20,000, I doubt he would pay any more than $13,000-$14,000k for a repossessed car with questionable history. And that assumes his mechanic has given it the thumbs up. If you are getting that kind of a deal, perhaps its worth it. My friend is currently driving a 2001 E320 that he picked up for $24,000 last year. Me, I know my luck (or lack thereof). I'll stick with new.
Many reviewers comment about the lack of illumination on the steering wheel buttons. Is this really a problem? I would imagine it would be in more rural areas with less ambient light. The other major flaws of the Maxima interior are the placement of the mirror adjustment (should be on the door and not behind the steering wheel) the slider bar for temperature control (so 70s) and though minor, the automatic door locks are counter intuitive. Up should be unlock, down should be lock and the ignition is on the wheel not the dash so you can see it easily. Most of these, ironically, have been corrected in the Altima and will probably be corrected in the 2004 Maxima. Even so, I think it's one of the best interiors I've seen and I've been comparing it with almost everything.
I know one of the first modifications I will make is to replace the clear taillights with the red ones from the 2000-2001 models. Though I'm only 29, my boyracer look days are over. Ha ha.
Doesn't sound like it has anything to do with your throttle lag problem.
Reason for Recall
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronic throttle control system. Under usual driving conditions, the stopper for the accelerator pedal will prevent excessive movement of the accelerator position sensor. However, if the driver pushes the pedal to the stopper with overly excessive force while at the same time pushing it to the right, the pedal may "over travel" due to the design of the stopper. This could cause the engine malfunction indicator lamp to come on and the engine speed to be severely limited. If this occurs unexpectedly, it could lead to a crash.
What Nissan Will Do
In order to prevent this incident from occurring, your Nissan dealer will replace the accelerator pedal stopper with a new one. This free service should take about thirty minutes to complete, but your Nissan dealer may require your vehicle for a longer period of time based upon their work schedule.
I'd probably have replaced both rear tires if it happened on my S2000, but not on the Maxima.
I was going to replace the other 3 with the same brand, because I like the tire. I called the manufacturer themselves, and they don't make the tire anymore.
I took it in, they took a couple of days to figure it out, and then I got it back. A few months later, recall notices started going out.
Yay me!!
Obi