http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadt...8/article.html

Check out Edmund's test of the new, 260HP, 2002 Maxima. Now we need a compaison test with the TL-S.

 

Cannot beleive they f**ked up the lights once again.

One would think the design engineers would learn from their mistakes.

 

Yeah, I might have been one of those 32% of repeat buyers if Nissan hadn't made the thing so dang fugly. My '90 SE still runs strong, doesn't burn a drop of oil after 204,000+ miles, and has never had any squeaks or rattles to annoy me.

 

I too would have considered the Maxima if it had not been those ugly tails. It's a helluva good buy like the TL but it was the tail lights that flip me over to Acura. Too bad for Nissan.

 

They do look ugly, but some aftermarket parts might make it better. Man they are going to kill our TLS unless we get a manual tranny.

 

I doubt I would ever buy another Nissan after getting rid of my Sentra (college car). It never had any "major" problems but DAMN it sure had its share of "minor" ones. Fuel pump, windshield washer pump, taillights, AC, etc, etc. One thing after another. Not to mention that the dealer service sucks.

Nope, I think I will stick with Acura for a while.

 

i think acura needs to put a trip computer on their cars.... i just like the sound...... i have a TRIP COMPUTER!! lol... but nah.. i think that'd be useful... like telling you how much gas you have, etc etc.

 

I waited almost a year deciding on either the 2002 Maxima or I-35. When the specs and pictures came out, I was very disappointed. Most of all I wanted a manumatic tranny, but Nissan/Infiniti only put in the Q45. Also I think both 2002s look worse. The TLS has everything I wanted Nissan to have and more.

 

It'd make a nice looking Buick!

 

I don't know which end I hate more...the front with it's fugly grill or the rear with it's fugly "racer style" lights. Nissan makes a great car, mechanically reliable, they're just getting uglier & uglier year by year.

 

The front is sooooo fooogly! Makes me wanna throw up! Keep up the good work Nissan! The uglier they make their cars, the better our cars look! :p

 

Yeah, the 2002 Maxima's looks are a turn-off, but I think in the performance department the TL-S could have some serious competition. Anybody know how the Maxima's auto tran compares with a TL-S?

 

As a previous owner of THREE Maxima's, and now being on my second Acura TL (this one is a TL-S), I can say from experience: they can make it faster, cheaper, nicer, but it is still a Maxima, and it is not in the same class as the TL.

When I first sat in a 99TL in the Acura showroom, then went back to my Maxima, I realized that the Max was no match for the TL in "feel". It's hard to describe unless you've done it.

At any rate, there is nothing wrong with a Maxima, buy one if you like. Me, I am keeping my TL-S. They could make a 400HP Maxima with a 10 speed, and I would still keep my TL-S.

Get what you want, as long as you like it, who cares. There will always be somebody with a better and faster car than mine, but there will be a lot more people with slower and cheaper cars too!

 

Absolutely.

 

Strange. Why did US version of navigation system in in the middle of the dash, while all Asian spec car have the navigation system installed as pop up unit on the top of the console. weird.

 

The 2002 Maxima will still use a 4 speed auto transmission. Nisssan is just strengthening certain components because of the increase in torque and horsepower. Maybe Nissan is holding the 5 speed manumatic trans for the full size 2003 Max. It will definitely need it because of the increased weight. I am very happy with the 5 speed manumatic TLS transmission. I only wish the sportshifter would hold 1st gear.

 

What's wierd too is that the MDX has a really cool trip computer integrated in to the Navi. It provides average MPG, instant MPG, miles remaining, and stores the average MPG for the last five fill-ups in history. It even automatically resets at each fill-up. You'd think it would be easy to include this on the TL (at least those with Navi).

 

I think it's because they don't sell Infiniti's outside the US and used a version of the I30 dash for non-US Navi equipped Maxima's. They probably didn't want to put the I35 dash on the 2002 Maxima (although they've become incredibly similar anyway). 2002 is also the first year you can get Navi in a US Maxima.

 

Infiniti's ARE sold outside the US. I saw an I30 in Australia but it was badged a Maxima!

 

It's not an Infiniti if it's sold by Nissan dealers as a Maxima. You're right though that the Non-U.S. cars look more like the I30 than what we've come to recognize as the Maxima. This is what you saw:

http://www.nissan.com.au/maxima/gallery/12.htm#