Maximizer High Performance cat back arrived July 2nd and I installed on July 6th and it is droneless, drone free, without drone, and no drone within earshot. It doesn't drone, nor is there any drone present when one would expect drone, or even when one wouldn't expect drone, there still isn't any drone to be heard.

Installing the system went easier than I thought. What REALLY helped was to push a philips screw driver up between the factory tips push up on the nubby on the center bumper until the bumper popped out of the hole. I then loosened the three flange bolts, and using a small jack gently lifted the muffler as high as it would go. I sprayed the rubber hangers with silicone and then kinda rolled them off the muffler hangers with my fingers or thumb. I think the trick is to start one edge of the rubber hanger sideways to start it coming off the hanger then roll it off. It was actually quick and easy. I attached the new resonator first and left the flange bolts loose then slipped the muffler on the resonator pipe, then moved up to the rubber hangers getting them on in the same fashion as I got them off. I leveled the muffler and tightened the pipe clamp then the flange bolts - done! Test drive time.

Started the car and got a soft growl as the engine revved and settled into an idle. At idle the new exhaust is almost silent. Backed out of the driveway and headed up my gravel road to the main road. My first thought was - uh, oh. . . too quiet, but when I accelerated on the main road I heard a nice soft growl behind me. I cruised at about 50, slowing and accelerating easy then hard and it made a nice sound without being too loud. One last leg on the way home was the freeway for the drone test. It got slowly louder as I passed 60mph and lightened up around 70. I could just hear a hum at that speed but it was subtle and easily masked by the stereo at normal volume. I found myself still wishing it was a "little" louder but that changed after driving it longer the next day. The reality is, I don't think its possible to have it both ways so I'd rather it be a little quiet side instead of being a little too loud. I actually think its perfect for me. I have the sports car sound with a nice growl when I want it and a purr while cruising around through town or going down the freeway. I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that I'll never get pulled over for the noise, its kinda what you'd expect from a sportscar and most people would think it came that way from the factory. With the windows up its a nice subtle hum at cruise, but rolling down the window confirms the car sounds great.

I've always liked the factory square tips and worried the round ones might look at little out of place, but these tips looks sharp and again, unless you know Crossfires, you'd never know they were aftermarket. This could be handy if you live in a place that's strict about modified exhaust.

Now the bad:

When I unboxed the muffler the tips looked a little off in alignment. It was hard to tell for sure off the car but when mounted in the car the left left tip was off quite a bit. It bent slightly inward toward the right tip, but the worst part was it sagged down by about 3/8". If I twisted the muffler a little in the hanger it looked much better but then you could see from behind the car the tip was still a little off and you could see the muffler wasn't level either. After mulling it over for a day I decided that in the time it would take me to remove it, box it up, and drive it to the shipping place to send it back for an exchange, I could straighten the tip myself at the shop after work. Yeah, there goes my warrenty (more on that later) but what the hell. Sure enough in a little over and hour I had the tip straight and was happy with the looks. A little black hi-temp paint on the new weld and I'm good to go.

Ok. Now a little interesting tidbits I stumbled upon while researching this muffler. Before I bought it, I tried to find info on the company and came up with nothing. Only references were links back to ebay and to other car forums where someone was asking about them. When I got the muffler, but before modifying the tip I looked over the warranty card that came the box. It was a manufacturer's limited LIFETIME warranty on manufacturer's defects in material or workmanship and the was a website listed on the card was - www.maximizerperformance.com - try the link, and it doesn't exist. I googled the website and got a hit on the name with the copyright office. It was applied for in either 2010 or 2011 describes the future name to be a company that makes intakes and exhausts for autos, etc, but status of the copyright is, as of 2013 "DEAD" - final papers were never filed. It lists the company as being a part of another company located in Oakland Calif, and the warranty mailing address is a PO box in San Francisco right across the bay. . . . soooo, take that for what you wish. I have not corresponded with the place I bought the cat back from. I'm happy now with the set-up and it seems like the only choice I have without spending twice as much, which I was unwilling to do. I DO like the looks and the sound of the system. Time will tell how it holds up since its mild steel. I will mail in the warranty card and see if it comes back as undeliverable.

Tom