z28dreams Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Hi all, I'm looking for a new vehicle, and am deciding between the following. Any input from people who have driven all 3 would be greatly appreciated: 1. 05 LGT - would be 5EAT and upgraded w/ cobb to stage 1 - pros: awd, power - cons: lack of low-end torque 2. 02-03 Maxima SE - 3.5VQ engine stock - pros: lots of low-end torque, reliable engine - cons: FWD, big turning radius 3. Impala / Grand Prix / etc - 5.3L V8 - PROS: tons of power - CONS: FWD, resale value, reliability ??? 4. Audi A4 1.8t quattro (not too serious about this) - would chip it - PROS: nice looks - CONS: about everything else - power, reliability, cost My goal is to find something for around $15,000 that will be fun to drive as a daily driver. Primary concerns are reliability, cost of ownership, and power, though I do want a leather interior. I'm leaning towards automatic because I'm in the DC metro area with brutal stop-and-go traffic, plus I've only driven manual a handful of times and don't really consider myself competent with it yet. Thoughts?
underpowerd Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Hi all, I'm looking for a new vehicle, and am deciding between the following. Any input from people who have driven all 3 would be greatly appreciated: 1. 05 LGT - would be 5EAT and upgraded w/ cobb to stage 1 - pros: awd, power - cons: lack of low-end torque 2. 02-03 Maxima SE - 3.5VQ engine stock - pros: lots of low-end torque, reliable engine - cons: FWD, big turning radius 3. Impala / Grand Prix / etc - 5.3L V8 - PROS: tons of power - CONS: FWD, resale value, reliability ??? 4. Audi A4 1.8t quattro (not too serious about this) - would chip it - PROS: nice looks - CONS: about everything else - power, reliability, cost My goal is to find something for around $15,000 that will be fun to drive as a daily driver. Primary concerns are reliability, cost of ownership, and power, though I do want a leather interior. I'm leaning towards automatic because I'm in the DC metro area with brutal stop-and-go traffic, plus I've only driven manual a handful of times and don't really consider myself competent with it yet. Thoughts? typo?
PhilT Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Spend a little extra and go stage 2, then it's a no brainer Double Award Winning Legacy GT Wagon
z28dreams Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 underpowrd : Not sure, I'd have to pull up the torque curves. From what I remember, the LGT's really don't have any power until 2500rpm+ , and upgrading the ECU really didn't effect anything below that range. I'll try to find some right now....
underpowerd Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 i'm kind of half breaking your balls i know that gen max has a generally respected curve, but really the last thing most ppl would list as a con to the gt (especially one that's at least flashed) is lack of le torque -- usually they complain the opposite (no power in the upper band). you're right about the # though, boost does come on @ 2500 on the stock snail. like said above, no brainer with a pipe/flash best luck with the choice.
z28dreams Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 Here's a torque curve for the VQ35 from a 350z - should be close to a maxima: http://www.nissannews.com/multimedia/technology/bw/350z_torque_curve.jpg some #'s: 1600rpm: ~ 140 lb/ft 2000rpm: ~ 150 lb/ft 2400rpm: ~ 160 lb/ft etc...increases pretty linearly up to ~ 6000rpm LGT stage 1: According to cobb's site, it looks like the car doesn't hit 160lb/ft until almost 3800rpm! http://www.cobbtuning.com/products/?id=2436 Any feedback?
FoxHound Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 the pontiac GTP is a monster with a supercharged engine that can be tuned pretty easily ... i would say that or the legacy gt... i love all wheel drive and turbos
z28dreams Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 A quick question on catback's - Is it possible to get a "quiet" catback? I really don't like the sound of most catbacks on anything but an 8cyl
rouar Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 I just came from an '00 Maxima SE. Loved the car. Huge con was unreliability. I only had a few repairs each year but they were always $1K+ -except the ignition coils, that was only $600 because I did it myself. In 2 years of ownership (64K-114K miles) I put many thousands into the car, and it was well taken care of before I bought it (family friend). I sold simply due to the cost of repairs. When running, it was a fantastic car. Add to your list of Maxima pros/cons: Pros - Huge back seat, giant trunk (fit a 37" LCD TV in the thing), comfortable seats, comfortable driving position, smoother controls (even the turn signal feels higher-class), automatic headlights, one-touch-up driver's window, one-touch sunroof, better auto HVAC, trunk release and gas cap release are easier to reach Cons - on/off clutch, floaty suspension, prone to rust, expensive repairs
05GT Guru Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 I have driven all 4, the audi is a waste, underpowered and repairs cost alot. The LGT has good low end power, even with a 5EAT you still launch at a higher rpm than 2000 so the turbo lag isnt bad. The maxima is eh, everyone has one, its a boring car. The V8 impala and grand prix i wouldnt buy for a year or 2, there are still haveing some problems with those engines. Otherwise with a couple bolt ons those cars make over 300fwhp and can rip pretty hard. But for a DD with balls the LGt is far superior to all those cars. Its faster than a A4, has AWD whcih the other 2 dont, and as far as a stage 2 vs a maxima, its over for the maxima. The only car that is faster is the v8 cars and like i said relability isnt there in that v8 yet.
underpowerd Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Here's a torque curve for the VQ35 from a 350z - should be close to a maxima: http://www.nissannews.com/multimedia/technology/bw/350z_torque_curve.jpg some #'s: 1600rpm: ~ 140 lb/ft 2000rpm: ~ 150 lb/ft 2400rpm: ~ 160 lb/ft etc...increases pretty linearly up to ~ 6000rpm LGT stage 1: According to cobb's site, it looks like the car doesn't hit 160lb/ft until almost 3800rpm! http://www.cobbtuning.com/products/?id=2436 Any feedback? most concise feedback i can offer is: while the gt is certainly not the 'king of cars,' and granted my first flash came pretty quickly, i have found it very difficult to be impressed by a stock vq's l/e tq output since getting off the lot. now stg 2 AT GT's can raise some pretty sweet curve, i've think it was mblock had near 320awheeltq with bolts and the stock turbo...that's no joke.
sschmelcke Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 i also came from a maxima. i had around 4k dollars into the maxima in vbmod, y-pipe, intake, ecu upgrade and a few other toys. my stage one auto xt would completely toast my old maxima. maybe if we started the race at 80 it might keep up. as far as the american cars are concerned. no thanks. it needs a v8 to haul around its 2 ton butt
hutru01 Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I know this is a Legacy GT forum and I will try to be as evenly biased as possible. 1. 05 LGT - Best bang for your buck - would be 5EAT and upgraded w/ cobb to stage 1 - just go Stage II - pros: awd, power - cons: lack of low-end torque - not true, the VF40 turbo is a very quick spooling turbo, its the high end torque that you will be lacking in.... 2. 02-03 Maxima SE - Fugly Styling IMHO - 3.5VQ engine stock - pros: lots of low-end torque, reliable engine - cons: FWD, big turning radius - FWD, enough said... 3. Impala / Grand Prix / etc - Do you really want a Chevy/GM? - 5.3L V8 - PROS: tons of power - CONS: FWD, resale value, reliability ??? - Redneck-mobile 4. Audi A4 1.8t quattro (not too serious about this) - Oh god no!!! - would chip it - PROS: nice looks - CONS: about everything else - power, reliability, cost - Please do yourself a favor and don't buy an Audi, they have tons of electronic crap just waiting to malfunction and cost you hundreds, if not thousands.... I hope that helps.
fonts Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 The LegacyGT is the best bang for the buck. AWD. Reliable (although others may argue otherwise). Plenty of options to tune/modify. Audi ... no as described above. The Maxima is nowhere near the LGT. I owned a 2000 Max (manual) and a 2001 Max. I thought they were great and fun to drive a couple years back. Nowhere near the ride with the Legacy. As for GM ... sure there is straight line power. Only problem is when you have to stop, turn a corner. I know the LGT is not great on gas .... but a buddy of mine owned a GTP. After 6 months he sold the thing because he was tired of filling it every day. Good luck in your decision.
cmc032 Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 american cars are built to go in straight lines ... I wouldn't dare drive a chevy hard on back roads, that would scare the s*&^ out of me. I've driven an audi ... ehh I've also test driven an '08 maxima ... Extremely unimpressed with its interior compared to the legacy's. If you have a family (wife/kids/ect) you would like to know that the legacy is one of the safest cars out there. Get the legacy
Bbc84 Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Here's a torque curve for the VQ35 from a 350z - should be close to a maxima: http://www.nissannews.com/multimedia/technology/bw/350z_torque_curve.jpg some #'s: 1600rpm: ~ 140 lb/ft 2000rpm: ~ 150 lb/ft 2400rpm: ~ 160 lb/ft etc...increases pretty linearly up to ~ 6000rpm LGT stage 1: According to cobb's site, it looks like the car doesn't hit 160lb/ft until almost 3800rpm! http://www.cobbtuning.com/products/?id=2436 Any feedback? Actually the dyno for my stock 5MT LGT, @ 3800rpm Im making ~250AWTQ (peak power) , coverted back to the crank w/ drivetrain loss thats close to 300tq. the dyno shows I was making 160wtq @ 2200 rpms.
BigT Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I'd say go for the MT.... I drive in NYC and I've driven in DC a couple of times. You can always learn on the clutch. Plus, you can look at replacement as a learning tool because it will allow you to buy cool MT cars in the future Subarus are really really reliable, which is a bonus, plus if you buy one from a dealer you might be able to get an aftermarket warranty (Go for the Gold, not the classic). Also on the pros for subaru is that not everybody has one, and it's less likely get stolen.
rouar Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I've also test driven an '08 maxima ... Extremely unimpressed with its interior compared to the legacy's. '00-03 Maxima interior > 04+ interior I won't bother defending the car (already stated I loved it) but you're comparing the wrong vehicle. Nissan's styling between 04-07 was horrid.
hutru01 Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I'd say go for the MT.... I drive in NYC and I've driven in DC a couple of times. You can always learn on the clutch. Plus, you can look at replacement as a learning tool because it will allow you to buy cool MT cars in the future Subarus are really really reliable, which is a bonus, plus if you buy one from a dealer you might be able to get an aftermarket warranty (Go for the Gold, not the classic). Also on the pros for subaru is that not everybody has one, and it's less likely get stolen. I have to disagree with going with the MT. DC traffic is terrible on a daily basis. Unless you feel like giving your leg a workout, go with a 5EAT. I can tell you from experience that I am MUCH happier with an automatic compared to have a 5MT around here.
BigT Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I have to disagree with going with the MT. DC traffic is terrible on a daily basis. Unless you feel like giving your leg a workout, go with a 5EAT. I can tell you from experience that I am MUCH happier with an automatic compared to have a 5MT around here. I guess thats why there are horse races.
ghostrider990 Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I currently own an 02 max, and I am looking to get out of it asap. I bought this car to drive to 100k plus miles, but it burns oil: how much? at least 1 qt. every 2k miles, and I only have 60k miles. I am ANAL about service, and I've been using M1 since 15k. Nissan is trying to tell us that this is normal, but after owning a 98 Maxima, and a 95 previous....i can definitely say - this is NOT NORMAL for a Nissan V-6. It's been a good car thus far - but i just don't trust it to get me to 100k without dumping ALOT of money into it. I don't want to, but prudence tells me to bail-out before the engine REALLY starts giving me problems. My BIGGEST problem is how Nissan NA Customer Service has treated me -- b/c of this, I will NEVER buy another Nissan. Period. --then there's the sloppy suspension, the rattles, the bose stereo that "sort-of" works, the notchy transmission (6spd), "warped" rotors every 5k miles, chipped paint, nissan service, 60k wheel bearings, bad 02 sensors, clutch issues, leaky sunroof, avg. gas mileage.... The Audi: I've driven several, and I have several friends that own them: all I can say is, don't do it. Service is EXSPENSIVE, and you'll be giving it ALOT. I am eargarly anticipating the arrival of the G8. I am LUSTING after this car -- but am I HONESTLY going to buy one?? i doubt it. Between v-8 gas mileage, and Pontiac reliability - I'd be better-off nursing my maxima to 100k. Maybe in two years I'll reconsider.... I am VERY interested in a SpecB for my next ride....I think the ONLY car that will fetch my cash before a Subie, is a Lexus - and I just can't part with that kind of cash! Mediocre gas mileage aside - the Subie is tough to beat! Good luck with your choice. gr
sschmelcke Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 and remember 95% of all subarus are still on the road after 10 years.
f1anatic Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 What good is > 200 whp if the car is FWD ? Either spin much and torque steer or traction control and electronics interference for the major win. Current Maximas I think come with a CVT so you should not have to worry about an inspired drive. If you only matched that to your GM V8 and FWD you should be straight...a land yacht that is simply a straight line cruiser and NOTHING else.
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