anybody drives 02 Maximas?

[Maximus96]

looks like i can get 02s for about $17-18k with about 30K miles on it. these are the SE trim by the way. my friend that has a 2000 SE highly recommends one. the 02 have the 3.5L making 255 hp. i like nissan engines, my previous car was a G20 and my dad has a 2000 Frontier. anybody here drives one or have experiences with them? care to share any comments? i started browsing thru maxima.org already...i just want to hear from some members from here.

 

[Ryan]

Skoorb in 3....2....1.......

 

[pyonir]

00anybody drives 02 Maximas?

00i don'ts.

 

[ThePresence]

I drive a 2000 SE, and I love it! If you are going from a G20 to a Maxima you'll be delighted!

 

[Maximus96]

my friend told me the 00 and 01 are made in japan. are 02s made in japan as well?

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
Skoorb in 3....2....1.......

His is a 2000 I think, not that he won't come anyway.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: aves2k

Originally posted by: rbloedow
Skoorb in 3....2....1.......

His is a 2000 I think, not that he won't come anyway.

Yeah, we both have black 2000 SE's.

 

[trmiv]

Yes I drive a 2002 Maxima SE. I love it. The engine is very smooth and very powerful, fun to drive.

 

[JulesMaximus]

The 2004 is made in the USA. All prior year Maximas were made in Japan. I have a 2003 Maxima SE with sunroof I bought new in April of last year. I paid $22,400 for it. I have 13,000 miles on it already and it has been absolutely wonderful. It is very fast for a medium to large size 4 door sedan and reliable.

The 2002-2003 model has the HID headlights and the 3.5l engine (same engine that's in the 350Z in fact). The SE models come standard with 17" sport wheels, rear spoiler, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, keyless entry, power driver's seat, in dash CD player w/4 very decent speakers, fold down rear seats, fog lights, auto dimming rear mirror, A/C and (a feature I really like) the homelink transmitter integrated into the visor. Mine is an automatic (because the wife can't drive a stick). The car is front wheel drive though so if you really mash the gas pedal be prepared for a good amount of torque steer.

The stock tires on the SE are Bridgestone Blowtenzas which are really pretty bad in the wet. I'll live with them until they need to be replaced though.

Check www.kbb.com to get an idea of what is a reasonable price to pay for a used one.

 

[Maximus96]

very positive feedbacks so far, are there any problem areas i should look for when test driving one?

 

[JulesMaximus]

First thing I would check is whether or not you are test driving a previous rental. Some of them can be good deals but personally, having worked in the rental car industry for almost 7 years, I would steer clear of a car that has seen the first few years of life as a rental vehicle.

Some states have laws that you must disclose a vehicle that has been part of a rental fleet. I know California does.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If it has a sunroof it is a little less likely to have been a previous rental but if not then chances are it was a rental vehicle. Judging by the high percentage of 'previous rentals' I saw on dealer lots before I bought mine the Maximas seem to be very popular fleet vehicles.

 

[freebee]

I hate Maximas and all front-wheel drive Nissans in general.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: zaku
my friend told me the 00 and 01 are made in japan. are 02s made in japan as well?

I've heard (read) and even seen a few times for myself that the ~02's seem to be better built.. (last year, 2001)

I myself think the 20th anniversary 2001 Maxima is my favorite. I'm not a fan of the 02's an up. I like the 3.0L better

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: freebee
I hate Maximas and all front-wheel drive Nissans in general.

BAN!

 

[Maximus96]

whats the difference between 01 and 02 besides the bigger engine and HID lights?

 

[Maximus96]

also, how many mpg do you guys get on freeway and city?

 

[Raiden256]

Originally posted by: pyonir

00anybody drives 02 Maximas?

00i don'ts.

:beer: Sweet!!

 

[Sust]

Since no one is going to chime in on behalf of the rabid maniacs on maxima.org, then I will.

Bang for the buck is hard to beat on 5th gen maximas. The 2k2 and 2k3 are supposed to be really good since they sport the 3.5L VQ engine with a Nissan claimed 255 HP(but there are some who have dynoed their cars and report varying results)

Some of the annoying things on the 5th gen maximas include:
High theft rate of HID lights in NYC and North Jersey area.
Bose stereo operation is occasionally faulty and might require replacement due to sound cutting out.
Bridgestone potenzas notoriously reported to have bad traction.
High frequency of paint chips from road debris.
Several people report recurring brake judder that only goes away after installing aftermarket pads and rotors.

Other than those small things, I love my maxima.
It's always ready to go when I need it and it does it quickly.

 

[trmiv]

Originally posted by: zaku
also, how many mpg do you guys get on freeway and city?

According to the gas mileage thing, if I'm on a long stretch of freeway at a constant speed, I can get like 26 to 28 MPG. In the city, it's usually like 22 or so.

 

[Maximus96]

26-28 is pretty good, i drive almost 100 miles a day on the freeway...also does it require premium gas? thanks for all the inputs/comments

 

[ThePresence]

I drive about 130 miles a day, I put in only premium. Not sure if it's required, but that's just what I do.

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: Sust
Since no one is going to chime in on behalf of the rabid maniacs on maxima.org, then I will.

Bang for the buck is hard to beat on 5th gen maximas. The 2k2 and 2k3 are supposed to be really good since they sport the 3.5L VQ engine with a Nissan claimed 255 HP(but there are some who have dynoed their cars and report varying results)

Some of the annoying things on the 5th gen maximas include:
High theft rate of HID lights in NYC and North Jersey area.
Bose stereo operation is occasionally faulty and might require replacement due to sound cutting out.
Bridgestone potenzas notoriously reported to have bad traction.
High frequency of paint chips from road debris.
Several people report recurring brake judder that only goes away after installing aftermarket pads and rotors.
Front Wheel Drive

Other than those small things, I love my maxima.
It's always ready to go when I need it and it does it quickly.

 

[ThePresence]

I didn't realize the Potenza's were getting such a bad rap. I already changed mine to Cooper's. If you get the 17" wheels be prepared to pay alot of money for tires. I know I had to. (225/50/R17)

 

[brtspears2]

Plenty good car, got my highest speeding ticket ever driving one. I remember when fueling up the rental, it said premium unleaded only. It was a rental, not my car, who cares, 87 octane. 5 minutes after fillup, bad karma, speeding ticket.