I got into a performance argument with an owner of a 2001 maxima and he pulled out this article from car and driver which totally shyts on the TSX

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=2

Wow i never seen this one till now.
This dude said the TSX is like a 1989 Maxima and fails to be a BMW killer.
Is he just mad with the TSX or ACURAS? Or does he have a valid point?
Would a 2001 Maxima shyt on our beloved TSX??
Did i just argue with someone for nothing?
Damm
AKay

 

There's nothing bad in the article really.. they said its a fun to drive FWD car just like the maxima was b4 it got bigger heavier and more comfort oriented rather than a sporty family sedan. a 2001 maxima will be much much faster than a TSX in normal driving but the TSX should handle noticably better...

 

Yea i know it would handlle better and also look alot better inside and out.
But why do soooo many people just care about HP numbers to validate if a car is good or not?
Dude tells me all the maximas from 2001 and up are rated higher HP then the TSX and blah blah blah.
Im seriously thinking of getting a second car to shyt on cats like that, and to satisfy my more power hunger.
Seriously thinking about getting me an SRT 4 in addition to my TSX. I want something affordable as a second car with that lil OOMPH in it.

AKay

 

I remember that article. It was the first one from C&D on the TSX. They never said that the TSX is LIKE a 1989 Maxima, they basically said its captured the same spirit and sporting intention of that generation Maxima (which has since been lost on the new maximas). This was meant as a compliment.

FWIW, that article was a preview. The real road test/ reiew was MUCH more favourable. That first reviewer was just pissed off that the TSX was being compared to a 3 series.

EDIT: Don't forget the 2001 Maxima only comes in auto, so if you've got a 6MT TSX this helps level the playing field as far as accel. I'd guess the 2001 maxima is a mid 15s car in auto form.

 

Yea it seems like a very pissed off article.
I never seen this article back then and way back then all i seen was favorable articles.
This guy must have lost a girlfriend to a dude with a TSX or something.
AKay

 

i still don't understand why you think its a negative article towads the TSX? he liked the car, but just thought it was not going to play with BMW on the performance/driving enjoyment segment.

 

Well gilbo it just seems as if he is very pissed off and found things to talk down about the TSX because HONDA said it was supposed to be a BMW 3 Killer.
An article like this should be unbiased and state impressions. Not cloud the article with witty disses about the cars intentions or target audience.
Dude says the car is for people that " The TSX is the car for those who need space, want fun, and haven't the money for an impressive badge. " Fuck is this guy? I could afford a TL or a BMW 3 Series. AS a matter of fact I was wanting the TL since i seen it at the new york auto show. People make choices for different reasons him saying the car is for people that cant afford an "impressive badge" is trying to belittle you for making the purchase. IMHO.
AKay

 

The Maxima after 1989 MY became an unbalanced torque steering un-refined POS. Not to mention the most recent series is completely fugly.

Now, it's faster and more power than the TSX.

Which do you want to drive?

 

right. old max was a great driving car. Current max shares a platform with the large school buses.

 

Id never get a Maxima, Yall fail to see my point. I quickly shut him up when i posted the automobile article where the TSX garnered overall number 1 and his beloved MAXIMA dynasty was dead last.
I came oh so close to getting the new TL, but after seeing it at my dealer I wasnt impressed with its looks. I think they messed it up compared to the ny auto show preview. So im sticking with my TSX for at least 2 years.

 

If it matters, why not just show him the TSX road test the same C/D published 3 months later? They LIKED it!

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

What should matter is that YOU like the car!

 

I see your point here, but the fact is, he's right, for the most part, I'm not saying its always the case but the TSX will be purchased by those you want BMW or Audi but simply can't afford it, so they buy, the next best thing (and some say the better car) the TSX.

Theres no shame in not being able to afford to a BMW or MB so whats so bad about the guys statement?

We have plenty of people here who bought the TSX over Bimmers who say they could have afforded either, so that just goes to show how great a car the TSX is.

And like fdl said, the second C&D article showed how much C&D really loved the TSX.

 

Exactly Domn.
I bought the TSX because of its overall package and value.
And I love the car especially coming from an 03 accord coupe.
I would take my car even over a 2004 Maxima.
I think the only drawback everyone seems to have about the TSX is its actual Power numbers. But in overall quality and value its tops as mentioned in the Automobile mag article. The dude says impressive badge. Since when is ACURA not an impressive badge?
AKay

 

Ehh, car mag editors always put their own spin on things when they write. I don't really find that review a put-off at all. Yeah, saying that TSX buyers can't afford BMWs is presumptuous but that's life. I think he liked the car overall, and his only comparison to the Maxima is that the TSX captures the essence of the Maxima when it didn't "share a platform with the large school buses" (to quote zircon). Now the Maxima is a big, ugly boat that tries to straddle Nissan and Infiniti. So what if it's got a big engine?? Everything else on it is big!

When people clamor over HP numbers and ignore everything else, I can understand why. It's a lot easier to quantify than the sporty ride of a car is. How many times do TSXers have to come back with "but I could take him in the twisties"?? Straight-line speed is a easier measure, and think about it - how often do you really race anyone any other way??

I spend more time sitting in my car in traffic than I do racing teenagers from traffic lights.

 

"Engine to copy, transmission to envy, craftsmanship to benchmark." And "A precision piece to desire." I don't think I've ever heard a Max described like that.

 

A lot of buyers (myself included) could have afforded an Audi or BMW but didn't trust the reliablity and didn't want to be aggravated with upkeep issues.

Anyway, the original C & D article was correct. The TSX is an utter failure as a BMW clone. That doesn't mean that it isn't a wonderful sports sedan. It is just a different car than the 325i.

 

WORD JCG I feel you 100 percent.
It was a combination of the reviewers tone in the article and the guy beefing with me using that article as his point of reference.
I should have retorted by proceeding to race him but a true zinger would have been to let him test drive my TSX and see why its adored.
Ahhh but then again he woulda prolly crashed or stolen my shyt.
AKay

 

fuck car and driver; they dont know what the hell they're talking about. same people that thought the Solora was a nicer car than the 3.0CL... stupid fucks.

 

but the solara is still in production, having sales success (Toyota will not build/continue a car if its not profitable) and just got a new redesign while the CL is discontinued due to poor sales....survival of the fittest

 

that new Solara is butt ugly, expecially the butt. Honda and Toyota have to get wicked bodies to match their drive trains. I think Acura has done this with the TSX anf the TL, and I bet the Rl will look great also.

 

OK, since I tend to speak and write with a fair amount of sarcasm, that's how I interpreted the article. When I read that piece, specifically the part that states that the TSX is "an utter failure at being a BMW copy", I read that to mean that the TSX is not an overpriced sports sedan that most people buy for the cachet of the brand name and not for its performance. It's a high-value Japanese car that delivers mucho driver satisfaction to that small segment of the population that is willing to take a close look and evaluate the car on its merits. The "utter failure" comment was a back-handed compliment, IMO.

 

I also think the 'utter failure' part was not a dis at the TSX, but I don't think he was trashing BMW either. I think he was saying that the TSX is a sports sedan as well, it was made without copying the benchmark RWD sedan as other manufacturers have done (Lexus, Infiniti). It is a failure at being a copy because they followed their own formula, but I don't think he's saying anything about BMW here... particularly since he praises the 3-series in the beginning (if I do recollect).

 

Akay you should have let him drive it - then he'd feel like he was captain of the QE2 when he'd be back in the Maxima We test drove that model year Maxima (2003) when we got our Passat - I was not impressed. Fast but unrefined and big, and this was before it became unattractive (IMO).

 

No they are not stupid. You clearly did not understand why. If your car is BADGED a luxury car, expectations are higher. The Solara offered the same features and squeaked by with the win.

The 3.0 did not offer much any reason to beat the Solara. A TSX is 25-28k, not that much money. Hell a loaded Altima is 29k, loaded Accords and Camrys are 30k+. There are TONS of cars sold from 25-30k. Agreed.

I would take a TSX over a 2001 Maxima. It offers new technology, has some more pretige and it better built. The 01 Max is not a bad car, the TSX, IMO is better.

 

I am sure the Nissan Maxima is a nice car, but after having spent the last year and a half with an 02 Nissan Altima, I will never buy another Nissan product. The quality was not there. The car had leprosy - parts kept falling off. I went to the dealer for warranty work 6 times. I recently got a letter about a recall on the airbag switches. The car used 2 quarts of oil between changes. It looked great on paper but reality was a different tale. My 99 CL was a far better built car with 95,000 miles on it. I kick myself for selling the CL. I sold the Altima to Carmax (I pity the fool). My TSX 6speed with nav arrives on Saturday.

 

I don't recall if the new maximas were built in the US or not. I drove a Maxima 2nd gen back in the day and I absolutely thought it was a brilliant car. The quality was amazing, engine was powerful and handling was acceptable. It still sits in my father's garage as a emergency ride (too many memories to give this one away). I remember test driving the 2002 maxima and wasn't impressed with the car, but I thought it was adequate.

As for the Altima, God bless you. All the reviews have indicated it's not up to par in quality to compete against the more established players in the game. Just look at the interior for pete's sake, it's horrendous in material and build quality. It might be the best entry level sedan with the four banger, but the V6 has too much torque steer and is unrefined in every aspect of its being. To compare it to the CL would be ludacris (the term, not rapper, although he's good too).

Junkster, who would love to slap the taste out of whoever convinced RSland to buy an Altima and get rid of his CL.

 

from what i've read from mags and reliablitly reports..the maxima is definitely one of the better cars out there for reliability.

 

Which mags and reliability reports?

 

I did drive a Bimmer 325 manual, Audi 1.8T Manual and MB C230K Manual and when driving a TSX Manual and see the agility and how it moves, I own the car. MB was pretty close but the manual gearbox was not so precise. BMW was too expensive and service here is very bad, Acura is great in service and fun to drive.
My opinion :-)

 

 

My sons grew up driving the family Maximas. The 89-94 model was the bomb! We bought cars with 100,000+ miles on them, and drove them for another 75,000. Or until someone got T-boned etc. The 4DSC spirit lives on in the TSX, not in the current Maxima.

 

Hi folks,

I'm late to the thread, just got back from 2 weeks away and missed the start of the discussion. As a previous Maxima owner and a current TSX owner I know both cars are good. The Maxima will definately kick the TSX's butt in acceleration. There's no point arguing that. Many people talk about how unimportant hp and straight line acceleration is. I disagree. Most of the people on this thread spend significant time on the highway. Passing the crazy person in the other lane or merging from an access ramp is much easier in the Maxima. The additional torque of the great Nissan V6 made it all so easy. Downshift one gear,stomp and the gas and look in your rearview mirror. That car is a great highway cruiser and was rock-solid in reliability. I bought it with 150K and it ran flawlessly for 3.5 years until I decided to buy the TSX (I sold it to a friend with over 200K miles and itstill runs perfectly and looks great). I miss it but am quite happy with the TSX. A great all-around drivers car with wonderful responses when thrown around and a very satisfying ride. I love the feel of the shifter and have adjusted to the 6sp format. My maxima was a 5 sp and needed a lot less shifting to have available power. The TSX needs to be "driven" more to keep it happy. Build quality on the Max was great. I think the TSX will be fine, time will tell. All in all both are good cars with the TSX being the better handling car but the Max a better cruiser.