With this week’s installment I will get back more to a chronological order for my car purchases. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I very much liked the Sienna minivan we owned but I worked very hard to sell it in order to purchase something else which caught my eye. That something else was the sixth-generation Nissan Maxima.
I had driven previous generation Nissan Maximas as rental vehicles in the past, and while the 3.5 liter V-6 powertrain helped the car live up to its ‘90s slogan of being a “4-door sports car” the styling was nothing particularly notable. That’s not to say I didn’t like the styling – the fourth generation car I rented was stylistically similar to the mid-90s Nissan Altima that I had briefly considered before going with the Honda Civic in 1994. The exterior and interior were nice enough but weren’t interesting enough to dislodge me from the Toyota brand.
The sixth-generation Maxima, introduced in mid-2003 as a 2004 model, was a whole different story. This car was much more aggressively styled and had more of a presence on the road, particularly in the 3.5SE trim level with huge (for the time) 18 inch wheels similar to those found on the contemporary 350Z. I had seen the car in advertising and in magazine road tests, but once I saw one in person I decided I really wanted to have one. Admittedly, I was taking a bit of a risk by moving away from Toyota, but boy was this thing good looking.
I figured that I’d be all set from a buying standpoint as the big box car retail chain from which I was buying my Toyotas also sold Nissans at another location. That was the good news: the bad news was the Nissan store was north of Baltimore and a long way from my house. The drive was worth it to me to get “no haggle” pricing (which I like, but some people hate), so off I went. At the time, I hadn’t made any of the arrangements to sell the minivan, so I took it with me to the Nissan store to see what they’d give me for the van while I test-drove the Maxima.
One test drive in this car and I was even more hooked. Much has been written about the Nissan 3.5 liter V6 engine, which in this application made 265 horsepower, so all I will say is that it lived up to the hype. It was smooth and responsive and was one of the most powerful cars I’d driven in a long while. I tested the 3.5SE trim which came with either a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic. I would have preferred the manual transmission, but as I recall those were just about impossible to find at the time I was looking to buy (roughly 5 months after they were introduced). If memory serves, the “luxury” 3.5SL model had the same engine but only a 4-speed automatic, for reasons that I can’t fathom. The SE and SL were fairly close in price, as I recall, and I liked the leather interior and other features of the SL but the odd 4-speed automatic was not as well-suited to the powertrain as the SE’s 5-speed automatic.
My dream of owning one of these ran into a couple of snags when I returned from the test drive. First of all, the dealer gave me the estimate of what they’d give me for the minivan, and it was…not as high as I would have liked, shall we say. (Laughably low would be the more appropriate reaction). Second of all, as the Maxima’s price was relatively high, I was interested in leasing it instead of buying it as I’d done with several previous cars, and for some odd reason the big box Nissan store didn’t do leasing (although their sister Toyota store did). The combination of those factors stopped my purchasing dreams pretty quickly.
However, as events transpired we were able to find a buyer for the van at a price that was much more palatable (and represented a much less severe financial penalty). As a result, my Maxima buying plan was back on track, but I had to pick another dealer. I don’t remember exactly how I picked the dealer but it certainly wasn’t on the basis of wonderful customer service. The dealer did have several things going for it: they had the car I wanted (more or less, as they didn’t have any manuals); they were willing to do a lease; and they were offering a reasonable price for the car, so I went with them. They weren’t particularly close to home either, but not quite as far as the first store.
The Maxima I chose was the 3.5SE with the 5-speed automatic in silver with a black cloth interior. Mine had an option package with a power moonroof and upgraded stereo, along with a couple of other minor convenience items like a security system. I preferred the regular moonroof to the standard “Skyview” roof that was an odd fixed pane of glass that was only about a foot wide but extended nearly the length of the car. I thought that was a styling gimmick that wasn’t particularly practical or useful, and as I recall Nissan had a few problems with the fixed glass roof shattering under certain conditions.
On the plus side, the Maxima was definitely a thrill ride compared to the Camrys and Siennas of the past. The suspension was tuned to be firm but still offered a reasonable ride with the large wheels and tires. The suspension and tires were able to harness the V6 engine’s power pretty well, but with some torque steer as I recall. The engine’s 265 horsepower was the largest of any car I’d owned to date (even my Thunderbird SC could only muster 215), and I will admit to dipping into that power on a regular basis. On the minus side, the interior was acceptable but some of the interior trim pieces were fairly cheap feeling hard plastic with visible mold lines. The chunky turn signal and wiper stalks were nice, though. The Bose stereo in this car was great sounding at volumes that would make your ears bleed, but was a bit lackluster at more normal volumes. The car had a large center screen to accommodate versions with a navigation system, but as ours didn’t have that the screen was a monochrome yellow LCD display with trip computer, radio, and HVAC readouts along with a lot of blank space around these ‘80s looking displays. The SE trim brought “sporty” orange gauge lighting for the silver faced gauges, two things that have more or less dropped out of modern cars (thankfully). I remember being surprised as well at the black smoke that accompanied full-throttle accelerations – no one ever found anything wrong with the car, but it seemed a bit odd for a modern vehicle.
Also on the negative side was maintenance at the dealer I used – I called not long after I bought the car to arrange for the first maintenance appointment, and was given a nice early one at 7:30 am. Great – that will give me plenty of time to get the oil changed and get to the office at a reasonable hour. So I went to the dealer that morning with the intention of getting there a few minutes before 7:30 to be timely, and was very surprised to see a line of Nissans extending from the closed service door, through the new car lot, and out onto the street. What I didn’t realize (and they didn’t tell me) was that EVERYONE got a 7:30 am appointment, and if you were dropping off the car your vehicle wasn’t even brought in for service until sometime mid-afternoon. If you were waiting, your wait time was a direct function of how far in advance of 7:30 you showed up, so maybe you’d be done in an hour or maybe it would be several hours. In subsequent services, I made a habit of dropping the car off in the morning, getting a shuttle to the office, and reversing the process after work. Inconvenient, but at least I could predict when I’d be arriving at the office. Luckily for me there weren’t any major repairs needed during my ownership period so this service inconvenience didn’t happen that often.
Those who are regular readers of my COAL series will be amazed to learn that I kept this Maxima all the way to the end of its 36-month lease. Sure, the interior was a bit cheap and the silver plastic trim on the dash and steering wheel were outdated about 6 months after I bought it, but it looked great from the outside and it was a blast to drive. Amazingly, because I kept the vehicle through the whole lease term I didn’t lose any money at the end of the term. In fact, if I recall correctly, we were able to trade it in just before the end of the lease and make a few hundred dollars to apply toward our next vehicle. That next vehicle wasn’t exactly the exciting thrill ride the Maxima was, but I was looking for inexpensive transportation…
As with previous COALs, there are a few interesting photobomb vehicles from my neighborhood in the background, including a couple of my cars that we’ll talk about in a couple of weeks plus a bonus Mitsubishi Galant and a Ford Bronco II! For reference, the bottom blurry photo (one of the last I did with a film camera) was from September 2003 when I bought the car and the other sharper digital photos from April of 2006 not long before I traded in the car.
I can’t say that this was my favorite generation Maxima, as I find the styling far too blocky inside and out. What I can say is that this was the last generation Maxima that I feel was relevant and appealing. And yes, they certainly were quick!
Its successor, which I find better looking, just kind of fell under the radar. By this point the Altima had grown so large that those looking for a larger family sedan could save thousands while getting similar features and performance. Those looking for a little more performance could get an Infiniti G35/G37 for not much more, and get more power, a better driving experience, nicer interior, and a bit more snob appeal.
I feel like today’s Maxima has been squeezed out from either end to the point that it isn’t really needed in Nissan’s lineup. The Murano is meeting a similar fate, crowded out by the ever larger Rogue, along with the Pathfinder and Infiniti Q60.
I’m leasing a 2016 Maxima and I would beg to disagree, it’s a perfect car for where I’m at. I was looking at the “midsized +” category; Avalon, Maxima, ES350, Lacrosse, Impala, etc, and the Maxima is the only one that a younger single guy isn’t immediately embarrassed to drive.
My last couple cars have been mid-size sedans in the mid $20k range, and for about $4k more than a 4 cylinder Altima ($29k out the door for my GTR blue Maxima S), I’ve got 300hp, styling I love, and a phenomenal interior. From what I’ve seen, you have to spend at least $50k to get a nicer interior.
What I don’t understand is, who is buying V6 Altimas? The Maxima drives like a much more premium car, with an interior miles better for about the same price.
The new Impalas are super nice outside and inside the lacross is even better, I still can’t believe how much nicer the new Imp and Lacrosse are. I don’t know how even young people would be embarrassed to drive either, esp that lacrosse. The new maxima looks much better then this gen Maxima. That rear…UGH! Too chunky/blocky of a bumper.
The Impala/Lacrosse interiors are very nice, but not as well done as the Maxima, in my opinion. They are all surprisingly, much, much nicer than the Toyota/Lexus are inside.
The biggest problem is outside they both still look like cars whose owners are going to be 60+ years old. It’s not the main deciding factor, but it’s there. The Maxima is easily the least “stodgy” of the current near-luxury FWD choices.
The Maxima also drives like an entirely different car, you sit much lower in it, and the whole experience is much sportier than with others. It wasn’t my top priority for the class going in, but the almost European level of composure to the ride and steering is very much appreciated.
I totally get this is completely subjective, but I am honestly surprised to find a person who says either of those cars have nice interiors. The Impala looks like a Cruze interior on steroids, and the Lacrosse couldn’t have copied the first generation Hyundai Genesis harder if it tried. The Lacrosse comes off way more egregious to these eyes, for the record. Buick copies the style of a nearly 10 year old Korean, who would have ever seen that coming? Granted, the finished materials are (also subjectively) superior, but I see no design inspiration in the bones.
I’m just talking about material quality inside, I see what you’re saying about with the styling of the GM twins interiors. I would describe them as “blobby” looking inside, a highly technical term I know…
I think Nissan realized with the latest Maxima that they really had to bring it. Its interior is very striking and you’ll note they’re not even pretending the Maxima is appreciably bigger inside. It’s been distinctly positioned as a flagship/sport sedan, not a generic full-size. I like it except for the slightly fussy styling (if Nissan just toned down their headlamps and got rid of the floating roof look, I’d be on board) and the CVT… I know CVTs have come a long way but I’m still not a fan, although maybe some more drive time might change that.
If you don’t care about a luxury badge, a Maxima is a good buy.
As for the other full-sizers mentioned, the Impala is nice inside but I hope GM doesn’t let it wither on the vine. The new LaCrosse though, I can’t speak towards ergonomics or material quality but from a design point of view, I’m not really a fan. The driver looks hemmed in and the design doesn’t wow me. Ditto the exterior–nice, but nothing exceptional. I think the rear detailing is the worst. Of course, I still haven’t seen one in person yet so maybe it’ll pop in the metal. I think I’d probably just prefer the new Regal Sportback though.
The “special-ness” of the 2016 Maxima is really what sold it for me. Like you said, it’s not really much bigger than the Altima, but just the attention to detail is very impressive. From the “4DSC” slogan being hidden all around the car, to the beautiful materials, it comes across as more than a typical Japanese appliance.
I’ll also second what you said, that if you appreciate the actual product, and not the badge it’s a steal. I can go across the street to the Infiniti dealer and spent $15k more a Q50 with 100 less horsepower, and an interior that looks 10 years older.
The CVT on the Maxima is almost undetectable. I previously had an Altima, and it has the typical rubber-band sensation, but really not that bad once you get used to it.
On the Maxima though, it’s always operating as a simulated 6 speed, so you never get the rubber band sensation. In fact, down “shifts” via the shifter are incredibly satisfying and quick, much more convincing than in any torque-converter equipped automatics I’ve driven.
Viva La France!
Can a fine German sedan be far off?
My Father purchased one of these brand new; much to my Mother’s consternation. Of all the cars Dad could had chosen for his “retirement car”; why THIS one?
She thought it “dull looking” on the outside and “dark and plain” on the inside. (The identical exterior/interior color as this article’s car).
Then she drove it…..and suddenly her Buick seemed quite slow, staid and frumpy by comparison!
Dad, unfortunately, left us not long after buying the Maxima. Mom still has it; refuses to sell it.
I remember that orange instrument lighting from a couple of Quest minivans I rented in the 00s. I didn’t like it – it reminded me of some of those early PC monitors from the DOS age.
The looks of these never did much for me but it appears that the driving experience made up for it.
The orange lighting is relatively easy on the eyes at night while still being readable, but it just looks kind of cheap. I had that in my Stanza. Given it was from the 80’s and it was a Stanza, I just kind of figured that was the trend from the time. I was surprised when it made a comeback in the 00’s in what were higher trimmed cars, including the Infinitis.
My current car has white on black (actually dark grey) during the day, and white on black at night. I like it – classic simplicity.
When these first hit the market I thought they were great cars. Like you, I appreciated the powerful engine, the availability of a manual transmission, and styling that wasn’t run-of-the-mill but not totally “out there”, either.
BUT, to me, the styling looks too derivative of the Altima, the interior was a let down compared to previous generations of Maxima, and the manual transmission that was hard to find in earlier generations was nearly unicorn rare.
When the current generation of Maxima hit the market I was surprised that Nissan was still building and marketing a large sedan but glad that the car was still bold/aggressive looking. But like your car, it’s my opinion that those bold and aggressive looks don’t age well.
BTW, I’ve read on several websites that the Nissan V6 suddenly starts to self-destruct at about the 60-65 thousand mile mark. Considering your noted black cloud on acceleration, you were probably very lucky you never needed an engine rebuild.
And I’m surprised you made money on this car.
I dunno about the VQ35, but my dad had a ‘97 with a VQ30 that he change the oil on about every 25k miles and only had more than that done when something broke. Besides an alternator at about 150k miles and an engine seal of some sort at 200k (remember, the car was not so much neglected as abused) it went 8 years and 235k miles before he traded it, running, for $3k on a ‘05 Accord DX VP (quite a change from a loaded Maxima SE).
The engine was a dream. The chassis, transmission, and general construction quality not so much- although I was driving a variety of stoke 8, W123 and a W202 Mercedes at the time so I am perhaps being unfair.
Take a look at the website www. carcomplaints.com….the 2004 Maxima is (unfortunately) about THE worst year for the Maxima in the last 15 years. Automatic transmission failures are near epic, but as another poster here mentions, timing chain/chain tensioner issues are very serious, too.
I had a similar experience as your dad with my 1996 Max I bought new. I put 300k on it with a few broken things here and there, but NO problem with the engine and transmission. Hands down the best car I’ve ever owned!
I test drove a used 2002 with the 6 speed and the 3.5 V6. The mid level interior was a bit disappointing. The engine and transmission were wonderful. Even in 6th gear there was passing power.
I agree on the 02/03, possibly the best Maxima made, had the 3.5 and was much lighter and handled better. The interior of the 02/03 was light years better than the 04/05, I could not believe the interior quality and styling of them.
I do find the different schools of thought when it comes to car buying interesting since my folks usually buy a car then drive it until the wheels off however long that takes.
I like the quirky styling on these 2000s Nissans though I do not know about long term reliability since some are starting to rust away and I am beginning to find similiar vintage Maximas in junkyards.
I know someone who has one of there Maximas in black and she loves it. Hers has the “piggy bank” sunroof – she has had no problems with it.
I have a 2006 SE with 135,000 miles. I have kept up with the scheduled maintenance and have had no issues. Next summer, I will probably offer it to one of my daughters to take back to college. I’m not sure what I will replace it with, but it might be one of the newer Maxima’s. It seems to hit my sweet spot with the performance and features that I like in a car, but at a lower price than Infiniti’s etc.
CC effect. Today on my way home on 290E I witnessed one of these, same color and all, slide out of the right lane and straight into a piece of grass apparently put there exactly for this reason. Fortunately it didn’t look like there was any damage. Just a spinout in the grass.
I come home, pop on my screen and poof. Here it is.
I would take Nissans v6 with 3000cc over 3500 cc any day.in my neck of woods that 3500cc is famous for having Timing chain Issues at around 100,000 KMs.Nissan Tiana is Still in Production Down Here.
I remember the huge buzz when these came out, particularly the long sunroof. I believe it was the first sedan with a trick roof although I wasn’t aware at the time that it didn’t open. The other strange feature I remember were the side-facing fog lights that did indeed aim forward.
I much preferred (and still lust for) the previous generation 02-03 cars with the 6 speed manual in SE trim. I think they were the last to be built in Japan but the Altima outgrew it in size, matched it for power and undercut it in price so it was deemed unnecessary in the lineup.
I am interested to hear more about that 2003 Acura CL-S that appears to be sharing your garage. I hope it was the rare 6 speed version instead of the woeful auto.
This brings back memories for me! Back in July of 03 my dad got news he was getting a company car and from the list, the Maxima was the only one that he liked…other choices were a Grand Marquis, 300m, 2WD Explorer and I can’t remember the rest, I was 6 or 7 at the time. He picked out an SL (obviously I don’t remember the trans, he says he thought it was a 5 but wouldn’t swear to it and Google doesn’t help), it was champagne on tan leather with the sunroof. My parents didn’t like the sky light thing either. One cool feature I remember it had is if you held down the lock or unlock button on the key fob you could roll down the front windows.
Showed up a month or so later, got the windows tinted too. It was a cool car for the day. It was reliable, I can think of two issues it had: 1. Heated seats wouldn’t turn off (my dad pulled the fuse, we lived in FL then so no need for them) and 2. there was a piece of weather striping over the rear doors that was loose and the dealer couldn’t fix it for some reason. Don’t remember the exact story.
When it was a few months old my dad dropped his brief case on the back bumper and had to get it repainted. When it was about a year old (sometime in 05), my dad was pulling into the driveway just as our 02 Bravada popped out of park and rolled back and kissed the Maxima with its driver’s door. That insurance claim was interesting…then about 2 years later it got rear ended and fixed.
The company got bought out in 2006/2007 and the company car benefit got taken away. He turned it in in Feb of 07, had 38k on it. We got an 05 Jeep Liberty 4×4 to replace it which is still with us today.
Edit to my post: It looks like it’s very possible that it did have the 4 speed. The world may never know…
Some research reveals the four-speed auto was only available in the first year of this generation and, as the author mentioned, only in the SL – bizarre.
I have never driven a Maxima, but we usually got an Infiniti G37 with the same engine as a service loaner. Or a similar engine, I’m pretty sure. It was a very thrilling ride! I imagine the performance and overall driving experience was about the same. Left me with a very favorable impression of Nissan/Infiniti sedans. A new Maxima crossed my mind before I bought my COAL Lexus ES, but I can’t make myself like the new C pillar treatment.
The G37 used the same VQ engine family, but 3.7 liters and longitudinally mounted in the Infinitis’ case (back when their nomenclature meant something!)
In late 2003 I got a new job…which had the benefit of a company car. I got to choose. Rules were: $34,000 budget, and must seat 4 adults.
My neighbor was sales manager at Palm Beach Nissan, and he found one of these for me with the coveted manual transmission and Drivers Preferred Package. It barely sqeaked in at max budget.
I was smitten with that car. I learned the cruise control would set at 92mph, but not 93…great for my rides up the Turnpike to Orlando. The car was roomy, powerful, great stereo, and had comfortable seats.
I found the exterior styling off- putting to be honest, especially the face…the grille was awful. Since I couldn’t see the exterior while driving, I decided not to worry about it.
I lost that job within two years, and had to give the car back. I still miss it. The car…not the job.
I totally forgot the first few years of this bodystyle had that horrible “Chipmunk-toothed” grille.
The 2007 update was much better.
Ah, this generation of Maxima takes me back to the first time I visited New York City, in 2007. I noticed how disproportionately popular these were there… They seemed to out-number Altimas, and by some margin! There were still plenty of Maximas when I returned in ’12 and then lived there later, and the subsequent generation was around in decent numbers too. When I returned to NYC this year, I didn’t see any of the new models though, from memory.
I’ll never understand why people don’t like the design of this generation. I always thought it looked cool!
In Australia, we didn’t get these but we did get a Maxima, a rebadged Nissan Teana. No stick shift here – in fact, we never got one in any Maxima generation – and just a 4-speed auto, later replaced with a CVT. Same engine but very soft suspension, aimed at a more conservative, older audience. However, one thing the Teana-Maxima had over the Maxima was the interior…
…although the exterior was nice too. A little less sporty, naturally, but it looked expensive. Especially the rear, which had a bit of a Bangle Butt to it.
I had a 2004 Maxima SE as a company car – I’d specifically sought out the 6 speed manual. I’d driven one as a rental while my Honda Accord was in the shop after being rear-ended and had been blown away how good it was. Loved the size of the car (slightly bigger than an Accord), comfortable, and fast. Car was problem free through 240,000 miles and then started to go to pieces: A/C, clutch, cooling system. But nothing I fixed before trading it off for my first GTI.
I rented one once and the thing that sticks with me to this day is the HUGE turning radius.