GJonathan Moonsammy English 101 Generations of Nissan Maxima’s Nissan Maxima’s have been around for centuries; they are manufactured in Japan and are popular worldwide. There are many different model/shape of the Nissan maxima’s and are categorized by the year and the generation for example they range from the fourth generation all the way up to the eighth generation. Since then each car has been developed tremendously. Such as safety features, security system, anti- theft and crash safety. Nissan has an overall good review throughout the years on its development and its success.
The development staff at Nissan has strived for years to make it where they are today and because of that they have mad incredible vehicles that are driven daily and all over the world. Not only are they safe vehicles to drive, but they are also affordable to the lower and middle class society. The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Corporation the following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsun’s being built in 1934.
The brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the United Kingdom. -based Austin Motor Company. and establishing a presence in the United States. In 1995 the fourth generation Maxima’s was in production. They were being mass produced at a rapid speed because of its popularity. This car was so popular that Nissan continued making it for four more years, stopping at 1999. The heart of the 1995 Maxima was a new 3. 0-liter V6, VQ30DE for short. This car was classifies as a 4DSC which stands for Four Door Sports Car. Its performance was what caught people’s attention.
While being light and compact is always good in any engine, what was most appealing about this one was the power it produced. The one hundred and ninety horse power rating wasn’t any more than the previous year, but the thick two hundred and five pound-feet of peak torque at a reasonable four thousand RPM gave the engine a much friendlier power band. The exterior and interior on this car has been tested for safety multiple times. It has been equipped with air bags in the steering wheel, passenger side dashboard and even side panels. The car has also been crash tested for even more safety and knowledge to the potential buyers.
Nissan has added protection throughout the whole car. The bumpers are insulated with foam to cushion and accidents or bumps while parking or any situations that might arise. Nissan added a very delicate security system and anti-theft protection kit in to help prevent getting your car stolen or even broken into. This security system is so complex that if someone was to break into this vehicle and try to hot wire it, the computer would get a signal from something called the immobilizer. This in fact disables the cars ability to start and would have to be taken to the dealer to be reprogrammed.
Many people have this problem and mistake it for other things that can possibly go wrong, like the fuel pump, cam sensor and fuel injectors. In 2000 the fifth generation maxima was invented. It was a more round shape vehicle and more spacious. This new and improved Maxima has a bigger engine and a sleeker new aero dynamic design and feel to it. The buyer’s choice awarded it a five out of five on its improved safety alone. Compared to the fourth generation maxima, Nissan has made the fifth stronger and also gave it more torque and horse power. What excited people most was not only the style of the car.
You probably already guessed that it was the VQ30DE-K (the K is for Kaizen, which means “improvement”) 3. 0-liter V6 engine that now made 222 horse power and 217 pounds-feet of torque. The extra power helped the car on acceleration and top speed. Maxima celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2001 with a special edition of the SE that we tested. Road Test Editor John DiPietro wrote that, “Nissan came up with a 2001 SE model with exclusive features such as ground effects around the lower body perimeter, bronze-tinted headlights, drilled aluminum pedals, aluminum gearshift knob and the obligatory, 20th anniversary badging, floor mats and key.
With the addition of a moon roof, power driver seat, 17-inch wheels/tires and auto-dimming rearview mirror. The 20th birthday Maxima also boosts 5 more horsepower from its 3. 0-liter, 24-valve V6 engine than the other Maximas, (earning a 227-horse rating) and a limited-slip differential to help put its horse power to the ground. The driving experience for the anniversary model is identical to the standard SE, which is mostly a very good thing. Acceleration is strong and smooth, with one editor comparing the engine’s refined nature to that found under the hood of a certain German car — high and risky.
The five-speed’s shifter drew some negative comments from various testers, who felt the joy of driving a potent, manual transmission sport sedan was blunted by the rubbery action of the Maxima’s shift lever. 2002 was the year Maxima upgraded their hearts and added a V6 3. 5 liter engine. A 255 horse power Maxima. This is certainly all-star power. It has 33 more horse power than last year’s car, 15 more than a 98 BMW M3 and is just a shade below the Acura TL Type-S. And, in Maxima tradition, it can be transferred to the front wheels through a manual transmission.
There is some torque steer when you stomp on it in first gear, but it’s not enough to be a concern. More importantly, there’s one more gear to pick from for 2002. Not only could the SE be had with that six-speed transmission, but that gearbox was also available with a limited-slip differential resulting in excellent traction under most conditions. Other changes included yet another new grille, new headlights and clear lens taillights. Throughout the years from 2004 to 2008 the sixth generation had come out and was being produced pretty fast.
Car enthusiast says it sold as fast as the third generation maxima’s when they first came out. For 2004 the Maxima has moved upmarket. The new car is 1. 4 inches wider, has a 2. 9-inch-longer wheelbase and offers increased trunk capacity. In 3. 5 SL trim, the Maxima is clearly a near-luxury car that bridges the gap between Nissan and its previous models. An eight-way power driver seat, dual-zone automatic climate control and a dash display that provides audio and trip computer readouts are all standard. The dash area in particular looks much more appealing than in previous Maxima’s.
Suede like material added to the door panels and dash area give the latter a sort of ‘floating appearance. This kind of attention to detail is unnecessary, but Nissan planners learned a valuable lesson when complaints began to arise about the older maxima’s rather bland interior. Overall, the interior improvements work well — not once did it feel as if we were riding in an old car. Some changes that this maxima has included a shorter throw for the manual shifter, additional chrome accents (both inside and out), auto-dimming side view mirrors and an additional 12-volt outlet to run accessories.
For 2007, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) replaced both the manual and traditional automatic. A change in horsepower measuring procedure for the ’07 model also yielded a 10-horse power drop in stated power. Overall Maxima is a very successful company and all their vehicles are amazing machines. That is why I will always stick to Nissan, especially Maxima’s. They’re the most reliable cars, a real get in and drive type of vehicles. That is why I still have my 1999 Nissan Maxima.
