I went from an 02 Maxima (same as the 03) to an 07 AV6 EX-L and honestly speaking, I would rather have the 5.5G Maxima over a K24A 7G Accord (although the 06+ AV6 is a different story altogether).
Qualitywise, the only issue I had was a blown MAF sensor and I believe there is a recall on the CPS (Crank Position Sensor). Aside from that, my Maxima was rock solid and although interior "seems" cheap, it NEVER exhibited any interior rattles or deformities. (Unfortunately, Nissan went in a direction with the 6G Maxima that pushed a number of 4G (95-99) and 5G (00-03) Maxima fax to the Infiniti G35 or Acura TL (or in my case, the AV6). )
As I had owned my Maxima for 5 years, I can state that the power delivery is VERY addictive although the handling left a lot to be desired and has a much sharper appearance (IMHO) than the 7G Accord.
In discussing the Nissan bias, my prior three car purchases were Nissans. Each had their quirks and arguably may not have been as nice as the equivalent Honda but I DO NOT regret having owned each and the experience has been generally positive. The wife & I LOVE driving our Murano and still think it is one of the best looking cars on the street, despite being in its fifth model year.
The only Nissan products I would avoid are those manufactured at Nissan's Canton Mississippi assembly plant (Armada, Titan, QX56, Quest and some Altimas.). It seems that products from that plant were/are plagues with quality problems.
