2023 Nissan Maxima Exhaust Systems

I have a 2020 Maxima, 300 hp. Wanted a bit more. Toyed with the idea of getting the cat back exhaust. I did not expect much as the 2 Cats are the limiting factor in this exhaust. Product was of high quality. Welds looked good. I was too lazy to install myself so I had Midas do it for $165. Everything fit perfectly. Sound: At idle and crusing speed it has a low drone. Acceleration adds a crackling sound. Not too loud. Performance: Interesting result. The maxima has a CVT that has *fake* shift points upon maximum acceleration. The engine revs from about 5300RPM to 6100RPM and then goes back down the 5300 RPM for the next "shift". After I installed, I noticed the RPMs of the fake shift were higher. It now starts at about 5600 RPM and goes up to 6300 RPM. I assume the ECM senses less back pressure and is knows the torque band has moved into a higher RPM range and has adjusted accordingly. Enthusiasts HATE this ECM and blame it for sabotaging their performance add ons. In this case it seems to be working in concert with the Stillen exhaust. Observation: The car starts off as usual and then has increased power above 4000RPM. Is it dramatic? No. Is it noticeable? Yes. Did I put it on a dyno? No. A YouTube video shows a middle aged man explaining, installing and dyno testing his Stillen exhaust on a G37 3.2 engine. Similar to the Maxima engine. His dyno test showed 17 HP increase. he also had added a K&N air filter as I did. 15hp increase sound about right. Value: It cost about $1200 and it adds some power. Yes, it was worth it. Guys at Stillen and CarID were helpful.