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Nissan Maxima vs. Toyota Camry
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Comments
As for looks? lol... now you're trying to use a subjective argument?
cars back to back if you're wanting to compare
the two vehicles, specifically the acceleration
part. I was wondering, are the quotes on the
0-60 times on the Maxima for the '07 model that
were quoted from Road and Track and Consumer
Reports?
I recall that the '06 Maxima had a 0-60 in 6.1
or 6.2 seconds. I believe that comparo was
from Car & Driver.
That was a 2006 Nissan Altima SE-R. The 2007
SE-R apparently won't be available until sometime in the spring.
Apparently, the 07 Camry shares the identical drivetrain/ecu/compression ratios/etc. as the Lexus ES 350 which produces 272 hp because it uses 91 octain gasoline. So, technically, if you were to spend the extra little bit at the gas stations and opt for 91 octane... you'd also be producing 272 hp and thus 2 more hp than the new Altima.
Here's the score card. 1st place) Toyota Camry SE: Best overall package on a superb new platform. Performance, quality, safety, and comfort -- what a concept.
2nd Place) Nissan Altima SE-R: If you put more emphais on sport than sedan, this is you car. Can't wait to test the new one.
3rd Place) Mitsubuishi Galant Ralliart: A nicer car than its third place finish indicates. Doesn't overwhelm, but does everything well.
4th Place) Chev Malibu SS: In this case, you don't get what you don't pay for. Costs less, but gives less. We'd like to try one with GM's 3.6 L DOHC V6 and a 6 speed automatic, even if it costs $1000 more.
No problems... as for the Mitsu... Just keep praying that they don't go bankrupt, eh?
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.
The Camry did 0-60 in 7.1 seconds on edmunds. An earlier Camry that they tested did it in 6.5 seconds. They explained the difference in acceleration in the take-off of the car. So, i believe that time of 7.1 seconds from consumer reports was not under ideal traction conditions.
Yeah, with no offence to the editors here at Edmuns. I believe the editors of such magazines as Road & Track or Motor Trend using closed race tracks for testing are much better at lauching and racing their cars. That said, the editors at edmunds should have tried a 0-60 run with the VSC/traction control deactivated.
I'd agree that the consumer reports editors too probably could have gotten a better time in testing the Maxima than 7.1 sec.. which is why I posted the best time of 6.5sec (Road and Track) I could find.
Quite simply, the 07 Camry should faster than the Maxima simply because of the better power to weight ratio and lower co-efficent drag. Doesn't matter how good the driver is, these advantages are simply in the Camry's favour.
I can't wait to start selling the new Altima. We have a Maxima in our showroom with tricked out Nismo wheels and low profile tires that looks very, very sweet. Even though I am selling Nissan, I find the '07 Camry much better looking. Not nearly as dull looking as before. The CVT/tiptronic tranny in the Maxima is great. Super responsive, smooth, quiet. I have not driven the new Camry yet.
Maxima. My '02 was totalled in an accident
back in July and, boy, do I still miss that car! Never had any major problems with it
except for spending some money on replacing
02 sensors two weeks before the accident.
Heck, the car didn't even have a very good
suspension, but I sure loved the power on that
baby!
I'm now driving a 2007 Lexus RX350, and though
I really like it, it definitely is not as zippy
as my Maxima was, although it does have a nice
ride and definitely a beautiful interior. But
I still mourn my Max! Sorry to hear about your
xenons getting stolen. That didn't seem to be
a problem over here in the Tampa Bay Area.
The 2007 Camry is still a nice-looking car too,
much more improved over the previous generation. Good luck with your Camry.
1) Looks- I am 28 and in Avalon I looked much older
2) Power and delivery- As I said before in maxima I press gas and it moves , in avalon its thinking......and still not moving.
3) Price- I got fully loaded maxima without Navi with stability control and full size spare ( none in Avalon) new for 25,6 plus taxes and charges, the best I was offered Avalon was 34g.
4)Folding seats- I have no idea why Toyota chose to have rear seats slightly moving over folding Ability particularly with a small trunk of Avalon. I was able to buy large shelves ( 7 ft tall) in Ikea and take it in my car not order delivery or borrow someone else's car.
5) Now if you drive carefully without lead on your feet, you can get EPA ratings of Avalon in Maxima (look at my post in Nissan Maxima: MPG-Real World Numbers), though using premium gas.
So make comparison of Nissan and Toyota products properly.
Altima vs Camry and Maxima vs Avalon
folks refer to this as "hesitation" -- on the
Lexus/Toyota cars. It's been a real adjustment
for me on the RX350 vs. my '02 Maxima. Sure,
I understand that it's an SUV and it's a heavier vehicle, and it does have good pick up
for an SUV. But there's something a little bit
weird about the shifting of the tranny on
the Lexus/Toyota cars.
For instance, I've noticed sometimes when
pulling, say, into a parking lot of a bank,
once I turn in, which by this time, I'm at a
very slow speed, it seems that the engine will
rev, and I'm pretty sure I'm not pressing on
the accelerator at that point, maybe just resting the foot on the accelerator before giving it a little gas to proceed. This is
strange behavior. I wish I could document it
better, but it doesn't happen every single time
so it's difficult to try to document this.
Similarly, if I'm coming to an intersection and
I do the similar coast to go into a turn, but
this time I need to accelerate, as I'm still on
a fairly busy road, all of a sudden it feels
like there's no power and I feel like I have to
stomp on the accelerator to get the car going.
Admittedly, I've often cursed when this happens
because I don't like this at all. Other times
this does not happen. Once again it's been
hard for me to document.
Other than these two idiosyncrasies, the car has
been great!
Recently saw a new 07 Camry in a parking lot and noticed the paint coming off the hood. It looked like the old Ford and GM products that lost their paint because of heavy coating/galvanizing on the sheetmetal. That is quality? Must be normal "racing" look.
With regard to style, the Maxima is much more attractive and appealing for both young and old. I know the magazines compare 0-60 and such but is this why we really buy the cars? I don't think so but it is nice but who is going to feel 0-60 in 5.9 or 6.1 seconds.
With regard to the CVT, I was hesitant at first in our Murano but after a couple if trips I wonder didn't this come out many moons ago!? Just smooth!!! It may not be for everyone but feel that 9 out of 10 will enjoy the experience and best of all it requires "no maintenance" best I can tell in the owners manual.
In 2000 I purchased a new body style Maxima. Loved it. However at 10,000 miles the rotors needed turned and at 20,000 they needed replaced. Then within 6000 miles it was giving me the shakes and needed turned so I traded it. (I drive 30,000 miles per year and do not want to replace rotors every 8 months).
In 2003 I purchased a 350Z. At 3000 miles the tires made a horrible noise, I had it aligned but the cupping continued and by 10,000 miles I was embarrased to show it off to my friends because it sounded like a truck going down the road. The tire whine was unbearable and I started writing letters. At first they said mine was not in the date range of complains (meaning most people were not putting a lot of miles on them and had not started complaining yet). By 12,500 miles I had it. I was finally able to get Nissan to take some responsibility and they replaced the front tires and "fixed" the alignment. At 15,000 miles the new tires were starting to cup again. I traded it.
In 2003 I also bought an Infiniti FX45 (high$ Nissan). I'll admit to it being the most satisfying car I've ever owned, BUT it too had to have premature brake rotor wearing and soon after turning them I had the shimmy's when applying the brake as I come off the interstate. I actually liked this car enough though to put up with it, but if I had kept it long term I imagine the brakes would have cost me a lot every year and a half. The biggest problem with the FX was that my tires wore out (evenly, nice wear pattern) at 12,000 miles. I was able to get Goodyear to replace them at 50% of the cost as they were expected to get 25,000 miles. Duh, that set was worn out at 25,000 miles (2nd set). I put a set of high dollar Bridgestones on it which seemd to help, but I traded it in May
I love the styling, interiors and performance of Nissan but I traded my cars and sold my stock in Nissan and am avoiding them until I'm sure they will make a car I can be happy with long term.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
With regard to the 350Z, the geometry was the issue with the 03 but I think this has been corrected.
With regard to Nissan quality, they have come way past the "old days" with regard to quality. I heard they spent several million dollars on test tracks to insure that cars did not arrive with the squeaks and rattles. Just look at their resal value. It puts Ford and GM to shame. Also, if you build comparable Avalons and Maximas, the Maxima is a bargain.
The new body in a nutshell is too "Altima". I use to own a 97 Max and my wife currently drives a 03 Nissan Altima. I loved the true Sedan look and feel of the vehicle in past designs and wish they'd go back.
This latest Maxima is modest at best. The cabin seems to shrink as you move from front to back and blind spots seem to be greater. Simply the car seems to be more fit for 4 passengers (Sparingly) than 5. And all I can point to is the new (Too Altima Like)design.
Admittedly, Im 6'6" tall and I know I am off the scale in average hieght but my past Maxima made me feel like I was in a "Luxury Performance Sedan" which I feel sets the Maxima apart from other vehicles in this segment.
So overall, not what I was expecting in styling and design but it still has the soul of a Maxima.
I like Toyota's and Nissans. I own a '07 Camry, but have never driven a Maxima before. They are beautiful cars though. If it's anything like the '06 Altima we own, I'm sure it's a great ride.
But when it all boils down to it, I'm a Toyota fan. Through my research of the Maxima, it appears to be a strong car with Infiniti-like touches.
I guess I'm no help, huh? :P
One poster said that he has an '07 and the turning circle is improved, but the actual spec is conspicuously absent from the '07 brochure and website. According to Edmunds, it is 40 ft. which is the same or worse than my '04.
Can somebody with an '07 comment on this? I had written a new Maxima off in my search for a new vehicle, but if Nissan has improved the ride and turning circle, with that beautiful new interior it might be up for my consideration.
I'm very leery at this point about the Toyota 3.5 powertrain and NAV systems, otherwise they would be at the top of my list.
At its 30k mile service (it now has 40k miles), I had 75% of my front pads remaining, and even more on the back. My rotors are perfect. Maybe the key to buying a perfect car is waiting until the model is about to be replaced? Mine was built in October of '02, and I believe they ceased production about 2-3 months afterwards.
The sole problem I've had on the car is the Bose stereo. I blame Clarion for this more than Bose. I'm on my third head unit, and since my warranty is up it will be my last. I'll replace it with a nice Eclipse with Sirius/iPod integration and call it a day.
In the past, I've turned cars over with as little as 7 months of ownership. Not this one. Some cars are born with halos on their roofs, and I'm driving it until the wheels come off it. It just amazes me that a 4 year old car, driven over crappy pothole-infested Michigan roads still has zero squeaks or rattles. The thing is as tight as the day I drove it off the lot.
I did test drive a Camry, and I know EXACTLY what you guys are talking about with the hesitation. However, what really killed the car for me was actually the handling - I'm too young for a Buick, even if it's made by Toyota. :P
That said, I didn't really care for the '04-'06 Maxima. Didn't really like the bucktooth or the interior. They fixed all this with the '07, but I'm not ready to part with my '03 yet. The Grey Max and I have many, many more Grand Prixs to torch in the future. :shades:
You guys are nuts.
The TR on my '03 is abysmal, but after the first month of driving it I just got used to it. Maybe it helps my wife drives an Explorer, so I'm used to driving something with the TR of a school bus. :P
It's such a minor problem with the car, though. That engine is the sweetest thing on 4 wheels. You goose it, doesn't matter which speed you're going, you will take off like the car is getting ready to take to the skies. As a semi-frequent flier, when I start the Max up an entrance ramp onto the freeway, that's exactly what it reminds me of. When the plane is turning onto the runway, you're going slow, but then stomp on the gas and WATCH OUT.
The most unbelieveable thing about my car is that I haven't gotten a ticket yet. I did get pulled over once for doing 50 in a 35, but that was purely by accident (I don't normally speed in residential areas). On a wide-open highway, though.. let's just say the speed limiter comes up in this car way too fast. The sucker just never runs out of breath. :shades:
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
More details are available at oilgelsettlement.com. Camrys included are 1997-2001 4 cyl. and 1997-2002 6 cyl. See website for MANY other vehicles included. I have lost trust in Toyota, and would recommend you do not buy one based on my experience. An entire generation of defective engines is unacceptable.
I am not biased toward Nissan at all, and have owned most brands of cars in my 30 years of driving. VERY disappointed in Toyota!
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
Open the hood, and on each side of the engine compartment towards the front you will see one large rubber stopper. Take and screw it in a bit tighter, which will allow the hood to close tighter. Problem solved.
In July I traded my 04SE for 07SE. Both are totally loaded with the Elite PKG. My 1st Maxima was an 87,plus 89,91,93,03,04 &07.Between 93 & 03 I had various other cars. My point is I am back to Maxima and as far as I'm concerned it's the best car for the money. I have never had a problem with any of the Maximas', except they changed my brake pads @5K n/c never had another problem.
I do agree with you and others regarding the turning radius & torque steering in 04 was awful. Other than those two items I loved driving it and constantly received compliments on its looks.
Now the 07 I bought because of the improvements. The t/r is much much tighter than the 04 & the T/S is barely noticeable. Naturally the T/R is not going to be as tight as front wheel drive. The styling,form & fit are very good.
I have never personally heard of any complaints with the engines other than this forum. I am surprised to hear that,but as far as I am concerned Toyota is living on it's laurels.
My wife has a 99 Q45t Infinity we bought new, it has 60K and we have never had a problem just normal maint. I keep trying to get her interested in the M Infinity, but she will not part w/ her 99.
I hope my babbling has been helpful to some.
Hiredhand
Sorry for the late response. I judge a car by the way the factory builds it. Me having to install non-OEM parts to make it an acceptable car, is not acceptable, especially when the car is still on warranty. Of course my experience with the 350Z uncorrectable alignment issues and eating tires in 6000 miles has indeed hampered my open-mindedness about Nissan quality.
I have a 1996 Nissan Maxima that has 107,000 miles and was running great! Love this car. I was hit in January on the left front fender and both air bags went off and the insurance company totalled it. I had just put $3900. to keep it running great. I purchased the car back from the insurance company and would like your recommendations on how I should sell it. NJ does not require a salvage title for this car. It needs left front fender, grill and 2 air bags. Started right up from the accident.
Any expertise you can contribute will be appreciated.