I will be selling or trading in my G35 Coupe soon. I love my car and it will be hard to part with, but we really need a 4-door and I think I am finally ready. I will more than likely be selling the Volk SF-Winnings on the forum or ebay unless the dealer offers me a good price for trade including the wheels.

Any ways. I have tossed around several cars in my head. There are several that I like. The Acura TSX, Acura TL, Infiniti G37 Sedan, Nissan Maxima. At first I was leaning towards the TSX because the TL was too big. Then I saw some new TL's with painted grills to match the paint and was really turned on by that, but still that is a big bulky car. I have never like the G Sedans as well as the Coupes, but the new ones have gotten a lot sexier, but the price tag is high. I love RWD, we will be using this car to travel, sometimes over the passes and RWD will be a real pain in the *** and AWD is a lot more.

After a year of looking I am pretty well set on trying to get into a new Maxima. I love the lines and curves of the car, it is a beautiful car. I will miss RWD, but the FWD provides more cabin room. I will be using this new car at times to transport other people including my grandmother. I want it to be roomy and comfortable, but be sporty looking too. I think the new Maxima's fit that bell.

Now,

talk me out of it or convince me that I should get a G37 Sedan or one of the other cars mentioned above.

To give you an idea of what I can get a Maxima for right now, I had the local dealership that only had one Maxima run some numbers and they were going to give me $18,000 for my 2004 G35 Coupe with 19,190 mile on it and the new Maxima with NAV for 32,500. After tax and license I would owe $15,900. I am traveling to a larger town this weekend to meet with a Costco dealer and will see what they have to offer. I also plan to visit the Acura dealership and hopefully Infiniti dealership.

Everyone's 2 cents appreciated.

 

Hmm, I just went through this on a lease and went G all the way.

Maxima has FWD and no AWD option, not as luxurious feel (although really, really close), fake wood, loses the Infiniti moniker, no pickup/drop off for service. Fully loaded the Maxima came out to close to the same disounted price as the G I ended up with so it was an easier decision.

If the payment difference were $100/mo I would likely have gone Maxima. I was able to get a REALLY good deal on the G lease so the difference was only $45 +/- so it got to be a no-brainer for me.

I loved some things about the Maxima though - nice look, ventilated driver's seat - miss that from my M!!! Bigger and really just a great car.

Can't go wrong either way. Just depends on your offer for your trade and how close the selling price can get. I would tell the Infiniti dealer what you are trying to do once you settle on your best Maxima number and see what happens. Can't hurt to try if you aren't sure! I told the Infiniti dealer what my offer was on the Maxima and that I couldn't justify the added expense and he worked really hard to get me to where we ended up. I couldn't be happier.

I would have loved the Maxima though - that's for sure!!

Jay

 

I test drove one last year when I was going to replace my 97 Maxima. The new one has lots of room and is pretty well laid out, but I hated the view over the hood, and the CVT transmission was really annoying since you had to keep on the gas to avoid getting a ton of braking from the setup. Maybe they've tweaked that since. Torque steer was severe in certain conditions...like when gunning it after making a 90 degree turn. Torque steer wasn't evident in any other condition.
You really can't compare the two for performance...the G is awesome and responsive and lots of fun to drive. The Max is great if you need more room and don't want as much performance. Still a good car, but not exactly as much WOW as when I bought my 97 which had a great power to weight ratio for its time.

 

I too love the way the new Max feels inside. I really need to get to the Infiniti dealership this weekend and test drive the Sedan. If they can come close to the same price for a G37X, I might be dissuaded, but I got to tell you, I think the new Max is really sexy and there are only a few in town, but the same goes for the G. One other plus to the Maxima is that there is a local Nissan dealer. The closest Infiniti dealership is 2+ hours away. Good thing I only had one recall on the G, traveling that distance to get things serviced or fixed would have been a real pain.

 

Go with the G. My Mom has the new Maxima loaded, and I was not impressed if you like to drive kind of hard. The biggest turn off for me is the CVT transmission which is nice for some, but not for me because I like feeling the car shift and the extra torque at higher RPMs which I couldn't feel in the Maxima.

Just my opinion though as I wouldn't drive one, but that is not to say I don't think the car isn't amazing in every other aspect. Good luck choosing.

 

I just went through the same dilema, I work for Nissan as a service advisor and was set on a fully loaded maxima premium model but then talked with Infiniti. I decided on my G37 although it was a little smaller I like it alot more. I came from a 08 Acura TL-S, RWD doesn't compare to FWD at all...

 

the rear doors in the sedan might as well not even be there; the back's TINY. your grandmother and fellow passengers WILL NOT be comfortable. i don't know much about the maxima (i'm new to nissan/infiniti), but i do know a few things about the acura line up. coming from an 04 g coupe, i'd recommend you turn away from the tsx. the tl (sh-awd) isn't as bad as you think. plus, it comes in stick with a phenomenal gear box. the car's a bit bulky yes, but it's COMFORTABLE and your passengers will thank you. because the car model's new, aftermarket support isn't that great, but have you seen some of the progress threads on a few of the forums? the oem body kit + atlp exhaust looks PRETTY dang aggressive. the 6mt will DEFINITELY keep you entertained. the g's nice, but if you plan on hauling around others, besides your wife/gf...i'd shy away from it. personally, i bought the sedan out of practicality, plus i knew a face lift was soon in line for the coupe. wish i'd gotten the coupe a bit...but oh well. i vote for the tl shawd w/ 6mt.

ps the interior on the 4g tl sh-awd makes you feel like you're behind the wheel of a space ship with all the buttons, lights, etc.. leather isn't that great, but overall interior's pretty impressive.

 

where are you by the way? i have a few good friends at acura of lynnwood.

 

Well i have a friend looking for a new car so yesterday we went by the nissan dealership and test drove the new maxima. I must say fully loaded that car is very nice. It has alot more space than my 2010 g sedan and a few features that aren't even available on the g (reverse tilt mirrors, auto dim outside mirrors, panoramic sunroof, chilled drivers seat, etc.). I must say though after driving my G to the dealership then driving the maxima the G is much smoother and less bulky. I also hate the view through the windshield of the maxima. Since your looking for a family/sport sedan I suggest the maxima because it is roomier. I prefer the G over the maxima simply due to better performance and a smoother ride and also the g has a better quality screen. I also have an 06 maxima and I used to love the car untill i drove the G. I will never go FWD again.

 

I think the maxima lost its sportiness after the 5.5 gen. The new ones still no slouch tho at 290hp. If you need the extra room the maxima has to offer go for it, if not I would go with the G, better chassis/engine and quality/service.

 

You took the words out of my mouth. Same deal with me. The bulky fenders really ruined the view for me. The G's tranny isn't the best but the Nissan's CVT is awful.

 

I'd get the Maxima over the G37 sedan simply based on looks alone. I just think the Maxima has much nicer styling than the G sedan. The FWD vs RWD issue wouldn't sway me at all, but I'd rather have a manual transmission instead of the CVT in the Maxima.

 

[quote=BLKG37X;2958641]When car shopping a few months ago before going with the G, I considered the Maxima.

What I liked: sporty and attractive exterior, decent ride, some nice features/options, a decent amount of interior space.

What I disliked: although it looks sporty, it most certainly doesn't drive sporty, less so than even an Honda Accord. I hated the CVT transmission and thought the handling left much to be desired compared to the G. The interior is also not near as nice, IMO, there are a quite a few Maximas where I live.

This was my own impression. After reading several mediocre to bad reviews on the Maxima, that sealed the deal. Especially since more than one stated that if you are considering the Maxima, take a look at the G sedan for it's a superior car for close to the same amount of money.

If all you care about are looks and interior space, by all means, get the Maxima.

 

my friend just bought a 2010 maxima.
only interior advantage is the panoramic roof.
I got to drive it,Maybe it's the cvt, it is weak.
go for an xs sedan, you can outhandle alot of other cars.
get a 6mt with sport package, car is alot better.
though I haven't drove the 6mt, I drove the 7 speed auto.

 

How about a pre-owned/CPO '06-'09 M35x or M45x? You'll get all the luxury and roominess sought from the Maxima and more, remain with the Infiniti family, be in a similar price range, get AWD, have easier ingress/egress, and get four (non-square Pontiac Bonneville SSEi looking) tailpipes to boot...