Mid 90's Accord, Camry, or Maxima?

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gjeste

Banned
Mar 15, 2004
99
0
0
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
The Honda can never lose! If you don't get the Accord then the Camry way before the Maxima

i dont know what you're smoking...

I would put the Maxima "first" out of these 3 choices. it's simply a way cooler car. I have a 96' SE and the thing rules. It handles better and is faster than the Camry, it looks better than the Camry, and probably just as reliable. (i'm at 105,000 on mine, and no problems)

Besides, waaay too many people roll around in Camrys these days, so many that it just gets old after awhile, and not to mention that but it's also ugly. so as you can imagine, i get sick of seeing that ugly cheesy car everywhere.
 

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
10,757
3
81
Originally posted by: NutBucket
Originally posted by: Jumpem
Originally posted by: RGN
my parent have a '93 Maxima that they have put 112K on. Nearly no problems. I've got a '92 SE Maxima and it it waay cool. But I've done some preformance work to it too.

Mods on a fwd sedan?... interesting

Sheesh. You make it sound like nobody does it (as in real mods, not cosmetic ones)

lol, sorry. I just don't think of fwd cars as performance vehicles. I'd actually prefer another rwd one, but the winters make that rather unpractical.
 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
17,619
2
76
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Originally posted by: psteng19
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
The Honda can never lose! If you don't get the Accord then the Camry way before the Maxima

Right, when the Maxima has lower resale so you can pick it up for cheaper, has a more powerful V6 and is just as reliable.

Resale value is lower for a reason. Think about it.

Enlighten us please? I would get the Maxima too, which I did.

Most of my friends or family members who have owned a Nissan, new or used, have regretted purchasing it.

Best friend in high school - they were a strictly Nissan family. He owned a 94 Maxima, his dad a 93, family van was a Quest. His transmission went out twice within 3 years. His mom's engine blew. Not sure whatever happened to the Quest if anything but they both drive Hondas now.

Older sister's best friend - dad bought a 89 Maxima. Had it for 5 months, had so many problems he donated it and got a 300M.

Uncle - bought a used Sentra for my cousin. Was in great mechanical shape (supposedly), great cosmetic shape. Lasted a year before dying. They were strictly a Toyota family before that and swore never to buy another Nissan again.

Few other friends with Nissans - yes, several of theirs run solid like any Toyota or Honda. Several of theirs don't.

The whole stigma of those experiences hasn't helped my personal view of Nissan and their reliability. Of course you can make the point that everyone knows someone who has had horrible experiences with (car manufactuer XYZ goes here). My choice of Honda, then Toyota, then far in the back - Nissan - is my preference and opinion. If you've had great luck with Nissan then great for you, I'm happy that you and psteng and whoever else has. But Nissan's lower resale value cannot ALL be due to perception of a lower quality product. If you can give me a good reason as to otherwise I'd love to hear it.
 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
17,619
2
76
Originally posted by: gjeste
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
The Honda can never lose! If you don't get the Accord then the Camry way before the Maxima

i dont know what you're smoking...

I would put the Maxima "first" out of these 3 choices. it's simply a way cooler car. I have a 96' SE and the thing rules. It handles better and is faster than the Camry, it looks better than the Camry, and probably just as reliable. (i'm at 105,000 on mine, and no problems)

Besides, waaay too many people roll around in Camrys these days, so many that it just gets old after awhile, and not to mention that but it's also ugly. so as you can imagine, i get sick of seeing that ugly cheesy car everywhere.

It's called an opinion. You obviously like the Maxima better than the Camry. What's your point?
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,033
545
126
Originally posted by: Jumpem


lol, sorry. I just don't think of fwd cars as performance vehicles. I'd actually prefer another rwd one, but the winters make that rather unpractical.

Its also about choices. I like my Accord so I the logical choice was/is to mod it. A rwd car would be more fun but damned if I can think of one I like, that's worth modding and that's not a sports car.
 

Crappopotamus

Golden Member
Oct 1, 2002
1,920
0
0
i have a maxima, so... yeah. imo its got more character than the other two. its better looking. its got mo powah.
 

Thegonagle

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2000
9,773
0
71
If it must be a V6, forget about a pre-98 Accord.

Choose between a Camry and a Maxima, but also keep an eye out for old-person trade-in GM domestics with the 3.8L V6. Look for something like a Buick Regal GS or Olds Intrigue. For whatever money you're looking to spend, you can probably find one in excellent shape, with low miles, and a 2-3 years newer than either a Maxima or a Camry. If you're going to borrow any money for the car, newer+lower miles=better APR and more banks willing to lend the money. (Get pre-approved. Look for a credit union that will take you first, and shop at other banks second. Finally, let the dealership try to beat the best rate you've found for yourself. If you don't get pre-approved somewhere, you WILL NOT get the best rate the dealership can get you--they make plenty of money by adding a percent or two to whatever loan they sign you up with and pocketing the difference. No that's not illegal, but it sure sounds shady, right? So fight back--get pre-approved.)
 

BigSmooth

Lifer
Aug 18, 2000
10,483
7
81
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Originally posted by: psteng19
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
The Honda can never lose! If you don't get the Accord then the Camry way before the Maxima

Right, when the Maxima has lower resale so you can pick it up for cheaper, has a more powerful V6 and is just as reliable.

Resale value is lower for a reason. Think about it.

Enlighten us please? I would get the Maxima too, which I did.

Most of my friends or family members who have owned a Nissan, new or used, have regretted purchasing it.

Best friend in high school - they were a strictly Nissan family. He owned a 94 Maxima, his dad a 93, family van was a Quest. His transmission went out twice within 3 years. His mom's engine blew. Not sure whatever happened to the Quest if anything but they both drive Hondas now.

Older sister's best friend - dad bought a 89 Maxima. Had it for 5 months, had so many problems he donated it and got a 300M.

Uncle - bought a used Sentra for my cousin. Was in great mechanical shape (supposedly), great cosmetic shape. Lasted a year before dying. They were strictly a Toyota family before that and swore never to buy another Nissan again.

Few other friends with Nissans - yes, several of theirs run solid like any Toyota or Honda. Several of theirs don't.

The whole stigma of those experiences hasn't helped my personal view of Nissan and their reliability. Of course you can make the point that everyone knows someone who has had horrible experiences with (car manufactuer XYZ goes here). My choice of Honda, then Toyota, then far in the back - Nissan - is my preference and opinion. If you've had great luck with Nissan then great for you, I'm happy that you and psteng and whoever else has. But Nissan's lower resale value cannot ALL be due to perception of a lower quality product. If you can give me a good reason as to otherwise I'd love to hear it.
Look at this link: http://www.alg.com/news/arc_2004rvas_autonews.html
First off, Nissan's overall lease residual values (directly related to resale values) are now the 4th best in the industry among non-luxury brands, so they're among the best to begin with - I wouldn't describe them as having low resale values anymore.

But what's more telling is that their residual values increased by 4.2% from 2003-2004. Did Nissan's quality or reliability (or even the perception of it) improve 4.2% in one year? Almost certainly not. But Nissan's "revival" has been spearheaded by a constant stream of new, more desirable products and the nameplate is gaining respect. Basically, what I'm getting at is that reliability does not directly drive resale values, so you can't equate lower resale with lower quality. Reliability is only one portion of the demand equation that determines those values (notice how VW is 3rd best among non-luxury brands despite some well-documented reliability problems).

That said, I do think Honda and Toyota produce the most consistently reliable products on the market, and that is certainly one of the reasons why they are always at the top of the charts for resale.
 

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
10,757
3
81
Originally posted by: Thegonagle
If it must be a V6, forget about a pre-98 Accord.

Choose between a Camry and a Maxima, but also keep an eye out for old-person trade-in GM domestics with the 3.8L V6. Look for something like a Buick Regal GS or Olds Intrigue. For whatever money you're looking to spend, you can probably find one in excellent shape, with low miles, and a 2-3 years newer than either a Maxima or a Camry. If you're going to borrow any money for the car, newer+lower miles=better APR and more banks willing to lend the money. (Get pre-approved. Look for a credit union that will take you first, and shop at other banks second. Finally, let the dealership try to beat the best rate you've found for yourself. If you don't get pre-approved somewhere, you WILL NOT get the best rate the dealership can get you--they make plenty of money by adding a percent or two to whatever loan they sign you up with and pocketing the difference. No that's not illegal, but it sure sounds shady, right? So fight back--get pre-approved.)

No borrowing. I'm planning on paying $3-4k in cash.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,033
545
126
For the 3-4k cash you're looking at a early-mid 90's Accord/Camry unless you're willing to get one that has a ton of miles. Forget about a V6.
 

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
10,757
3
81
Originally posted by: NutBucket
For the 3-4k cash you're looking at a early-mid 90's Accord/Camry unless you're willing to get one that has a ton of miles. Forget about a V6.

There's good deals to be had. I'm a college student so I'm not rolling in money. For $4k I can get a mid 90's sedan with a v6 and under 90k miles. I'm just trying to decide which one I want.

I've never spent more than $2k on a car. I think spending large amounts on a car is a waste of money that would be better off put towards a house or a wedding.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,033
545
126
Originally posted by: Jumpem
Originally posted by: NutBucket
For the 3-4k cash you're looking at a early-mid 90's Accord/Camry unless you're willing to get one that has a ton of miles. Forget about a V6.

There's good deals to be had. I'm a college student so I'm not rolling in money. For $4k I can get a mid 90's sedan with a v6 and under 90k miles. I'm just trying to decide which one I want.

I've never spent more than $2k on a car. I think spending large amounts on a car is a waste of money that would be better off put towards a house or a wedding.

wedding?:confused: House I can agree with but not wedding.
 

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
10,757
3
81
Originally posted by: NutBucket
Originally posted by: Jumpem
Originally posted by: NutBucket
For the 3-4k cash you're looking at a early-mid 90's Accord/Camry unless you're willing to get one that has a ton of miles. Forget about a V6.

There's good deals to be had. I'm a college student so I'm not rolling in money. For $4k I can get a mid 90's sedan with a v6 and under 90k miles. I'm just trying to decide which one I want.

I've never spent more than $2k on a car. I think spending large amounts on a car is a waste of money that would be better off put towards a house or a wedding.

wedding?:confused: House I can agree with but not wedding.

If parent's aren't paying for it, that means I have to.:(

 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
17,619
2
76
Originally posted by: BigSmooth

Look at this link: http://www.alg.com/news/arc_2004rvas_autonews.html
First off, Nissan's overall lease residual values (directly related to resale values) are now the 4th best in the industry among non-luxury brands, so they're among the best to begin with - I wouldn't describe them as having low resale values anymore.

But what's more telling is that their residual values increased by 4.2% from 2003-2004. Did Nissan's quality or reliability (or even the perception of it) improve 4.2% in one year? Almost certainly not. But Nissan's "revival" has been spearheaded by a constant stream of new, more desirable products and the nameplate is gaining respect. Basically, what I'm getting at is that reliability does not directly drive resale values, so you can't equate lower resale with lower quality. Reliability is only one portion of the demand equation that determines those values (notice how VW is 3rd best among non-luxury brands despite some well-documented reliability problems).

That said, I do think Honda and Toyota produce the most consistently reliable products on the market, and that is certainly one of the reasons why they are always at the top of the charts for resale.

I see your point but my point was being made for the mid '90s and below Nissan vehicles, not the current generation. That chart lists expected values for 03 and 04, and doesn't apply to any make or model he is considering. Increased build quality is to be expected nowadays - to be honest, just to make sure I was making the right decision I did look at the Altima before purchasing my Accord. (04 model year) The interior was shoddy and there were gaps in body panels among other irregularities I noticed. Does that necessarily mean anything about it's future reliability? Maybe, maybe not. Does that necessarily affect it's future resale value? Maybe, maybe not - only time will tell. And yes I agree on the fact that there are several factors that you have to put into play when considering resale values - preception was just one piece of all that.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,033
545
126
Originally posted by: Jumpem
Originally posted by: NutBucket
Originally posted by: Jumpem
Originally posted by: NutBucket
For the 3-4k cash you're looking at a early-mid 90's Accord/Camry unless you're willing to get one that has a ton of miles. Forget about a V6.

There's good deals to be had. I'm a college student so I'm not rolling in money. For $4k I can get a mid 90's sedan with a v6 and under 90k miles. I'm just trying to decide which one I want.

I've never spent more than $2k on a car. I think spending large amounts on a car is a waste of money that would be better off put towards a house or a wedding.

wedding?:confused: House I can agree with but not wedding.

If parent's aren't paying for it, that means I have to.:(

Just curious but are you talking on the order of $20k?

Deals yes, but I still don't think you'll find a mid 90's V6 sedan with clean title and low miles for $4k. For $4k you can probably get a 94-95 Accord (4 banger) with reasonable miles in good condition. Same goes for a Camry.
 

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
10,757
3
81
Originally posted by: NutBucket
Originally posted by: Jumpem
Originally posted by: NutBucket
Originally posted by: Jumpem
Originally posted by: NutBucket
For the 3-4k cash you're looking at a early-mid 90's Accord/Camry unless you're willing to get one that has a ton of miles. Forget about a V6.

There's good deals to be had. I'm a college student so I'm not rolling in money. For $4k I can get a mid 90's sedan with a v6 and under 90k miles. I'm just trying to decide which one I want.

I've never spent more than $2k on a car. I think spending large amounts on a car is a waste of money that would be better off put towards a house or a wedding.

wedding?:confused: House I can agree with but not wedding.

If parent's aren't paying for it, that means I have to.:(

Just curious but are you talking on the order of $20k?

Deals yes, but I still don't think you'll find a mid 90's V6 sedan with clean title and low miles for $4k. For $4k you can probably get a 94-95 Accord (4 banger) with reasonable miles in good condition. Same goes for a Camry.

No, I'm figuring $1500-2k for the ring whenever I get around to it. Hopefully, a wedding can be managed for $3-5k. Then I have to have some money saved up for somewhere to live.

 
Feb 10, 2000
30,029
66
91
It really depends on your priorities:

In terms of being fun to drive, Maxima with manual > Accord I-4 with manual > Camry I-4 with manual > Maxima with auto > Accord V-6 > Camry V-6 > Accord I-4 with auto > Camry with auto

For ultimate reliability and maintenance cost, Camry > Accord > Maxima, with the V-6 Toyota and Honda costing somewhat more than the I-4s. The Max is still a highly reliable car, however, and the likelihood is that the differences would be nominal (tough to account for dumb luck, which is where the differences are likely to lie).

I have owned two Accords (an '84 with 5-spd, and a '98 EX V-6), and currently drive a 2001 Maxima with stick. I was really disappointed with my last Accord, and the Maxima was clearly the most fun-to-drive of the three in the late 90s and early 00s (I remember one R&T comparo of the Max, Accord, Camry, and Taurus that called the Max "a shark among groupers").
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
10,913
2,061
126
Originally posted by: redly1
I wouldn't bother with a V6 from the mid 90's in a Toyota or Honda. The real world power difference isn't great enough to compensate for the difference in mileage. I'd go for a 4cyl Camry
Good choice on an exhilarating, boat-handling 130 HP. :D
 

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
14,000
2
0
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Originally posted by: psteng19
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
The Honda can never lose! If you don't get the Accord then the Camry way before the Maxima

Right, when the Maxima has lower resale so you can pick it up for cheaper, has a more powerful V6 and is just as reliable.

Resale value is lower for a reason. Think about it.

Enlighten us please? I would get the Maxima too, which I did.

Most of my friends or family members who have owned a Nissan, new or used, have regretted purchasing it.

Best friend in high school - they were a strictly Nissan family. He owned a 94 Maxima, his dad a 93, family van was a Quest. His transmission went out twice within 3 years. His mom's engine blew. Not sure whatever happened to the Quest if anything but they both drive Hondas now.

Older sister's best friend - dad bought a 89 Maxima. Had it for 5 months, had so many problems he donated it and got a 300M.

Uncle - bought a used Sentra for my cousin. Was in great mechanical shape (supposedly), great cosmetic shape. Lasted a year before dying. They were strictly a Toyota family before that and swore never to buy another Nissan again.

Few other friends with Nissans - yes, several of theirs run solid like any Toyota or Honda. Several of theirs don't.

The whole stigma of those experiences hasn't helped my personal view of Nissan and their reliability. Of course you can make the point that everyone knows someone who has had horrible experiences with (car manufactuer XYZ goes here). My choice of Honda, then Toyota, then far in the back - Nissan - is my preference and opinion. If you've had great luck with Nissan then great for you, I'm happy that you and psteng and whoever else has. But Nissan's lower resale value cannot ALL be due to perception of a lower quality product. If you can give me a good reason as to otherwise I'd love to hear it.

I have a 96 Maxima, and it's fine with 130K miles on it, and I drive it hard, and I never had major problems with it. I put a transmission cooler on it though as an extra degree of protection. Maybe you should look up the tranny problems that Acuras have been having.