Conerstone Competition: 2003 Accord Vs. 2003 Maxima

Hey guys I was thinking about buying a new car that is larger than my Civic. Right now here are my 2 choices Accord and Maxima. Both are stellar cars that are conerstones for their respetive companies. I've driven both, V6+Auto (I couldn't get ahold of a 6spd Max) and can't come to a decision. They are both about equal, Altima is crap IMO, and most dealers are coming down on Maxima pricing. Therefore putting it in Accord-Altima rage. IMO, the Accord is a better car overall but the Max is more of my type of car. What are your (honest) opinions on either or both. Personal experiences are wanted :)

well i've never sat in the new accords yet. the 4 doors IMO are ugly. the 2 door coupes are where its at. lolz but i'm not too fond the 02 maxima's chrome rear lights either. i love their new zenon light housing. but i liked the older black rear tail light housing better though. but i mean if you want to look at quality build. i think the MAX should be built better then the accord. i mean the MAXIMA is Nissan's flag ship am i right? and it is a more expensive car. so if logic serves me right. that means the MAX is the better car. even though if your comparing it to a new car like the Accord. the Accord could be just as refine as the MAX but the Accord should be just as fast if not alittle faster then the MAX

I went through the comparison last year (02 models) and went with the Accord EX. It had the best fit and finish as well as a better price.













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honda and nissan are very reliable quality cars. so you should expect similar fit/finish/quality/reliability from both. the maxima is marketed as a sports sedan whereas the accord is more the family-oriented ho-hum grocery-getter. although honda has definately put more sport into the equation with the 03. personally, i like the way the accords drive better than the maximas. maximas have the turning radius of a mack truck on top of the longer wheel base so it just doesn't feel as nimble as the honda. i think with better tires, the accord may even handle better than the maxima. also that torsion beam rear suspension on the maxima is way too aged for the times and ancient compared to honda's double wishbone independent rear setup. nissan calls it a multi-link beam, it's merely a fancy name for an outdated old fashioned suspension setup and i know nissan can do better. nissan's got that beautiful torquey engine however. can't go wrong with that. im still gettin used to the new accord's look, not quite there yet. maximas have always been odd-looking especially from the rear, but it's a good odd look. :confused: i dont' know. haven't had much time behind the new accords. the one i test drove was pretty nice but it was just the automatic. tough choice. i think the accord (old and new) is better all around than the altima, but b/w it and the maxima, it's not so easy to decide.

and TatII, being more expensive doesn't mean it's better built. any honda/toyota/nissan will outlast a ferrari or lamborghini in the long run. both of which are known for reliability issues. that's extreme but it goes to show that more $$ isn't always better in some aspects.

In my opinion the Maxima has much better looks and better performance. Everything else is pretty much the same for both. I would go for the Maxima.

Get the 250hp accord v6. It may not be as powerful, but it is significantly lighter than the nissan. Plus it looks better IMO and the interior is cutting edge. Then theres stellar reliability...

the accord only has 240hp.

Well, I'd go with the Accord. I think it's better in every department; except the torque & power, simply b/c it was aimed against the Altima class; and the new VQs all have 1/2L more displacement.

But then again, you did say yourself that 'The Maxima is my type of car', so go for it!

On the pricing, the thing you boys better remember is that the accord comes in 4 banger or V-6, the Maxima comes in only V-6, and a very nice one at that. Also, the Accord is in the Maxima's class, not the Altima.

Originally posted by Pick
On the pricing, the thing you boys better remember is that the accord comes in 4 banger or V-6, the Maxima comes in only V-6, and a very nice one at that. Also, the Accord is in the Maxima's class, not the Altima.

i beg to differ on that last statement. price-wise, size-wise, everything else-wise, the altima and accord are as comparable as they get. the maxima is more expensive (not saying it's not worth those extra $$$) and it's marketed as a more upscale sport lux sedan as opposed to your mainstream grocery-getting bread and butter cars like the accord or altima. IMO, the only other car that's really in the maxima's class is the volkswagon passat w8; if you don't include luxury nameplates of course.

Hmmm. this is a close comparison. I think I would take the Maxima, although the new Accord is pretty sharp looking. Can we get some official stats on both of these?

Here we are:

03 Maxima Engine Spec.

Engines dohc V6
Size, liters/cu. in 3.5/214
Horsepower @ rpm 255 @ 5800
Torque (lb-ft) @ rpm 246 @ 4400
Availability Standard

Car Specifications.

Specifications Nissan Maxima 4-door sedan
Wheelbase, in. 108.3
Overall Length, in. 191.5
Overall Width, in. 70.3
Overall Height, in. 56.3
Curb Weight, lbs. 3233
Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 15.1
Standard Payload, lbs. --
Fuel Capacity, gals. 18.5
Seating Capacity 5
Front Head Room, in. 40.5
Max. Front Leg Room, in. 43.9
Rear Head Room, in. 37.4
Min. Rear Leg Room, in. 36.2

Base Price $24,000-$27,000

03 Honda Accord EX V-6

Engine and Transmission
Type: 3.0L V6
Displacement (cc/ci): 2997/183
Valves: 24
Horsepower: 240@6250
Torque: 212@5000
Fuel System: MPFI
Transmission: Auto OD
Fuel Economy
(City/Hwy): 21/30 mpg

Specifications Honda Accord 2-door coupe Honda Accord 4-door sedan
Wheelbase, in. 105.1 107.9
Overall Length, in. 187.6 189.5
Overall Width, in. 71.3 71.5
Overall Height, in. 55.7 57.1
Curb Weight, lbs. 2994 2989
Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 12.8 14.0
Standard Payload, lbs. -- --
Fuel Capacity, gals. 17.1 17.1
Seating Capacity 5 5
Front Head Room, in. 39.8 40.4
Max. Front Leg Room, in. 43.1 42.6
Rear Head Room, in. 36.1 38.5
Min. Rear Leg Room, in. 31.9 36.8


$25,000 Base Price


I would rather have the Maxima Myself. Enjoy checking all this out. :)

Accord for me. I have a lot of faith in Honda's engineering

Maxima.... better period.:D :)