One of my readers, Phil, from Virginia, submitted his first quarterly Owner’s Log report on his very own 2010 Nissan Maxima SV. He’s had it for 3 months now, and put almost 2,000 miles on it, so let’s see what he thinks of Nissan’s flagship sedan! Click past the jump for pictures of his car and Phil’s experiences so far. You can also scroll to the bottom to see the break-down of what everything in his purchase cost.
Thanks Phil! If you’d like to submit your own Owner’s Log updates, please use the Contact Form to submit them.
Stats:
Time Period: 6/30/2010 – 9/30/2010
Miles Driven: 1,712 / 1,712 (this update / total)
Average MPG: 19.7 mpg (reported by owner)
Lifetime MPG: 19.7 mpg (reported by owner)
Costs:
Maintenance Costs: $0
Total Cost (non-fuel): $0
Services Performed:
none
Summary:
Driving during this period occurred during unusually protracted hot summer months when the air conditioning and seat cooling systems were used almost daily. With the exception of trips to Arnold, Md., and Philadelphia, Pa., the vast majority of driving took place in and around the metropolitan DC area. So far, my overall driving experience has been very good. As with my ’04 Maxima, premium fuel is recommended but not required. I used regular 87 octane gasoline without any problem on the ’04 during my seven years of ownership, and continue to do so with the ’10 Maxima. (In the for-what-it’s-worth column, I am reliably informed that lower octane burns hotter and leaves less residue than premium gasoline – better for both the car and the pocket.)
This is true, but better gasoline companies use special additives and detergents to prevent extra build-up of material inside your engine. I still believe in following what the manufacturer recommends for fuel type – click here to read more on this subject. – Ed.
Dated Notes:
- none
General Observations:
My overall evaluation is very positive, so it is easy enough to focus on the few less than sterling items. As John Suit aptly noted in his review, a “throaty snarl” accompanies acceleration; in my view, it adds little of value to the driving experience and in fact is somewhat annoying. However, the “snarl” is quick enough to subside and return to a more pleasant resonance as speed is achieved. My first experience with the navigation system unhappily put me on the wrong side of the road at construction/traffic plagued Tysons Corner, but since then there have been no hiccups. While discussing navigation, the necessity of switching to the “appropriate” regional map to find addresses located outside “my region” is baffling, since the navigation system on my wife’s Acura requires no such partition of address databases by region. The ride is fairly stiff as one would expect in a vehicle with sports car lineage and aspirations, but it is not unpleasant on decently paved streets and highways. So far, with the exception of the observations reported above, everything works as advertised and as it should – no glitches, no surprises.
Note: Phil purchased his car on June 30, 2010.
| MSRP Base SV | $33,410 |
| Splash guards, carpeted floor/trunk mats | $350 |
| Premium pkg | $3,230 |
| Premium tech pkg | $1,850 |
| Trunk floor organizer/1staid kit | $140 |
| Dest chg | $740 |
| Sub total | $39,720 |
|
|
|
| Taxes | $1,098 |
| Misc fees | $170 |
| Gross cost | $40,988 |
|
|
|
| Manufacturer Rebates | $2,250 |
| Additional Allowance | $3,232 |
| Trade-in ’04 Maxima SL (57,444 miles): | $11,475 |
| Total Off | – $16,957 |
|
|
|
| Total out the door | $24,031 |
by MaximumPhil
Edited for content and format by John Suit
Images were submitted by MaximumPhil and are the property of John Suit and Road Reality