[midnitexpress]

Anyone buy an '04 Maxima also? Will have to get rid of '98 SL500 due to medical reasons and looked at a new Maxima SL at the car wash the other day. Any problems? Issues? Reason not to buy? Am going to consider the Caddy CTS, Infinity G35, VW Passat and the Maxima.

 

[Kris]

Interesting choices - my pick would be CTS and G35.........like them both............

 

[jaycen29]

what about the new Acura TL? Nice lookin car!!!

 

[midnitexpress]

You know...I've seen the TL and read lots of good things about it, but they are more common than Explorer's down here. For the past two days I've only seen 2 Maxima's around. Lots of Altima's, Lots of TL's, and quite a few CTS's. I'll probably wait to see what the new STS is like before deciding but want to start lining up the ducks now.

 

[Eric L.]

The Maxima is an excellent car, but it does not have the interior sophistication of other cars in its class. I would place the TL above the G35 in terms of interior design, although if all out performance if what you want, the 2005 G35 will have 280hp.

I have a 1997 Maxima and it is an excellent car. Runs smoother than when it was new today - keeps better and better.

If I were to get a 2004-5 Maxima, get the SE, it has a 5-spd automatic instead of a 4-spd.

 

[95se]

I rented an '04 max for a weekend trip.

Pros: Great power, nice ride and handling, and I personally like the styling.

Cons: I personally wasn't a big fan of the interior. It's subjective but I felt the interior material quality was poor compared to my 95 max.

Personal summary: If you got a lower end model (which is still well equiped) it's a great car and a great value. If you get it loaded and end up paying 34-35k for it you'll wonder why such an expensive car has such flimsy map lights and cheap feeling buttons...

Biggest compaint from owners: has been a shimmy or shake at highway speeds. Seems to be very common, and not fixable. From what I read some max's have the shimmy, some don't. I think this has been a problem across max generations. My 95 has always shimmey'd a bit around 65-75, despite replacing tires, brakes, front axles, rims, etc... The best advice is to make sure you test drive the actual vehicle you are buying before final signing, even if you special order one.


Much much much more info at: www.maxima.org

 

[MarkY]

The Maxima, G35, and the Passat are all great cars. I have a couple of friends with Maximas and they love them. The G35 is an awesome car by almost anyone's standards (my preference). I rented a Passat for a couple of weeks in Europe and was quite impressed. I wouldn't hesitate to own one.

What did I forget? Oh yeah, the Caddy. You couldn't give me that thing. Besides the fact that it is ugly, it is typical GM crap. Expect it to be in the shop more than your garage.

 

[jaak]

Ask Esemes how he likes his G....:18:

 

[Kris]

Do not forget the fact that G35 is RWD! It does make a difference!

Unless you are a weekend driver:7:

 

[dklanecky1]

The Maxima is an excellent car, but it does not have the interior sophistication of other cars in its class. I would place the TL above the G35 in terms of interior design, although if all out performance if what you want, the 2005 G35 will have 280hp.

I have a 1997 Maxima and it is an excellent car. Runs smoother than when it was new today - keeps better and better.

If I were to get a 2004-5 Maxima, get the SE, it has a 5-spd automatic instead of a 4-spd.

I agree with Eric's comments! One thing to note is that Nissan dropped the 4 speed automatic transmission from the SL Maxima back in the spring of 2004.

Make sure any SL you drive/consider has the new 5 speed automatic as the 4 speed is definitely a step down in design and function.

 

[hfelknor]

I think that people who recommend a VW over a new Caddy has an interesting, but uninformed viewpoint.


Homer

 

[MarkY]

I think that people who recommend a VW over a new Caddy has an interesting, but uninformed viewpoint.
Homer

Really? Think whatever you want. I'm well informed and I'd take a VW Passat over a GM CTS any day of the week.

Maybe one of these days Caddy will gets it's act together but until they do, I wouldn't recommend one. It's sad really, because Caddy has come up with some great ideas (Northstar, lighting, safety features, etc) but with the exception of the Northstar engine the rest of the cars components are garbage. Things fall off, break, and the reliability is terrible.

On a side note, IMO, the CTS is one of the ugliest cars on the road. Not Aztec ugly, but real close.

 

[midnitexpress]

The only reason I've included the CTS in my "thinking about" list is because of it's size. From what I've read the STS isn't going to be as big as the old Seville and it's going to be miles ahead of the current CTS. There is a huge Caddy dealer down the road so wouldn't think it will be long before the STS is on the lot. Going from a SL500 to anything is going to be a major change and I'm really disappointed with the new 'Benz lineup. Personally, the V8 Passat
would probably fit the bill perfectly, but want to see what they all offer and what others have experienced and think. It's great to see all of the input concerning the Maxima v. other question. Keep it coming. I'm takin' notes.:29:

 

[Eric L.]

Cadillac has come a long ways in the past few years. The platform the CTS and STS are built on is world class, with competitive handling to compete with European models from Mercedes and BMW. In fact, in one of the big mags, the CTS 3.6 won a V6 sports sedan shootout, topping the E320 and 530i to take first place.

The styling of the new Caddys are hit or miss. Either you like it you don't. But the same could be said of the new "Bangled" BMW designs. So before we go around making blanket statements here, do some research and find out how far certain models have come recently.

 

[MarkY]

So before we go around making blanket statements here, do some research and find out how far certain models have come recently.

Pretty presumptuous aren't you? I've done plenty of research and just because Cadillac has come a long way doesn't mean much. They had a looooong way to go.

I agree that BMW bangled the new 5 series in the looks department. And Mercedes' quality has really gone down over the last few years, especially on their lower end models.

That being said, I'd still take the E320 or a 5 series over a CTS any day. Cadillac hasn't had a reliable car in years.

 

[Eric L.]

I was merely responding to the post which said "until Cadillac gets their act together...." - I would definitely consider that a blanket statement since the mags seem to like the CTS and STS.

The main complaint about Cadillac compared to the rear drive German sedans was that they lacked inspired styling, RWD, and good handling. With the new sigma platform, GM has addressed those issues. The chiseled styling may not appeal to some, but it certainly isn't boring.

You are correct - reliability is very poor with Cadillac recently. Its been the same way with many European makes too according to CR.

 

[seaofdunes]

I can only attest to the maxima. I have an 01 with the 3.0l VQ in it. It is still going like new at 70k miles. The interior has held up very well, and the engine is still as powerful as ever. the only complaint i ever remembering about the new platform 265hp version is the torque steer is fairly bad.

 

[jaak]

I had a 2K max, which is the same as the 2001. I loved it. It had torque steer as well, if you floored it at low speeds. Put another 43 HP and more torque in it, with the larger 3.5 litre and you would be guaranteed to aggravate that. (Would you expect less with more hp?)

A friend has a new Max and has noted that if you stomp on it and aren't paying attention, the engine/hp can launch you in an undesired direction, so this confirms that it's more of a problem. So we need an AWD Maxima.

Other than that, and the "tinted" part of the chrome bumper constantly peeling, even with replacements, he's delighted with it.

The only thing I hated about my Maxima, was the taillights. I remember picking the colour that was the least offensive with them.

Other than that, I loved that car. I don't like the looks of the new one as much and would probably look at a G35 if I wanted a car now.

After the money I've poured in to GM products and VW's in the past, they're not getting me as a customer again. Well, OK, I'd take a Corvette... Or something Muscle Car era.

 

[midnitexpress]

Okay...the Maxima is now out of the running. Wifey didn't like the looks....but she did like the Altima. Says it was sportier than the Max. I drove an Altima a couple months ago and was fairly impressed. With the 3.5 in it I might even drive it a little and there will be more $$ left for accessories for the MO!

 

[moonshoxx]

I will weigh in on the VW versus Caddy discussion. To me, it is apples to oranges. If you are comparing premium to premium, you should compare the Audi to the Caddy. The Audi would win by a mile or two. VW should be compared to the Chevy. The VW would win by a mile or two. VW to Caddy is about even, but again apples to oranges.

Also, more to the point, try to stay away from FWD in these premium cars in my opinion. I test drove them all and the FWDs still had a trace of torque steer pushing that kind of HP and torque to the front wheel. I would pass on the Maxima due to the shimmy issue and handling issues. When I was going down to Daytona last month, doing 90mph on the interstate getting passed. I am not sure the Maxima is up to that task. Again, only my opinions I am sharing.