2016 Nissan Maxima Pro/Cons for a Potential Buyer

[lrh2380]

In the process of doing my research on the new 2016 Nissan Maxima and most reviews have been good. Can I get your guys thoughts on whether this is a good or terrible buy? I currently own a 2005 nissan maxima

[realmac]

On our 6th Nissan in the family. 87 Stanza, 90 Stanza my folks had. For me.... 03 Max, 08 Alt 2.5 SL, 14 Alt 2.5 SL. I honestly didn't think I was going to buy a Nissan again. I didn't test drive other cars but the Mazda 6 sounded very appealing. The only problem I read consistently is that the car lacked the power one would expect from a sports oriented sedan.

I'm not a speed freak but when I mash my foot down on the peddle I like the car to move. Now hesitate and then pull.
Things I love about my '16:
-Super quiet, Even at highway speeds it's not much louder than driving around town. Laminated glass and sound deadening really seems to do the job.
-Quality of materials - The dash, the integrated navigation, the steering wheel, the seats, the door handles, switches. More refined than the Altimas I owned that felt covered in fairly cheap plastic material.
-Power - 300hp. I haven't redlined it yet, but it already feels more peppy than than the 255hp (under pre-2006 SAE guidelines) I had. The endless acceleration feel that is typical of the VQ engines is very much there. It is very refined around town and even under heavy acceleration. I would argue it's one of the most unique and performance oriented options in the segment. The new VQ35DE has 61% new components since the 7th gen. Comparing to the 05 you will notice a huge difference in responsiveness.
-Handling - This car feels solid when you take it around corners. Yes it's FWD but it feels very balanced and more planted than both. The Maxima with a sway bar and the torsion beam suspension was not very good at handling. It would bounce around corners and communicate every bump to the driver. The factory setup on these is much improved. I can take corners at moderate speeds and not feel a bunch of body roll. The chassis is stiffer and as a result it feels like you're driving a much more premium vehicle.

It still has a CVT. Except it's much better than the ones before. With enough throttle it behaves more like standard automatic transmission. It's quick to respond to my inputs as a driver. I never feel like the transmission is trying to catch up to the engine. That's a far cry from the 4 cylinders where the engine would rev but it'd take a few seconds for the car to actually move. I'd recommend but def test drive. Dealers are willing to negotiate below MSRP now and offer decent financing options on top of that.

[lrh2380]

Thanks for the detailed write up. Which Trim did you get? Trying to decide between the SL and Platinum

[realmac]

Oops I didn't see this but I got an SV. SL and Platinum were more than I wanted to pay.

[lrh2380]

Oops I didn't see this but I got an SV. SL and Platinum were more than I wanted to pay.

So how do you like the SV trim?? Thinking about getting the SL model because of the sunroof.

[realmac]

Did you decide to purchase one? I've had the SV for a few months now. Love the power, leather seats, audio system and handling. Don't regret selling the Altima. Hated driving a car I saw 40-50 of each day.

[NutriaforBreakfast]

I hate commonality on the street
but love it in the junkyard