On June 22, 2007, I bought a Precision Gray 2007 Nissan Maxima SL from Power Nissan in Torrance, CA, for 22K. The car had 20,700 miles on it and a tiny blemish, a scratch, on the passenger door. Being OCD about such things, I've since had that scratch painted. Almost 10 months have passed (and only 4,000 miles) since I bought the Maxima and here's my report card:
1. Look of the Car: A minus. Car looks good at all angles and shares
many styling points with the Lexus GS. The stock 18-inch rims help. The
gray color doesn't show dust and dirt as much as other other colors.
The black leather contrasts nicely with the gray exterior.
2. Engine: A. Acceleration is silky smooth and confident. If anything, the car is overpowered for all the city driving I do.
3. Gas mileage. C minus. Freeway is about 21 MPG, not bad, but since I do 90% of my driving in town I only get about 15 MPG.
4.
Handling: C. The turning radius, at 40 feet, is too big for my tastes.
Add to that the car's width, 71.7 inches, which isn't small, and I have
to be very attentive when I park the car (or pull out) inside the snug
2-car garage.
5. Comfort: A minus. Plenty of room in the front and
the back. Driver's seat feels great. Ride feels stable. However, when
my wife drove the car a few weeks ago and I sat in the passenger seat,
I felt like the car was bouncy.
6. Ergonomics. A. Everything is easy to use, including the on-steering-wheel radio toggle buttons.
7. Reliability. A. I've had no problems and projected repair costs for 5 years is $770.
Bottom-Line: Would I have bought the car if I could do it all over again? The simple answer is no. While I love the car's luxury and performance, its fat turning radius and voracious gas appetite is such that I would have bought a used 2007 Altima for about 17K. Then I would have paid $1,300 for black leather and another $1,500 on 17-inch alloy wheels. I would have been happy to compromise luxury and speed for a more economical and nimble car.
Final Thoughts: I previously owned a 1999 Volvo S70 GLT, which cost me $11,000 in repairs over 5 years. In contrast, my wife's 1999 Nissan Altima has only needed normal brake pad replacements and oil changes. I give my hats off to Nissan for making reliable cars that combine sporty style and performance. That's why while I think my Maxima acquisition was a bit misguided for reasons already mentioned, I would stick with a Nissan. Their Altima and Rogue are two cars that combine a lot of style and reliability for the money.
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