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Nissan Maxima vs. Honda Accord
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My choice of an Accord was made easy when I test drove the Maxima, loved it, drove the G35 and determined that although I liked the drive of the Maxima better, the prestige of an Infinity for only $2K more was the ticket.
Then reality set in after I drove the Accord EX-V6. Although some nice features like memory seats, auto on headlights, a little less jump off the line, and maybe one or two other things, did not come with the Accord, the price was at least $8K less than the G-35 and $6K less than the Maxima.
Purchased the Accord and have no regrets. Still like the Maxima more, but I want to save that money to 1) purchase a larger house, 2) put my kids through college, or 3) buy a nicer car next time around.
The Accord is about 90% of the Maxima at about 75% of the price. However, the Accord met 100% of my needs (as did the Maxima).
Like you, I also think the Accord is a lot of car for the money, even more so than the Max. Although the Max has a few niceties that the Accord does not have (such as HID, heated steering wheel, memory and auto-exit driver seat), the Accord has better rear suspension and gas mileage, though slightly less horsepower.
lumbar: You could get a 6-speed SE for $21,000 here in Atlanta but you can also get a $15,000 car with an independent rear. Even a Kia Sephia has an independent rear. An axle was pretty unacceptable for an up-level sedan like the Maxima.
For Excitement, sports car feel, the 98 Honda Accord is better(Kids car). I just have to concentrate on keeping the speed down, if and when I get to drive it.
We will replace the Maxima in a year with another Maxima. It has been a GREAT Car.
i think both cars are reliable and certainly more reliable than european models and the industry average, though hondas tend to be more reliable than nissans. this probably applies to maximas as compared to accords too.
as to bose, you know what it stand for, Buy Other Sound Equipment.
if sound is important. theres no way around it. you will have to replace factory/dealer fitted oem with customised.
1. It's at least $4000 - $5000 less than Max.
2. It's more reliable than Max.
3. The interior is not much better than Accords.
4. Accords have higher resale value.
Anyway, I'm not bashing the new Max. As a matter of fact, I have a 97 Maxima. In my opinion, the interior quality of mine is far better than the new ones. For some reasons, Nissan has cut the corners in the interior quality of its vehicles. They look good from the outside but it's a different story on the inside. If you want more power and more luxury, go for TL. It's a little more expensive than Max but it's money well spent.
If i were to buy today and had to choose between the 2, id probably also go the TL route.
-getz
I think that it comes to down to probability. Some automakers turn out many more poor vehicles than others, but it is certainly possible to buy a lemon from any manufacturer.
Just something to consider . . .
I'd take a Maxima over an Accord. More personality, and more fun to drive as well. Maxima really avoids the "Camcord" label well by being unique, Nissans in general really stand out against their Japanese competition.
A Honda does have better resale, but it's all relative. Nobody buys a new car because it's an investment! I'm not about to buy a car that I think is less interesting because of resale, that's being practical to a fault. Logic says that if I do this I will tire of the car quicker, and as a result dump it earlier so where am I ahead?
As for the independant suspension, I certainly would have preferred that. Again, the Accord definitely has some advantages. But in test driving the I35 over some rough roads, I really don't think the difference was very perceptable. I was looking for a sporty family car and the I35 fits that bill (as does the Accord). Certainly other people will drive their vehicles more toward the sport end of the equation and I could see them favoring the Accord.
Sorry to make the post longer, but I guess I'm still excited about the new car . . .Some of the issues we considered with both cars:
Limited int/ext color combos of both, but liked the I35s combo
As stated, would have preferred IRS, but didn't notice enough of a difference to sway us
Liked the Dual Zone climate of the Accord, but with heated seats didn't think it would be a big deal
Liked the heated mirrors and steering wheel of the I35 (don't really care about the heated rear seats)
Liked the extra room of the I35
I really didn't care about warranty and resale as both are very good cars and I'll keep it for 10 years
Liked the lighted controls and side curtains on the Accord, but again, not enough to sway us
On a vain note, Honda says value and pragmatism (which I like) whereas Infiniti has a bit of snob factor (which I don't like), but since the I35 was a good value and is not flashy, I'll live.
As you can see, these are really close vehicles (regardless what the Infiniti dealer tried to say).
Thanks for the ear and good luck!
The Honda felt a bit "nimbler", for lack of a better word, but the Nissan had a nicer interior/exterior (IMO, this is obviously subjective) and was a rocket. Like my older post above spells out, I just couldn't justify buying a car that I felt was inferior in almost every way just for the Honda name. It was significantly more expensive as well, although resale would make some of that up.
The Maxima does have an OK interior but I prefer the interior in my 04 Accord over the interior in the 00-03 Maximas.
their judgement tend to follow their ego. Everyone is naturally biased toward saying their car is the better one.
I was the owner of a nissan max and I bought an Accord EX V6 one month ago. I had a few problem with the maxima (which I was a second owner) decided to trust Honda legendary liability, high resale value, and low mileage. Today I have now doubt in my mind as to which car of the two is the better one. The Maxima surpasses the Honda. It is much more responsive, the engine is just way beyond the honda V6. It is not just power but torque and reponse at all rpms. Another thing that greatly disapointed me with the Accord is the ABS brakes. How could i have missed that when I bought it. It is ackward and a little grabby. All Accord owner go try the brakes on a maxima, you will see the difference for yourself.
The mileage of my Honda is 7 miles below what was written on the window sticker! The suspension is better in the maxima too. I am a classical music listener and the Accord sound system can not compare with the Maxima Boose. Finally last but not least, the accord has little style both estheticaly and in its driving.
So why did I buy the accord ?
I had problems with the nissan transmission (2nd owner) and so I went for the reliability of the accord. but I will never again buy a Honda. Probably a NEW nissan, infinity or a BMW...
The gas mileag will improve as you break the engine in. Most Hondas don't see their peak MPG figures until at least the first oil change.