imrankh24

Which car do you prefer? Do you consider the maxima a luxury car in the platinum trim? My cousin has been arguing with me about this subject for a while now so I wanted to get some opinions. He says the es is nothing but a souped up Camry, he says the maxima will smoke the es no doubt it is faster but Nissan claims that it is a "sports" sedan while the es is nothing but luxury. Also which car is nicer inside out? Looking forward to the replies.

cephas

I own a Lexus ES so I'm biased, but here are reasons why to choose the ES over the Maxima:
-Reliability - proven 3.5L V6 with a traditional automatic vs a CVT for the Maxima. The Nissan CVT does not have a great track record for long term reliability no matter what model you investigate. For me, luxury includes not having the headache of repairs.
-Brand Prestige - yes, the ES is based on a Camry/Avalon platform. But a Lexus is a Lexus and the Maxima is not an Infiniti. Also, long-term, being based on the Camry/Avalon is great for parts because it's easy and cheap to get even in future years.
-Resale - absolutely no comparison in terms of which brand retains value.

If sport is the main determiner of which car to get, the ES falls behind. For me, the car is plenty fast, handles well enough and is an extremely comfortable cruiser on my daily long commute. If you love the Nissan, I see no reason not to get it - it's newer, faster and sportier. If you can afford it, the Infiniti Q60 would have a cool factor that's much higher than the Maxima.

imrankh24

Good points, and in terms of looks alone 2016 vs 2016?

Gekko

one will depreciate like a rock and the other will not. there's a reason for that.

Freds430

Lexus #1 in reliability by Consumer Reports and #1 five years in a row by J D Power. Lexus is #2 behind Toyota in the lowest maintenance cost. Nissan is between Fiat and Jeep in reliability. Wow your brother-in-law's selection process for picking a car is which one will smoke the other!!! The interior and exterior preference between the two is of course a matter of taste but there is no comparison.

http://twocents.lifehacker.com/the-c...ver-1781639773

imrankh24

Praise the lord there are still some sane people left in the worlds yea I agree and btw he's my cousin lol.

modad

I actually had a Maxima Platinum being brought in from another dealership when I changed my mind and bought the ES. Why? The Maxima is sportier looking, maybe faster, sounds more like a sports car and has a great stereo system and if I'd been 18-25 years old it would have been perfect. However, the ES is more refined, quieter, has an incredible ride and just seems more appropriate for an older person like myself.

imrankh24

Funny thing is he said the maxima rides "WAYY SMOOTHER" then the es

Maikerusan

Several family members had Maximia's. Nothing but one repair bill after another. Avoid.

imrankh24

He swears the es is a souped up Camry for old retired folks.

modad

Yeah 'rank, we all have cousins........ and they are always right

SW17LS

The Maxima is a great car, but very different from the ES. I would consider a Maxima over say a Camry or an Avalon, but not over an ES. The ES is a lot more dignified, refined...the personality of the Maxima is just not my thing.

Is the Maxima a luxury car? No....a Nissan is not a luxury car. It can be a luxurious car, but it carries with it no brand prestige or panache, the ES does. For instance I had a very luxurious and nice Jeep Grand Cherokee. Nicer than many Lexus models...was it a luxury vehicle? No.

imrankh24

Exactly my thoughts.

azipod

Once upon a time, there was something called the Infiniti I30 -- it was re-badged from the Nissan Maxima. The I30 competed directly against the ES for several generations. Even at that time, the I30 was no match. It could not compete. Infiniti/Nissan ultimately stopped making the I30 because of lagging sales.

So yes, since the ES beat up the I30, it is better than the Maxima.

lesz

I owned an 01 I30. It was an excellent car for the money. The fits and finishes were superb and a notch above those on a Maxima, The quality of the interior materials, including the leather, was nicer than that of the Maxima at that time, and the car had better sound insulation than the Maxima. Overall, I had no complaints with the car, and I could find very little difference in quality between it and the first ES that I bought a few years later, and its price was a couple of thousand lower than would have been the price of an ES at that time.

With regard to the question in the OP, it would be hard for me to think of a Maxima and an ES as being similar cars. As someone else said, if I was 20 years old, I think I'd be attracted to the Maxima. Now, the more refined ride quality, higher quality interior materials, quieter cabin, etc. would make me choose an ES and would push me away from a Maxima. Even if I wanted a sportier ride, the Maxima is still a front-wheel drive car, and it is hard for me to think of any FWD car, including the Maxima and the ES, as being truly "sporty".