Nissan Maxima

joenissan

That's a good idea, try changing gas brands. Although it's true special additives are blended for the winter months.....the major loss of mileage that I recall reading a few posts ago should not be. A mile or 2 per gallon, if that, MAYBE. and even that wouldn't be that noticable...unless, of course, as was mentioned earlier, you drive a short distance and the car never really gets up to full operation temperature, or you let the car warm up too long. Either way, I wouldn't worry about it too much.
The car does warm up enough to give you heat fairly quick due to the dual flow coolant path.....big help I think.

PB....I think you're right on the money...I'm not sure about the G20 but...yes...the next Maxima will be some version if not the exact version of the Q45...the Altima then moves up to the Maximas size spot.
Another wait and see from Nissan..lol

Joe

Joe

kyleknicks

i came on here to read some good insights from smart owners of maximas..but all i hear is this bickering and fighting. sounds like little kids fighting in the schoolyard. everyone's got their own opinions and if u dont agree with them, there is still no need to call names or insult each other. very plain and simple. i dont need to hear negative comments from one poster to another because they feel that they are MORE right. come on.!

by the way, i dont believe that the Maxima is or should be compared to the TL. the TL is clearly in a higher class than the max... i agree with joenissan that just cause c&d compares the 2 doesn't mean they were built to, just means max is a damn pretty good car for the money. i believe that the max is in comparsion directly with the accord v6's and the camry v6's and the tl's are compared to the I30. just cause nissan weren't smart enough to increase the power on the i30 doesn't mean that the max should compete with the tl. maybe they'll smarten up and add some punch in the i30 and differenate the max and I30 much more. the altima should compete with the 4banger accords and camry's and the max with the v6's.

kyleknicks

thanks for the advice about the tints.... i was actually thinking about getting the tints that look very mirrorish. dont know if people have seen these. it's more reflective than having a dark color to them. any opinions?

joenissan

I agree with your findings of childish posts, and apologize for getting involved.

3M seems to make a fantastic tint although the mirrored finish is illegal here in NY....at least on the front 2 doors. I have the 3M in 19%, meaning it only lets in 19% light, which is nice and dark, although illegal too. I've never been bothered and I've used the same tint on my last 5 cars.
Maybe someone else has had experiences with the mirrored tint you speak of. I've not seen it myself.

Joe

canadiancl

on a couple of the issues discussed.
1. Because of the weak Canadian $ and economy, a lot of manufacturers have had to eat some of the exchange rate loss on a car in order not to price it out of the reach in Canada. So if you look at it from the sense that the manufacturer makes less money on a car sold in Canada, then you could say that Canadians have the benefit of a
"lower" price.

2. In regards to which car competes against which other car, I think there is so much overlap in today's market. For example, I think the Maxima GXE competes with the V6 Accords and Camrys, but the optioned-up SE and GLE do compete with the TL along with the I30. And 4-cyl Accord LX and Camry CE are probably closer to the Altima. That's why these debates over competing classes of cars are so "passionate"!

majohns

I've always liked the "goldish" tint that you see on Lexus suv's. Is this like the "mirror" tint that you're thinking about? If so, is this just a Lexus only thing, or does anyone know if you can get tint other than the usual "dark" version (legal and professionally done, by the way)?

joenissan

Being "compared to", and being in the "same class as" are two totally different things though.
The Maxima, although good enough to be compared to the TL, is not in the TL's class. Yes...they're both 4 door sedans, in roughly the same size class but...the Maxima base is around 22k...the TL is over 30k...or darn close to it. And the TL is a luxury class car. The I30 competes in the TL's class but...w/o the 5 spd...it hasn't a chance. I do love the TL's and the CL-S, I think the VQ engine is MUCH sweeter though...again...another opinion.

Joe

iluvmax

I agree that the I30 and the TL are cars that are in the same class. The funny thing is though when I bought my y2k gle in July of 99 there was a couple in the show room deciding between the Max or The TL!!

Joe say it's not so, The 2003 Max will be as big as a Q45? I hope it does not suffer like Chrysler is from the bigger is better theme.

Look at the Toyota Avalon if you can find one on the Road!!

gerapau

George: The main reason that the TL is faster then the Max with auto is the auto not the engine. Many people feel that the Max is slower then it should be (with 222hp) and the reason is the 4sp auto tranny. If they could develop a 5sp auto (similar to the TL) then the 0-60 times would drop.

Also, George, although I do turn off my car when refueling, I believe that there is far less chance of someone getting hurt by Joe leaving his car on at the pumps then there is by someone going out with a 220hp+ car and drag racing with a TL. If in fact you do not drag race then the Max as it is now is probably much faster then you need. Remember, those quarter mile times that you posted have speeds that are 20-30 mph over most posted limits and there are many more people killed every year racing then while waiting at the gas pumps.

Cheaper Prices in Canada: I realize that the US dollar is strong when compared to the Canadian dollar but the Maxima is a car that is built in Japan by a Japanese manufacturer. The US dollar would have to be at about CA$1.25 for the US prices to be the same as the Canadian prices. It has been many years since the Canadian dollar was that high (yes the Canadian dollar was once stronger then the US dollar). The fact of the matter is that Nissan is making about 25% more profit on each car that they sell in the US (this is assuming that government taxes, etc... has nothing to do with it). If Nissan can sell a GLE in Canada for US$23,000 then they should be able to do it in the US also. It is not only Nissan that is doing this though. The Honda Accord EXV6, which has a MSRP of US$25,100, sells in Canada for under CA$31,000 or US$20,100.

joenissan

According to NDI, yes...in either 03 or 04, the Maxima will be on some version of the Q's platform, meaning RWD, fully independant suspension, and be a MUCH heavier car. Personally, I don't see a new Maxima with only 260 or so HP matching the performance of todays Maxima. Let's hope the can pull a rabbit outta the hat on that one.

Joe

kyleknicks

canadiancl, i dont completely agree with your statement that ONLY the gxe competes with the accord v6's. the gxe thru the gle all has the same engine and certainly the accord v6 could be outfited with leather and all the goodies that one might want. so i think the accord v6 certainly is in the same class as the max, even the gle edition. now, does it hold up well against the gle or se? I DONT THINK SO BUDDY!! it's just not as pretty and not as "refined" (ohhh no, here's that dreaded word when comparing different cars) as the max.

majohns, yes i've seen that gold lexus rx300 tint and yes the type of tint i'm talking about is close to that. but the only difference is, it's not gold. it actually looks like a mirror (silverish) look to it. when u drive up next to it, u can't see the inside because of the reflection that it gives off. i haven't noticed it at night though, so i dont know how effective it is at nite.

as i was driving up this morning from New Haven to Hartford, i pulled into the middle lane, waited for a straight path and let go of the steering wheel. and BAM, my max pulled to the left. guess i'm going nissan and get my alignment checked out. otherwise, i love my gle even with the bumper scratches, so much power- it's scary!

george2kmax

gerapau,

I am very happy that you are satisfied with the 222HP Maxima. I usually trade in my cars every 2-3 years because I love state of the art cars and engineering. It does cost me additional money to do this but I so enjoy driving new cars. I can understand your saying that you think the 222HP is more then enough power, but how long will it be before you will be considering trading in your Maxima. If you were in the market over the next year to buy a new Maxima wouldn't you want something better then you already have. On the other hand if you were going to keep your Maxima for the next 10 years you might be hoping that they don't change the new Maxima's to much because your Maxima might become outdated.

George

kyleknicks

haha, i'm one of those that will be keeping my max for 10yrs if not more. i sure hope they keep the design of the max the same for the next 10 yrs. i want to be able to go outside everyday and enjoy people admiring how nice my max looks. of course i know i'm only dreaming!

dukehouston2

My cousin got a new 01 TL last month, he had 2 Max's and wanted a change, as I did coming out of a 3 year purgatory in an Avalon. He likes it as I also do with the Max. Coparo... Less head room in the TL, the Bose is much better in the Max, than the Bose in the TL. The TL is very quick, and I agree much of the difference is the 5 speed Auto. transmission, although we are still breaking in the cars so neither of us has really opened it up yet. The TL does ride better than my SE,ie softer . I think we both made a good decision. Interestingly the Tl was about $28,900, while my loaded SE was $29,500, but the Max is discounted more so we save. I'm sure both cars will hold up well.. My 3 cents.

Duke

norbert444

Joe, The plot thickens! (continuing with the story of non-working CD Changer).
Over the weekend, I peeled off the liner in the trunk and found the wiring harnesses you mentioned last week hidden behind it. None of them were disconnected or apparently damaged. So I moved them into what I thought was a more convenient stowage configuration - and figured that I did not solve anything.

I closed it all up again and ran into a problem: In the top corner of the car, there is a freely-bent coated "hook" that is touching the liner where it makes a 90-degree turn. The hook doesn't seem to fit the configuration. I do not understand how to make them fit together. Can you help?

Anyway, I was disappointed that I could not find anything obviously wrong with the wiring and on top of it could not make the "hook" work.

To my surprise, though, the CD Changer now works perfectly! However, this indicates that the wiring harnesses are probably set to disconnect my changer again....

jamber

kyleknicks...
I have a (metal based) Titanium Tint on all my door windows and the back window. It cost me $145, the guy who did tinted my windows is great and he guaranteed it as long as I own my Maxima. I love the way the tint enhances the cars appearance...

Here are some pictures of my Maxima, the first few are of my max before I had the windows tinted.

http://home.light.att.net/~jamber/

I considered and test drove the TL and the Type-S CL, very nice cars. I would have probably went that way if I wanted to spend the few xtra bucks and if Acura put a 5spd in them (they really should have, at least in the Type-S). I paid $26,300 for my loaded SE. I also considered a V6 5spd Passat (could not get past the 2yr/24 b2b warranty and the name), I really liked the Subaru GT Legacy wagon 5spd (but a 4cyl for $27,400 and I really don't need awd in FL)! The Toyota V6 Camry is too bland (did not even consider), I would have considered the Accord V6 sedan... again no 5spd. (but, I sure did have fun test driving most of these cars...)

I love my Maxima I have always liked them, and really could not justify anything else since I wanted a 5spd (what other 4dr 5spd sedans are out there that can compare to the Max's price, power,& quality?). I feel the Max is a bargain! (Maybe because I started out considering a $37k BMW 325!)

I love my Maxima!

george2kmax

I have to admit if I kept my cars 10 years I would be saying the same thing as you, don't change the Max. It's like being in the stock market, when your fully invested in the market you want the market to go up, but if your money is sitting in cash reserves then even though you don't want to admit it, you feel great when the market tanks. Thank for being honest.

George

ekster

As I suspected - It is much more than an exchange rate difference that explains why the Candadian Max is so cheap. I also believe that Nissan is holding the price down in Canada, as to not price themselves out of the market. If a max GLE invoice is $25,000 US, that means Nissan is getting around 25,000 yen. If the same car invoices for 31,000 Canadian, which means 22,000 US, then Nissan is getting around 22,000 yen. Either they are trying to keep the market in Canada by taking less profit (a loss?), or they are making too much on us Yanks, which is hard to believe considering the car, at American prices is still a good value.

But my final question remains - Are there any $20,000 BMW's up there in the North country (LOL)?

gregg20

That tint really does give your Max a distinctive look. I know it is legal in FLA because it is so hot down there, but do you know if tinting like that is legal in NJ? What tint percenatge and brand is that? I would like to get it done to my Sterling mist SE.
Thanks--Gregg

joenissan

What you're talking about is a wirong harness I believe...it's located near the rear taillight above it. All it does is holds the wire loom in place. If that's NOT what you mean...let me know.
Obviously it was a loose connection, and by moving it..you fixed it. It should not loose enough to just come undone like that..or to have it not make proper connections. have the servising dealer check it when you're in for service.

Jam....Beautiful car....Enjoy it !

Joe

jamber

The tint on my Max is Solar Guard Metalized Titanium (Fade/Scratch Resistant Lifetime Warranty). I have 16% all around, to be legal here in FL the front windows should only be 27%, but I hate the look of dark rear doors and lighter front doors, plus I wanted the extra protection from the Heat and UV. The cops down here only crack down on "Limo" or blacked out tint. I haven;t and don't think I'll have any problems. I was just ticketed for speeding , the cop did not notice, but I did put the driver window down before he came up to my door. My wife's F-150 has the windshield tinted 45%, (16% on the sides/rear) and we never had a problem with it either (and it really keeps the heat down and looks great). I get to park my Max in a parking garage at work so it is out of the hot FL sun.

y2kse

Thanks Joe.

Steve Thomas didn't hold out a great deal of hope for a response from Nissan Japan. Truth is, not enough people complain about the fuel-cut condition. In fact, mine was the first and only complaint he's received. Nevertheless, he felt that the condition needed to be addressed, I think partly because it raised his own curiosity. That's why he decided to write an appeal on my behalf.

My suspicion is that Nissan Japan won't respond unless one of two things happen -- either more Maxima owners become aware of the condition and complain about it or the media decides to bring it to Nissan's attention. I'm pinning my hopes on the latter. But I'm not holding my breath.

Bruce...

kyleknicks

i see u got good taste in cars

canadiancl

Yeah I guess a base SE or GLE would also be comparable to the V6 Accords in the US. You see, in Canada, the SE & GLE come fully loaded so their MRSP's are about $4K more than the V6 Accord. That's why my initial impression was that they're not really comparable to the Accord.

joenissan

The reason, I think, for the lack of complaints is because most everyone, myself included, take it as "normal" for that car. I think that if people were educated (I'm learning..lol) on the fact that it may not be normal...they too will come forward. The media way is probably the best right now.
It seems to me that all our programming..reprogramming, part changes etc....will be futile in this fix.

Joe

joenissan

I was just reading the October issue of Motor Trend. In it they have a huge article about Lemons and Lemon laws. With that said...they just happened to mention two web sites that apparently, auto makers "don't want to be spoken about" on either of these sites. You may want to try getting to other Maxima owners this way...hey...it can't hurt:

www.bitchaboutit.com/readpages/automotive_repair.htm

And:
www.complaint.com

Let me know what you think.

Joe

joenissan

Not quite sure why the 1st one won't take you there...try just www.bitchaboutit.com and get to automotive new cars or repair.

Joe

joenissan

www.bitchaboutit.com/ReadPages/automotive_repair.htm

Joe

gerapau

ekster: BMW sells the 320i (don't believe they sell that model in the US) up here for CA$33,900 or about US$22,000. Not far off from your $20,000 target. If you wish to step up to the 330i it will cost you about CA$45,900 or US$29,800. Not bad when you consider it has a MSRP of US$33,990 in the US. More info can be had at the BMW website at www.bmw.ca.

dukehouston2

A couple of questions on the window tint....
1. Does the tint interfere with the radio antennas operation, I already think it is marginal compared to my '95 Max auto. outside antenna.
2. What are the kinds to get, or avoid?? Never had tint before so I've had no experience. BTW Jam, nice pic's, mine is the same color.

Duke

gymshoe

I've spoken to some shops that do window tinting, and because my 2000 Maxima has the antenna built into the back window, what the shop said was the good kind of tint which is the metallized tints, they DO affect the AM reception of the radio. I asked how much it affects it..and i was told that it basically renders AM useless. In Seattle, all the sports stations is on AM...so that would not be acceptable for me.

sgrd0q

Wow! I checked the 320i on the Canadian Web site. It has an inline-6 cylinder engine like all the rest of the three series (except that the displacement is only 2.171 liters). It does indeed come up to just under US$22,000 according to the exchange rate today. That seems like an incredible bargain! I wish I knew cars were so much cheaper up in Canada - I would have bought my Maxima there...

norbert444

Thanks, Joe. That means, I have to peel off the lining again and hang the wiring harness that I "stowed" just under the bottom of the lining. And the hook will be completely behind the lining, not over it, as I erroneously thought first. Hopefully, this little job will not harm my tentative connection to the CD changer. If it does, though, it is just a proof that it needs professional attention.

I will have it checked by the service people when I have a reason to go there. That might not take place for a while since I can comfortably change the oil and rotate my tires, which is all the car seems to need otherwise.

Norbert

jdog915

Hey Guys,

I am racing this idiot with a 00 Ford Explorer and a 00 Civic (Manual)...he thinks that he can smoke my 01 Maxima gle, and I really really really want to ruin his "ego". I just had an oil change for my car with 1300 miles, do you guys know who will win? It'll be a dead sprint from 0-60. Does anyone have any pointers for me? I hope I can kick his you know what!

Thanks,

Jerry

norbert444

get a car with manual tranny

lofquist

Since the topic has come up once more... I'll mention again how much less it is to go to Canada, get your Maxima, and bring it back to the US. Lots less! Like thousands less.

Nissan is very friendly with this - not all the manufacturers are.

See posts above of mine such as #29 and #211 for more info. I went up to Canada to get mine and close to twenty others have followed my lead. I'll be glad to help anyone out with the details.

-Jon
jonlofquist@aol.com

joenissan

LOL...The explorer hasn't an icicles chance in hell. The Civic, unless it's a manual SI, will also be hoping for a temperature drop in hell for those icicles !!! It's possible for the Civic, even if not an SI to get a jump on you at the start because of the manual tranny but...lol...once you hit about 30MPH....he'll feel like he just pulled his E brake.

Joe

wg45678

My suggestion: don't join your friend in idiocy by street racing (and stay out of Az so you won't help raise my insurance rates if you do).

sgrd0q

lofquist - out of interest - can one actually negotiate a price lower than the MSRP in Canada? It is very common here in the US for certain cars like the Maxima, Accord, etc. (Not so with BMWs.)

ccermak

Run on 1/4 tank of gas, highest octane available, do a brake stand of rpm around 1500-2000, turn traction control OFF, turn overdrive off, and take out any extra weight in the vehicle. Even without doing that you should kick their asses, but just to be safe and rub it in even further, go as light as possible.

Also, ignore the old fogies request to stay out of AZ and have some fun!!!!

Lastly, if you lose to an Explorer I'll be amazed and extremely pissed and I'll have to go sell my car.

Seeya

y2kse

You may be right, Joe. Steve Thomas felt that several components were responsible for the fuel-cut condition including the Idle Control Valve, the Throttle Position Sensor, and the Electronic Control Module. It's possible that a complete re-engineering effort would be required to alleviate the problem entirely. Whether Nissan Japan would be willing to undertake such an effort is doubtful, particularly given the small number of complaints they've received about the fuel-cut condition. Still, it would be nice if they were at least willing to acknowledge that the condition exists.

I have a lot of faith in Steve. I sincerely believe he'll do the best he can to get Nissan Japan to respond.

Thanks for the link to bitchaboutit.com.

Bruce...

gettingold1

Im very disapointed in my gas mileage. I have a 2000 se with the auto, i do mostly highway driving, i have about 1,700 miles on it and im only getting 20 miles per gallon. Is this going to get better? My 94 Mark8 with 280 hp got 28 to 30 on the highway, and my same daily trips to work i averaged 23 with a lot more peddal to the metal. Im passed my break in stage, but i still haven't really got on it yet because im checking my mpg. This is my only complaint about the car, will the sumer make a difference, it didn't with my other cars that i know of.

oehrlein

George,

Thanks for the bumper TSB. My Max has this problem too. I've already brought my Max in twice for this problem. All the dealer did was remove the scratches. I wonder if the fix is worse than just leaving it alone. I just have to decide if I'll bring it in the third time. If I do I'll bring a copy of the TSB.

Thanks
Jeff

canadiancl

go lower than MRSP? Of course! Maybe not lower than invoice, if that's what you meant.

joenissan

Yes....it will get better. On the highway, you should be getting close to 27 or so. Winter months are usually a bit lower because of the cold. If you had a 94 mark VIII getting over 22 on he highway...someone was pushing.

Joe

cheerioboy26

I wish I would be getting 27. After over 12K of mixed driving in 11 months, my long term average is 21.7. I get as low as 18 in pure city driving, and about 24-25 or so on the highway at about 70-75 mph. BTW, I have the 00 SE auto 17". FWIW....

kbottineau

Does anyone know how many 20th. anniversay models nissan is making?

pbvg

I have the metal tint on my car and have no problem with Am or FM reception.

gymshoe

Joe...maybe you can answer this one too.
I just took my car in to get the new clips for the trunk put in. The service dept. comes back to tell me that the "new" clips they got weren't the NEWEST ones out. According to them, Nissan has put out even newer clips for this problem. However, these newest clips are on back-order across the nation.

explain that one to me!

gerapau

sgrd0q: As in the US the ability to negotiate the price on a car depends on the demand/availability of the car. When I bought my Max I paid CA$32,400 (MSRP of CA$34,800) or just over US$21,000. This is for an SE with everything but the auto and traction control. The same car now has a MSRP of US$28,603. I am not quite sure what the market is like in Canada now for the Max (I bought mine in Oct. 1999) but you should still be able to get the car for less then MSRP (which has gone up since I bought mine). To get the latest MSRPs for the max you can check out Nissan Canada's web site at www.nissan.ca.