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#1
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Halfabusa lover ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Banned Posts: 5,339 Joined: 4-March 05 From: Ashland, OR Member No.: 1,525 ![]() |
The new Maxima is the first Maxima to bear the "4DSC" label in a while. Built off of a stiffened version of the new Altima platform, it's smaller, more powerful, and far more refined than the previous Maxima. It offers excellent interior materials and build quality, less torque steer than you'd expect, and sharp handling for a midsize front-driver. But at the end of the day, it's still a midsize front driver with a CVT trying to play sport sedan. And it's pricing makes it only marginally less expensive than more focused RWD sport sedans like the G8 V8 and Nissan's own G35. The "4 Door Sports Car" label seems to be more marketing than truth.
What you do get, though, is a refined and luxurious, but unpretentious, flagship sedan with some pretty athletic moves. The consensus over at CS is that it's a good car. But is it cool? FWD, transverse-mounted engine 3.5L V6 CVT automatic with shift paddles 290 horsepower 0-60 in 5.8 seconds. 3669 lbs Starts at US$29,290. Reviews: http://www.caranddriver.com/buying_guide/n...ma_sv_road_test http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=126520 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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#2
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![]() Talkin' the talk since 2003 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Admin Posts: 28,271 Joined: 27-August 03 From: Seattle, WA Member No.: 27 Car: 2004 VW GTI 1.8T ![]() |
It's a big front-wheel drive pseudo-luxury sedan, which isn't cool, but it's got a niche appeal and an executive ambiance that edges it just barely to cool for me.
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#3
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![]() Grease Monkey ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 306 Joined: 3-September 07 From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Member No.: 4,021 Car: 2001 VW Golf ![]() |
uncool. its trying to be too many things but isn't all that good at being a "luxuruy" sedan or a sporty sedan. i find it kind of an odd car.
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#4
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![]() IT SLIDES! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Moderators Posts: 6,345 Joined: 5-February 07 From: Maine Member No.: 3,670 Car: Volkswagen R32 Mk V ![]() |
Optional AWD and a good transmission would have made it cool. Whoops.
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#5
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![]() Posting God ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Moderators Posts: 11,366 Joined: 30-January 05 From: Dubai Member No.: 1,451 ![]() |
It's a big FWD sedan. Uncool by default. Styling could edge it into cool if it weren't for the generic rear.
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#6
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Living the dream ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Moderators Posts: 8,859 Joined: 27-August 03 Member No.: 28 ![]() |
They exterior styling has gone horribly wrong but the interior looks like a step up. My wife's sister has the previous generation and it's not a bad ride. I don't think there's anything cool about this WWD luxobarge. Uncool vote.
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#7
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Halfabusa lover ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Banned Posts: 5,339 Joined: 4-March 05 From: Ashland, OR Member No.: 1,525 ![]() |
What kills it for me is the "4DSC" (Four Door Sports Car) badge. It's a relatively large, FWD sedan with a CVT, and it's claiming to be something it's not. That's uncool. A G35 Sport 6MT could wear a 4DSC badge without embarrassing itself, but a Maxima can't.
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#8
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![]() Talkin' the talk since 2003 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Admin Posts: 28,271 Joined: 27-August 03 From: Seattle, WA Member No.: 27 Car: 2004 VW GTI 1.8T ![]() |
4DSC is nothing more than bad marketing. I'm not inclined to let bad marketing count for much when it comes to cool/uncool.
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#9
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![]() Banned ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 11,268 Joined: 6-December 04 From: Ontario, Canada Member No.: 1,208 Car: N/A ![]() |
It looks cool.
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#10
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Halfabusa lover ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Banned Posts: 5,339 Joined: 4-March 05 From: Ashland, OR Member No.: 1,525 ![]() |
4DSC is nothing more than bad marketing. I'm not inclined to let bad marketing count for much when it comes to cool/uncool. Bad marketing, in general, may not always be relevant. For example, the "Subaru is love" ad campaign, while annoying, doesn't change my opinion of the WRX or STI. But when a car is trying to be something it's not (a pleasant flagship sedan trying to pass itself off as a "four door sports car"), that's kind of different. Besides, I think the fact that this is a FWD midsize sedan with a CVT would always doom it to "uncool" for me, regardless of what it tried to pass itself off as. |
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#11
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![]() Posting God ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Moderators Posts: 11,366 Joined: 30-January 05 From: Dubai Member No.: 1,451 ![]() |
^ You mean like a Saab trying to pass itself off as a jet?
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#12
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Halfabusa lover ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Banned Posts: 5,339 Joined: 4-March 05 From: Ashland, OR Member No.: 1,525 ![]() |
^ You mean like a Saab trying to pass itself off as a jet? I wouldn't mind it so much if it was just a TV campaign. But saying "ready for takeoff" when the car starts up is over the line. Somehow, though, it doesn't seem as bad to me, because a 9-3 clearly isn't a jet, whereas you're inevitably going to get some tool who claims his Maxima really is a sports car. Another big offender is Aston Martin saying "power, beauty, soul" when it starts off. There's nothing quite so uncool as vocally repeating that you're cool. That said, this sort of thing is just one piece in the puzzle, and I think both the 9-3 and DBS are fucking frozen overall. So bad marketing alone couldn't drop them all the way to uncool. |
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#13
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![]() Race Driver ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 3,587 Joined: 2-October 07 From: Canada Member No.: 4,080 Car: 2009 Subaru Legacy ![]() |
In my eyes, it went from being something unique looking in the market place (I was a huge fan of the previous generation's bold styling) to something which I would mistake for a Camry at first glance. In this segment, as far as I'm concerned, driving dynamics take a back seat to styling...and this car is a major disappointment for me in that regard.
Uncool. |
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#14
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Shift Noob ![]() Group: Members Posts: 33 Joined: 20-June 08 From: California Member No.: 4,439 Car: Infiniti G37 Coupe ![]() |
Then there's Cadillac "Life. Liberty. And the Pursuit"....I still like the older "Breakthrough" slogan.
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#15
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Halfabusa lover ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Banned Posts: 5,339 Joined: 4-March 05 From: Ashland, OR Member No.: 1,525 ![]() |
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#16
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![]() Pit Mechanic ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 624 Joined: 18-May 07 Member No.: 3,886 Car: 09 Infiniti M45 S | W124 Mercedes E420 ![]() |
Optional AWD and a good transmission would have made it cool. Whoops. My sentiments exactly. I think there might be an AWD model coming over, as well as a diesel model, which unfortunately, would even further diminish the price point of this car considering the G35. 4DSC is nothing more than bad marketing. Agreed. One of the worst marketing ploys in recent memory. In all honesty, there is no longer a place for the Maxima in the lineup. Its priced in G35 territory, and will never be the performer that the G is. I hate to see the Maxima go, but they essentially killed this brand when they made the Altima so competitive. |
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#17
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![]() Posting God ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Moderators Posts: 11,366 Joined: 30-January 05 From: Dubai Member No.: 1,451 ![]() |
I was at dinner at a friend's house last night, and he bought a Maxima many, many years ago (he no longer has it, as he ran it into the ground). He cross-shopped it with the BMW 3-series of the time, and ultimately went with the Maxima. He's not much of an enthusiast, and figured for the same money as a stripper 3-series, he was getting a fully-loaded Maxima. I suppose the G35 fills that space now without any compromise in performance, but here's another thought. What if Nissan dropped the 6-cylinder Altima, and had the Maxima fill up that space?
Also, as far as mainstream sedans go, the Maxima is pretty cool. I only wish they sold it here. Somebody change my vote. |
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#18
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![]() Talkin' the talk since 2003 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Admin Posts: 28,271 Joined: 27-August 03 From: Seattle, WA Member No.: 27 Car: 2004 VW GTI 1.8T ![]() |
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#19
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![]() Posting God ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Moderators Posts: 11,366 Joined: 30-January 05 From: Dubai Member No.: 1,451 ![]() |
Uncool to cool. Sorry about that.
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#20
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Halfabusa lover ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Banned Posts: 5,339 Joined: 4-March 05 From: Ashland, OR Member No.: 1,525 ![]() |
I was at dinner at a friend's house last night, and he bought a Maxima many, many years ago (he no longer has it, as he ran it into the ground). He cross-shopped it with the BMW 3-series of the time, and ultimately went with the Maxima. He's not much of an enthusiast, and figured for the same money as a stripper 3-series, he was getting a fully-loaded Maxima. I suppose the G35 fills that space now without any compromise in performance, but here's another thought. What if Nissan dropped the 6-cylinder Altima, and had the Maxima fill up that space? An Altima V6 offers a 6MT and costs nearly $5,000 less. I'd only be okay with that plan if they offered a MT Maxima and had a base-model Maxima with fewer electronic gadgets pushing the price up. |
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 9th February 2025 - 07:30 AM |