96 maxima vs 03 altima 3.5L

What up Nick and JoeB? I haven't seen you 2 around here in a long while, so what's been crackin, I hope that you both are doing well and all, I miss hearing from both of you.

Well, I'm still chillin, just like Pao, oops I mean BP, I went out and bought a 2k3 Max but I still kept the 2k Max too.

Nick go for the STI, they look mad cool on the road and they can fly.

JoeB, I see you still kickin up dust in the Alti and taking names.

Too bad about the whip Nick, sorry to hear that, all of the Alti's I had were very reliable and had over 180K when I got rid of them but both were still going strong and it seemed that the engine was just getting better, must have been all that racing you been doing:)

JoeB I feel you on them crazy a$$ gas prices, I hate having to put 91 (I always use 93) in the Max because at damn near 2 a gallon, they got a brotha looking for a 15speed mountain bike.

Well, you and Nick stay cool and come back more often and holla back when you get a chance.
Til then luv, peace and chittlin grease.

musta been one odd day when a mod poked his head in, seen a flame fest, and pulled out his ban stick.

Not you! A flamefest? Little ole non-opinionated you?

Not you! A flamefest? Little ole non-opinionated you?
who woulda thought right? :lol2:

Im doin fine, thanks for askin, Bk2kmax. How about you? Sweet stuff
on the 03 Maxima. I had my first race the other day with a new
Monte Carlo ss, wasnt much of a race, I pulled like they were just
sitting there. I dont drive my Altima much because I dont want to
put nothing less than 93, gotta have the best for the VQ ya know.
Plus gas is just to much. Btw I hope your doing good also.

Later .. :sunglasse :smile:

Im doin fine, thanks for askin, Bk2kmax. How about you? Sweet stuff
on the 03 Maxima. I had my first race the other day with a new
Monte Carlo ss, wasnt much of a race, I pulled like they were just
sitting there. I dont drive my Altima much because I dont want to
put nothing less than 93, gotta have the best for the VQ ya know.
Plus gas is just to much. Btw I hope your doing good also.

Later .. :sunglasse :smile:

Thanks for asking too Joe, I'm cool, everything's lovely. Yeah, I feel you on those Monte's they aren't anything special, they're just too heavy. I raced a Monte in my 2K and I wasted him easily, they don't impress me.

Now the new GTO potential impresses me, so I'll wait to see what they have going for them later when they hit our shores. I'm scared to fill up because on 93 I'm paying almost 35.00 per tank and getting about 19 gallons, something has to be done about these gas prices.

Yes, something does need to be done with the gas prices.
You havent seen a GTO yet? Ive seen 4 so far here. I like
the engine, and the interior, nice for a Pontiac, but I still dont
know if I like the backend of it. :)

i've seen a few GTO's too. they sound awesome but it looks like a grand prix and the performance leaves much to be desired. gimme a vette anyday.

yeah man, definitely give me the corvette!!!
the gto is actually a holden, too bad pontiac decided to reuse a design that was already in sale in the other countries. would have been nice if pontiac went the way ford goes with their retro styling...awww the possibilites :banghead:

Ford isn't doing as well as expected with the whole retro thing. The T-bird has been cancelled because of lack luster responce. The SSR (Truck/sport thing) is not moving either. When Texas, which is full of trucks, won't touch a truck, it's a problem. Maybe the $42K price tag may have something to do with it. In either case, retro seems to be a recipe to hold inventory.

If you remember, the GTO was not a pretty car. It looked kind of plain. It was just a solid, powerful car. A blue collar working man ride, just add white t-shirt and mesh baseball cap.

Nick, that hummer is very cool, what made your Dad buy one?
I would like to have one or a Armada / QX56, if they didnt take
so much gas, especially with these high gas prices. :)

Good ol' Bush decided while young men are risking their lives in Iraq fighting for Oil, us Americans over here should have the benefit of burning that oil they are dieing for, so he offered tax breaks to company owners if they purchase vehicles over 6000lbs (or some where in that range), these vehicles are exempt from posting fuel consumption, so with that said, we get a nice tax write off and get to have a cool car. If it were for a toyota prius, I am sure we would have bought that.

Anyhow...you dont look at it as bad gas mileage, just think of it as every 8 or 9 miles is one gallon of gas :p


What up Nick and JoeB? I haven't seen you 2 around here in a long while, so what's been crackin, I hope that you both are doing well and all, I miss hearing from both of you.

Well, I'm still chillin, just like Pao, oops I mean BP, I went out and bought a 2k3 Max but I still kept the 2k Max too.

Nick go for the STI, they look mad cool on the road and they can fly.

JoeB, I see you still kickin up dust in the Alti and taking names.

Too bad about the whip Nick, sorry to hear that, all of the Alti's I had were very reliable and had over 180K when I got rid of them but both were still going strong and it seemed that the engine was just getting better, must have been all that racing you been doing:)

JoeB I feel you on them crazy a$$ gas prices, I hate having to put 91 (I always use 93) in the Max because at damn near 2 a gallon, they got a brotha looking for a 15speed mountain bike.

Well, you and Nick stay cool and come back more often and holla back when you get a chance.
Til then luv, peace and chittlin grease.

Love the STi, but I am waiting for 05 to come out since they are expected to be much better (and more expensive), however, the damn G35 is still callin my name (and I am kinda resentful towards nissan at the moment)

The STi is cool, but a black G35 coupe with 18's is seriously one of the best looking cars on the road, period. I really wish I could get one, I see one every fucking day in the parking lot at school and it drives me insane. Besides, what are you actually going to do with an STi? Unless you want to abuse your daily driver at the race track, it's pointless to have that much power and handling capabilites.

Hey Nick, don't blame all of Nissan, as I've said I've had Altimas before and they never failed me, they were good cars for the money and very reliable, I only got rid of them for one or 2 reasons:

either I was looking for a newer model as I traded my 93 (bought brand new in their first year) for a 96 (had a few more features) plus I drove the hell out of the 93 or because I went to a higher model, when I traded the 96 for the 2k Max because I needed a bigger car (my kids got bigger).

Other than those 2 reasons, I would've kept my Altimas, either of them.

To Thrasher: I agree the G coupe is sexy looking, I keep seeing this one in town, this cat who owns it, put some aftermarket exhaust on it and that thing howls and growls as he rolls down the road, I keep thinking everyday of just driving into Infiniti and saying can you take this Maxima off my hands for that G over there?

Who knows? I might just go next weekend and see what's up.

I drive very aggressive, actually I over do it now when I drive my Altima, when i go from H2 to Altima, for some reason the simple fact I can accelerate fast, stop and handle, I drive the thing like a mad man. Aside from my bad driving habits, I like a car that I know can keep up with me.

My cousin and my friend both have G35 coupe's with Aero kits, so any time I want to be in one I can, plus I dislike the inside very much, looks too much like my crappy Altima. G35 is somewhat boring, it feels heavy and sluggish, I like something nimble and responsive (STi).

However I will be commuting with this car to school, so I would consider a G35 Sedan for economical reasons.

bk2kmax, Nissan WAS good, I think that before this crappy Altima came out, the KA24 was a really good motor, this QR25 has proven trouble some to Nissan....but I still like Nissan cars, just wont buy one especially after my service manager talked a grip of shit on the cars.

Not to many cars will last if your driving them hard.

The G35 feel sluggish huh? Thats something the Maxima
and Altima never feels like. Ive also read alot about G35
sedans and coupes not getting the gas mileage the Maxima
and Altima are getting. :smile:

After driving the cars I have, I just dont think the new Nissans were built like the last, I still drive my 300zx hard and it has yet to be mad at me other than normal wear items.

what cars have you drove?

2 1997 Maxima GLE's (120k on 1 and 36k on other)
1 1986 300zx (157k, learned how to drive stick on it)
1 1993 Quest (still know the 3rd owner of it and has a power steering leak, 130k and previous owner took shit care of it)

Only car left of those is my 300zx which still runs great. *knocks on wood*

I agree that the Maximas were solid cars and built good.
We had a 96 Altima GXE, that thing was tough, very reliable
like the Maximas. Are Subarus reliable? :dunno:

Not a regular Subaru, no. But I bet an STi is pretty reliable, basically being a rally car. Subaru knows their shit when it comes to rally cars.

I have to agree with Nick on the overall quality of Nissan's cars. It is no secret that Nissan cut corners to deliver their redesigned products (Max, Alti and Sentra) so the build quality of common parts associated with these cars were bagged and borrowed from their cache of parts from previous gens of those cars.

However, I do believe that Nissan's sales of the Z, the newly redesigned Alti and Max have given them such a comeback that they are out of the hole so to say and can afford to build up from recently scratched caches instead of the historic grave yard of parts they had for the 00-02 1/2 years of those cars.

I was at the Nissan dealership checking out that Armada and Titan and the build quality and overall fit and finish is chiseled and you can tell they didn't cut corners to do it.

So in other words, any car that Nissan has redesigned especially after 02 1/2 has been using a newer and better quality of material and parts. Now you would be the best time to jump into one of their products if you're looking for anything between 02 1/2 through the current year.

I dont know about subie being reliable anymore, my friend was running 470 hp at the crank and his engine went out on him....I have along time before I have to decide, maybe something better will come out from now till then.

470 hp on any factory Subaru is obviously far from stock, so I can't blame it one bit for not being reliable. That goes with any automobile, it's common sense.

Well a lot of them have been having oil seal problems, I mean 300hp on a 2.5 liter engine is a lot. Even 276 on a 2.0 liter evo is pusing it. I just think these crazy cars can be asking for trouble sometimes.

Maybe I should get me one of them Hybrids from Toyota :cool:

Nick, do you like the 04 Maxima any? Six speed in one might be
nice, if your going new, personally Id rather have a Altima,
but seeing how you already have one, but they are very similar.
I really dont like the front of the Maxima, but I guess it could be
overlooked. Maybe a G35, I heard they are getting a new interior
soon. :sunglasse

G35 sedan is a maybe, but definatley no more Nissans...just dont want to risk it...infiniti is pushing it too....but I wont worry about a car for a few more months...just gonna burn gas for now :p

I might get a G35 coupe or sedan with a six speed. Going to check
out the new Altima SE-R though first. I seen one on TV auto show
and it will have a 6- speed or a 5 speed auto, seats that looked like
a g35's, metal pedals, gauges above the radio like the 350Z. :smile:

Well I made the first step today and went to the dealership and sat in the sedan, I like it much more than the coupe. I am going back with my dad on thursday for test drive and maybe to trade in and pre order a 6mt, opting for the desert silver or whatever it is, aero package (3 grand is a bit pricey though) and want to try to get nav, if I were you I would not get the altima se-r, get something nicer dont upgrade to teh same car

they don't make sedans in 6 speed as far as i know nick. the sport coupe is a 280 hp VQ with 6mt the sedans are 5 speeds with 20 less hp, and the maxima/altima is said to be quicker than the sedan since there isn't as much drivetrain loss. i'd go 6 speed sport coupe.

and joe, upgrading to a whole new altima just to get a few nice nick-nacks isn't the smartest sounding idea to me. for the extra 5 hp it offers just get an intake. for the rims and gauges just get them from the dealership. don't go spending a whole nother $25,000+ just for a few amenities.

The 6 speed sedan has been out for about 6 months now I think. I would go with the coupe too, but visibility is pretty shitty out of the rear. Then again, there aren't may better looking cars than the coupe, and the exhaust sounds bad ass.

I am not a coupe fan, its way to over played, every little kid in high school and as I mentioned before a few buddies of mine have it, it is not worth the $$$. I would never drop 36k on a car with this shitty of interior. I personally do not like the G interior on the sedan either, but I know the quality of it will be superior over anything else in the price range. My opinion is probably far off from how you guys feel about the car, but thats why they made 4 doors for people like me. I am not worried about the power train loss in RWD or the 20 less hp, the car has shown to run low 14's stock with a 6 speed, if I am not mistaken, a G35 coupe stick can run a 14.1, drivers with 6mt sedans have been running 14.1s, so they are somewhat equal when it comes to speed.

I agree Brian, the reason I mentioned the Altima is Im going to buy
this fall if and it will be out then and I can look at it, and that the
nearest Infiniti dealer is about 70 miles. But Ill have to drive it because
I want a G35, and I was wanting the coupe, but it is 32,450 dollars
and the 6 speed sedan is 29,000, so if I get one it will be a sedan,
unless I find a nice used coupe with low miles.

Nick you dont like the G35's interior? I think its nice.
Best 0 to 60 times Ive read for a G35 6 speed coupe
are 5.5 and the worst was 6.0. Best Ive read for the sedan
6 speed were around 5.8 and worst was 6.3. Im not really worried
about the speed though. My Nissan dealer which is 30 miles drive,
had a 03 G35 sedan and was asking 31,000 for it, so I figure just
get a new sedan with leather and the 6 speed. I dont need the nav.,
and the other options. :grinno: :sunglasse

I am not a coupe fan, its way to over played, every little kid in high school and as I mentioned before a few buddies of mine have it, it is not worth the $$$. I would never drop 36k on a car with this shitty of interior. I personally do not like the G interior on the sedan either, but I know the quality of it will be superior over anything else in the price range. My opinion is probably far off from how you guys feel about the car, but thats why they made 4 doors for people like me. I am not worried about the power train loss in RWD or the 20 less hp, the car has shown to run low 14's stock with a 6 speed, if I am not mistaken, a G35 coupe stick can run a 14.1, drivers with 6mt sedans have been running 14.1s, so they are somewhat equal when it comes to speed.

Well Nick, I gotta say that I feel you on that Interior Issue but Nissan/Infiniti is due to redesign the interior this upcoming year which will increase their sales by a yard, just as the newly redesigned Altima interior is going to do for them.

To be honest though the G is about the best car you can get for the money, the only thing that comes remotely close is the BMW 330 series but then you are going to pay over 41,000 for it and it isn't any faster, nor does it look any better (IMO) than the G.

You're right on the G and G sedan as far as the times go, I do find that when you pimp out a Sedan that it looks better than a coupe anyday, maybe it's because everyone expects a coupe to look dope but a Sedan, especially a family looking sedan like the G and Max, no one expects them to look that tight once it is hooked up.

JoeB the price of the Alty is going to jump up because of the new interior redesign (in fact it already has, just saw one the other day at Nissan) so they are starting to infringe on G territory and I for one can't see the justification in the price hike when you can get a G for just 2k more that has RWD potential and soon the 280plus hp of it's bigger coupe brother's engine.

The Alty has upped it's HP to 260 now.

I agree Brian, the reason I mentioned the Altima is Im going to buy
this fall if and it will be out then and I can look at it, and that the
nearest Infiniti dealer is about 70 miles. But Ill have to drive it because
I want a G35, and I was wanting the coupe, but it is 32,450 dollars
and the 6 speed sedan is 29,000, so if I get one it will be a sedan,
unless I find a nice used coupe with low miles.

Nick you dont like the G35's interior? I think its nice.
Best 0 to 60 times Ive read for a G35 6 speed coupe
are 5.5 and the worst was 6.0. Best Ive read for the sedan
6 speed were around 5.8 and worst was 6.3. Im not really worried
about the speed though. My Nissan dealer which is 30 miles drive,
had a 03 G35 sedan and was asking 31,000 for it, so I figure just
get a new sedan with leather and the 6 speed. I dont need the nav.,
and the other options. :grinno: :sunglasse

Well, you will be driving a lot less to that Infiniti dealership than you will to the Nissan. Infiniti customer service is fucking awesome, and Nissan sucks monkey nuts.

What color are you guys looking for?

The 3.5 still starts at 23,000 for that I think its alot of car for the
money. I agree the 3.5 SL is getting close to price to the G35.
About the HP, Im sure its 250HP. I do think the G35 is the best car
though for the money.

I havent decided on which color yet, either black, the dark blue
red and silver. Which color do you like on the G35's? I think
between these colors it would look nice. :smile:

The 3.5 still starts at 23,000 for that I think its alot of car for the
money. I agree the 3.5 SL is getting close to price to the G35.
About the HP, Im sure its 250HP. I do think the G35 is the best car
though for the money.

I havent decided on which color yet, either black, the dark blue
red and silver. Which color do you like on the G35's? I think
between these colors it would look nice. :smile:

G35 in Black or Blue is the only way to go, these are the only colors I like on this car. Normally I'd pick a white car because it always seems easier to hook up, something as simple as tinting the windows on a white car seems to bring out the look, add in some rims and people swear that you did something extra special to make your ride look tight.

Somehow or another, I'm not impressed by the G35 in white in both Sedan or Coupe form but if I had to take either in white, it would have to be the Sedan because the Coupe just doesn't look right in white.

I may have read the sticker wrong on the Alty but I could've sworn that I read it and it said 260hp.

I will check it out and get back to you on that.

My cousins G was at the dealershit today getting his Aero kit installed, anyways he got a G35 Sedan as a loaner, perfect since I am considering this same ride.

Well it was an automatic and man that thing has some balls off the line and really flies once it gets moving, I was really impressed with how the car drove, however I was thoroughly dissatisfied with the interior, the seat controls are in the worst possible place throwing off the ballance of the entire seat. The entire middle and dash console has that just got over spray feeling and ultra cheap looking and feeling interior, it seems to have a nice build to it though. I am just so mind boggled by the lousy interior, I personally think the inside of the Evo8 or STi looks better (i think i feel more comfortable with clothe interior as well, never been a pampered ass leather lover).

But I am going to still go to the dealership thursday and sit in a few and see how it goes. I plan to get the dark silver color, i forget the name, but I also want the black interior, black stays clean easier than beiege although the beige looks much classier.


joeB, you already considering a car over the altima? Why so soon....get bored?

Nick you dont like the G35's interior? I think its nice.
Best 0 to 60 times Ive read for a G35 6 speed coupe
are 5.5 and the worst was 6.0. Best Ive read for the sedan
6 speed were around 5.8 and worst was 6.3. Im not really worried
about the speed though. My Nissan dealer which is 30 miles drive,
had a 03 G35 sedan and was asking 31,000 for it, so I figure just
get a new sedan with leather and the 6 speed. I dont need the nav.,
and the other options. :grinno: :sunglasse

I think I may be crazy, but I dislike the interior of BMW too....just something about it, looks to over done for being so low tech....

But if you considering a G35, i'd go sedan, I was reading online the car is so well built that you forget the back doors are there, and let me tell you while acclerating that bad boy, i forget i was driving a sedan, felt like I was driving something much smaller.

http://press.nissan-global.com/TOKYO_MOTOR_SHOW_2003/COMMON/IMAGES/SHOW_CAR/FUGA/LOW/fuga_09.jpg

Ok, i like this interior but i dont like the G interior, it should be something like this IMO

That would be a nice interior Nick, I dont like BMW's interior either.
The G35 sedan looks nice, so Id get it for the price. I really like the
coupes look though. Im keeping the Altima, it has 4400 miles, and
and will be paid for in a few months and I still like it very much.
Im not driving it much cause of gas prices, and I only put top
fuel in it. If gas prices stay this way, I just might get a new Jetta
TDI , Ive seen they are supposed to get 50 mpg. Even though Im not
a big fan of them. :grinno:

Gas sucks for sure, but what can you do, yeah at a time like this I should consider a toyota prius, but why not burn gas while we still have it and worry when its gone :p

Im not worried about gas being gone, but about the Toyotas and
hondas, Ive read that around 100,000 miles when the batteries
need replaced they could cost up to 3000 dollars. If I had one of those
Id rack the miles up quick, as I do with my other vehicles. :sunglasse

What else are you driving that you do not drive your Altima?

Gas sucks for sure, but what can you do, yeah at a time like this I should consider a toyota prius, but why not burn gas while we still have it and worry when its gone :p
time to get a motorcycle. if you don't rip around everywhere a tank could last a week or more. i need refuel my car every 3-4 days; 5 if i drive normal, which is rare.

Nick, I also drive a 93 Tracker 4x4 and a 93 Escort GT. :cool:

I think I may be crazy, but I dislike the interior of BMW too....just something about it, looks to over done for being so low tech....

But if you considering a G35, i'd go sedan, I was reading online the car is so well built that you forget the back doors are there, and let me tell you while acclerating that bad boy, i forget i was driving a sedan, felt like I was driving something much smaller.

The 02/03 Maximas have the same engine, bar 5hp difference, so the Max must feel the same other than the RWD and independent aluminum suspension on the G.

time to get a motorcycle. if you don't rip around everywhere a tank could last a week or more. i need refuel my car every 3-4 days; 5 if i drive normal, which is rare.

No motorcycle :p, gas lasts a week no problem, most cars can hold enough fuel for a week anyways

Nick, I also drive a 93 Tracker 4x4 and a 93 Escort GT. :cool:

When do you drive the Altima? The altima is not like a special car like a porshe, I would daily drive it

Its the gas, I have to put premium gas in the Altima. The other two
cars use regular. I didnt say it was some exotic car, but I do like
it and I appreciate it. There isnt any use in me driving it 30 miles
to work one way and back when I have other vehicles :smile:

Premium is like 10-20 cents more, I rather enjoy the drive in a 3.5

I drive the Altima enough, I didnt in the winter, thats why the miles
are low. I dont see the need to drive it everyday though when I have
other vehicles, and are better on gas also. I dont like to waste money
like some people driving around huge SUV's taking 70 or more dollars
to fill up. Some people do it, you can, Im not giving my money away.
But Nick, I dont get why you needed to be smart with the porshe
comment, but Iam also trying to save money to get it paid for and
then Im buying something else this fall. I dont think Ill buy another
new car after the next, that is why I didnt want to put a alot
of miles on the Altima right now.

haha, yeah all the cars my parents drive burn too much gas. Hummer has 850 miles and will be a month old on the 16, so I guess we throw away a lot of money on gas, but you only live once, enjoy it :D

maybe he just got lucky......and the guy in the max was a shitty driver....

Pwned

haha, posting a little late?

Ok I am not gonna read 100 pages of posts. So what happened between the 4th Gen Maxima and Altima? I read like the first 3 pages and said fuck this.

haha, it never even happened man.

I raced my cousins 4th gen max and beat it a few times. Basically off the line my 5 speed got a good head start and held its own. Or so I thought, before my engine went kaplewy, I raced him again, except this time we didnt let off and we kept going over 90mph where we usually would let off around with me being in the lead, after 90 he whooped me, if we could keep going past my limiter, I am sure he would have had many car lengths on me. So basically as far as low end accleration, my 2.5 has some decent power, but it has nothing up top.

yea yea yea, all of you need some help. the 4th gen maxima, besides the 05s is teh lightest max made, simple. there is now was a 2.5 i4 is gonan take a 4th gen max. no way. its common sence. come down to my hurricane ravaged city and see what its like to get your asses in your $20 thousand cars handed to you by a nearly 10 yr old BEAST. thats right, i said it, BEAST. yea, i agree though, the post is lsightly late, but i also said F it after the first 3 pgs.

yea yea yea, all of you need some help. the 4th gen maxima, besides the 05s is teh lightest max made, simple. there is now was a 2.5 i4 is gonan take a 4th gen max. no way. its common sence. come down to my hurricane ravaged city and see what its like to get your asses in your $20 thousand cars handed to you by a nearly 10 yr old BEAST. thats right, i said it, BEAST. yea, i agree though, the post is lsightly late, but i also said F it after the first 3 pgs.
the 05's aren't even out yet and unless nissan can drop 600 lbs from it they're not gonna be the lightest maxima's. also if you read past the first 3 pages you'd realize that 95% of us were in favor of the maxima, it was mostly just nick(jbl) in favor of the altima.

...and so it begins. The romantic comedy. Read this post again...for the first time.

ok, now that i think about it, what i said came out wrong. i was pretty talking to only him, even though i said "all of you", or "you are all" or w/e it was. i would like to thank all of those in favor of the maxima. as i said, i didnt read past the first 3 pgs, so i would therefore not know what went on after that. so, im sorry for those i offended who are fighting on teh same said as me, but i just wanted to state the truth.

O YEA, my bad about the 2005 thing, i meant to say 2004, and also, i didnt mean to refer to it by weight as much as i meant horsepower, seeing that the weight is made up for twice over with the power-weight ratio. thanks and sorry.