Consumer Report Results for 2006

[PopPop]

The top 10 cars were all foreign car makers and American cars didn't make the Top 10 $30,000-$40,000 was Acura TL and the Infiniti M35 was the Top Luxury Sedan!

[MinisterofDOOM]

It's always cool to see cars you like do well in this kind of stuff--but then I stop and realize...this is just further proof that CR is poo.

Why the M35 over the M45? There is NOTHING the M35 does better, except price. But even considering price, the M45 is more car for the money. It wasn't even the M35x, which offers AWD where the M45 doesn't.

And the Maxima is 10 times the car the TL is. I've tested them both and the TL was not even in the same league.But the Maxima doesn't wear a luxury brand label so it gets ignored. It's more sporty, more luxurious, more powerful, more torquey, more roomy, AND costs less.The only thing the TL has going for it are it's looks--which are definitely above average--since most people consider the Maxima unattractive.

CR are a bunch of Honda-worshipping bandwagon jumpers.

But at least the new IS350 didn't get best luxury car...

[PopPop]

Your right! The Honda lovers definitely love their CR! I'm surprise that the M35 even made their list but, to well put together with very top rated road handling for an Luxury Sedan!

[Q451990]

I have a buddy that's hellbent on buying a TL. I keep trying to get him to drive Dana's G, but he says he's not really buying it for speed... just looks.

Go figure...

Heath

[szh]

I'm surprise that the M35 even made their list but, to well put together with very top rated road handling for an Luxury Sedan!

It has been at the top for a short while now! See here for my post on that event: zerothread?id=129521

Z

[miata007]

In terms of interiors, TL is a few notches above any cheap old cost cutting Nissans (not all Infinitis).

I have a 05 G35 sedan. When we were shopping for the car, we test drove the TL and G35 extensively. TL is an amazing sedan even if it is a FWD. We found the car to be very attractive and luxury inside. At the end, we wanted a RWD and the exhaust sound of the G35.

The TL handles just as well or better than a G35 sedan in 99% of the situation. If that's the case, how can a Maxima be better in terms of performance? I personally have not driven a new Maxima but from the specs and reviews, TL is more of a BMW and Maxima is more of a Camry/Avalon.

007

[MinisterofDOOM]

TL is more of a BMW and Maxima is more of a Camry/Avalon.

I'm afraid you've been misinformed. The only thing the Maxima has in common with the Avalon is the number of pistons in the engine. Currently, the only thing about it that keeps it from wearing an Infiniti badge is the FWD. Remember--it WAS sold as an infiniti for 10 years under the I30 badge--and the interiors were identical save for the clock. And the current Maxima is such a step up over the last two models it makes you step back and say "whoa."

Go drive one. You'll be pleasantly surprised. At least sit in one. It's no Altima inside, I'll tell you that.

I'm not sure where the G35->TL and G35-> Maxima comparison comes from. You couldn't compare more different cars. The G is smaller, lighter, and RWD.

[1998greenQ45]

i was just checking out this month's CR earlier in fact, and i was happy to seethat the M was listed as #1.... if only (well, not only) because CR reaches people who might not otherwise know about all the praise that Infiniti has been receiving as of late..anyone who is even remotely into cars obviously knows all about the M and what itcan do-

but plenty of people are still not acquainted w/ the Infiniti brand...and it's been over17 years fo' petes sake!!

unless u live under a rock of any size, you (that is, the average consumer) most likely at least know about the success of the g35 by now; not to mention that the g is ubiquitous...spotting a g35 is like spotting an Audi a4 or 3-series on the road!!-i still wonder if we shall ever see the day the Q has such visability....i'm nit holdingmy breath..

anyhow, it's nice that CR is finally giving Infiniti it's dues. 4get m35 vs. m45.... weshould be happy that a mag w/ huge circulation like CR is listing most Infinitis as"recommended", that matters alot.... especially for the readers who might in thepast have said "what's an Infiniti anyway??" Yes, it's hard for me to believe thatthat includ3es soo many people, but it does!

-lastly... i was especially pleased w/ CR because i SWEAR that they have alwayshad a bias against Infiniti in the past. i'm not being paranoid here, i can recallmany(make that most) articles and reviews where Lexus and other comparablecars were tested and went head to head...yet Infiniti wasn't even mentioned @ all not once in an entire magazine w/ a section dedicated to luxury imports!!has any1 else ever noticed this? also, thumbs down to CR for making thecurrent q45 sound so drab and boring... and WHY wasn't it "recommended"??

ok, i have vented heeehe

[miata007]

I have certainly sat in the Maxima before and other Nissan. In terms of interiors, I have to say all of them has let me down when compare to Toyota and Honda. Example would be Titan vs Tundra, Frontier vs Tacoma, Altima vs Camry/Accord, Max vs Avalon/TL, Quest vs Sienna/Odyssey.

Yes I30/35 was part of the Infiniti line up but were axed because Infiniti wants to have a sports-luxury image which Maxima does not provide. I say the old TL compares well with Maxima when TL was much more like the Accord. In this generation of TL, Acura has try their hardest in differentiating the two and make the most out of their FWD cars such as RL(AWD but from a FWD car), TL, RSX, and TSX. Seems like the TL has shrunk in size to compete well with the G35. Would you say the 05/06 G35 interior is better than Maxima? In my opinion, I say yes but still not as good as the TL interior. In terms of performance, Maxima do not come near the G35/TL/330/CTS. Do you agree on that? Maxima is not a 4DSC that it used to be. Do you think Maxima can do 0-60mph, 60mph-0, and slalom any better? It is just too heavy and the suspension is too soft/Buick like for a sports sedan feel.

007

[MinisterofDOOM]

but plenty of people are still not acquainted w/ the Infiniti brand...and it's been over 17 years fo' petes sake!!

The really sad part is how few people who DO know of Infiniti are aware of the connection with Nissan. Of course, it's like that with most "upscale" brands...

In terms of performance, Maxima do not come near the G35/TL/330/CTS. Do you agree on that? Maxima is not a 4DSC that it used to be. Do you think Maxima can do 0-60mph, 60mph-0, and slalom any better? It is just too heavy and the suspension is too soft/Buick like for a sports sedan feel.

Once again--why are you comparing FWD cars with RWD cars?The Maxima is a half step behind the TL in acceleration and handling. But there are more important things than those numbers on paper.The Maxima provides more power on demand when you need it. It's not some high-revving Honda buzzmotor. It's a real powerplant that makes tons of torque nice and low--from the moment your foot touches the accelerator. Then it keeps making it all the way to 6200 rpm at redline.

The Acura can't come close to that.The Maxima also puts down a respectable 200ft skidpad result of .84g. On stock all seasons. That's nothing at all to scoff at.

And the TL is a dull driving experience. There's no connection with the machine. Typical Honda. Sure, it GOES quick, and it produces good numbers. But that doesn't matter when you feel like you're driving your grandmother's clothesdrier.

I certainly agree that the Maxima can't touch the G and BMW 3 series in performance. It wasn't designed to! But it CAN keep up with the TL, which is also nowhere near G35/3 series territory. In any situation other than words on paper, the cars are very close, each with advantages in certain areas. But if the two were to actually face off on a (non-dragstrip) track, I have no problem seeing the Maxima coming out a head. It's a much more well-rounded machine. It's not limited to peak horsepower and acceleration numbers. Like all enthusiast-beloved Nissans, it's about being good at everything, instead of great at one thing.

I'm not sure what Maxima you drove that had Buick like suspension, but it couldn't have been a functional 04+ SE. Every publication out there has continually whined about how harsh the ride is in the car. It's anything but cushy. If you test drove an SL, there's your problem. Nissan made the mistake of dumbing down the Maxima for Cadillac Seville driving golfers for the SL. I cringe every time I see one driving down the road. What a stupid move. Woodgrain?! And smaller tires...and softer suspension. What a joke.

I'll definitely agree with you that the car is not what it was 12 years ago and before. But there are NO cars on the road that match that description anymore. Not even the TL.

[Jesda]

Rounding out the bottom is the Infiniti QX56. Measuring cars by nationality is stupid in the modern world.

[miata007]

"And the TL is a dull driving experience. There's no connection with the machine. Typical Honda. Sure, it GOES quick, and it produces good numbers. But that doesn't matter when you feel like you're driving your grandmother's clothesdrier. "

Have you driven a TL? I am not sure where you come up with this dull driving experience thing. I haven't drive the latest Maxima but did drove the TL extensively and currently own a 05 G35 sedan. I found the TL to have very good steering with good feedbacks much like the G35. For God sake, go test drive a TL and G35 and tell me what you think. And how the they compare to the Maxima/SE.

Here's some info I found on the TL:

"purrs easily to its 6800-rpm redline, Acura's 3.2-liter SOHC V-6 makes pleasing midrange torque and impresses with its flexibility if not its hammer acceleration (yet only the Lexus beats the Acura's 5.9-second run to 60 mph)."

"For a front-driver with lux-car pretensions, the Acura keeps its understeer well hidden, its 60/40 weight bias well disguised, its roll and pitch well checked. The TL's 0.91 skidpad performance and 62.5-mph lane-change speed were tops. " What did you say about he Maxima's skidpad?

http://www.caranddriver.com/ar...10388

007

[nchopp]

"And the TL is a dull driving experience. There's no connection with the machine. Typical Honda. Sure, it GOES quick, and it produces good numbers. But that doesn't matter when you feel like you're driving your grandmother's clothesdrier. "

Have you driven a TL? I am not sure where you come up with this dull driving experience thing. I haven't drive the latest Maxima but did drove the TL extensively and currently own a 05 G35 sedan. I found the TL to have very good steering with good feedbacks much like the G35. For God sake, go test drive a TL and G35 and tell me what you think. And how the they compare to the Maxima/SE.

Here's some info I found on the TL:

"purrs easily to its 6800-rpm redline, Acura's 3.2-liter SOHC V-6 makes pleasing midrange torque and impresses with its flexibility if not its hammer acceleration (yet only the Lexus beats the Acura's 5.9-second run to 60 mph)."

"For a front-driver with lux-car pretensions, the Acura keeps its understeer well hidden, its 60/40 weight bias well disguised, its roll and pitch well checked. The TL's 0.91 skidpad performance and 62.5-mph lane-change speed were tops. " What did you say about he Maxima's skidpad?

http://www.caranddriver.com/ar...10388

007

[silentfurymm]

You didnt mention that all of the consumer reports picks this year are exclusivly Japanese. No American or European anywere. IMO its a bit biased by CR, especially when you remember that back in the days of the I35, the Maxima recieved extremly poor ratings from consumer reports, and the I35 was a golden child. They show disparity in ranking in twin cars alot, and it reflects the types of complaints that the owners give, and how many.

[Mr_Q45t]

The Maximas and the TL's are two different class of car.

Thumbs down on Pontiac-like interiors on 06 Maximas as well .

[nismofly]

skidpad numbers mean little to nothing

carry on

[Jesda]

I like the current Maxima's interior. Its sporty and nicely put together. Where the car fails is the obnoxious torque steer. I drove one a couple years ago and felt like I was fighting with the car for directional control. Everything else about the Maxima is fantastic.

JD Power and CR both use owner surveys to publish their rankings, yet the results are tremendously different. Whats the deal?