Nissan Maxima vs. Honda Accord

treoster · January 2003

I thought the Maixma was a good car, but I think the Accord is great. Maxmia handling is a lot sloppier than accord. Ride is much better in the Accord.

A Maxima GXE is a good value, but I think a Maxima GLE can't compare to a Accord EX-L V6

Also, I had some issues with the Maxima:

- Horrible paint...chips if you look at it funny.
- Ignition coils defective, causing engine knock, hurting mileage. Replaced under warranty, but a hassle
- Radio/CD buttons failed...out of warranty (38K miles, 2 years old), $1500 to replace - unacceptable.
- Replacing in-cabin air filter is very difficult compared to Accord

Anyway, that's my take...you mileage may vary.

pbvdq · January 2003

My sister currently owns a 2002 Accord V6 and it does not compare in anyway to my 2003 SE Maxima. She loves my SE Max and wishes she didn't just buy the Accord 6 months ago.

Before I got the Maxima, my sister would ask me to drive her Accord (when we were out together) so I have a basis for comparison. Maxima and Accord don't compare. The Maxima is much more sportier and fun looking inside and out. The Maxima's (SE) ride is a little rough due to the larger tires but the tight handling beats the Accord's hands down. Maxima barely leans (almost doesn't) when making turns, now that's sporty! Sloppy...Maxima is NOT (especially on the SE).

I've driven both cars and I feel the difference. The SE handles great and pick up is unbeatable. Maxima out performs the Accord. Hey, don't kill me, this is just my opinion.

Do Accords come standard with Xenon's ?

treoster · January 2003

I'm sorry, but I've owned both, and the Maxima handling is way sloppier than the Accord body, and the ride is worse.(I'm comparing the '03 Accord to 5th Gen Maxima)

Interior is much better in the Accord.

Anyone with a doubt can test drive both and see for themselves.

That said, they are both nice cars, and I would choose them over a Camry or Passat anyday.

nissangirl · January 2003

However, I love my '03 Max SE, the Accord is one that I didn't test drive before my purchase, but wish I had, they just looked too little for my taste. And the front resembled the Altima. I liked the look of the Maxima better.

Just my 2 cents worth.

dklanecky · January 2003

Your comparing a brand new design ('03 Accord) with a 4 year old Maxima (basic design done in early '99 for '00 model year, freshened in '02).

Not exactly apples to apples!

How do you think the directly comparable '02 Accord would compare with the '02 Maxima? IMO, no comparison, the Maxima wins on every count(except of course the hated rear beam axel)!

Lets get back together and compare the '04 Maxima and the '03 Accord in a few months and see how things look then?

(This board probably will go away then since the cars will be in completely different classes.)

mikek37 · January 2003

You are correct, considering the fact the new TOP of the line Maxima will cost, as projected by Nissan , around 33,000K plus, you are correct in your assumption that the car will be in a different class. It will be in a the near luxury class, and will compete with the entry level cars from BMW and VOLVO. If I was spending nearly 30K plus, I wouldnt even consider the MAX. Thats a pretty heavy price tag for a car that wears a NISSAN tag. A fully loaded, with comparable qualities to the maxima, accord can be had for 4000K less. Not too shabby.

So lets be honest, you cant compare the two cars, especailly considering max owners will be paying a great deal more for their cars.One more point, buy a 2004 maxima for around 33,000 or buy a nicely equipped 328ii for around 35,000, hmm, good luck comparing those two cars.

speedracer3 · January 2003

If the pricing wasn't a big enough hurdle, the styling would be the other for me. Being a 5th generation Maxima owner, I am having a hard time with the new Maxima's styling elements. Another dissapointment, Maxima enthusiasts expected the new Maxima to be AWD or RWD....so far we got neither. I think Nissan dropped the ball with their flagship.

pbvdq · January 2003

The '04 Max is a kind of goofy looking. I admit I haven't really gotten a good looksy, I've only seen the pictures on the internet. I think it looks like the Altima's momma (teehee).

By the way, I don't think anyone can go wrong with the Max or the Accord, both are really great cars. I prefer the Max.

reincarnation: What do you mean the rear beam on the Maxima is a liablity? I didn't know about that. Please educate me (tell me what you know). Am I looking at future, expensive problems with the rear beam (OOHH NOOOO!!!!)?

dklanecky · January 2003

Here's what Motor Trend said about the new multi-link beam suspension when they awarded the 1995 Maxima the Motor Trend Import Car of the year:

"The new Maxima benefits from a generous helping of suspension wizardry. MacPherson struts carry over up front, but the rear struts with parallel links have given way to a new Multi-Link Beam configuration with trailing arms. Lighter, more compact,, more space-efficient, and less expensive to produce, the new system also delivers tangible dynamic improvements over the one it replaces. Nissan will use this patented rear-axle design on many of its upcoming front-drive vehicles, including the new Sentra.

The challenge facing Nissan engineers was to devise rear suspension that would deliver a properly compliant ride while preventing unwanted camber change and suspension jacking under cornering and eliminating scuff change (transverse movement of the body relative to the axle) over uneven road surfaces. Both are common problems in a conventional beam-axle design located by a simple Panhard rod. Nissan's variation on the basic theme involves two key modifications. The first substitutes a special oversize lower bushing in the Panhard rod that's stiff vertically but pliant laterally. The second piece in the puzzle is a control link (formally known as a Scott-Russell link) that connects the Panhard rod with the axle to provide additional stability. This combination ensures that the axle will only move up and down, thereby maintaining proper camber in the rear tires at all times. This unique hardware also maintains a more consistent relationship between the vehicle's roll center and its center of gravity, which contributes to a better cornering feel and less body roll, regardless of loading. Since the springs and shock absorbers no longer have to contend with as much lateral force, they can be made smaller and lighter. The result: Both ride and handling are improve. And, as an extra bonus, fewer suspension mounting points result in less noise being transmitted back into the body structure."

monte4 · January 2003

Most people that buy the Max donot even cross shop the Accord ( Mainly TL,Diamante and Milenna according to what I saw). The Accord is more a person who wants a reliable nice car and the max owners are people who want a nice sporty car truly in a class of its own. Demographics: income etc Max owners tend to make al ot more money than Accord buyers and are primarily male whereas aAccords are female.

atlantabenny · January 2003

"Max owners tend to make al ot more money than Accord buyers and are primarily male whereas aAccords are female."

Just curious if above statement is hard data-based or comes from personal observations in a specific locality. Thanks.

achadha · January 2003

I have owned a 92 Camry Le, 94 Accord EX and a 99 Max SE. I enjoyed the Maxima much more then the other two. The 92 Camry had the smoothest ride but was just too boring to drive. The Accord was too small and the transmission was terrible. The car would jerk hard every time it would change gears. I had AC and suspension problems with the Camry. With the Honda I had AC and transmission problems. I did not encounter any problems with my 99 Maxima. I enjoyed driving the Maxima because of the handling and engine strength. My other two cars were 4 cylinders.

pbvdq · January 2003

dklanecky: Thanks for the info on the rear beam. I'll have to read up on that some more, that article you posted confused the hell out of me, but gave me enough info to do more checking. Thanks again.

Monte4: I'm a female and I only make the medium bucks (as opposed to the big bucks, to me big bucks =$90K+) and I own a Maxima. I did want a sporty car. I didn't cross check the Accord either when making my most recent vehicle purchase. A4 and TL were the runners up. A4 almost made it to my "vehicles I've owned" list but options started to put the vehicle close to $40k. I think Maxima has muscle without looking like it has muscle (if that makes any sense).

Accords are typical here in South Florida. I think its safe to say that 1 out of 5 cars here in South Florida is an Accord.

dklanecky · January 2003

Your welcome.

I don't pretend to understand all of the information either but since I wasn't sure about the level of your "technical knowledge" I thought more information may be better than less.

In summary, most car "fans" seem to think the Maxima's rear beam axel is inferior to a 4 wheel independent suspension (like the Accord has).

However, it's been my experience (>190,000 miles on 95 Maxima GLE and >115,000 miles on 00 Maxima SE) that unless you really intend to push the car hard around corners (like with the tires squealing all the way) you'll never know the difference between the two.

What you will have in the Maxima is an incredible value right now with the ability to easily buy '03 at invoice (+$1,000 rebate)vs MSRP for the Accord, and the overall driving experience and reliability of the well proven Maxima drivetrain.

That said, it is a sportier ride (again IMO)than the Accord but they really are two completely different vehicles.

Drive both back to back and go with your "gut" feeling about which you like better.

drakutismax · January 2003

I have owned three Nissan Vehicles in the last five years and I have not had one single problem with them. I know I would not pay $33,000 for a BMW only because I know people who have had so many problems with BMW's and I'm not into status imaging.

If I could afford it I would get an '04 because I trust the quality of the Maxima I have now and I believe the '04 will be no different in this respect. Also I checked out the 3 series horsepower on the BMW site; the '04 has it beat. I know a lot of people didn't care for the 5th gen when it first came out also, so this is just another go around of the same thing.

bodble2 · January 2003

Since you are a current Maxima owner, just curious as to what you think of the '04's styling?

drakutismax · January 2003

The more I look at it the more it grows on me. It didn't make my jaw drop like the Altima did at first. The rear of the '04 has the look of the Z with the stance of a Lexus GS---.

I love the side profile( it's on my desktop!). the front is what concerns me because, the logo in the grill is so overbearing in the pics, I have to see it in person first. Also how do the fog lights function? Is there any other car with fog lights on the side and not the front?

Over all I do like the styling. To me it fits in with the direction Nissan is taking their vehicles. They look similar, but are distinct in their own way.

lmp180psu · January 2003

those lights that are pointing toward the side are NOT fog lights, but are cornering lights used to better illuminate the area to which you are turning. They are supposed to pivot/adjust a certain amount of degrees to light the road ahead. Go to the nissan website to read up on all the new features of the Max.( it is very interesting). The fog lights are probably integrated into the headlight cluster.

monte4 · January 2003

I work for Nissan Corporate Office in Irving,Tx, the stats come from info compiled from the Market Research Dept in Gardena, Calif.

drakutismax · January 2003

Thanks for the info. Sometimes my browser gives me problems with sites that may use Flash or something like it. I can get to it but then I can't see anything on the site. Anyway I think that the car looks cool for what they have done with it. Maybe I'll start playing the lottery.

bodble2 · January 2003

It's kind of interesting the Nissan had cornering lights on the '95 - '99 Maxima but did away with them from 2000 - 03. I've always found them immencely helpful, especially turning into a dark driveway late at night.

And regarding the '04 Max, drak, I have to say my jaw did drop when I saw the first photos, but in a negative way. At this point, I don't like it at all, from any of the angles that I've seen. But I'll reserve final judgement until I see one in the flesh.

dklanecky · January 2003

Actually I believe the cornering lights were dropped after the 1995 model year. Anybody with a 96-99 Maxima that can confirm?

maxamillion1 · January 2003

back in 1997 for the fourth generation model. So if the cornering lights were taken away from the Maxima, it probably happened in MY1997. The 4th. gen. debuted in 1994 as a MY1995...

maxamillion1 · January 2003

bobfeld · February 2003

just compared a 03 max to 03 accord ex-v6...theres just "something" the max has that the accord doesnt...hard to explain.....btw the 03 acords are piling up on the lots here in st.louis...gonna get an 03max when the 04 comes out--the deals on the 03 will be irresistible

bodble2 · February 2003

torque-steer?!

mikek37 · February 2003

Why would you ever buy a car that is outdated. The new 04 max is completely redesigned. The old mazima will end up becoming the prevous altima..

Oh yeah. .the new accord doenst exhibit that annoying torque steer that the max does.

dklanecky · February 2003

For those of us who like all the features on the Maxima, and who drive cars until they die (ie don't care about depreciation), buying the last of the 5th generation (2003's) is a great deal financially. (The car doesn't have to be a fashion statement.)

I can pick up a completely loaded SE or GLE for less than $26,500 +TTL. That's a sticker of about $30k (without Nav).

I think the torque steer you refer to is probably because the Maxima has pushed to the limit the amount of HP you can run through a FWD sedan. I drive mine like a relativly normal person so I've never (OK maybe once or twice) experienced the infamous torque steer.

What I do have is a very smooth and powerfull sedan that has never left me stranded or failed to go when I wanted, where I wanted to go.

I've been driving two Maxima's (95 GLE and 00 SE) for a combined approx 320,000 miles and I'm seriously thinking about picking up another one just because it's such a great deal and they last so long.

Problem is what do I do with the 95 with 200k on it and still in great condition?

By the way, the 2004 Maxima is still a FWD car so what makes you think the torque steer is gone?

spleck · February 2003

Personally, I think if you like the 03 Max, then getting one when the 04s come out is a good idea. I would go bargain them down now and see what they can do. Use that for comparison when the 04s come out and do even better. It's my impression that they're not selling well anyways this year (people are waiting for 04), so you may be happy with the price you can get now. As far as the 95, I would think you'd be able to sell it fairly easily. The 95 probably isn't too wild/trendy on styling so it might be a good first car/college car for someone.

robertr · February 2003

I have a 2000 SE and had a 1997 SE before that and did not find torque steer to be an issue.

However, when I test drove a 2003 SE the torque steer was much more prominent. I expect the 2004 will be the same.

monte4 · February 2003

The 03 Max will never be like the previous Altima was, the Max since 89 always remains popular and great buys even when a new gen. comes out. The 89-94, 95-99,00-03 are still popular cars. Some people might prefer the look of the 03 over the 04 and I seen it in person thats why I bought an 03 Maxima instead. Maxima have a strong enthusiast following (of all generation) go look at Maxima.org and even Motor Trend knows it!

kennyg5 · February 2003

I am not a Max enthusiast, but I do own 3 Maximas: 92, 97 and 03. They are all great reliable cars. I have not yet driven the 03 Accord, but did drive the 02 Accord V6 somtime ago. I found the Accord a bit loud and noisy during acceleration and the interior somewhat tight and cheap-looking. I also drove a V6 Camry, but found the engine a tad sluggish. In comparison, the Max V6 is silent and sweet and gives you plenty of passing power. That said, the Accord and Camry probably are pretty good cars since so people own them. However, my understanding is that most Accord owners do not have the V6 nor do the Camry owners. So, when you compare mid-size cars with V6 engines that cost less than $27k, Maxima appears to be the creme of the crop and king of the hill!! Rebuttals??

nissangirl · February 2003

Very well put, I totally agree with you.

How 'bout that 350Z Roadster!!! I need to win the lottery.

bobfeld · February 2003

Can someone explain to me what this torque-steer complaint about the maxima is all about?? THANKS!!

maxamillion1 · February 2003

The 2003 Maxima is not equivalent to the 2001 Altima. The Maxima IS a great value, it's roomy, stylish (subjective), roomy, and has some features that aren't available on the Accord. Memory driver's seat, driver's seat reverse (when the key is taken out of the switch) and heated steering wheel and outside mirrors. The Maxima is still a pretty good value, and it's really not that old. It was redesigned for the 2000 MY.

jg28 · February 2003

Go take a drive in it. Floor it from a complete stop. You'll know what torque steer is. The wheel pulls left and/or right and makes it difficult to control during hard accelerations.

silvercoupe1 · February 2003

The 2003 Maxima is not as refined as the new accord. I'd have trouble investing in one of these dated, less than good looking, cars. But, that's just me. I'm waiting for the 2004 Acura TL.

lmp180psu · February 2003

Styling is subjective, so your opinion about the Max is just as allowed as my opinion that the new Accords styling(outside) is not luxurious looking as the 03 or 04 Maxima. Both designs have had their share of negative comments, but Edmunds seems to think that the 02-03 max is a really nice option to consider when looking for a near luxury vehicle. To quote their long term road test:

"So, while we have noted in the past that the Maxima certainly excels in the areas of performance and ride quality, Nissan didn't neglect the details, completing the ride experience with a premium audio system that may even get your teenage kids out of their bedrooms."

"Though we've spoken in the past about the Maxima's comfortable ride, we remain impressed. Nissan has done a standout job providing an excellent balance of sporty performance and fine ride comfort. Coupled with the powerful V6 engine and quick-shifting automatic transmission, the Maxima provides the driver with the responsive handling and rapid acceleration that many so-called sport sedans covet."

So saying that a Maxima is a dated design is a bit short-sighted. Now the Ford Taurus IS a dated design. Both the Maxima and new Accord are very competent, refined vehicles, and the 04 Max should be more so. There are deals on 03 Maximas, so you can get a car with many luxury features for around 24-25K, which is similar to a V6 Accord. Maximas can be catered to the sporty crowd (SE) or the more luxury oriented crowd (GLE); Honda should come out with a sporty version of the Accord.

fredvh · February 2003

Can any of the owners of the Maxima with the 3.5 engine give me the kind of mpg they are getting, particularly with city/highway ratio of 25/75%?

atlantabenny · February 2003

While the outgoing Maxima had excellent ride and handling, the 04 will be probably even better since Nissan has changed its rear beam to a multi-link design.

In comparison, the Accord has had multi-link (front) and twin-arm (front) systems for some time now.

By changing to rear multi-links, it appears that Nissan is also saying that the 04 has an improved version of its outgoing model's suspension.

atlantabenny · February 2003

bodble2 · February 2003

Just got the latest issue of Motor Trend, and saw the '04 Maxima. It's not a pretty sight, boys and girls! If it didn't have the Nissan badging, I would have thought: "Saturn". It gives the Ion a good run for the title of most over-styled car for '04. And it's evident that Nissan/infiniti intend on making all their vehicles look the same on the inside.

mirth · February 2003

While I agree with you to a certain extent (I hate that buck tooth), the new Accord styling hasn't exactly blown me away, either. It's so plain I might as well be looking at a Civic.

bishopk99 · February 2003

As a proud member of our Navy, I had the
opportunity to beat on one of these...
2002 Max (top of the line V6) for a month
in Hawaii. Let me tell you...it is fast and
if you do not have full control of the
car at a stop light from nothing to
65 -75 in eight seconds...your a goonnner.

I have seen the front end pop right off
the road and pop left and right...I own
a 2000 accord EX V6 (A/T as well) and
feel the Honda is safer with the
VTEC...smoother. The max itself is a
beautiful car and roomie. I prefer
the accord overall. Honestly, the max
is faster but nothing I would want my
wife to drive around.

Just my 2 cents...gota love when the
rental office runs out of econo-boxes
and haves to give you a max for the
low low price of a 4 banger!

Looked at the 2003 accord today...which
brought me back to the site...beautiful
car but I do like the 2000-2002 body
style...heck, the wife only has
13,700 miles on it and I have had it
for three years now...should I spend the
959.00 on another 36 months warranty?

Kevin

bodble2 · February 2003

just has no flow to its styling. It looks disjointed,...fractured.

mirth · February 2003

I wouldn't bother buying an extended warranty for an Accord. Reliability is their middle name.

speedracer3 · February 2003

Unless you are the kind that floors the car at every stop light, torque steer is an non issue and shouldn't stop anybody from buying a car. The Accord is a nice car, but bland and boring to drive. The Maxima is a FWD sport sedan, and more suited for the car enthusiast out there....the Accord is still a "mom's taxi". I do have an open mind though, and look forward to driving the TSX (Euro Accord) when it comes out.

monte4 · February 2003

I agree Speedracer!

lmp180psu · February 2003

I agree as well!!

bowke28 · February 2003

IMO, the accord is a FAR more refined car than the max. fit and finish is SUPERB, on par with lexus, IMO. styling is subjective, but the more you look at the accord in person, the more it grows on you.

Nissan Maxima vs. Honda Accord

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