Hey, my father's '04 I35 was totalled, and he narrowed his next car down to 2


'09 Maxima
- 3.5 SV with Cold Weather and Technology Package
- 33K without Tax

'08 M35X
- Technology Package
- 41K without Tax

He has driven my G, and complained how the ride is too rough for him. What do you think would be a better daily driver for him?

 

Are you sure the M he's looking at is an '04? You listed the M as an '04 M35x but the Y34 body style M was only available as an M45 and AWD wasn't an option. The M35 and AWD weren't available until the '06 Y50 body style was introduced.



In response to your question though, it depends. You get so much more car with the M. It's bigger, more luxurious, rides a bit more gently than your G but it is more expensive. It's an executive size luxury car. Is your Dad looking for an upgrade from his I? If he is, I'd suggest he go with the M.

If however he doesn't mind the lack of a "Premium" badge as well as bringing his car to a Nissan dealership, then the '09 Maxima is more of a direct successor to his I than the M is. Remember that the I was nothing more than a gussied up Maxima to begin with. The '09 Max should ride a bit more sporty than the M and offer a bit less space, but it's more affordable and comes with almost as many (if not a few more) amenities than the M.



In all honesty, I'd suggest he drive both and then go from there. If you post his impressions of both vehicles, we'd have a better idea of what his needs and wants are and what vehicle would most likely suit him better from a car enthusiast's standpoint.

 

OOPS! Its an '08 M35X. I was surprised the price is that low for a brand new one, but they are having great rebates apparently. Anyway, he loved his I35, and I suggested the Maxima to him because that is the closest thing he can get to it. He drove the Maxima recently and said it was nice, but I could tell he wasn't crazy about it. He's liked the M since it came out, and drove it about a year ago. He wants to buy something by this Monday. I think he will pick the M.

 

the new maxima are nice but it got nothing on the M!!!

 

get the MM!!!

 

get the M. Mike, if your dad needs any help, let me know.

 

I say M35 all the way...The Maxima doesn't hold a candle to it...

 

+1 The Max is nice but it fails in comparison to the M.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually saw the new Maxima yesterday and I would take the Maxima hands down.

 

I have driven both and seen both close up. The Maxima could not hold a candle to the M. Even the vid screen is of a lower resolution in the Max then the M. I saw the Maxima pics when they came out thought the exterior styling was very much Infiniti. However when it came out and I saw it in person there is a ton of Camry in the hind quarters and all of the switchgear has a less than quality I came to expect in a Nissan feel. After starting my technician career at a Nissan dealer in the early 90's and then moving to Infiniti 3 years ago, I always joked an Infiniti is a Nissan with a few more dollar signs. It sure is not. Nissan's build quality has gone down a lot by switching to primary US production where Infiniti is still at the top of the heap for quality. Sorry, a bit of a rant but my 2 cents. Buy the M35

 

If money isn't an issue, then it would take someone with a negative IQ to take the Maxima over the M35X

.

 

The Maxima is amazing, but you cant even park the two next to each other. M35 all day. Question is, how can you have a doubt? Have you driven them both? The quality in the materials alone is enough to justify the ''right'' decision.

 

The new Max is a nice car and it really is more Infiniti than Nissan. Unfortunately it's price is way too high to carry a Nissan badge no matter how well it's built, you will still have to deal with a Nissan Service center which are horrible. The M35x is alot more car for the money.

 

So what did he get?


I drove an M35 base RWD rental car in Colorado and it was epic. Little on the slow side, by handled great for a car of that size.

 

The 35 and especially the 45 are alot a car for the money in comparison to it's rivals.