That was one thing I loved about it. When I was a child, I always liked when cars had a lot of buttons, even if I didn't know what a fraction of the buttons did. I loved that my grandmother had a Cadillac Sedan DeVille because it also had all kinds of buttons, most of which nobody ever pushed.
my dad had the top of the line model when they came out with two tone paint, full digital display, combination door lock, full leather and talking computer with a phone in the car. I remember when we used to drive around in the late 80's and i was a kid talking on the car phone in traffic people would just steer at me because it was very expensive to have a car phone back then each call was like $40 :))
I was given a used one as my first car in 1996 from my uncle and it had good speed and power. Loved the computer voice-" Door Is Ajar or Fuel Level Is Low". As a college student it was a blessing over taking the bus. Thanks for posting.
I still have my dad's 87 Maxima wagon. People ask about it all the time. I have invested a lot of money in repairs, but it has been worth it. The engine is still super smooth and powerful! It burns some oil, but other than that I hope to still drive it another 5 years or so.
My uncle bought one of these 1st year SE's ...I remember as an 8-9 year old kid thinking how cool and sophisticated it was. Beautiful car in person, especially compared to the domestic land yachts most of the family drove at that time. Styling still holds up to this day as well, I'd gladly take a clean example of this car as a daily!
Chris Laib This is my story almost exactly. I was 11 in '85 and my uncle bought one new. I remember that car like it was yesterday. *_IT TALKED!!!!!_* 😂😂😂😂 I remember thinking it was ALMOST K.I.T.T.😂😂😂
My mom had the base model. The guys at motorweek mentioned that the engine was crammed under the hood. The result was scorching hot underhood temperatures that quickly wore out alternators, batteries, starters, A/C compressors, and other items under the hood. I still loved that car, because of all the features inspired by Tron and Knight rider. Also, the engine kicked ass, except for the fact that it used a timing belt. After 9 years, my family learned the hard way what a timing belt is. It snapped, and the car wasn't worth saving. I'm suprised they didn't mentioned that the car had a robot voice. Unlike many other robot voice systems, this car had a voice that sounded human. I think Nissan rushed this car into production. The 1989 shared many things with the 1985, but the 1989 actually was very reliable. This car also made me want a 300ZX Twin Turbo since the day it came out. Years later, I read a car magazine that said "How to get 450HP from a Nissan 300ZX" and I saw the R34 GT-R prototype. I wanted the R34 GT-R so badly, that I gave myself the name "Skyline Fever." This car, as well as some video games, TV shows and other things made me want to visit Japan at the age of 5. As time went on, I wanted to visit Japan even more. I am 31, and still haven't been able to afford that trip.
The dream is about to come true, maybe this fall. Thanks to tourism guides, I know what exactly what I want to see. The "Tokyo at night" joke about 80s Nissan displays were probably based on photos of Shibuya crossing.
Yes. These ran very hot. Radiators popping. Starters seizing up, alternators stop charging. I was a mechanic back then. Don’t miss those days. All 80’s cars sucked other than Porsche 911’s. I still see a ton of 80’s Porsches on the roads these days. A few of my friends have them. Still best built cars that got even better.
MrGeeMan1980 The first Maximas model years 1980 (then called the 810/810 Maxima) through 1984 were rear wheel drive. Mine is a 1987 front wheel drive, has never let me down.
I owned one of these from 1989 - 1992. It was my favorite car to date. The shock valving had S/N/F (soft, normal, firm). In soft mode, the car felt unsafe. I used N mostly, F some of the time. I guess their point is that in Firm mode, the car (incorrectly) gives the driver the confidence that he/she could take such a turn without losing control.
I loved and still love the color combination this SE model had. Very sharp looking car. Too bad they didn't stiffen the springs to go along with the dampers, but this was a first year car. I imagine they got it right in subsequent years.
New Wave I had an ‘85 Datsun/Nissan (it had both badges) 200SX, which was baby brother to the 300ZX. It too had all the bells and whistles, including the Tape System Warning. It worked pretty good , giving many different warnings. The car had a 2.4 litre(2,400cc ) engine, dual spark plugs per cylinder, 5 speed. Great handling and fantastic highway cruiser.
The 1985 Maxima (Second Generation) re-design with the rectangle taillights was the best era of the car. As they slowly changed it over the years, it became more rounded and aerodynamic, but it just became another faceless, egg looking car in the crowd. The Second Generation body style is the one that holds up the best, even 35 years on...
pbfloyd13 The mandated 85mph speedometer in the U.S. was eliminated after the 1981 model year, but most manufacturers didn't implement higher read out speedometers until they redesigned a particular vehicle. Which is why, let's use a Mustang, for example, didn't get a 140mph until it's redesign in 1987, the 1979 to 1986 models used the same gauge layout, hence the use of the 85mph in these model years. Many manufacturers used the 85mph speedometers until stock ran out on certain models(especially trucks).
05gtdriver Actually 1987 mustang models had 85 mph speedo. In 1988 "most" of the mustangs except the 4 cly models had the 140 mph speedo. Sorry, I had to be that guy! But it's a great point you made!
Dev Rose Thanks for that info, was trying to jog my thoughts and I was off a year or two LOL. I appreciate your informative input, as will others. Cheers!
pbfloyd13 I had a C4 Corvette that had the digital dash with the visual readout that went to 85. The numerical readout could go to 999, I assume, as it was able to read past 100.
i own a 1985 maxima with 72k miles. same color as this one, tiny bit of rust on the paint not to noticible, been driving it for two years now and drives perfectly, I love it :))
This is how much cars have increased in size since the '80's: today's SENTRA is actually 0.4 inches LONGER than the Maxima in this review and it has a 6 inch longer wheelbase! Holy cow.
I think the reason is a lot simpler: each time manufacturers redesigned a model, they wanted to show consumers they were getting more for their money, so they made the car bigger and bigger. Selling something that's smaller is a hard sell to consumers: "New and improved in every way...and SMALLER"? But the rise of SUV's may well have to do with people getting fatter. They are easier to get in and out of since you're not "climbing" out of them and they have the ungainly proportions of fat people. Today's cars are heavier because of the increased electronics and crash equipment, the latter of which we shouldn't really complain about. Fuel economy is also being affected by the fact that most engine choices range from pretty powerful to ridiculously powerful, whereas back then, most cars were really gutless. I'm not sure how much that speed matters in a world with bumper-to-bumper traffic, though.
It's easy to poke fun at the performance of these cars from 1985 ("Zero to 60 is a SPIRITED 9.8 seconds", etc.) But this car is now 33 years old...that would be like comparing a 1952 car to mid-80s performance standards.
Yes , this car was fast for the 80's, but I recall that 50's car where faster, I had in 64 a 58 Mercury parklane that went to 100MPH without sweating, i believe the factory claim it was around 8.2 seconds in 0-60, and was pretty good for highway passing, but, they handled poorly and I guess they were faster because there weren't any emission requierements, neither catalytic converters, and ethyl was was of higher octane than the 93 you can find today
@@oldtwinsna8347 Ford couldn't sell enough of them to keep the name going worth keeping. It was the same reason GM eliminated several names during the 2000s.
Ed F booboo your comparing a family sedan to an entry level sports car. There is no comparison between the two. Compare the Nissan to a Pontiac 6000 STE, then you talk !
So awesome to see this video! I still have my 1985 nissan maxima, I still love it like I did in the early 90's. It still has that bulletproof motor but does need a new transmission. I wish I had the cash to restore it.
I have an 1988 Nissan Maxima GXE its a 2 tone goldish brown and white and its the last year of the boxy Maxima. It has every option and it has the 4 speed overdrive automatic. It has been in the family since it was new and has over 300,000 miles and still going strong. We also still have our 1984 Nissan Sentra 4 door sedan and it looks just like a smaller Maxima in the styling.
Donald Thompson Wow, nice. These cars are truly amazing because of their reliability. They also look better than the Toyota's and Honda's from back then.
heck, they look better than a lot of things I see in 2017. I used to be in 'love' with this maxima when I was in the army back in the early 90s. the good ole days.
I remember as a kid when our neighbors got one of these in a nice maroon color. Beautiful car. They had it for years. It made me a fan of the Maxima(not crazy about the current ones though)
I had a silver SE, bought used in 1990 after I graduated from college. I'm not actually sure I've ever loved a car more than this one. It felt so fast--seeming buckets of endless torque--and was so nice inside. I do recall thinking there was more engine than suspension (as is proven in this road test), but it never got me in trouble. Around 117k miles, though, it started to give me trouble--a/c, stuck moonroof, new transmission. I cried when I traded it in!
Scott Levine I had an ‘86. I remember having issues with the sunroof. I had the transmission rebuilt at 95,000 miles because 2nd gear went out. I got mine in 1989 with 42,000 miles on it. It got 25 mph consistently.
Beb152 i’m comsidering buying an 86’ but automatic from an elderly lady. new struts , new timing gear and new timing belt and new tires .. 3.8k. she’s 2 hours and 30 minutes away .. should i go for it?
The underhood temperatures were so high that the paint on the hood would fade and peel after 4 years, so you shouldn't be surprised that you never saw one with shiny paint.
Many of them, at least where I lived, had big body kits and color-matched wheels. Nissan started developing a, how shall I put it, 'urban' market segment about this time, separating themselves from Toyota and Honda.
Very few Nissans, and Japanese cars for that matter, typically arrived in the states in base colors (non-metallic) for most of the 80's. You didn't miss out on much.
@@cedricmiller4370 Yes, 2004 the Maxima looks substantially larger than the 2000-2003. After that, they've grown considerably bigger. Nissan will probably have to cancel it because now it directly competes with its less equipped little sibling, the Altima, which has more interior space than does the Maxima.
The 80's Japanese Cars! .... This is when Japanese interior/exterior & engineering design excelled & influenced American design, compare the '87 Honda Accord with the '87 Plymouth Reliant.... no contest or excitement appeal...had chevy-ford-dodge-pontiacs...but 80s -00s Honda's & now only Lexus showed me the definition of QUALITY.
I'm not so sure that Japanese car styling was influencing American car styling. In 1986 the Ford Taurus went on sale, and one reason people bought them was because they were tired of cars that looked like bricks.
I had this car new in 1986 in silver. Great car for it's day. Awesome engine and gear box. Looked good too. This is when Detroit got the knock out punch. Blew anything they could make away.
That right turn at 4:45 is savage!! Lol This was my first car, in ice blue. I loved the sexy lady voice that told you when you left your key in the ignition (and other phrases.) We called her Maxi. This was a great car, lasted me almost 300k miles!
I had a neighbor with the 1985 Maxima wagon and my mom had the sedan. Both cars spent comparable amounts of time in a repair shop. However, my neighbor must have remembered to replace their timing belt, because they kept theirs until the early 2000s.
These were actually pretty dependable. My 1987 was still on the road in 2008, until a teenager t-boned it, totaling it out. If not for that, I'd be driving it today.
@@texan903 I guess some of the late ones were dependable, my mom and some friends had 85 and 86 models, and the only things reliable were the engines and robot voice chips. They were constantly breaking down because of alternators, starters, and other electrical items under the hood. It might also be because where I live, people use their A/C 10 months out of the year. When the A/C goes out, driving is miserable. So is paying hundreds of dollars on a replacement compressor and knowing it will only last about 3 years.
I love seeing these upscale 80's Japanese sedans(pre Lexus and Infiniti) such as this Maxima and the Toyota Cressida that was uploaded a few months ago. The only question is; When are you guys at Motorweek finally going to upload the review for the 1986 Acura Legend? These sedans were cool back in the day and for the old school Japanese car fans like me, the video for the Acura Legend will be awesome.
This was my favorite car in 1986. But I liked the GXE model, not the SE. They had so many ccol features and they had a lot of balls. I remember they used to talk to tell you the lights are open or the doors are ajar. It had a cool keyless entry pad under the door handle.
These were sold in the UK as the Bluebird but the biggest engine was a 2 litre 4 cylinder. We did get the curvy 1989 Maxima 3.0 V6 which replaced the Laurel 240 SGX.
My grandmother had a black 1988 Maxima SE.. It was the last refresh before the 89 model came out and let me tell you that car was sharp! Especially for a grandma driver. Everyone in the family loved that car.
yeah seems like they kinda had a bias against imports because it was taking away from stuff made in America they thought i think. now the most American car is toyota since built here and most of the parts are made here. i have to say that the car seemed to stay under control for being pushed so hard. were they trying to make it lose control or what
had same car..was a beast..used to do burn outs like it was a LT1 lol.had 289k on it til got rearended ran like a swisss watch..1 alternator 1 fuel pump 1 starter all was replaced in 10 years i owned it new in 85..buried the 125mph speedo many of times 4 hours on end
My mom bought one of these brand new, at the end of 84!, man this car was so bad ass!, i use to smoke anythang on the road, an lay rubber in the first 2 gears!, she gave it to me in 99, an kept it till 03!, loved that car!!!
Back in the mid 80s to early 90s this car along with the cressida , legend & the lexus . If you were not driving one of these back then , aint nothin happening for you. They were the top 4 cars to own back then.
@audioman628 yea the 2002-2003 Maxima was the last original characteristic looking Maxima built the ones after that are still cool but they just don't seem like a maxima no more they more luxury oriented they don't even have the stick shift no more I'll take the 2003 maxima over the new maxima anyday
@@ssjMaximum22Goku The current Accord is certainly ugly. 2013-2017 was much better looking than the Maxima. It has been irrelevant since the early 2000's when that VQ was available with a 6 speed manual. I haven't looked at a Nissan since the Altima SE-R manual in 05 or so... The current Maxima is also much more expensive, starting in the 30's but not matching the build quality, handling, fun to drive factor, refinement, or resale of a well equipped Accord that tops out around where the Maxima starts.
My dad bought a GL model in '85. Extremely hard to get at the time. And about those headlights, when driving at night, oncoming drivers weren't used to seeing a full length headlight lit up. They would flash their brights at us, even though our high beams weren't on. They just ASSumed we had them on bright because of the shape.
I've had 4 of these, all auto.. 84, 85 and 2 87s.. i miss that damn car, I've seen a few on the street still and wanna buy them right from under the owner lol
So the Honda Civic in 1988 produced the same or better quarter mile and just a second longer 0 to 60 interesting I’ve owned twoMaxima’s a 1995 and a 1998. Both were the GLE edition both had beautiful leather seats both stereos and that lovely 3 L V6 and you’re right it is not a speed demon but it’s plenty powerful super smooth handles superbly on dry pavement and in the snow or wet roads. I loved both of those cars my wife love them and I wish they still sold the Maxima. Oh that’s right they still do sell the Maxima but it’s nowhere near the car that those two cars were
This was known as the Bluebird in Europe. I ran one as a company car in the early 90s, (a 2.0 LX estate) for 2 years & 120,000 miles. The Primera had already been released but Nissan still had old stock of the Bluebird, hence the company I worked for buying them up cheap for fleet use. I remember it being a mostly reliable but wholly unremarkable car with quite poor performance for a 2 litre engine.
Nissan Australia produced a rear drive Skyline sedan with a 3 Litre straight six which was a pearler of a motor. The Holden Commodore of the time used this Nissan straight six as their standard power plant until the next generation VN arrived in 1988 which used the Buick based 3800 V6, which was a backward step in refinement levels. Australia didn't see the Maxima until 1990 which was a later model.
You guys forgot to let them know about the surround system and amazing clarity of it. And those number were pushed back as this car beat many V8s in the 0 to 60 and quarter mile runs, this car had it all.
I’ve seen very few se’s on the road-ever. He should have reviewed it as a family car or as a personal luxury car. The 1985-88 Maxima was excellent as a normal car.
I recall Nissan offered these cars with bronze tinted glass when equipped with leather. The only problem was when you got a silver metallic blue w/dark blue interior, the bronze tint clashed with everything. All other models without leather got the typical "blueish" tint.
I’m trying to recall the bronze tint, certainly sounds right. My friends mother had a gold example (leather, fully optioned) and as a teen I was in love with the car. It “felt” ridiculously fast at the time, the power train was enough to make it exhilarating!
I had one of these (an 87 model, which was almost identical) from around 1997-2000. Had a helluva lotta fun in it, too! Bulletproof car! It even ran for a few miles with zero oil after Valvoline left the drain plug out. It was funny watching the handling as they attempted that hairpin. That is exactly how the car would behave - you tried to turn and it would roll and then just keep ploughing straight ahead! Severe understeer! And the rear end would get all kinds of out of sorts, especially if there were any mid-corner bumps. Engine felt pretty strong, and the gearbox...well, let’s just say it wasn’t as slick as Honda units of that era, but it got the job done. A/C was never very good, even after a rebuild. I’m not sure I ever topped it out on the highway, but it probably would have hit the 125 on the speedo (maybe; it was shaped like a brick). I’m not sure about their assertion that this was the same engine as the 300ZX...I thought the 300 had a DOHC engine even back in the mid-late 80s. Maybe not. I do know that the generation of Maxima after this one (89-94) was a huge improvement in every way, and DID have a DOHC engine with 190 HP in the SE trim. I always wanted one of those. Looked at a 1993 for sale once, but was advised to skip that year model in particular because the cam gears would get out of adjustment frequently (or something like that). Beautiful car. Pearl white exterior with charcoal leather, 5-speed, with white-faced gauges. I think Nissan should have kept the Maxima a RWD car. Then they might have *actually* been able to compete with the likes of BMW and the Maxima *might* have been able to live up to that “4DSC” (4-door sports car) badge that they put on the rear quarter windows (and which the new models still have). AND the new Maxima is STILL FWD with the engine mounted the WRONG way. Imagine what the Maxima could be now with a competent, rear-drive architecture and a smooth, powerful, good-sounding, 300+ HP V6 engine. But, instead, Nissan has stayed with convention.
Thanks for that clarification. Cam timing for the Maxima must have fallen more towards the low-end and midrange. I’d imagine the Z was tuned for better top-end.
The Maxima was definitely made for more low-end torque. The non-turbo Z-car had 225 horsepower but people had to wind it up, and it had a 7000 RPM redline.
I BOUGHT THIS EXACT CAR NEW IN 85. I HAVE HAD MANY GREAT CARS INCLUDING AN 83 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL BUT THIS CAR WAS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE! I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ONE AGAIN! THE TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN WAS WAY AHEAD OF IT S TIME.
YES - it had driver adjustable shocks in 1985. We owned an '85 SE from new, and it cost over $1500 to replace the FRONT TWO in 1990. Sold it with 175k miles, BEFORE having to replace them again...
My mom didn't have the adjustable suspension. However, what my dad remembered most was that the rear McPherson struts required the back seats to be removed to replace those struts, which made for a high labor cost.
I used to own one of these, an '87 SE 5-speed. The adjustable shocks, the huge moonroof, the pass-thru back seats, Bose audio with equalizer (very toothless by the time I bought it used); it was a REALLY good car to me. I absolutely wish I still had it, and would buy one in decent shape in a second. These cars are so utterly rare to find now, though. Throw some wider wheels on the back, and while you'll have to deal with staggered tires when you need a new set, I'm certain an extra inch or two of width would solve a lot of the handling seen here.
