Got my black '06 Mada

2452 Views 14 Replies 7 Participants Last post by 92TripleBlack, Oct 3, 2005

palerider

Discussion Starter · Sep 28, 2005

Broke down and finally got one last night. 06 LE black with sunroof and, here is the key, the microfilter AND floor mats (wow)!
Paid 1% over invoice with 1500 back.

Traded in my 03 fx45(30K miles) (maybe that was a mistake).
A few things:

-Test drove all 06s on lot and steering wheel shook pretty bad on all. Told dealer I would buy anyway since my fx45 shakes for most of its life but still loved it. Anyway asked them to check and rebalance the tires before I picked it up- figuring it could not hurt but would not help. WRONG! Mada is smooth as silk now and great ride even with CCs (crappy Contis). I still want to put Cross Terrains on but with the ride being perfect now I will wait.

- this car is essentially a fx45 on steroids. Believe me when I tell you that it is ALMOST as much fun as the fx.
- I cannot believe the steering feel and confidence this 5500 pound + induces when driving- really incredible.
- -Nissan is making some kick ass, raw vehicles.
-Exhaust is too quiet- will have to put an annoying muffler on.

-One downside: You forget this is a huge vehicle because of the suspension and steering but I was pushing it on a windy, hilly road last night with no shoulder and came close to getting in trouble around one curve- I will write on the blackboard-"This is an SUV with roll over hazard even if Armanda with superior handling ..etc.etc

To say this car is a great value is maybe the understatement of the year. Just on the equipment alone you are 5-10K ahead of the other "luxury" SUVs. But when you throw in the handling and "feel" you are not even close. I test drove a Lincoln Navigator for 61K that absolutely was the worst test drive of my life.
One little criticism- why does Nissan place their wipers so high on the window so that it partially obscures the hood?- must be the Frogs (Renault) like high wipers that partially obscure hoods.

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VeeTec

· #2 · Sep 28, 2005

Enjoy your new ride.

Our 05 never had any steering wheel shake, nor did any I test drove, so it was probably the balancing.

armoody

· #3 · Sep 29, 2005

palerider said:
Broke down and finally got one last night. 06 LE black with sunroof and, here is the key, the microfilter AND floor mats (wow)!
Paid 1% over invoice with 1500 back.

Traded in my 03 fx45(30K miles) (maybe that was a mistake).
A few things:

-Test drove all 06s on lot and steering wheel shook pretty bad on all. Told dealer I would buy anyway since my fx45 shakes for most of its life but still loved it. Anyway asked them to check and rebalance the tires before I picked it up- figuring it could not hurt but would not help. WRONG! Mada is smooth as silk now and great ride even with CCs (crappy Contis). I still want to put Cross Terrains on but with the ride being perfect now I will wait.

- this car is essentially a fx45 on steroids. Believe me when I tell you that it is ALMOST as much fun as the fx.
- I cannot believe the steering feel and confidence this 5500 pound + induces when driving- really incredible.
- -Nissan is making some kick ass, raw vehicles.
-Exhaust is too quiet- will have to put an annoying muffler on.

-One downside: You forget this is a huge vehicle because of the suspension and steering but I was pushing it on a windy, hilly road last night with no shoulder and came close to getting in trouble around one curve- I will write on the blackboard-"This is an SUV with roll over hazard even if Armanda with superior handling ..etc.etc

To say this car is a great value is maybe the understatement of the year. Just on the equipment alone you are 5-10K ahead of the other "luxury" SUVs. But when you throw in the handling and "feel" you are not even close. I test drove a Lincoln Navigator for 61K that absolutely was the worst test drive of my life.
One little criticism- why does Nissan place their wipers so high on the window so that it partially obscures the hood?- must be the Frogs (Renault) like high wipers that partially obscure hoods.

Glad you like the Mada, good to hear your opinion on Mada vs. the FX. BTW, I am 6-3 and the wipers are not in the way.

ERBERTIS

· #4 · Oct 1, 2005

Welcome to the ride of the real Huskies. It interesting that you found a shake in the '06 models. My brand new '05 Galaxy SE ride was glass smooth for the first 1000 miles. It did however pick up some vague steeing characteristics recently. I'm not sure if it's the Conti's breaking in or factory alignment thrown off with a few construction rough road hits. Yes, I too threw this thing around some narrow country roads and had to go "whooaa". Didn't feel like it would roll over with the wide wheelbase, but the Conti's did get a little squirrelish. Got to remember to respect the Armada's unsprung weight if you are new to a truck this size. The beast is soo comfy, I don't realize how fast I am booking at times. But love everything in it, on it and under it. Definetly a boss piece of road equipment. ENJOY THE RIDE!!

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SilverQShip

· #5 · Oct 1, 2005

Glad, to hear everyone likers there MAda

. I felt the same way when i got my Qx good handling, fast as hell. I'm not sure if the suspension between MAda and Qx are different or not but i want a tad bit less body roll, it doesnt roll that much but i just want it to roll less. I too got in a mess situation when i first got the car, coming home taking exit off freeway(doin 85-86 didnt have a clue) i entered a corner at about 60 I took then i had to take a tight @$$ right bend not time to brake.................... I made it out fine so did the Q, CONTIS SUCK!!!

ERBERTIS

· #6 · Oct 2, 2005

I've noticed as many Qx's as Madas here in the Maryland area. The car bodies look almost identical. I like the chissle detail of the Armada overall concept and front end better. I am assuming your base car is a bit more costly due to high-end fit and finishing. Is there something special about the Q why you choose it instead of the Armada? Does it have anything different in base specifications?

92TripleBlack

· #7 · Oct 2, 2005

SilverQShip said:
Glad, to hear everyone likers there MAda . I felt the same way when i got my Qx good handling, fast as hell. I'm not sure if the suspension between MAda and Qx are different or not but i want a tad bit less body roll, it doesnt roll that much but i just want it to roll less. I too got in a mess situation when i first got the car, coming home taking exit off freeway(doin 85-86 didnt have a clue) i entered a corner at about 60 I took then i had to take a tight @$$ right bend not time to brake.................... I made it out fine so did the Q, CONTIS SUCK!!!

Same suspension on QX56 but it has a little more weight so it rolls a little more.

BTW, can we have a rule that every post ends with CONTIS SUCK!

92TripleBlack

· #8 · Oct 2, 2005

ERBERTIS said:
I've noticed as many Qx's as Madas here in the Maryland area. The car bodies look almost identical. I like the chissle detail of the Armada overall concept and front end better. I am assuming your base car is a bit more costly due to high-end fit and finishing. Is there something special about the Q why you choose it instead of the Armada? Does it have anything different in base specifications?

The QX has the same fit and finish. Its made on the same line by the same guys.

You get up leather, wood dash parts, heated second row seats, chrome wheels, chrome door guards, HID headlights, LED taillights, extra sound proofing, can get the optional smart cruise, longer warranty, and most of the Armada Options are standard. That's about it. Same drivetrain, frame, basic body, etc. as the base SE Armada.

I almost got it as I'm a huge fan of HID, like the wood, etc. but couldn't bring myself to spend the extra $7k for that. I also like the Mada Front end more.

SilverQShip

· #9 · Oct 2, 2005

I've noticed as many Qx's as Madas here in the Maryland area. The car bodies look almost identical. I like the chissle detail of the Armada overall concept and front end better. I am assuming your base car is a bit more costly due to high-end fit and finishing. Is there something special about the Q why you choose it instead of the Armada? Does it have anything different in base specifications?

Well to answer your question, i preffered the Qx because I thought the Armada was too noisy, i like the leather work better in the Qx, Chrome rims, Xenons, the little details that made a big difference to me. LAstly I preferred the Qx's front end, i thought the Armadas was good looking but a bit too simple and easy to get used to. I preferred the sophistication of the Qx's front & the statement it made(Elegant yet agressive). Some people said that the Qx's front was to happy looking- i disagree if one of these things pulls up behind you night or day its kinda of scary and intimidating.

Lastly i think im right in saying but these two are the fastest fullsize suv's in class. I know Qx is fastest lux suv, but is Armada best in class performance. Well done Nissan with this vehicle though, problem after problem and i still love it to death

.

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palerider

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 2, 2005

SilverQShip said:
Well to answer your question, i preffered the Qx because I thought the Armada was too noisy, i like the leather work better in the Qx, Chrome rims, Xenons, the little details that made a big difference to me. LAstly I preferred the Qx's front end, i thought the Armadas was good looking but a bit too simple and easy to get used to. I preferred the sophistication of the Qx's front & the statement it made(Elegant yet agressive). Some people said that the Qx's front was to happy looking- i disagree if one of these things pulls up behind you night or day its kinda of scary and intimidating.

Lastly i think im right in saying but these two are the fastest fullsize suv's in class. I know Qx is fastest lux suv, but is Armada best in class performance. Well done Nissan with this vehicle though, problem after problem and i still love it to death .

I agree even though I bought an Armada. I traded an Infiniti fx45 and I will miss the Infiniti service experience. My problem is I like noise- in fact I think the Mada is too quiet compared to the Titan. I test drove the Q and it is worth the extra dough IF (and only IF) you want a better "experience" with dealer and you want better leather and a quieter vehicle. I just love the rawness of the Mada but do miss the Infiniti experience. This is the great thing about market segments. Some will see the Q and the Mada as the "same" and will think the Q is just over priced for the "same". Some, like me, don't see them as the "same" but are not value buyers- we are looking for differentiators like handling (tighter on Mada) and "feel or rawness" (more pronounced on Mada). Others would never be caught dead in a Nissan (even though they make Infiniti) so they just go with the Infiniti brand. A closely related vehicle is the Toy. Landcruiser and the Lexus LX 470. "Same" cars really.

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92TripleBlack

· #11 · Oct 2, 2005

Exactly. I have a G35 and I do like the Infiniti service. BTW, my Armada is more quiet inside than the G35, and that's with the A/T tires.

SilverQShip

· #12 · Oct 2, 2005

are you sure suspension is stiffer in the Armada?

neil

· #13 · Oct 3, 2005

I have a shake in the steering wheel

I just bought my 06 Armada and the first thing I noticed on the way home at 60 MPH was that the steering wheel would go back and forth about 3 degrees. My buddy has a pathfinder (non armada) and he said yeah that is a nissan for you. I went to the dealership after telling them the situation and they told me that it must be balance. Then they looked it over and said it was out of balance by half an ounce. They said that wouldn't be the reason I saw what I saw and it is probably just the way the car drives. Anyway I don't like that answer but maybe it is. Its funny because on brand new pavement I have seen it run awful, but other times its on just older road and it still vibrates..

Sigh

Thanks,

Neil

92TripleBlack

· #14 · Oct 3, 2005

SilverQShip said:
are you sure suspension is stiffer in the Armada?

It isn't. Its the same exact thing. The only ones with different suspension parts were the Off road ones with the Ranchos that they don't offer any more and the Big tow package vs. the standard.
The QX feels softer due to the extra weight. 5661 for 4x4 and 5362 for 4x2. The Armada LE is 5623 for the 4x4, 5340 for the 4x2. Makes sense as it has basically the same stuff as the QX.
The '06 Armada SE 4x2 is 5251 lbs. A substantial weight reduction.
The lightweight however is the 2004 Armada SE 4x2 at 5013. About 650 lbs less, mostly soundproofing vs. '06, which makes a huge difference in ride on the same springs/etc. as the QX. Makes it the fastest of the lot also.

92TripleBlack

· #15 · Oct 3, 2005

neil said:
I just bought my 06 Armada and the first thing I noticed on the way home at 60 MPH was that the steering wheel would go back and forth about 3 degrees. My buddy has a pathfinder (non armada) and he said yeah that is a nissan for you. I went to the dealership after telling them the situation and they told me that it must be balance. Then they looked it over and said it was out of balance by half an ounce. They said that wouldn't be the reason I saw what I saw and it is probably just the way the car drives. Anyway I don't like that answer but maybe it is. Its funny because on brand new pavement I have seen it run awful, but other times its on just older road and it still vibrates..

Sigh

Thanks,

Neil

It sounds like you have alignment problems, balancing issues, and are dealing with crappy contis. Mine is steady as a rock and when I threw a half ounce I knew it immediately and had it rebalanced. Ask to have the alignment checked and get a road force balance.

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