Hi. I'm both a newbie and a wuss.

[tlynn]

I'm a longtime admirer of the M35x. However, as my beloved old Maxima ages (more gracefully than I am, I daresay) and I begin to look around, I also don't want to move from this remarkably versatile cruiser into the loudest, most over-geared and least economical car in the mid-luxury class.

So if I ruled the automotive world, the M35x would have a quieter exhaust note (sorry, but it struck me during the test drive as a silly and tiring boy-racer drone that would lose its novelty after about 30 seconds). And it would have the 7-speed that graces the RWD model; I can't see any justification for such a luxurious and powerful car to be turning such frantic RPM when cruising at 70.

Accordingly, my two wussy questions:

1) I read somewhere that the new Maxima has some sort of tube or passageway deliberately designed into it to convey engine noise to the interior, for that "performance" sound. Does the M have it too, and if so, how can I defeat it?

2) Is there any practical way to lower the silly final drive ratio of this car? I don't need all the low-speed haul-a** the VQ delivers; 90% of it would do me just fine.

Thanks in advance to the wise heads here for your responses.

[qship96]

Why not look at the M45, which has a quieter exhaust and turns fewer rpm at highway speeds than the 6 cylinder m35.

[tlynn]

2 reasons:

1) Money.2) Mileage.

Thanks for the logical suggestion, though.

[qship96]

Get a Lexus ES350, so smooth and quiet you wont even know it is running. Certainly not a drivers car, but impeccable ride quality and smoothness along with quality construction.

[Mark Linkous]

2 reasons:

1) Money.2) Mileage.

Thanks for the logical suggestion, though.

It is actually more logical than you might realize. The difference in mileage between the two engines is minimal. Shockingly so. And given that M45's are going for the mid 20's now...ML

[ken in az]

to lower the final drive we can switch differentials.

the M45 has a lower gearset that will lower your cruise rpm.

I'll switch with you mine for yours!

[tlynn]

Is it practical to switch differentials in an M35x?

And if so, where is/are the one/ones you switch? In the transmission? Just outside it? (Presumably if there's only one thing that needs to be changed, it's got to be at the front of the car -- if you only changed something at the back, there'd be a mismatch between ends.)

PS: Ick-snay on the Exus-lay. Although I find the M35x just a bit rough, I'm not a Camry kind of guy. (Hint: my current sled is a 3rd gen Max SE, bought new.)

[szh]

Is it practical to switch differentials in an M35x?

There is more than one, and they are part of the ATTESA awd system. So, please don't change them, except in appropriate original values designed for the car.

Speed difference between front and back axles will cause problems for sure.

Z