Well, I've brought this topic up before......and i think i'm getting close to making a deal on the Maxima. My sales guy out of the blue contacted me to flip my lease into a new G37x. His offer was good, same car, new lease, $60 less per month. But we are trying to cut our cost and was looking at the Maxima as an option. Just thought i'd share what's happening if anybody cares. I'm looking at 2012 Maxima Sport Pkg, value wise the car is amazing. More features than the G, not as much power, and CVT, but the trade off versus the price is quite amazing. I know this forum will be G biased, but have to give the Maxima top marks where it deserves it. I'll let you know if we pull the trigger.

 

You have to be comfortable with what you are purchasing. If the maxima fits your criteria in terms of form, function and finances....good luck to you. I'm sure you will be happy with your purchase.

 

Maxima is a very nice car and very comparable to the G. You don't sound like a person who is racing down the street or trying to get from 0-60 in 5.3 sec, so I don't think you will even notice the minimal decrease in HP. For everyday driving, the Maxima is more than capable.

 

Does the OP have a question? Is he asking for opinions?

Pointless thread. Buy (rent) the Maxima and be done with it.

 

I'm a previous Maxima owner. I had a 98 SE. Very reliable car never had any major problems...it's a sports coupe that usually is one of if not THE top in it's class (or at least for the generation max that I had...), if you can deal with the loss in HP and performance going from the G to the Max, I'm sure that you will be happy with the car.

Good luck!

 

Honestly, I HATE the Maxima. I feel like it's really rough and annoying to drive. I was almost positive I would feel the same about the G but it definitely has a much more luxurious feel to it.
However, if you feel otherwise, congrats on the deal. How much is it exactly? I know a few years ago they were like a $10 difference tops, so unless you're on a really tight budget at the moment you may want to look over that (of course that's if you actually want a G and are settling).
All in all the Maxima is great. It's a nice sport sedan for the price. On the other hand, if you just want a cheap but efficient sedan, then consider Camry or the Accord. They're supposed to be at least 50$ less than the Maxima and are both great cars.

Good Luck!

 

If it comes down to monthly lease payment difference, I think you would get much better opinions if you posted the payments of both.

Honestly, I would only choose the Maxima over the G if you were saving $50+ per month. Otherwise, I think you would eventually end up missing the G.

 

Among other things, decide if you can truly deal with a fwd car.

 

If you want the Maxima go for it. It sounds like it will suit you and your needs just fine. I still drive my '96 Maxima to work almost every day. But to compare the two cars is IMO kind of pointless. I own and regularly drive both and there is no comparing the two. FWD vs RWD. 6MT vs CVT. There are similarities. But the differences are quite significant. Apples and oranges.

If you want to talk about features vs price, you might want to look at the Maxima Lite, the Altima. By your logic, you are throwing money away on a Maxima when the Altima is essentially the same car with the same features but for a lot less money. The G you are giving up has more power and AWD. The Maxima and Altima are essentially the same car with different sheet metal. A much better comparison than the Maxima to the G37.

Altima FWD w sport - $31K
Maxima FWD w sport - $38K
$7K difference for the same features

Maxima FWD w sport - $38K
G37 AWD w sport - $45K
$7K difference for AWD and more power

Why not just get the comparably equipped Altima and save another $7K while not losing anything you get in the Maxima if money is the issue? That should be a really good lease payment.

 

The Maxima is not comparable to the G. How can you compare a fwd, cvt sedan with a front-mounted engine to an AWD, FM platform, RWD biased sedan? That is like saying because all cars have 4 tires, steering wheel, brakes and gas, all cars a comparable.

For everyday driving there are a lot of capable cars.

 

If you want to compare specs on paper, then no. But for everyday driving, it is. Unless he is going to the racetrack everyday, I doubt anyone will feel such a dramatic difference just commuting to work. It is comparable in size, feel, options, etc. And no all cars having 4 wheels, steering wheel, brake, and gas are comparable cars. I much rather drive a Maxima than a Camry. So if you live your life a quarter mile at a time, then you are correct. The Maxima is not comparable to the G.

 

Commuting on a highway such as the 405 you are correct. Any vehicle that runs will do. Moving at 5 mph for miles on end there is no differences between vehicles. I will even agree in a lot of driving situations one cannot tell the difference amongst a Camry, maxima or g.

But, in certain driving situations you can.

I don't need the room in a maxima, and as such am very comfortable driving a Camry. The last camry I rented got 30 mpg avg on 1000 miles. Granted the Camry does not have the sporty reputation of the maxima, but there was little difference between the Camry and my g given the type of traffic I was mostly in.

 

If this is true, then my assertion that the Altima is an even better choice is even more true. Same configuration, engine, etc., etc. for $7K less. $14K less than he G37x for what you see as a comparable driving experience.

BTW, why would you much rather drive a Maxima than a Camry? Have you owned or driven both extensively?

 

+100 to BB. What is the point of a Maxima when you can go to the G or Altima? New Altima is looking great at a great price. It also is one of the top sellers.

 

This is true. But the OP is deciding between a Maxima and a G. If the choices were open, then the Altima would be an even smarter/better choice.

And yes, I have driven both the Camry and Maxima extensively. I don't own them, but I travel for work regularly and rent both those cars extensively. The Maxima drives better overall. Power, handling, comfort, options, looks (although subjective) are all better IMO.