atl7

Black is probably the best color you can get on that car, as you're not able to see the ugly black wave on the c-pillar. Of course this is subjective, but the styling already looks dated me. Just not a fan of the angry catfish-styling of Nissan/Infiniti in general

The interior is very nice on the Maxima, especially the materials used. Really wish Acura would learn to use more stitched leather in their interiors...

Stew4HD

That is what I see in those cars too.. angry catfish!

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

I actually don't mind Infiniti's design language but Nissan I'm in the minority here on AcuraZine but I think the new grill on the Accord and the redesigned Civic is

Saintor

Well it is totally ugly and it will age as well as this; Nissan's design's are pathetic since mid 90s.

saturno_v

5.5 gen was one of the best Maxima and still good looking...the last one assembled in Japan, extremely powerful for the era (its acceleration numbers would be still considered good by today's standards, at that time as a sport sedan you did need a 540i to smoke one), mechanical LSD available, close ratio 6 speed manual, sport brakes, etc...from an enthusiast point of view it has been a downhill trend since then.

keith7120

That is the only Maxima I ever wanted. Never bought it though. In hindsight, maybe it was a good thing. I after my wife's issues with two different M45's. I say no thanks to nissan/infiniti

bsprinker

I too, am in the group that thinks the new maxima is a very sharp car, but realize that looks are subjective. I own a TLX tech, and have, at times wondered if I could do it all over again if I would've gone with the TLX or something else. I "like" my TLX a lot. I just don't "love" it. It has some faults that, as much as I try to overlook, I just can't.

If I could go back and do it again, I might go with a maxima platinum instead of my 4cyl TLX tech. Yes, it would've been more $$, but I wonder if it would've been worth it.

As a long-time Honda-owning guy, my major hesitation with buying a maxima was (and still is) that I just don't know a lot about Nissan's and their reliability. I'm reading mixed reviews in this thread, but it seems like Nissan's are pretty well made. "If" Nissan puts awd in the maxima in the next year or two, I will probably trade my TLX in when I can minimize the financial hit. I like the car that much. The interior is stunning IMO and I like the exterior as well.

I've been thinking about the new Maxima for a while now, and have wondered if I was totally crazy for thinking about trading a tlx for a Nissan, but maybe I'm not. For that reason, I want to thank the OP for creating this thread. I am enjoying the read.

bsprinker

Oh, and just to add to my previous reply, I have taken the Maxima for a test drive. I was impressed. I'm not a total crazy enthusiast (no offense), but I didn't mind the cvt transmission at all. To me, the car felt fast, smooth and handled well IMO. Someone else mentioned earlier that the maxima felt heavy, and I would agree with that. It feels heavy compared to my TLX, which feels unusually light and nimble to me.

So I have driven the car and I think it drives great...loved the 300hp. My initial impression with that the Maxima reminded my of my 2003 Acura CL type S, but only modern, newer, and with four doors. That's a very good thing in my opinion. I loved my CL-S.

JT4

I get it, this is an Acura forum and I understand that styling is very subjective, but I really don't know how the Q50S could be considered ugly. Maybe it's not your taste, but ugly?? I don't get it. But hey, I guess it wouldn't be fun it we all agreed.

This is my oldest son's Q50S that he bought in Nov. We looked long and hard at the TLX because he wanted to stay with Acura, but found the Q50S more fun to drive, much more responsive and more sporty and exciting to look at than the TLX in both of our opinions. And IMO the "catfish" look some of you keep mentioning, it just adds to it's aggressive look.

Jakes_tl

The Q50S is great looking! Maxima might be great looking if your really drunk!

youngTL

The Q50S looks way, way better than the Maxima, IMO. Except for the tail-lights. They look like stupid angry eyes. I'm so tired of all the "angry" looking cars. But overall the look of the car is decent, those lights just need a change with the MMC.

atl7

The Q50S looks nice, I don't think it's ugly, but I just couldn't own one long term. IMO the car is too rounded and bubbly-looking. Plus the design just looks dated to me, of course this is just an opinion. To me, the TLX just looks sharper and less rounded. Although other than the lack of aluminum/wood trim across the passenger dash, I prefer the Q50 interior over the TLX.

Saintor

You can't be serious. This thing looks like a turd.

The best aging Maxima was by far the 3rd gen. Simple and tasteful, like the 240SX of that era. Certainly doesn't look like a kitsch car like the ones that came after.

E90 Skye

I owned a 3rd Gen. 1993 SE black with tan interior. I LOVED that car. It was the first car I bought with my own money (well half of it, parents paid for the other half... which total the car cost us 6500$ lol) Drove it my junior and senior years of HS and through college, then unfortunately tranny failure my 3rd year of undergrad :-(... put in a used tranny a friend who's a car dealer got me from the junk yard and sold it before it gave me any more trouble, and went to a 2000 Accord SE 4 door... and almost immediately I regretted selling it and missed it.
I still miss that car at times.

But yes that is by far the best looking Maxima to date. The 4th and 5.5 Gens had it beat in performance for sure, but none of them aged as well. And unfortunately after the 5.5 gen everything started going downhill to me. Though this latest model definitely does make a strong case for paying a premium over the Altima to get.

And as someone else stated here... I really like my TLX, for some reason I just don't "love" it... yet...? Of the cars I've owned I've loved my 93 Maxima SE, and my 2006 330i m-sport... the 2013 MDX, 2015 TLX, 2000 Accord ive only "liked"... and I couldn't care less for my wife's 2008 is250 (which we thankfully sold for the MDX lol)... oh and first car was a hand me down 87 Civic LX... lol that was fun while it lasted...

Monte TLS,MAX

I agree.

BeezleTL85

Like others have said, the maxima only looks good in black. Any other color and it looks odd. Its funny because you post that pic and it looks like an altima which is currently their only decent looking car.

Not sure what the complaints are about the Q50 but I considered it and its a hot looking car. The infotainment system is why I chose to stick with Acura, its pretty much garbage and slow in the Q50



Lets get the real pic of the car, not hidden in black like a fat chick

hadokenuh

I think the Q50S looks great. The new turbo'ed engines will be a hit for them. Hopefully they can keep up with the reliability which is already good. Good but not great.

The new Maxima doesn't look bad in my eyes. I'd rate it 7.5/10. I love the interior though.

Stew4HD

Why is so hard to believe that the angry catfish car is ugly to some? It has nothing to do with this being an Acura forum.

saturno_v

I'm serious.....I agree that the 3th gen was a great looking sedan and the 4th fairly ugly...but the 5th and the 5.5 regained some of their styling mojo....and performance wise the 5.5 was a rocket in its years.

Actually I did like the 6th and 7th gen as well. The 6th generation took too many shortcuts in interiors quality for my liking (it was the first Maxima assembled in the US) and some of the "good stuff" was not available anymore (no mechanical LSD and the 6 speed was offered only for couple of years). Performance wise was slower than the 5.5
The 7th gen improved the cabin quality but CVT made its appearance unfortunately.

The 4th gen Maxima introduced years before the Germans the 4 door coupe concept, it was an option called the "Elite 4 seats" package.

BeezleTL85

Came across a Forbes 13 cars to avoid and the RLX and Q50 made the list.... Not that it really means anything but given the discussions I thought I'd share it

Monte TLS,MAX

Saturno I agree with most things that you say regarding Maxima's and G/Q's, but the 6th gen Maxima both 6th/6.5 were tragic. As you stated the interiors were crappy and went way down hill from the 5.5 gen, just not good sporty cars as the Max was recognized as being prior! Also some tend to show pics/profile pics of cars in their worst profile form and produce others in their best to prove their points......, all of these cars from Maxima to TL/TLX/G/Q series from certain years after 1999 for TL/Max & later for the rest have their good profile "pic" points to bad!

bsprinker

Does anyone on this forum have a friend or relative who owns a 2016 Maxima? If anyone's had more extensive seat-time in the maxima, I'd be interested to hear your opinion on a comparison between your TLX and the Maxima.
I understand the OP had one as a rental, and that was great insight. I'd also love to hear about a direct comparison between a TLX and a higher end Maxima (SR or Platinum). ie. leather vs leather, navi controls, other materials, etc...

As I stated, if Nissan puts awd in the 2018 Maxima (which is loosely rumored), I'd probably be trading my TLX in on a maxima soon thereafter. I just prefer most aspects of the maxima to the TLX.

Robs252

Yes. We have one in the family. One of the best v6 engines ever. Ours is an 01. Great car.

CaliAtenza

I was the one that mentioned that the Maxima feels heavy. I didn't like that at all. It feels like the car is dragging you along. Also, the CVT was lamesauce. In short, didn't like it. The TLX by contrast, is light, nimble and you can just point it in any direction.

youngTL

I've got a friend who just picked one up in January. We let each other drive each other's cars and here's our impressions:


-We both agreed that the interior design of the Maxima was more interesting and he pointed out that if Acura changed the door cards in the TLX and put some stitched vinyl/leatherette on the dash, it might be more interesting.

-He thinks the Maxima has better looking rear end. I think the TLX has a better looking front end.

-I hated the CVT in the Maxima, it took so much away from what would be a good drivetrain. He had decent impressions of the ZF9 in the TLX except when it came to passing on the highway, he said it took too long to go from 9th into 4th.

-The Maxima has notable torque steer, the TLX that I have doesn't have any. Both of us agreed on that.

-He thinks the TLX infotainment is annoying to use.

-He didn't like the TLX push button shifter.

-He felt the Maxima is more cockpit like, which he likes. I felt the Maxima was not airy enough/I felt kinda claustrophobic in the driver's seat because of the centre console tunnel being so big.

-I mentioned to him that the leather on the bolsters in the Maxima felt cheaper/more rubbery than the stuff in the TLX. He said that's one reason (besides price) he preferred the SR Maxima over the Platinum - he likes the Alcantara seats a lot. The Alcantara is nice, I'll agree with him. But going full leather I'd rather sit in the TLX's leather and so would he.

-I felt that while some of the materials in the Maxima LOOKED attractive, they certainly didn't feel that way. A good example is the switchgear and the centre console covers that open and close. They feel a bit too light and plastic. Minor nitpick but it's there.

-The SH-AWD TLX is a better handling car in my opinion. I felt the steering was more precise as well, and the chassis just felt more rigid in a good way.

-He agreed with me that the TLX was far quieter on the highway.

-He thinks the Maxima sounds way more sporty. I kind of did too.

-The TLX has more forward visibility.

-We both agreed the ELS sound system was better and that the TLX got better fuel economy on our drives.



For me, SH-AWD was definitely the biggest thing, that and feeling claustrophobic in the Maxima.

Redsand353

For what its worth, I traded my '07 type-s for a 2015 q50 last year. The quality compared to Acura is not even close and I am having a lot of issues with it. Will certainly be looking at Acura again when the time comes, and hopefully by then their lineup is a little more exciting.

youngTL

What's wrong with your Q50? I know they were having infotainment issues, but is there more to it?

jules77

CVT =
and most car enthusiasts would agree

bsprinker

[QUOTE=youngTL;15728829]I've got a friend who just picked one up in January. We let each other drive each other's cars and here's our impressions: QUOTE]

Young, thanks for sharing your impressions and comparison. Has your friend experienced many little quality issues, and what's your opinion of the overall interior and exterior quality comparison. I'd think that the Acura quality is a bit better in all areas, but maybe not by much. Is it THAT noticeable? Is the touch, feel and appearance of the paint, gaps, interior trim, buttons, etc... comparable or a step below in the Maxima. I appreciate your leather comparison. Can you share more???

Please feel free to share. I know its only April, and your friend just purchased in January, but has he seen any/much wear already in any areas of the Maxima? Has he had in into the dealership for any unscheduled repairs?

Reason I ask is that in my recent Honda/Acura ownership (which includes a 2000 accord, 2003 CL type S, 2008 TL, 2008 TSX, 2015 TLX...all over the last 14 years), I can literally count my unscheduled trips to the dealership on ONE-HAND. And 2 of those were the transmission crapping out on my CL-S. I had one other trip with my TSX that I can remember, and that's it!! I wonder if I've had a tremendous amount of good luck, and if I can expect similar reliability from Nissan. Or is that an unrealistic expectation? I'm just trying to complete some early evaluation. Thanks.

youngTL

So far, he's had the following issues:

• His seat was loose on the track. Dealership fixed it.
  
• His infotainment/nav system bugged out and froze repeatedly until he got a software update.
  
• The CVT would get confused sometimes. He complained about it but I didn't notice it until we were almost stopped and then punched the gas. It felt like it jerked/slipped somehow. The 3.5L might be slightly too torquey for the CVT in some situations. It also started shuddering as we were in slow traffic near my house. Nissan is aware of the issue and he's being given a bit of the run around, with the dealer telling him to call Nissan, and Nissan telling him to deal with it through the dealership. I guess 2015 TLX owners weren't the only ones getting a hard time about new transmissions. I wonder if every manufacturer treats customers like this when a major component (engine, transmission) is having issues on a new car?
  
• The trunk seal was leaking. Fixed under warranty.
  
• The driver's door seal was loose. Also fixed under warranty. He noticed when his carpet was wet (!) after it rained out in March.
  
• Part of the screen that shows the trans temp goes dead sometimes he told me. Dealership says they can't reproduce the issue.
  
• He has the interior light package, and it sometimes (rarely) goes into a funny state where it flashes rapidly between low and high intensity instead of just staying on. He says this is annoying as fuck and the dealership can't reproduce the issue, so he's stuck with it for now. It was daytime when I drove his car so it didn't happen to me, and the times I've ridden in his car at night it didn't happen, but it must be an issue if he bitched about it.

The only major issue on that list is the CVT issue, but it's a pretty major one. He's pretty unhappy with how Nissan is treating him. Sound familiar? I think some of our members were treated similarly by Acura with regards to the 9AT replacements. I am not sure how widespread the CVT issue is with the Maxima, or if it's just an isolated case of him having a problem.

youngTL

Oops, I forgot to give you more details on the interior. It really helps knowing a friend with one because you can jump back and forth between the two seats.

I would say that panel gaps aren't bad, but the whole thing seems slightly (only slightly) less well bolted/clipped together. I wouldn't say fit and finish is a major issue. You have to look hard for differences in fit and finish, but the Acura is slightly better in my opinion (better tolerances, tighter gaps, etc).

I feel that the faux trim in the TLX is better than the faux trim in the Maxima. Both are faux trim though. He didn't have any upgraded trim package, however. Not sure if one is available for the Maxima but I think you can order real wood as a trim? Not certain. The TLX steering wheel is far nicer though (it looks more premium and has more attention to detail, and is also functionally better - scroll wheels etc).

He's not had much wear other than the seat bolsters creasing and a stain on his alcantara which he had to get professional cleaners to remove. I'd consider that normal. My TLX bolsters look about the same as his with regard to creasing and I bought in December. Although my creases don't run as deep and don't have as hard of an edge (probably due to slightly softer material?).

Edit: I think you need to drive one yourself though. I can't really explain it that well. You should sit in it and see how you feel about it. You might like it more than me.

bsprinker

I'd say your friend has had more than a couple issues in just a couple of months. I'd hope that he got a bit of a below-average quality Nissan. I hope. Maybe I've been lucky with my cars over the years.
Your comments have been great. You recommended that I drive a Maxima. I drove a '16 Maxima back in February, and it was a short test drive, but included some highway and back roads. I was impressed and didn't mind the cvt transmission. It was pretty responsive and gutsy, imo. Pretty different from my TLX, but still good, I thought. I really preferred the cockpit and seats, too. Just a sporty and modern interior....

Your friend didn't have an Acura before his Maxima, did he? If so, I'd be curious if he is regretting his purchase or not. Either way, is he regretting his purchase?
I'd definitely take a Maxima for an extensive test drive if I get really serious. That will probably only happen if they put awd in it. Thanks again.

Kense

I have a Q50S and have no problems with it at all. You go to any forum and you'll see people with issues. No matter the forum. It's what forums are for, mostly complaints or issues to compare with other owners. There's people on Club Lexus complaining about issues with their IS and everyone knows Lexus/Toyota is probably the most reliable brand.

Saintor

My last Bimmer had real wood trims and I feel that the Acura's looks better.

youngTL

He likes the Maxima, but he's gotten a bit soured over the past few months and is happy that he leased for only 3 years. I think he might have just gotten a lemon, and unfortunately Canada has no lemon laws. No manufacturer has ever produced a mass-run car and had 0 lemons.

Before the Maxima, he had a 2012 Accord EX-L automatic sedan.

KeithL

Sorry to hear that. I know the Q50 has a lot of newer tech in it. My 2011 M37S was only a few months into the new body style and other than a a few buzzy decks and door panels was almost flawless for 39 months and 44K miles. Only issue was a sensor that threw a code one day and they replaced it. I would go back to Infiniti if Acura does not get their I head unit more competitive. Right now if I were shopping again I would be looking at 2017 Audi A4, Caddy ATS, Hyundai Genesis and Infiniti Q50 or Q70.

Mike_TX

Comments about the Maxima's highway sound level and steering imprecision turn me off more than even the CVT ... my wife's 2014 Altima (which we just drove from Dallas to Phoenix for the second time) is noisy on the highway and the steering requires constant minor adjustment to stay in a straight line, both of which just wear me out.

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JT4

Same here, my son's Q50S has approx 5K miles on it now and has been great. Any infotainment issues that the 2014's, and a few early build 2015's had are gone in his late year 2015 build.

Mike_TX

Darn, just parked by a white '16 Maxima, and it is a sharp-looking car.

What gets me is if you get the Platinum you get so much more content than anything in the price class - parking sensors, around-view (multi-view) camera, cooled seats, heated steering wheel, pano sunroof, nav, etc., etc. List price about the same as the TLX Advance.

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saturno_v

Keep in mind that for a little over 40K you can get a fully loaded Charger RT (more content/amenities of a TLX Advance as well) which is a true sport sedan....if you do not need an AWD.

A Charger V6 AWD Rallye top optioned sticker for a hair below 40K and it's still a more desirable ride compared to the Maxima, from a sport sedan perspective.