2009 Nissan Maxima

elam42

FYI--the 2009 Maxima is now on the website. They have pricing, features, etc. www.nissanusa.com.

billevee

Edmunds has tested the so called 19 City 26 Highway with their own test and came up with a combined 17mpg Best=20;Worst 13.5!!! WOW Wait 3-4 months before you buy. They;ll be giving them away!! Probably the worst time for Nissan to release this car!!

maximafan

Doesn't matter if I understand the term "full-sized sedan." It would be pretty difficult for me to fit these particular cars in my garage!!! Even when I had my 2002 Maxima, I either had to bump up against the washing machine which was at the front of the garage or tap up against the garage door in order to be able to move around to the front of the car while it was inside the garage. The 2002 Maxima was around 191 inches or thereabouts.

snags

I agree. I dont understand the local dealers here in NJ who are adding market value adjustments at a time when auto sales are down for low mileage vehicles using premium fuel no less.

One dealer added 1k and the other 1.5 k and had the nerve to add 5oo for lo jack .

The price without the premium package for the latter was over 39 k.Someone please please explain this to me.

The car is nice but not earth shattering.

rkurlander

I can't find the Edmunds mpg test. Please direct me to this info. Thanks.

billevee

Here is the link

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=126520/pageId=13- 9265

flightnurse

I hope I can answer this for you. THere are some people out there that aren't as informed as the people who read these forums and will pay that market adjustment. Also these people think they are getting a great deal if the dealer waves the market adjustment and throws in carpet kit while they are paying full MSRP.... But if you sat down with that dealer and gave them YOUR price, they would bend to your price. If they don't then that dealer well be closing real soon, since other dealers (as we have witnessed on these fourns) are discounting new car heavy. I hope this helps...

billevee

Yeah and check out the Edmunds mpg It is NOT as advertised!!

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=126520/pageId=13- 9265

billevee

You may want to check Edmunds mpg test at 17 cimbined; 20=best and 13.4 Worse Good Luck

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=126520/pageId=13- 9265

rkurlander

Terrible mileage, with premium no less. Very nice car, but I'm going to pass.

drwilsc

I saw a 2009 Maxima at the dealer and pulled my 2008 G35X next to it. They were very similar. The Infiniti appeared to be a fancier trimed Maxima. The Infiniti's dash was a bit fancier. The center screen area and air ducts were nearly indentical. The Infiniti is tuned for 16 more hp (306 vs 290). That Maxima was 35K, 2 grand cheaper than my Infiniti. It appears that Nissan is pulling a GM and putting a different badge on virtually the same car!

suydam

This is the first model I've liked since 2002. But I think the premium fuel and poor gas mileage would nix it for me. I think, next time around, I might look more at the Nissan Altima hybrid instead.

shaase

Don't jump to conclusions about the MPG for the new Maxima. The observed gas mileage recorded by Edmunds was calculated under a lot of hard driving to obtain 0-60 speed times and 60-0 braking times. Like many cars, the first tank of gas consumed does not necessarily generate a realistic average fuel economy for the car. My new acura TL only got mpg in the low 20's for its first tank of gas, since then I am averaging 28-29 mpg for mostly hwy driving,

fornov

I'm new on this board, so forgive me if this has been mentioned before. I was at my local dealer today and saw a Maxima for the first time, and I'd say they look pretty good. One thing I really like is the heated/cooled driver seat and the heated steering wheel. Our weather hits all the extremes, and I like to be comfy when I drive.

I noticed that it looks like you can only get the heated/cooled seat with the premium package. And then if you get the premium package, you have to get the wood grain trim. Personally, I think wood trim in cars looks like garbage. That's just my opinion, and I have no problem with others who think differently. Anyway, is it true that you can only get wood trim with the premium package? Is there a way to opt out of that? Or is there a way to get the sport package and add the heated/cooled seat? It seems kind of ridiculous that you can't get all the options you want because of the way the packages are set up. I'd also like to have the dual sunroofs and the sport-tuned suspension, but it doesn't look like that's possible, either. Any ideas?

elam42

I agree with you on the heated/cooled seat. It is a great feature. I had one on an old Saab, and it really was useful. It's a shame you can't add it to the Max without all the other garbage.

I read somewhere else that the double sunroof is really heavy, and that it would alter the sport package tuning.

fornov

Well, that at least makes sense about the sunroof. I'll have to just keep checking on the other stuff. It's too bad other cars in this price range don't offer the heated/cooled seat option.

maximafan

But this isn't really anything new that Nissan/Infiniti has done. Remember the Infiniti I30/I35? That was a rebadged Nissan Maxima. Same goes for the Infiniti QX56. It's a rebadged Nissan
Armada. While I do think the hood area on the 2009 Maxima resembles an Infiniti, I'm not seeing too much else on the new Maxima that looks a lot like the Infiniti G35. Don't get me wrong. I think the G is a nice looking car. But it looks like the New Maxima might be a little larger than the G also. Also, don't forget that the Max will be FWD as opposed to RWD in the G.

Also, I guess Nissan isn't offering the power-folding mirrors on the
new Max like they did on the top-of-the-line previous gen. Maxima.
Can anyone confirm this?

flightnurse

I disagree with what you are saying there are some people who like FDW over RDW. Look at Acura's TL, that is the true competition for the new Max... Not the Infiniti...

suydam

My current Max gets 19-26 mpg also. I just think next time around I will want something that does better, especially if it needs premium fuel. Too bad, because I really like the Maxima. Staying the same won't work, and I don't think gas prices are going down anytime soon.

flightnurse

We had a 05 Altima SE 3.5 and traded it on a 08 Rogue FWD SL, the mileage difference makes up the lack of power... Now Nissan is to bring over a Diesel Max later in the 09 model year, that should be interesting, its going to the first diesel that Nissan has had in over 20 yrs here in the states.

hipreck

I test drove the 2009 Maxima today. It was a loaded, sticker price 38.3K. Dealer is selling it at 36.3K -- they are a one price dealer.

Interesting information on the Maxima. They have had it on their lot since around June 20th. They sell 250 Nissans per month, so it's a pretty large Nissan dealer. The Maxima had ONLY 109 miles on the odometer and is the only one they had. They also have not had anyone purchase one yet. They expect to receive a quantity of Maxima's in late July. Obviously very little interest in the Maxima so far, they did run an ad on it a week ago.

On to the test drive. The car I drove was black/black. I was surprised at how generic it looked from the outside, I expected a little more sport. Wheels were nice, but the sheet metal is pretty bland.

The interior is gorgeous and feels like an Infiniti. While I like the exterior of the Altima, I still don't like the interior (feels cheap). The 09 Maxima is an entirely different class than the Altima in the interior and I thought the drivers position and room was better.

Driving the Maxima, it feels solid with excellent steering. The steering is on the heavy side which I prefer. The V6 is more than enough to drive the car and torque steer wasn't too bad. I was surprised how isolated the car felt from the road. Compared to the G37 which feels like it is part of the road, the Maxima feels more like a luxury cruiser. Very comfortable, but more isolated than I expected from a car that claims to be sportier. I really liked the driving position in the Maxima.

I drove the Altima 3.5SL right after the Maxima. Two entirely different cars. The Altima feels cheaper and the Altima steering is way too loose for me. The Altima does feel a little more nimble -- more road feedback.

So the big question is if the Maxima is worth the $$, especially with gas prices at $4+ a gallon? I actually like the Maxima more than the Infiniti M35 or the Acura RL/TL. Actually it is much better than the TL, but that is being replaced this year. So yes, the Maxima is worth the $$, but I see deeper discounts coming to move them off the lot. The gas prices will hurt it and the Altima 2.5 has plenty of pep for most drivers.

So -- when there is a better selection available, I will look at the Maxima again. All that is available here are black/black models. I want to see something with the blonde interior which looks very nice.

cyberpunk

I purchased one of these several days ago, and I couldn't be happier.

Mine is an SV with the technology package. Dark Slate exterior with black interior.

I've been driving it for several days now, and I love this thing. I think Nissan absolutely nailed it with the exterior. I love what they've done with the sheet metal. The look is "Infiniti done right", in my book. I absolutely love the aggressive flairs on the hood and sides. I know that not everybody will feel the same way, but to me, the look is great.

I agree with the previous poster - the interior is top knotch! The fit and finish is spectacular. The seats are awesome - the extension on the front of the seats is a very nice touch, and the material quality and fit, not to mention the design, of the interior is first rate.

This car has a wide, aggressive stance, and you can feel it when driving. You are not in a small car, and for a car this size, the performance is exhilarating. This thing can move!! But its overall smoothness and handling nicely bridges luxury-car comfort with sports car performance.

The engine emits a nice, low note. While driving slowly through residential neighborhoods, the note coming out the back of the car never lets you forget that you are driving a nice sedan that is very capable of morphing into a performance car with the slight twist of one's ankle.

The dials and interfaces are intuitive, and the ergonomics are fine in this car.

Yes - more economical is the new trend in cars, and I suspect that will impact Nissan's sales. But the '09 Maxima is the new king of its class of vehicles, in my opinion.

motoevolution

I just returned home from my dealer with figures on the new Maxima. Let me know what you think of this deal.

2009 Nissan Maxima Sport and Technology package.
MSRP $37750
Invoice $34175
Selling price $34675
39 month lease
15k miles per year
Money Factor .00250
Residual $20652
Sign and drive is $589.02 month

Does this sound like a good deal? I was expecting the money factor to be much better.

Chris

hipreck

Congrats on the new ride. Keep us posted on it. I'm very interested in the MPG you get. As noted in my review, I am seriously considering one once they become more available. I actually may have bought one today if they had a selection.

hipreck

Residual looks better than what I would expected (55%?). Money factor (6%) is to be expected on a new model. Nissan will not offer lease support until they have to.

cyberpunk

Will do. I'll be paying attention the the mpg's and post when I've broken it in.

For now, the only thing I'll add is to anybody that is considering a car in this class, check out the Infiniti G35, M35, BMW, Audi, Acura, Accord, and Toyota and Lexus' offerings. Check out any car in the ballpark (up and down) from this class of cars, and you'll find that - unless you absolutely must have RWD, the '09 Maxima comes out looking extremely good.

trstack

Chris -
What part of the country are you in? The dealers I've called in NY (Long Island) are talking MSRP and higher. I need a new car within 3 months. The 2009 Maxima and 2009 Acura TL are tops on the list.
Thanks,
Todd

hipreck

MSRP? Seriously?

Here in Minneapolis/St. Paul the Maxima is already at 2K under MSRP without negotiation.

motoevolution

Todd,

I'm in the Atlanta area. All of the dealers in Atlanta are charging $3500 to $5000 above MSRP. They call it a market adjustment. Its funny because none of them have sold one yet. So I started calling dealers 40 to 50 miles outside of Atlanta and they are more than willing to negotiate.

Chris

snags

You would think with car sales lagging , the maxima using premium fuel and the actual mileage yet to be determined ,that the dealers would stop playing these stupid games and do the opposite by dealing right off the bat.

Who in their right mind is going to pay 3-5 k over list for starters not to mention that it would bring the top maxima to over 40k bringing it into more competition including their own. infiniti.

These cars will not sell as expected unless the dealers start dealing in todays climate.

tcoopdeville

I'm new to the post..and just wanted to add; although premium gas is recommended it is not a requirement. The car will run on regular gas but some of the horse power will be lost. I just signed a purchase agreement on a car in Brooklyn NY(Bay Ridge Nissan). The guys there are great! Great price also:
Premium and +Tech: $34,500.. that was the price i gave them. I walked in and presented them with a take it or leave it scenario.. NO HAGGLING and they took it. unfortunately, the one they had in stock wasn't the color I want. So I have to wait until they get it. They are expecting to get more in next week. CAN'T WAIT! will keep all posted when I get it.

go_mdx1

Just took a test drive in the new 2009 Maxima and I REALLY liked it. I'm a "regular" at the local dealerships having recently test driven G35, M35, M45, 328, and the Accord Coupe - trying to nail down my purchase within the next 30 days to replace my very disappointing TL - its had way too many problems.

Here are a few of my thoughts and observations:

Pros
1) 290 hp engine with plenty of torque made for very responsive acceleration. Not quite as fast as the new G35, but certainly more than adequate.
2) Steering was very responsive and was perfect for me.
3) Road noise was also very minimal - just look at the wheel wells to check out the extra sound deadening materials being used as opposed to the Accord which has too much road noise.
4) Love the sheet metal - the curved lines on the side panels are very pronounced when the car is Black.
5) The NAV with the 3D of buildings in large cities is WAY COOL. I wish however,the NAV screen was a 7" (like the M class) instead of the 6" screen.
6) If you go into personal preferences, there were SO MANY ways to customize your Maxima. One could spend hours upon hours customizing their Maxima to their needs/wants. I could even swear I saw ways to customize windshield wiper settings - never seen that before.
7) Really enjoyed the rear seat experience with the dual-moonroofs. Only downside was the button to control the power moonroof sunshades appeared to be very touchy - resulting in the moonroof itself also opening up and not just the sun shades.

Cons
1) Premium fuel. I view this as only a slight negative. If you do the math using $4 (regular) vs. $4.25 (premium) at 12,000 miles, the extra cost of premium comes out to an extra $135 a year.
2) Trip computer showed the Maxima had gone 140 miles, averaging 12 mph and was getting 11 MPG. Ok ok....The car is NEW and was mostly running idle as dealers showed off the features in the car parking lot. Then, when out on the open road, I'm sure the test drivers were not trying to conserve fuel. I'm still hopeful this car will end up around the 22 MPG (combined) as advertised!
3) If you get the premium package, the foot room under the driver seat is all but gone! Thankfully, leg room was still adequate and a bit larger than my TL.
4) Whats up with having 2 buttons for controlling Air re-circulation?? One is for On, and another button is for Off.
5) I tried to see how much we could negotiate on the price and the dealer was pretty firm that they will be staying "near sticker" until the supply gets larger. He has 5 Maximas and only 1 has sold thus far.
6) While I like the PREMIUM package, I was a bit dissappointed that the air conditioning controls in the rear seat armrest control the FRONT air condition units and not the air coming out for the rear passengers. So, we don't have 3-zone heating and cooling.
7) I would have preferred the first digit in the Vehicle Identification to have started with a 'J' as those vehicles are often made/constructed with better quality controls.

Bottom line, I'm strongly considering a PREMIUM w/Tech on Blue. My main issue is the lack of negotiation on the price. I haven't seen nor heard any BLUE Maxima's being made yet. Carmax (new car dealership in Maryland) is already discounting 2009 Maximas by $1300. 2008 Maximas are going for nearly $7000 off sticker.

P.S. tcoopdeville who just posted getting PREMIUM w/TECH for $34,500 got a super deal!!!

lucky4me2

I just drove the new 2009 SV Sport Package today. Still can't get used to the CVT( it just gives me the sensation of an automatic that is slipping), but that probably wouldn't be a deal killer. Torque steer is much better than the HUGE torque steer in the '08. Exterior looks better in person than in the photos......and it looks good in the photos. Interior is nice, but door panels look like hard plastic until you touch them and discover that they are not. Interior has a low fequency hum from the engine at idle that bothered me a bit at first, but I totally forgot about by the end of the test drive. Sport package (which included 19" wheels with 245/40 tires) surprised me with a better-than-expected ride. Curious about fuel economy......if it did actually do better than 25 mpg if drove easily on the highway, the 20 gallon tank would give it close to a 500 mile range.....nice. The young salesman said it would do 30 mpg if babied, but I think he was a little optimistic. He said it didn't require premium fuel, but maybe he wasn't paying attention when he was sitting in the training session(?). Overall, a positive first impression. As soon as the '08's are cleared off the lots, I would expected the new Max to be heavily discounted.......lots of nice offerings by other manufacturers being discounted to low 30's that are as good or possibly better (in some people's opinions). The car biz just isn't that good right now where a manufacturer can continue float the boat without getting very aggressive on selling price......especially with competitors being more-than-willing to take your business of you don't. Cash flow is everything.

alexstore

20% loss in sales compared to last year, I think they will offer huge discounts. Gas Price , market saturation with vehicles offering similar Price / performance.
Premium not required but you can expect a small loss in FE and HP ( though my 5% gas discount card makes it equal).

smlull163

Greetings, I've been reading the forums and thought I'd ask a couple of questions. I've been trying to find an 08 Altima with leather and technology, but they no longer exist. I was going for the fuel savings. Just Saturday, July 5th, wife and I drove a 09 Max. Black/black with the sport package, no nav. my local dealer has 3, silver/charcoal, with sport, this black/black one and a white/beige with nav, fully loaded. Looks like MSRP is $35,130 and up. I am interested in money, but my real question is fuel economy. The V6 Honda's boast 22 and the much cooler Max says 22 as well. I will be buying a car sometime soon, (I know recession) but I can't help it. I even drove an 07 Infinti M35, it was really nice, but the Max fit me much better. Any links or real world experience for fuel economy? Plus, in the nissanclub forum, the Altima's with CVT, the guys (kids, i'm 54) are getting the car to 10 mph, moving to manual and shifting directly to 6th! they say they get 30 mpg. If that is true (no reason to doubt) and the Max has the same CVT, is the concept still viable?
scott, new guy, virginia beach va

smlull163

Just thought I'd ask a little more about the fuel economy on the Max. is it truly getting around 30 on the highway? Do you do like 50/50 highway/city or different? I'm seriously looking into a 09 Max but want to know real world fuel economy before i drop money.

thanks!
scott, virginia beach va

suydam

What do the reviews say about mpg? I have an '01 GLE (no CVT) and it will get between 26-28 mpg on the highway fairly reliably. I doubt the new ones will get much more because they have more horsepower. Is the mpg range still listed as 19-26? If so, then that's what it probably is.

hipreck

There is someone on this board that bought a 2009. He is going to post his MPG numbers. The car is too new to get any reliable numbers yet. The car magazine numbers aren't that reliable since they tend to have a heavy foot.

For comparisons, the 2008 Altima V6 weighs 3,435 and Consumer Reports got 16/30 with 23 mixed from it. The 2009 Maxima weighs 3,631 and has an extra 35 HP. I'll bet it turns in slightly lower numbers than the Altima.

ronandmary

I drove the '09 Maxima SV yesterday for the 1st time. It puts the '08 Maxima (& Altima) to shame!!!

I was considering a Z but I needed more room...so the '08 Maxima SL was my primary choice from Nissan (Infiniti is too expensive). I was ready to buy when the '09 Max was announced and decided to wait to see what it looked like. Glad I waited!

Then the test drive...took the same route as I did when I test drove the Z (good curves, bumps, etc). The '09 Max SV with the Sport Package held the road like glue - better than the 08 Z Coupe!

Drive it!!

cyberpunk

Ok - I've had mine '09 SV for about a week now and put 1,000 miles on it. This was almost exclusively highway driving. I was cruising right at 80 mph most of the time, and used my cruise control at times.

The car had 12 miles on it when I drove it off the lot.

According to the car's onboard statistics, I averaged 22.9 MPG.

I'm heading out on another roadtrip over the next few days, where I'll put another 700 or so miles on it. I'll be paying close attention to see where it comes in after this next trip.

I have not done any significant city driving in the week since I've had it, so can't comment yet on city MPG.

rkurlander

Cyberpunk - please give us some impressions of the Maxima. Has it met your expectations?

cyberpunk

"Cyberpunk - please give us some impressions of the Maxima. Has it met your expectations?"

Yes - so far, the Maxima has met my hopes/expectations.

I was looking for a fun-to-drive car that would offer a high level of luxury comfort and sport's performance. In addition, it had to have 4 doors (I have kids) and the comfort in the backseat was a consideration.

MPG was a consideration, but not a huge factor. Of course, better MPG is, well, better! But I have an '07 Civic Hybrid for when I'm really concerned about fuel-efficiency (or driving in the car-pool lane). If the Maxima were a total gas-hog, I would have taken a pass. But it's not! Its rating for MPG is decent for its 290 horses.

What I was after is really the Maxima's sweet-spot!

I have never owned a Nissan sedan. Haven't been overly impressed with them, throughout the years. I've owned a Nissan Pathfinder (which I really liked) and a Frontier pickup (which I thought was Ok), but always found something I liked a bit more in Nissan's competitors, when comparing their cars.

I do think Infiniti has been doing some exciting things for the past few years. Anybody that doesn't think the M series is King of the Hill for that class of cars simply isn't paying attention.

I think the '09 Maxima is Nissan's (successful) attempt to offer under the Nissan badge what they are doing so well under the Infiniti badge.

In my opinion, the '09 Maxima fits perfectly into a gap that exists between the G35 and the M35. The Maxima is larger and less focused on performance than the G35. Yet offers a great performance package with a focus on comfort that rivals the M35, for quite a bit less. This car would fit nicely into the Infiniti lineup, yet it's a bit cheaper than it would be if it didn't have the "Nissan" badge.

Test drive this car, man...that's all I'm saying.

cuvang

Hello everyone
I am a big fan of the Maxima, previously owned a 88' and 93' also 04' Infiniti G35. Gas mileage was not a big issue then $ 0.89 cents to $1.10/gal and premium was not a problem. Now gas is nearing $5/gal for premium, this is a real concern. From recent reviews showed Max. has very poor gas mileage 15 to 17 city driving. I don't know if this is true. I def. will wait for more reviews and posts before dropping $30000 plus. Thks for all new posts, keep them coming!

cyberpunk

Just read the Edmund's review of the '09 Maxima here: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=126520

The summary:
"Collectively, the total effect of the 2009 Nissan Maxima would have been entirely appropriate for an Infiniti sedan. It's rich, comprehensively equipped, very comfortable, sporty and well worth the extra cash over the economical Nissan Altima.

So where's the oval clock? Answer: All current Infiniti vehicles are based on rear-drive platforms. Infiniti is rear-drive; Nissan is front-drive. Judged on its own merits, the front-drive 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV we tested is a fine car worthy of flagship status. Forget all that Altima-versus-Maxima trash talk. The Maxima is back.
...The 2009 Nissan Maxima finally has the look, feel and performance to proudly wear the flagship crown for Nissan. It's so good, in fact, that we seriously wonder if our Infiniti I35 scenario might have been the objective of the product strategists. ..."

My thoughts, exactly! If not for being FWD, this would be in the Infiniti lineup.

traindriver

I stopped by a metro Atlanta dealer yesterday and saw a 2009 in person. I think it looks much better in person than in the pictures that I have seen. I wasn't too sure about the front end at first but now I think I like it after doing a walk around. The dealership had a pearly white one and a gray one; the white looks much better IMO.

The one problem I see is that I am not sure that I can justify the several thousand dollar price premium of the Maxima over a comparably equipped Honda Accord. Both are great choices. The one advantage is that I have a local Nissan dealership; the closest Honda dealer is about an hour away from home.

I am glad the Nissan dealership was closed. They had a $3995 additional dealer markup on the car ABOVE MSRP. What a joke! Good thing I am still a year away from purchasing. I'll give them the VPP (supplier) price if they are lucky.

Until then, you guys who buy one let us know your thoughts and real world experiences.

lucky4me2

Fuel economy IS becoming a much bigger purchasing consideration even for those who don't have a problem affording it including those looking for a higher driving fun-factor. It is in the back of most people's minds just because of the rapid rise in cost over a relatively short period of time. Hard to ignore. Even if it is only a matter of principle, conservation huge is a driving force. Plus manufacturers like Toyota are making engines like the terrific 3.5 liter V6 @ 270+ hp with a nice torque curve that are still getting 30+ MPG hwy in mid to larger cars like the GS/ES/IS, Avalon and Camry so you can have your cake and eat it too (full disclosure: My wife drives an Avalon). It will be fun watching performance/economy engineering squeeze blood from a turnip as the years roll on. Heck, even highly acclaimed fun machines like the 135i/335i are plenty close to 30 mpg hwy with one of the most satisfying engines on the road. Poor economy from the new Maxima might hurt. Any predictions movng forward?

flightnurse

The Max and the Accord are not being compare or marketed against each other. The Max is being markted against the Acrua TL. Granted since the Acura is the upscale brand, you would think the G 35 would be compared to the TL. But the G is RWD and the TL is FWD. Its going to be interesting to see how Nissan is going to train its sales people to handle selling 35K car. Let alone a 80K (GT-R) car,.

flightnurse

Interesting points, here in PHX, Reg unleaded is anywhere between 4.05 to 4.14 a gallon. There is a station 3 miles from our house sells it for 4.09. 3 miles futher there is a station that sells it for 4.06. In my Altima coupe the savings to drive that extra 3 miles is 60 cents. Is it worth my time to save 60 cents? NO... Now throw MPG into this, If you have a 2 cars with 3.5 liter V6 and the overall MPG difference is 2 MPG and both cars hold the same gallon of gas (lets use 20 gallons) the cost difference on that fill up is about $1.20. not really much to worry over IMHO...

Now talking about your wife driving habits are different then your driving habits. What kind of miles do you get if you drive that Avalon? Does your wife drive 55 on the freeway? I have a 08 Nissan Altima coupe 2.5S with the CVT, I'm averaging 31 MPG right now that is city and freeway with the AC on all the time. Driving hablits well determin what kind of MPG you will get.. BTW, I driving between 70-75 on the freeway all the time and I usally don't allow the engine to rev over 3K from red light (no need to that is right in the fat of the toruqe on the 2.5l engine)

But i guess what I am getting at is this, the price difference of .02 to .04 wont make much a difference on the total over cost of driving the car... BUT, Nissan is going to bring over a Desiel Max, this should be interesting since that cost difference is about 0.75/gallon....

Tony

traindriver

Maybe the manufacturers are not comparing the Max and the Accord to each other but I would think, like myself, a good percentage of the buying public will perceive the two as competitors. Perhaps the best comparison would be Altima vs. Accord, but for some reason I tend to group the Max with a higher end Accord EXL V6 and the Altima with a 4 cyl. Accord.

At a MSRP of $28,7XX the Accord V6 seems a relative bargain to the Max. I haven't optioned out a 2009 model but I know that the 2008 Maxima with the packages that I would probably want stickered in the mid $33K range. So now I am thinking, what does the additional $5K get me? Maybe a few toys that I am not sure I will need or use; we now have a Jeep with the "limited" package that added a bunch of stuff that we have never used in the real world.

As I believe you said, the Max at $33 to $36K+ is more in the upscale TL-G35-Avalon-ES/IS-3 series-C class-A4 territory. Before I ponied up for the Max at this price, I think one would need to look at all of these candidates as well. I could see myself liking all of these for different reasons. Right now, like a lot of folks, my mind is in "value for the dollar mode." Granted, I haven't driven any of them at this point, and perhaps when I do, one will impress my emotions more and the decision will become more clear.

I am glad, though, that I do like the 09 Max. I almost bought a new 99 SE model years ago and now wished that I had instead of the Mazda Millenia and later SUV's that followed.

cyberpunk

I agree that it is logical to compare the Maxima with the Accord, and I also agree that, from Nissan's perspective, the Accord is not in the Maxima's class. I suspect that the Honda salesperson may claim that the two are in the same class, while the Nissan salesperson would take exception to this.

As a consumer, I did compare the two. I've owned many Hondas throughout the years, and prior to test-driving (and purchasing) the '09 Maxima, I went to purchase the '08 Accord. I went to the Honda dealer with the intent to buy, and gave them every opportunity (multiple times) to sell me a car. They just didn't have one with the color/features combination I was looking for. Disappointed, I left the Honda dealership. It was only after that failed attempt to purchase the Accord that I went to Nissan and test-drove the '09 Maxima. Boy, am I glad the chain of events played out as they did! There is really no question about it...I like the Accord, but it is simply not in the same class as the Maxima. Nissan's problem is that not enough potential consumers realize that!