rond310

I am trying to decide between an the 05 Maxima and 05 TL. Leaning towards the TL right now but it is tough since I am getting most of the same items on the Max (some not even on the TL) for about 5K less than the TL and the Max is a a bit bigger. Both cars drive nice althought the TL feels a little nicer but I am getting a very good price on the Max.

Novice

Funny you asked this question. I have a 05 Maxima SE (had it for the past three days) while my 04 TL is at the body shop. All I can say is that I am glad I got a TL, period. If you have money, go with TL.

captain

I decided between these cars too. However, the Max I wanted was only $3K less. When I also considered that Acura has a better warranty +1 yr, Nissan salespeople may as well be used car salespeople, resale on the Acura is better, HP, handling, the interior, the exterior, Bluetooth, trip computer, the 6MT throw, build quality, the service experience... it was a no brainer in my opinion. The only thing that the Max has over the TL in my opinion is the size and that the backseats fold down... the money was negligible at that point.

My three most important reasons of the list were warranty, resale, Bluetooth... but the others really did come into play also.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Two words: resale value

It you're looking for a car with good resale value, get the TL. If they're giving such deep discounts on the Maxima now, it'll tank its resale value in the future.

AcidHorse

I test drove the 04 Max while shopping for the TL. One of the few things I liked about the Max is the gobs of torque the engine has; flooring an auto even caused the tires to break loose. The interior room and trunk space is an another plus.

Overall the TL drove better, it rode "tighter" and power delivery is more refined than the Maxima, albeit the lack of low end torque. The TL looks better too.

Teh Jatt

well TL > maxi


:flamesuiton: before ex-owners flame me

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Maximas dont do bad on resale mate, not as bad as people would think. Over the years i have had about 4 maxims and they all went very well when i tried sell them. I would go with the TL myself, but Maxima isnt a bad choice if you base your decision on how much the car costs. My last maxima had 250k miles on it (1999 SE) drove that thing real hard and it was always good to me, it got totalled in an accident, thats when i got the TL. I am not a big fan of the new Maxima thou, love the VQ motor but hate the looks of the car, specially the front. If you arent looking for four doors, then i would go with the G35 coupe, thats one sick ride.

rets

If you try to sell it in next 3 years, get Max with that decent price. If $$ is the big factor, get what you could afford. Good Luck... You will be able to buy even better vehicles in the future...

Prolanman

I also considered both the TL and the Maxima. I have a 2000 Maxima SE which I am very happy with in addition to my TL. I didn't have enough head room with the optional sunroof in the Maxima and there was no way I could live with that skyroof that is standard with the Maxima. It's just plain ugly. The 05 Maxima handles fine on dry pavement, but if you punch it out from a stop on wet ground the tires will just sit there and spin. I also didn't like the blind spots in the Maxima, not that the TL dosen't have them too. Maxima's are also famous for brake issues. Rotors don't seem to last too long with out warping. No car is perfect, but if you have the extra cash go with the TL.

JWhite1301

Test drive the Maxima in the rain. This will answer all your questions.

You cannot control it. As for resale, i got raped, with no kiss, when I traded my wife's 02 with 24000 miles for her 4 runner.

rond310

I agree, the TL just felt tighter when I drove it compared to the Max SE. I do like the extra space both inside and in the trunk. The space is handy since occasionally I will have my three boys in there instead of using the Odyssey van.

Bluetooth I don't need at least now since my phone does not have it and it seems like there is not much of a selection of DVD A to choose from right now to take advantage of the stereo. Fold down rear seats is another plus for the Max.

Resale does concern me. The Max price is good while the 1K rebate is in place. The price is also good because the salesman is good friend of mine. The thing I keep thinking about is right now I can easily afford the TL and who knows if I will be able to get such a nice car the next time around.

rets

Ok, $$ ain't the issue. Please follow your spirit to make your final decision. You have good concerns about the difference btwn these two cars. I prefer to get the bigger trunk space and the fold-down rear sear, too. However, I do feel better in driving TL... the easy way to make myself contented and happy is to buy the one I would love more... I just don't like the style of Max, inside and outside. (I love my 94Maxima, but not the current generation's...)

DAVERUBINO

I test drove a Max too. Nice car, but I never own anything that was so ugly in the front. I just couldn't get by that grill. I bought a used '00 TL instead and had plenty of money to mod and buy a new computer.

kyle-wdp

XM, blutetooth and styling.......plus it's an Acura.

Yoda117

I faced this same decision, and to be honest two things killed the Maxima:

1) The interior looked a lot cheaper to me

2) I test drove it in the rain, the car simply didn't do well in the rain, either on takeoff or on braking.

Doctored5

I considered the Maxima too when shopping. Thought it had more torque, handled well, but TL won out on overall quality-- technology, sound system, all the features that come with it. I think the rear seat is OK in size, the probelm for you would be trunk space.

BTW, I have a bluetooth phone now & it is a bigger deal than I thought it would be. I only upgraded to bluetooth because I had a TL, but it is much better for both receiving & sending calls. & Having it with the navi has been a big plus.

Example--went to a golf course the other day, couldn't get on, did a search for the nearest courses & with 1-touch could dial another & make a tee time in less time than it took to write this. No looking up #s, punching them in. & then you have the directions ready with the navi too.

midas69

I had the same decision. And since I also live in Chicago, let me elaborate on the traction issue. My previous car was a 2002 Maxima. Nissan did nothing to help the traction issue in the '05. My '02 was horrible in snow. 2 inches of snow on a crowned side street and I couldn't move the car, even with their traction control. The car just has too much low end torque to be fun to drive in either rain or snow.

And don't get me wrong, other than the traction issue, I had no complaints with the '02 Maxima. It was a great car that was always a pleasure to drive. But I was turned off by the terryclotch on the door panels. I thought that really cheapened the Maxima. But the truth is, it actually has some features that the TL is missing.

But if I had it to do over again, I'd still buy the TL. It just feels so much different. Much more of a solid car. Nothing you can really put your finger on, just a feeling you get that's hard to describe. But test drive them back to back and you'll know what I'm talking about.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I own an '04TL and an '03 Maxima SE .. i know... not the same generations... but I agree w/ the above poster... if you have the money... GO WITH THE TL. YOu will not be disappointed.

Also, I know you should love the look of your car b/c it's your own personal opinion that should count, however, MOST people I talk with do not like the look of the new generation maxima, while nearly EVERYONE i speak with love the way the new TL looks.. and I get compliments almost constantly around new people .. particularly for the A-spec kit, but also just for the TL. Again, I know you should buy a car simply b/c YOU love the looks, however, just think about a couple years down the line when other people's opinions may .. may start to bug you.

Other than that.. I have test drive the '04 Maxima SE 5AT .. and I think there is MORE torque steer .. but more more useable, fun low-end torque, just like my '04 SE. However, it was not as refined as the new TL, nor did the sound system compare. i like the ergonomics and the center console of the TL much better. I thought the back seat of the Maxima was a tad bigger, but I only drive at most one other person in my car... so that wasn't even an issue.

You will not miss the $5000.00 in the next four years b/c of the joy the TL will bring you during your commute.

Best of luck.

J RIDE 81

Max is an alright car but definitely missing some things when compared to the TL. If you have the funds, go TL all the way!

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

BTW .. I live in Chicago .. and unless you're not from the midwest (or northern California) you may not have heard about all this snow we're getting today and early tomorrow (8 - 12" of snow).

So far.. through thick snow (2 - 4" deep) my TL has been MUCH more driveable and safety-inspiring than my '03 SE 4AT Maxima. I agree w/ midas69... too much low-end torque along w/ those crappy Potenza RE92 tires on the Maxima only adds up to zero traction. I agree that Blizzaks would definitely help, but remeber that I have the A-spec 18" tires and the Kumho all-season, ultra-highperformance tires (not usually recommended for heavy snow) and my TL STILL outhandles the Maxima in the snow. The VSA only comes on once in a while when I jump on the gas in the middle of some thick snow during a turn, but other than that, it stays very well composed.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Honestly, I would consider a Nissan Sentra SE-R right now over the Maxima if exterior looks were the only thing propelling me to buy a car in the TL's segment. I'm not considering any of the features.. but I'm just comparing looks. The front end of the maxima is hideous.

TL-Mike

I'd have to second that - unless you are really biased towards the Maxima - yer gonna love the TL sooooo much more.

F23A4

Like Pete, I also own a 5.5G Maxima and trust me when I say this: Any Maxima bias I have went out the window the moment I laid eyes on the 04 Maxima. (IMO, the new Altima 3.5L retains the old Maxima's spirit but even that is a major step back in quality. ( from Alti fans F23A4)

If I'm not mistaken though, I think the new Maxima has a higher MSRP than a TL with similar options. That said, I'd NEVER get the 6G Maxima over a TL.

Prolanman, it's called a 'skyview roof' and selecting a conventional power moonroof would delete that feature.

EmuMessenger

I prefer the look of the TL, but the Maxima has some nice features, too! CHOICE of XM or Sirius, power adjustable, heated steering wheel, power folding side-view mirrors, rear heated seats, power rear sunshade and I think it has a shorter B2B warranty, but longer powertrain coverage, 18" wheels, too! Also, how can I forget cornering lamps!

TL has DVD-A, bluetooth and voice control with the navigation system.

rets

Hey, will "the heated rear seats" be included with "Elite Package"? If so, after adding up those relevant options/features into,

05 Maxima 3.5 SE with Navi, MSRP is about $36,410.
05 Maxima 3.5 SL with Navi, MSRP is about $35,810.

Slinks

I had to go thru the same choice last week. It was Max with DPP for ~27k or TL (non-nav) for ~30.5k, so a 3.5k price difference (I actually got the tl for 30k but at the time of my final decision I didn't know I'd get such a great deal.
I came close to pulling the trigger on the Max and saving the 3k, but the more I looked at it, the more ugly the interior seemed (compared to tl). I plan on keeping the car forever, so resale value may not matter, but the Max does seem to depreciate more quickly than the TL, so if I do sell I may recover part or all of that 3k. There were some things I liked about the Max -- heated steering wheel, 18" wheels -- but overall I know I made the right choice with the tl. Its been a fantastic car so far. Butt prints are the only big concern I hae with the car.

midas69

Yea but Nissan dealers will deal all day long at $100 over invoice. And that's before rebates.

Tunerman

That's a ignorant statement....

Any car in the rain you can not control if you floor it. The TL is bad about this as well.

NFLblitze1

im never realized how nice the maximas are....except i don't like the steering wheel or the nav system i think the TL is worth it more...only thing i wish TL had was HEATED STEERING WHEEL

EmuMessenger

Yep, they come with the Elite Seating Package. The price is somewhat higher than the TL, but the discounts on the car are huge.

rets

You know you would feel heated once you light up your steering wheel buttons, after dozens of minutes...

rets

Could be!! Tyres used to be the main factors... Max and TL all have the crappy tires... LOL.

rets

For sure! Once my friend told me how much $$ he could take off from MSRP in Sep/03, wow, it's very attractive...

NFLblitze1

im sure that they have some sort of lower setting or some auto setting that lets it cool down but maintains a certain amount of heat just like our TL heated seats...but its just something that id like to have the option for.....

LessisBestmakingendsmeet

When I found out they moved the Maxima to be built in America, that did it for me. No way in hell. Its way to big and the interior is so cheap its sad. The TL is vastly superior.

TLXLR8S

lets put it this way. when i was shopping i went to a nissan dealer and when i told the salesperson that i was looking into the TL he said that the maxima was better and then went on to tell me many lies of stuff the maxima had(which it didnt) and stuff the TL didnt have(like the miles to empty and average MPG and stuff like that) when i told that the TL did have all that stuff had said ye but you have have to go into menues to get to it. 'LOL'

then for the big surprise he pulls out a set of keys to an '04 TL. he said he has one, so when i asked him why he said that he had the max. and is selling it b/c he can drive them whenever he wanted to. ye right what a big joke he was.

04AcuraTL

i Sat in my uncle new maxima the other day...it's not bad...i love the suade door panels. but i hated how low the shifter was...the steering was kinda scary looking as well...the TL deff has a meaner stance, sportier n a much better interior...n to be honost i raced a maxima and on the take off my headlight was half way at his fender but onces v-tec cracked in at 5grand i pulled on him...so i deff think the TL has it from all angles

04acura tl

dont know about the maxima or the 05 acura but if you don't mind sun visor or dash board rattles or drive line vibrations the Tl is a great car. Also the noise the wind makes over the tl at speed is a little loud also. If I was you I would take bothe cars for at least a 25 minute or so test drive and tell the dealership thats what you want to do.

F23A4

Seeing as the the TL's built in America also, could you elaborate on that one??

JWhite1301

Ignorant statement---let's review. I just said drive it in the rain, you cannot control it. You said you can not control if you floor it. I NEVER said anything about flooring it. I am not stupid enough to floor a car in the rain and expect it to handle. I said DRIVE!!!!!!. When I DROVE the car under normal rain driving, it still slid all over the place.


Read the entire post before making any more ignorant statements.