Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Nissan Maxima vs. Toyota Camry

m183837m183837 Member Posts: 1
edited April 2014 in Nissan
I am trying to decide between the 2006-07 Nissan Maxima or the 2007 Toyota Camry XLE.

The car I choose will be equiped with all the bells and whistles.

What are your recommendations, should I go for the Camry or the Maxima?
«1

Comments

  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    I suspect the Camry V6 will get several mpg better mileage, at least on the highway. Check the Maxima turning circle, Consumer Reports says it's 44 feet which would make for a lot of turns in tight spaces. Apples to apples equipped, I think the Camry will be a little cheaper. The Maxima, otoh, is perceived as being more "upscale."

    Both will be very nice vehicles. In the end, only you can decide which one is best for you.
  • tristan1tristan1 Member Posts: 39
    I just bought my wife an 06' Maxima SE a week ago. I test drove bought Camry SE V6 & max SE. Both cars pulls the same but the handling on the max is tighter for it's size. Max has a bigger interior. I like the memory seating too. But the max price is higher than the camry. Camry has a better MPG. Camry has a voice activated navigation. Bottom line is test drive both and see the difference.
  • blindmantooblindmantoo Member Posts: 139
    We traded in our Maxima for our new V6SE. My words of wisdom are to check out the Edmunds Maxima forum and Consumer Reports vehicle history reports for the Nissans. You'll end up with a pretty cool car w/ lots of features - but you'll get to know the Nissan service dept much better than you ever wanted to. I guarantee you'll know everyone by name in less than a year.
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    We bought our Maxima in 2001 over the VW Passat partly because Consumer Reports rated the Maxima highly for reliability. We haven't been sorry. In 5 years the only problem it's had was replacing brake rotors (just a month ago) at 60,000 miles.

    That said, the two vehicles will drive quite differently. Drive them both and see which appeals to you. Is the turning radius on the Camry that much different?
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • mf15mf15 Member Posts: 158
    If you can wait until November look at the 07 Altima, it will be better than the revamped Max. Old Mike
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    One thing I've noticed when reading about
    the problems and solutions section of Edmunds
    forums on the Maxima is that most of the
    questions relate to Maxima's that are almost
    ten years old, with a few exceptions. I
    don't know. To me, that's a pretty good
    indication of some good reliability. I mean,
    things are bound to happen on a car that's
    over 7 years old. Even the 2004 to current
    Maxima's don't seem to have a whole lot of
    problems, except for the recurrent vibration
    issues. And the 2004 to current Maxima is
    made in the USA. So, I'm trying to still
    keep an open mind about the new Maxima and
    even the new Altima, due to my positive
    experience with my 2002 Maxima.

    I would like to wait and see if any issues
    come up with the new CVT trannie in the 2007
    Maxima. Just my two cents!
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I forgot to ask you in the previous post,
    what year was your Maxima?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Just for future reference - lots of folks miss the fact that you have about 30 minutes after making a post to either edit or delete it. ;)
  • blindmantooblindmantoo Member Posts: 139
    Ours was a 2000. Had a "serious driveability" issue when new (only on the 5sp manual tranny cars). Nissan denied that it was an issue - when in heavy traffic at about 10 - 15 mph the rpms would drop out suddenly. If you simply pressed down on the gas pedal nothing happened. You had to let off, then press down and the car would lurch forward. You could re-create the problem 100% of the time. "That's normal for this car" was the answer. Finally I found a dealer w/ a master mechanic that took it on as a "pet" project. He worked w/ Nissan engineers to finally solve it - after eight trips to the service dept.

    The rotors were replaced at 19k miles, the Oxygen sensor died at 25k (killing a trip to a friends surprise birthday party). I had to limp back home on the highway for two hours at about 25mph. One ignition coil went - so all six had to be replaced at about 40k miles. The drivers outside mirror worked some of the time from about 40k miles until I got rid of it. The drivers power window would go up, then bounce halfway back down when closed w/ the auto up feature for the last two years. The leather on the drivers seat started wearing through at about 12k miles - Nissan called it normal wear & tear. If a bug, sap or bird droppings sat on the paint for more than six hours, it killed the paint (black car).

    One rear rotor locked up at about 75k miles. Nissan wanted over $1,000 to replace the pads, rotors and calipers - A local independent did it for a mere $650.

    I'm sure there was more - I just can't bear the memories. Yes - the car looked good (black w/ beige heated leather, SE pkg, Bose, Moonroof, etc. It was fun to drive - except for the awful turning radius - always took two manuvers to get into a parking spot (Camry & Odyssey are way, way better with tighter turning radius).
  • jeep1999jeep1999 Member Posts: 6
    I'm in the thinking stage about whether to purchase a new Camry or a new Maxima. I've been doing some research about both cars on Edmunds. I like the styling of the Maxima but I also like the new design of the Camry. I would give a little edge in reliability to the Toyota product. I would appreciate any comments anyone might have as to which car is the best for the money overall.
    I know it comes down to personal choice but any comments would be appreciated. Thank you.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    Thanks, Pat. I forgot about that. I have
    to remember to check the "Recent Messages"
    and even when I do that, it takes me back
    to the top of where I was on the "so-called"
    page before and I have to scroll all the way
    down again. Usually, what happens is if I
    don't see any recent replies near the bottom,
    I assume there is no recent posts. But I'll
    remember the "30-minute" edit rule.

    Thanks again.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Front & side impact tests:

    Maxima

    Camry

    Note that the prior generation Camry with side airbags is superior to the 2004-06 Maxima. For '07, side airbags are standard in the Camry, and the car do at least as well.
  • jeep1999jeep1999 Member Posts: 6
    I just had a general question for anyone out there. I have a 2001 VW Jetta that I'm thinking of trading in for a new car. I still owe about $9,000 on the car. Would the dealer give me a portion of what the car is worth minus what I owe on the car? This is my first trade in and I'm not sure totally how it works. Thanks for whatever help you can give.
  • mfletou1mfletou1 Member Posts: 508
    The dealer will buy your car, literally, from you, and then pay off what you owe and apply the difference to your new purchase.

    I rented a Maxima for a few days, and now I drive a 2007 Camry. I'm sure I would have gotten used to it SOME but I found the Maxima VERY difficult to live with. The turning circle was ridiculous---I suppose once you are aware of it, you adjust, but I had to pull a u-turn that would have been easy in any other car I had driven and I nearly got killed because the Maxima didn't make it. There is a lot of room in the back seat and it has some neat features.

    But I think the feel of the controls and layout design are better in the 2007 Camry, and I think you'll find it quite a bit more nimble. Mine is a hybrid so obviously the Maxima is much faster, but the V6 Camry is pretty quick also.
  • pernaperna Member Posts: 521
    We traded in our Maxima for our new V6SE. My words of wisdom are to check out the Edmunds Maxima forum and Consumer Reports vehicle history reports for the Nissans. You'll end up with a pretty cool car w/ lots of features - but you'll get to know the Nissan service dept much better than you ever wanted to. I guarantee you'll know everyone by name in less than a year.

    This is ridiculous. The Maxima is one of the most reliable cars you can buy, bar none! SUre, there is the occasional "my headlights were stolen" or "My 1991 Max won't start", but for crying out loud. Cars are machines, they aren't meant to last the owner's lifetime*!

    *unless they're Buicks :P
  • jeep1999jeep1999 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the tip. I still think Toyota's reliability is better than Nissan. We are seriously condsidering buying the new Camry over the Maxima. Granted the Maxima is a very sharp looking sedan. The new Camry is also very sharp also compared to the older models. Good luck with yours!!

    I hope you have it for a long time without any major problems.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I agree with Perna whole-heartedly. I've
    been perusing these forums on the Maxima problems and solutions reading back two or three years, and it seems that most of the questions involve Maximas that are anywhere from 5 to 11 years old. You're bound to have some things occur on a car that's over five
    years old. Yes, there are some newer Maximas
    from the last couple of years that have had a
    few problems, but it still doesn't add up to
    anything more scary than the well-known problem
    with the 2007 V6 Camrys with the transmission issues.

    Unfortunately, my 2002 Maxima was involved in
    a wreck Monday evening, so my car my be totaled
    out. It's been a fantastic car! The 2007
    Maxima will still be at the top of my list to
    consider when I get ready to shop for my next
    car.
  • pernaperna Member Posts: 521
    I sat in an '07 Maxima... very, very nice. They did fix a lot of the things that bothered me with the '04-'06 models.

    Hope everything goes well with the insurance companies.
  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    Notice how they TV ads for the new Max talk about "shift bump" while extolling the virtues of a CVT. Show me a late model car with an objectionable "shift bump" and I'll show you a car with a poor designed transmission. I think they should have tried a different angle for that ad.
  • troetroe Member Posts: 1
    I have extensively researched the 2007 Nissan Maxima, 2007 Honda Accord and the 2007 Toyota Camry. I plan on buying one of these vehicles with the works. A few of the Internet tools I've used to help me narrow down my decision are Edmunds, epinions, and consumer reports. I can't remember which site directed me to an article by the Gadget Guru, but it was an in depth article on the Camry's navigation system and to beware. Because I so badly want GPS in my next vehicle I may still buy the Camry, but I will be sure to go with an after market GPS instead.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Was that article about the Camry or the Avalon? The Gadget Guru has repeated an extensive review here of what he sees as issues with the Avalon's GPS in 6 consecutive posts starting here: thegadgetguru, "Avalon Electronics" #18, 10 Jul 2006 10:34 am.

    It's very possible that the 06 Avalon has the same GPS system as the 07 Camry, but unless you know that for sure, you probably want to get that confirmed. And if I were you, I'd also ask the folks hanging out in the Toyota Camry: Navigation discussion what their experiences have been.

    Keep us posted on your research and decisions.
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    I had a 2004 Maxima, a fine car. I now own a 2007 Camry XLS. The Camry is a better car, the Nissan looks cooler. The turning radius drove me absolutely insane! The Camry V6 is quicker than the Nissan VQV6, but doesn't sound as mocho when you get on it. ( 6.1 vs. 6.5 0-60) I also opted for the Bose system and sacrificed the sunroof. Bad move on my part, the panel in the Maxima while cool, isn't a sunroof, and if your used to one and like it, the glass panel won't excite you. I live in the north and one very interesting fact about the Maxima was it went through snow like it had 4-wheel drive. Haven't had my Camry in snow yet. The Max was bigger, especially the trunk that could swallow 4 sets of golf clubs easily, and the rear seat. The Camry is finished better and remember it has a 6 speed and gets great gas mileage, far superior to the Max. You gotta love that quad exhaust tho! Either way you'll have agreat car, so enjoy the ride!
  • tristan1tristan1 Member Posts: 39
    Camry is a nice car and is known for reliabilty. But you are comparing a 2004 Max to a fully redesign 2007 Camry. It don't seem fair to me. Both cars are great but the Max's turning radius is starting to get to me. The 6-speed is nice for the camry but I would prefer the cvt on the 07 max. The dual exhaust on the camry v6 is not bad either. And 18-inch wheels on the max.
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    You're right, perhaps not a fair comparison. I haven't experienced the CVT tranny yet but must do it. Yes the 18's on the Max are stylin' for sure. I think the Max is a sexier car for sure. I'll test drive a new Max the next time I'm close to a dealer just to see how much it has improved since my '04. The exhaust on my Camry was made big enough by toyota to notice. The duals on a Fusion/Milan are hardly visual when you see them. I'll bet if the Max had 16's or even 17's the turning radius issue would go away. there just isn't enough clearance in the whell wells to allow for more turn. Do you have the new Max with CVT? How is it? Enjoy your ride!
  • tristan1tristan1 Member Posts: 39
    Unfortunately I just bought my wife a 2006 SE couple months ago. Neighbor got a blue SE camry so it's between the TL or Avalon and we ended up with a max(lol). Had a murano w/ CVT for rental feels weird but it drives nice through the mountains. Funny coz I never did notice fusion/milan had dual exhaust. You can put 18's on a camry and still would'nt have a problem making a u-turn on a narrow street.
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    she'll like the Max, its a real looker and rides well. My Avalon was very nice, just didn't like how it handled. The TL is really superb but about $3K more than an avalon. I still think my Camry is a better car than the Avalon was, mostly because of handling. It's not a TL though. Nissan better watch out they're getting to a point where others are in superior cars. I put wider tires on the Camry as soon as I got it and that helped a bunch. I don't think 18's will fir but a 17 will.
  • thenebeanthenebean Member Posts: 1,124
    if i am not mistaken, i think the turning radius has a lot to do with the suspension on the car, and being that nissan put a sport suspension on the maxima, you get less of a turning radius because of it (though wheel size probably affects it too)

    something to consider...

    im a nissan nut, had a 92 max that i loved loved loved!!! if i had the money when i bought a new car 3 years ago, it would have been a max, but being fresh out of college, i went for a sentra ser spec v (which has a larger turning radius than the regular sentra due to the sport suspension) but i deal, i'll take a bad turning radius for the sporty feel!

    -thene :)
  • correkmino996correkmino996 Member Posts: 1
    I think all the problems that you guys are saying about the Maxima has to be related with the way you maintain the car and drive it. I had a 2000 Maxima SE 5 Spd and never had problems with it. I kept it well maintained and serviced it. The oil i used was synthetic and the clutch lasted till 85,000 miles thats quite a lot. my brake pads lasted untill i traded the car for a 2004 Maxima SE Automatic. These one already has 28,000 and the only problem i have is that it dosen't turn. Then any other issues none. I also put syntheic oil and 93 otane fuel in it. The car is perfect and would not prefer any other.
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    Mine was a 2004 SE as well. The turning radius issue got to be too much for me. Otherwise it was an excellent vehicle and I had no problems. Put a billet grille on mine and got rid of the toothed thing it came with. It REALLY added a lopt to the looks. Easy to install!!!
  • gaudreaugaudreau Member Posts: 2
    Turning radius is really lousy. This is my 3 Maxima (94,99,04) and probably my last. Had to replace rear breaks, discs etc after 27000 miles fronts at 36 000, the electric engine mount, rear right bearing at 36 000.

    I guess the one thing that I don't like is if I leave the car in the driveway for a awhile (5 days) rust starts to form on the discs (front and rear) and sometimes that rust feels like the discs are warped. I was "lucky" the dealer replaced the front discs before the 12000 miles limit. Front tires had to be replaced because of mis-alignment on the dealer part. (those 18 inch tires are very expensive.)

    I have a Jeep Wrangler that I store in the winter in my backyard for the past 7 years. I never had to worry about rust on discs.
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    I don't recall the rust issue, as I only had it about a year. I was REALLY impressed with how it went through snow though! Yes, I've bought some 18's and they are expensive. The Hemi wouldn't go through an inch of snow with the Continentals it had on it, so I had to buy 2 Nokian Hakapolita all season radials, $210 each. It was unbelievable how go those went through snow, and fixed the problem, albeit expensive. Better than Blizzaks in my book!
  • hiredhandhiredhand Member Posts: 7
    I have had an 87,90 93,2002,04 & now the 07. Between 93 & 2002 I had Toyota 4Runer, Toyota Solara and Audi AWD 6. In my opion all three are very overrated especialy the Audi. For this reason I went back to Maxima which I have never had any mechanical or electrical problems. When I saw the 04 Maxima I had to have it. I got the SE Black with Elite pkg, i was not dissapointed. I found it to be sneeky quick, handeling & cornering at high speeds exellant and yes it was great in snow. I was still getting compliments by people walking by on it's looks until the day I turned it in. The cons were turning radius and torque to the left steering.
    I now have had the 07 SE Black again with/the elite pkg. since 7/4/06. A week later I drove to N.C. & I coulndn't wait to drive everyday. The turning radias in very much improved, torgue steering is all most none existant, also they smotthed out the ride without sacrificing handling. The navigation system has been updated not that I had a problem with the 04. If I put in the correct address I get to my destination. New on this model is back-up sensors & tire pressure display. The front buckets and power seat settings are numerous. As you can tell I love my Maximas'.
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    Sounds like they addressed all the hickups I ever had with my,04. Is the Elite package the bucket seats in the rear? Sounds like a great car and improved, especially where it needed it. Think about the billett grille, it adds a lot to the front end. Enjoy your ride safely!
  • drjamesdrjames Member Posts: 274
    I am trying to decide between the 2006-07 Nissan Maxima or the 2007 Toyota Camry XLE.

    The car I choose will be equiped with all the bells and whistles.

    What are your recommendations, should I go for the Camry or the Maxima?


    Very difficult, no? lol.. it hard to compare the two since they aren't true rivals as many have already mentioned. The Maxima is a fine car... I've always been a fan, but got the SE myself and have been loving it. The Maxima was just getting to big for what I wanted for my everyday car. Infact, the Camry was pushing it too, but am not regretting it. Feature-wise... the maxima has more, but the new maxima is only a year and and half away.. so...

    As others have said, Nissan's rival for the Camry would be more in the lines of the Altima. Just a suggestion, since you're willing to spend more, take a look at the new Lexus ES350. It's more than just a camry dipped in gold, it's more like platinum!
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    I've owned them both. Had a '04 Maxima SE and currently have a '07 Camry XLE with all the bells but nav. There is a good article I just read last night in Road and Track about the new Max. Sounds like the two major issues I had were turning circle and torque steer have been addressed. Mileage won't be as good with the Maxima, my v-6 Camry got 33mpg over the weekend on a 180 mile trip with the air on. The Max will get 28ish. The new tranny in the Max sounds delightful, but the 6 speed in the Camry is sweet too, dispite what some people think. The Max is bigger inside than the Camry, the trunk is slightly larger. The Max will handle better as it has more of a sport feel to it. The 6 speed Camry V-6 is slightly quicker, yet with better mileage. IMHO the intereior of the Camry is nicer, but in fairness haven't been in a new Max yet. The Toyota will be more reliable. I do like the different grill they put on the Max this year. My guess is the Max will be slightly more expensive, however not a mitigating factor. All the best, either ride will be awesome!
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Actually, it appears you've already found the place to discuss Toyotas difficulties: Toyota recalls double: volume hurting quality?

    Let's leave this discussion to comparing the Maxima and the Camry to each other.

    Thanks!
  • jetjockgjetjockg Member Posts: 80
    You are correct. I was just trying to get the message out. The subject Maxima and Camry is not correct. It Should be Maxima and Avalon or Camry and Altima. How can you have a subject discussing the differences between apples and oranges?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I understand your point, but sometimes, as part of their buying process, folks do compare vehicles which are not in the same class. We have no reason not to let them. ;)
  • kennyg8kennyg8 Member Posts: 225
    I have an 03 Max, and liked it a lot except for the Blose stereo and the rear suspension that hops over bumps. I looked at 04-06 Max. The exterior looks very good, but I am not thrilled with the interior. Too much cheap plastic and the dash covered with velour-like material that may get dirty easily and may not withstand normal wear and tear well. From various posts, it appears that Nissan may have addressed the rear suspension and torque steer issues (somewhat).

    I also looked at 06 and 07 Camry. While the specs on paper look good, I learned from Avalon posters that they have a lot of problem with the navi. Presuming that the Camry uses the Avalon navi, it does not bode well for me, one who loves to travel and would likely get lost without a good navi.

    So, even though I owned 3 Maximas (3rd, 4th and 5th gens) and the 6th gen may be a bit cheaper price wise, I recently bought a TL with navi, which drives well and is full of techno gadgets. Prospective Max buyers should give TL a comparison test drive.
  • drjamesdrjames Member Posts: 274
    the 07 Maxima's interior now uses REAL aluminum trim instead of coloured plastics... so, though many may still not like the interior, a purely subjective judgement, it's a little less cheap than previous years.
  • beantownbeantown Member Posts: 228
    Notice how they TV ads for the new Max talk about "shift bump" while extolling the virtues of a CVT. Show me a late model car with an objectionable "shift bump" and I'll show you a car with a poor designed transmission. I think they should have tried a different angle for that ad.

    That and the fact that they're showing him driving maybe 35 mph and the engine is roaring and the tach is reading somewhere around 4,000 rpms....I find that a little odd.
  • damon34damon34 Member Posts: 124
    I currently own a 07 camry 4cyl 5speed transmission.I can not stand the car. I have hesitation problems and my tranny shifts gears all the time and the cruise control is worthless. I test drove the 07 max and I thought it was really impressive. Toyota as a company has failed to help me out with the problems of my camry and I am really unhappy with toyota. It was my first toyota and will be my last. If you are thinking about buying a 07 camry you really need to take a look at it, because there is a good chance you may not get ahold of a good one, and toyota is jumping thru hoops to make you happy, so really think it thru. Thanks for listening.
  • bv050506bv050506 Member Posts: 97
    Trust me the '07 Camry with the V-6 and 6 speed is every bit a car as the Max. the 4 cylinder just has no performance, including cruise. You have the right car, just the wrong model in my opinion. I believe all the Max's are the VQ V-6 a very sweet engine. Not as quick or as good of mileage as the Toyota V-6 however.
  • urbancarurbancar Member Posts: 4
    On what basis are you saying that the Maxima engine is "not as quick ..as the Toyota V6"?

    I will grant you better mileage in the Toyota, but quickness?

    I think you are probably going by the maximum horsepower rating of the respective engines, which is only a very rough indicator of actual performance characteristics (you have to have a lot of other things equal or comparable to even say that).

    The 07 Max engine generates its 255 max horsepower rating at 6000 rpm, versus the 07 Camry V6 which peaks its 268 hp at 6200.

    Even more significantly, the Max VQ engine peaks at 252 foot pounds at 4400 rpm, versus the Toyota which peaks at only 161 foot/lbs at 4000 rpm

    Thus, the engines are very close in peak HP but the Max engine produces far more torque at most rpm levels in real world conditions, and also achieves its own maximum horsepower at relatively lower rpm. Both of these translate into much quicker "feel" (response to pedal in real accelleration, e.g. going from 50 to 80, etc. Engines with relatively low torque rely much more heavily on gearing (downshifting) to rev high enough to generate their HP.

    So, theoretically, if you floor the Toyota on every pass AND the car is geared "sporty" enough to jump to 6000+ rpm (which I doubt) you might accellerate quicker than the Maxima.

    But more likely you will not begin to pick up the actual accelleration of the Maxima unless or until you floor it (which means a very UNresponsive pedal) and if you do floor it, you will likely take a awhile to "catch up" to the torque being produced by the Maxima until your engine gets to the redline (objectively slower car).

    One of the reasons why the VQ engine continues to win Wards 10 best engine awards year in and out is the broad power band, not just at "sewing machine" levels of rpm, but throughout the band of driving conditions. I confess that I haven't driven the 07 Camry, which in many respects looks to be a fine car, and also improved over 06. But even on paper, it doesn't seem to be nearly as "quick" as the Maxima under most accellerating conditions, and probably not as quick under very aggressive accelleration either, until both cars went through the 3000s, 4000s and 5000s in rpms.

    Then, we haven't even gone into transmissions, in which the Maxima new CVT with Tiptronic would also, in my opinion, give a distinct edge over traditional automatics with or without Tiptronic.

    There is much more to power, "quickness" etc than the maximum HP figure on the sticker.
  • drjamesdrjames Member Posts: 274
    "Even more significantly, the Max VQ engine peaks at 252 foot pounds at 4400 rpm, versus the Toyota which peaks at only 161 foot/lbs at 4000 rpm"

    LOL! Yeah... that's be 'significant' if it were true. The Toyota 3.5L V6 actually produces 248 lb.ft. of torque at 4700 rpm.
  • drjamesdrjames Member Posts: 274
    And the Maxima (3599 - 3617 lbs) also weighs 100 to 150 lbs more than the Camry depending on trim level of Camry (3461 - 3516).

    Oh... and since you seem to appreciate the dynamics of what creates a fast car.... The Maxima has an coefficient drag of 0.30 versus the extremely lower coefficient drag of the Camry at 0.28.

    Also, the Maxima runs a 0 to 60 time of 6.5 seconds (Road & Track) to a 7.1 seconds (consumer reports) versus a 0 to 60 run in the V6 Camry in 6.1 (Road & Track) seconds to 6.2 seconds (consumer reports).

    So urbancar, forget about 'theoretically', because literally, the 2007 Camry 3.5L is faster than the Maxima objectively, subjectively and in reality.
  • gateway2gateway2 Member Posts: 5
    You are right Pat. I am doing exactly that right now....comparing camry to maxima and G35 and Acura TL. Fully loaded the camry price approaches the other three vehicles.
  • urbancarurbancar Member Posts: 4
    I had, when reading the post about relative "quickness" of the 07 Camry vs. 07 Maxima done a quick lookup of the technical specs from various sites, e.g. Yahoo. I was genuinely curious, and mistook the torque figures for the 4 cylinder as those for the 6. MEA CULPA.....

    In that context, I thought that the prior comment was the classic HP = performance characteristics, and tried to illustrate the differences.

    Indeed, the 07 Camry has a new and impressive engine. The peak HP weight ratio is better (268/3461 (LE version, per Yahoo) =0.77) vs. 255/3579 (SL version, per Yahoo) = 0.071). This is about a 9.2% difference in peak HP/wt. ratio between the two.

    The Maxima engine still produces a slightly greater amount of peak torque (252 ft pounds vs. 248). These are substantially equivalent figures.

    However, the Maxima's characteristics are still different, in which peak torque is produced at 4400 vs. 4700 rpms, and peak HP for Maxima at 6000 rpms vs. 6200 for Camry. Without driving the two side by side, it is still an open question which of the two cars would be quicker in a given midrange of accelleration, e.g. executing a pass at highway speed.

    The coefficient of drag factor is interesting, but tends to come more into play at higher speeds.

    The drive train loss factor may favor the Maxima over an automatic version of the Camry (my general understanding, without having this quantified) is that the current Maxima CVT produces less loss at any given point, and executes shifts with less loss at those times.

    I would not dispute an expert reviewer/magazine figure for 0-60, in which a slight edge goes to the Camry (likely mostly a function of about 100lbs greater curb weight for the Maxima).

    All in all, in terms of pure speed/accelleration, the two engines/drivetrains seem very comparable, with the Toyota having the edge off the line, and at a very long distance, and my semi educated bet (without having driven the two side by side) of the Max still having an edge in midrange accelleration.

    None of this affects the great ugliness advantage of the Camry. However, I do have to admit having made a serious wrong assumption on the specs. My apologies.
  • rennie4rennie4 Member Posts: 55
    The 2007 maxima with cvt just ran to 60 in 6.2 seconds with 255 horsepower. I will admit the camry might be faster by a smidget. I think you should be looking at the new altima that will be producing 270 horsepower and willl weigh some 200lbs lighter thatn a maxima plus it is on a new platform that will give it better handling characteristics. The altima should be running less than 6 seconds all day long and will likely be way more fun to drive thatn the camry.
This discussion has been closed.