In these pictures, the car looks like a mess. It has a great number of differing design elements all thrown together, not unlike a Hyundai and recent Toyotas.

 

The hood fit doesn't look bad to me once I view the images in native resolution. It does when the board compresses them without resampling.

 

lol

 

Altima is much better. I don't care for the corner of those head lights.

 

I dunno, I don't have any trouble telling them apart (although the Mazda and Toyota are indeed close). Perhaps it's the generation you're brought up with ... older folks like to say all of today's cars look the same but I can easily differentiate them. On the other hand, show me cars from the 50s and then I'm the one saying they all look alike.

I still maintain that that Maxima, especially in person, is a much more striking automobile than the other cars pictured.

 

I agree the early 90s Maxima was one of the most attractive sedans from that generation.

IMO the design was much more coherent and more masculine than the other soapbars. Of course cars back then were all pretty boring and boxy, so it doesn't stand out much today.

 

I like it, I think its a nice change for the last style.

 

I don't see the current Maxima as being that much different than a v6 Altima. FWD, VQ power, 4 doors, and the pricing even overlaps with the higher Altima trims like 3.5 SL. Only difference is the maxima is slightly larger and gets worse gas mileage.

Ever since the rwd g35 came out, i thought the next Maxima should have been based off the sedan version. That would have differentiated it from the Altima. At the least, give it an AWD and/or v8 option. Right now, i see no compelling reason to even look at the maxima. It's not as good looking as the altima, it's not quicker/faster or more powerful, it doesn't get better fuel economy, it's not cheaper, and it doesn't really offer that much luxury over a well optioned Altima. I don't even know why people continue to buy it. The pre-02 Altima's and Maximas were very different cars, the last gen not so much.

 

WTF is up with the headlights?

The rear end looks like it was taken directly off of a Honda Civic coupe.

The overall shape is better-looking, but some of the design cues make you question the designers at Nissan.

Maybe some of the people who designed the look for the '06+ Subaru Impreza went to Nissan.

 

Compare front to GTR. Seems to me that they are extending the GTR styling to other models.

 

[QUOTE=Gold_Rush;5267900]I don't see the current Maxima as being that much different than a v6 Altima. FWD, VQ power, 4 doors, and the pricing even overlaps with the higher Altima trims like 3.5 SL. Only difference is the maxima is slightly larger and gets worse gas mileage. QUOTE]

To really notice the differences in the current generation, you have to look at them side by side. The Maxima has a much roomier back seat with AC vents, Much better sound insulation throughout the car(the trunk area is most obvoious) A little more horsepower (at least in 06) a bigger more usable trunk (hinge design) and the SE came with 18" wheels standard. We went to the dealer looking for a V6 Altima but found that we could get a better equiped Maxima for the same money after the incentives... We bought the Maxima.

It's a small market segment, and one that will likely dissappear. Maxima, Avalon, etc... Full size FWD cars from non luxury nameplates... Unless the Camry/Altima/Malibu/etc... start getting smaller, then the Avalon/Maxima/Impala/etc... will see their markets continue to be canibalized...

I never liked the current Nissan buck toothed grille, so the next gen looks like an improvement to me...

 

To me, the grille area looks like a Volvo, the top of the hood looks like an Infinity, the profile resembles a Mitsubishi, and the rear looks like a cross between a Nissan and BMW.
When will Nissan give up that fat, droopy butt look? At least this Maxima doesn't have that excessively-tall-over-the-front-doors-and-dropping-back-to-nothing look (ala 350Z, Sentra, Altima).

 

Exactly. I saw this on AutoWeek last week and was going to post about it. It would have been too much effort for this much ugly.

 

Don't forget Honda and its new Accord.

 

Looks like a down syndrome kid with a giant forehead and eyes set far apart.