Maxima and Altima - What's Nissan trying to do?

[TuffGuy]

3.5SE Altima vs 3.5SE Maxima

Are they trying to kill off the Maxima? They're pretty much the same car, and the Altima is $3000 cheaper.

Any thoughts?

 

[Kelvrick]

Interior quality? Seems to be a little bigger too.

 

[PlatinumGold]

that's why nissan struggled during the past 5 yrs. 8 or 9 yrs ago it could have been argued that the maxima was a different class car than the honda accord and toyota camry. toyota and honda upscaled those vehicles and ended up being basically in the same class as the maxima. so now nissan was stuck with too much competition. the altima was being beaten down by the civic and the maxima by the accord and camry. finally w/ the 02 altima nissan has a car that competes with the accord and camry but that kind of leaves the maxima out in the cold. there should be a redesign of the maxima very soon. until then nissan is gonna have surplus maximas. there will probably be some good buys on maxima's soon.

 

[TuffGuy]

<< there will probably be some good buys on maxima's soon. >>


i hope so...

 

[Cyberian]

They are very similar.
Interestingly, the Maxima is classified as MIDSIZE, and tha Altima as COMPACT.

 

[ElFenix]

maxima is all new for 2003. this overlap that the two cars have is only going to last a year.

i'm expecting ~300HP from a direct-inject version of the VQ35 and perhaps RWD. plus it will be bigger, avalon or intrepid big.

 

[toant103]

300HP Maxima would kick ass.

 

[toph99]

<< They are very similar.
Interestingly, the Maxima is classified as MIDSIZE, and tha Altima as COMPACT. >>



i thought that was weird too... the Altima weighs more, is wider and taller too

 

[TuffGuy]

<< i'm expecting ~300HP from a direct-inject version of the VQ35 and perhaps RWD. plus it will be bigger, avalon or intrepid big. >>


very doubtful that it will have more power than the 350Z...

 

[gogeeta13]

<<

<< i'm expecting ~300HP from a direct-inject version of the VQ35 and perhaps RWD. plus it will be bigger, avalon or intrepid big. >>


very doubtful that it will have more power than the 350Z... >>



i am waiting to get real proof, but the rumers are comming from reliable sources, and unless we have a huge gas crisis, it will probably happen

 

[psteng19]

Interesting...

A Maxima with the same engine that makes the same amount of torque as the Altima, produces more 15 horsepower, is slightly lighter, yet gets better fuel economy on the highway by 2 mpg.
If I hadn't seen the dyno charts, I'd say Nissan is trying to pull a fast one on unsuspecting consumers by toying with these numbers.



<< finally w/ the 02 altima nissan has a car that competes with the accord and camry but that kind of leaves the maxima out in the cold. there should be a redesign of the maxima very soon. until then nissan is gonna have surplus maximas. there will probably be some good buys on maxima's soon >>


Not exactly...
It seems that the strategy by Nissan is to lure the customers in with the Altima, then show them the Maxima when they complain about the poor interior
And its working because the Maxima is posting the biggest gains in March sales.



<< The all-new Altima continues to outpace projected sales with unit sales of 18,917, a 20.4 percent increase versus March, 2001, while sales of the Nissan Sentra continue to be strong with sales of 10,741 units, a 25 percent increase over last year. Maxima continues its momentum with sales of 15,162 units, a 44.3 percent increase versus last year. >>



Nissan ~ Driven

 

[b0mbrman]

Yeah...they're trying their very hardest to kill off Camry and Accord...not each other

 

[TuffGuy]

<< A Maxima with the same engine that makes the same amount of torque as the Altima, produces more 15 horsepower, is slightly lighter, yet gets better fuel economy on the highway by 2 mpg.
If I hadn't seen the dyno charts, I'd say Nissan is trying to pull a fast one on unsuspecting consumers by toying with these numbers. >>


what's your point? it's also the same engine that only produced 220hp last year. my car (eclipse gt) gets 2mpg more than when i bought it from the mods that i've done, and they're weren't even very complicated.

+20hp AND +2mpg? yup.

 

[b0mbrman]

<<

<< A Maxima with the same engine that makes the same amount of torque as the Altima, produces more 15 horsepower, is slightly lighter, yet gets better fuel economy on the highway by 2 mpg.
If I hadn't seen the dyno charts, I'd say Nissan is trying to pull a fast one on unsuspecting consumers by toying with these numbers. >>


what's your point? it's also the same engine that only produced 220hp last year. my car (eclipse gt) gets 2mpg more than when i bought it from the mods that i've done, and they're weren't even very complicated.

+20hp AND +2mpg? yup. >>


Neat. What mods?

 

[compuwiz1]

The damn sentra GXE is actually not a bad car either! :Q

 

[TuffGuy]

<< Neat. What mods? >>


CAI, exhaust, crank pulley. (+ghetto hole in bumper to feed the CAI)

 

[ElFenix]

<< it's also the same engine that only produced 220hp last year >>

not so fast... last year the VQ weighed in at 3.0 liters.

and how many HP does the 350Z have because i exepect the exact same direct-inject version of the VQ 35 to be in the max.

 

[RKS]

<< maxima is all new for 2003. this overlap that the two cars have is only going to last a year.

i'm expecting ~300HP from a direct-inject version of the VQ35 and perhaps RWD. plus it will be bigger, avalon or intrepid big. >>



I believe the 2003 Max will be similar to the 2002 with the addition of the Titanium Edition.
I think the 2004 Max will be a new design and will probably be introduced in 2003. There are too many rumors regarding the 'new' Max but none have been confirmed.

FWIW I went to the dealership with the intent to buy a 3.5 Altima SE but left with a loaded Maxima SE because of the Alty's plastic interior. I don't regret the decision at all.
Maxima.org is the probably the best source of info...

 

[GermyBoy]

They're trying to sell some cars!

 

[evergreen96]

I think they can pull of another Xterra, Pathfinder thing they a couple of years ago,,..... In which the Xterra was "selling" to 1 part of the niche market and Pathfinder "the other niche"

eg.. Younger VS Older Buyer in the Same SUV market

 

[psteng19]

<< what's your point? it's also the same engine that only produced 220hp last year. >>



My point is that I would be wary of the truth behind these numbers.
And lets get our facts straight before you try to rebut with that 'tude of yours
The old engine was the 3.0 liter producing 222 hp, 227 on the special edition.

Nissan ~ Driven

<---- yeah, that's right... Nissan's Bitch like you called it over here.

 

[dirtboy]

I have no idea what Nissan is up to, but I'm be curious to find out. Hopefully the next Maxima will stand out from the Altima, or they're going to have some identity issues.

 

[BigJohnKC]

found this link here



<< But this situation is just temporary, as Maxima is being redesigned for model-year 2004 as essentially a larger, more luxurious Altima, with unique styling that should add length at each end, and perhaps a little extra width too. Nissan has already deemphasized lower-priced Maximas to put some marketing distance between the two lines, and the '04s will likely move a bit further upscale of Altima, though not so far as to interfere with sister Infiniti division's related I35. We'd expect two models: luxury and sporty. Introduction is reportedly set for the first quarter of 2003. Nissan will likely fire up the publicity machine by previewing the new Maxima as a thinly disguised "concept," perhaps as soon as this winter's auto shows. >>