Will be buying a car soon. Wutcha guys think about used Maximas?

[SuperTool]

I am thinking a 1997-1998 model Maxima(preferrably GLE) for around $10-$14K I found a few in local Recycler magazine, and will wait for thursday before new one comes out on thursday before I seriously start looking.
One downside I found is that it needs 91+ gas. Also, a friend (who owns a camry) told me that Maximas have higher maintainance cost then Camrys. I personally like maximas more, and they don't hold resale as well, so they are 2-3K cheaper then Camry. Is there anything else I need to know?
Also, this is my first "expensive" car purchase, and might need to finance it. I can probably put 5-7K down now. How does this work if I am not buying from a dealer? I have no credit history really, except some student credit cards. I start work in 1 month, and I do have a good job offer letter to take to the bank.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

well...I have a 99 Maxima GLE and yes it does require 91 Octane. But its a great car, and feeling of being pushed back as your race to redline is well worth the price of the gas!

Check out www.maxima.org and forums.maxima.org

They have a great board over there. Lots of help and advice.

 

[Taz4158]

Nice car. Looks good and handles well.

 

[jsm]

It's a decent car. I believe it has the same engine as the naturally aspirated 300zx.

 

[LittleNicky]

Old maximas are pretty good. Except mine started falling apart about 7 years in...windows..doors...lots of duct tape

 

[Nutcase99]

I'd get one if I could

They are realiable and good performance cars if I were you I'd go for it!

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

The 3rd Gen ('89-'94) Maxima SEs had the same engine as the NA 300ZX. The 4th Gen and 5th Gen Maxima's have the VQ30DE engine which is all aluminum with microfinished valves/pistons (probably just marketing material...doubt it actually does anything). However the VQ30DE has been in the top ten Engines for 5 years in a row.

 

[SuperTool]

Thanks guys. That's what I liked about Maximas: practical and sprorty.

 

[dcdomain]

Good choice!!! My friend has an 88 Maxima, drives it like a mad man, and it handles great, accelerates well and brakes well. It also has around 150,000 miles...

 

[amb#cog]

I love Maxima's myself. I want one, but can't see deystroying such a nice ride (I deliver pizzas for a living).

Go for it.

Camry's are nice too. My mom has one.

 

[Thegonagle]

Maximas are great. I just sold my '92 SE . I sold it to my mom, so I can buy it back later . I deliver pizzas too, and I didn't want to wear it out + it's too large for that job. That's what a $1,500 Celica is for .

 

[PUX]

99 GLE w/just over 36K.. No issues thus far. Great, nice, comfy. If I could do it again, I'd get an SE and tolerate the firmer ride and louder road noise from the low profile tires so I could have the tighter handling. Shop around (They're EVERYWHERE) and get one with the lowest mileage.

... A luxury car at an awesome price.

Even if you're not maxed on your credit cards along with that much down, it may still be tough to get a loan. It can depend on your banking relationship along with if they'll actually accept your letter of offer. I'd guess you'll be shot down at first unless you are by chance or can get into a credit union. Regardless, shop your rates.

Good luck and have fun..

The comment about being pushed back at the redline...Hell ya! It flies to a hundred in seemingly 5 seconds!

Also, don't get a Camry.. They're for 60 year olds.

 

[goophie]

maximas are excellent, my friend owns one and he swears that he will own nothing else.

It's actually a pretty quick car for a sedan, it's faster than most sedans out there at the same price range. Personally I like the older model compared to the newer ones. Older being 1997-1998 of course. The new one has a bit more horsepower and can get you from 0-60 a bit faster though.

but still... excellent car

 

[AznBruin03]

Its a pretty nice car. Pretty reliable and comfortable. If your looking for speed, get the SE in stick. You should be able to keep up with a lot of the cars on the road with that. And if you are into modding cars, you can also grab the stillen supercharger. One of my friends has that in a SE stick, and I must admit its pretty fast.

Goophie, I think that the older maximas (generation before this one) ran a faster 0-60. I forget, but I think that the new ones are heavier.

 

[tinneric]

My bother has one, has been a lemon from the start.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

There's one guy on the Maxima forums who's done the 1/4mi in 14.9s on a stock 2000 Maxima 5-spd.
There's another guy thats done the 1/4mi in 14.3s with just intake/exhaust mods on a 4th Gen Maxima 5spd.

That's pretty fast for a four-door family sedan.

PUX: Did you check out forums.maxima.org ? They are a great resource for your Max.

 

[cyclistca]

Good value for the money. It's also one of the few Japanese sedans that you can get with a 5 speed. I have a Nissan truck and I'm happy with it so far.

and I do have a good job offer letter to take to the bank.

That should help when it comes to getting a loan. A lot will depend on your past credit history and future income. I don't see a 7000K loan as being a big problem. You also could look at a revolving line of credit. It might be big enough to cover this.

 

[Kemet]

I have owned 4 Maximas (84', 86', 89', currently drive a 98')so you might consider me biased but I continue to buy these cars because of the great value. I have put well over 150K on each of those cars with the exception of my 98' which already has ~87K. The Max is the total package, its roomier than most of its foreign competitors in this price range, it contains one of the best V-6 engines in production, handling is more than adequate and can be greatly improved with a few modifications, and if properly maintained, provides years of trouble free driving. Also in what other equally priced sedan can you blast 3 friends down I-95 @ ~140 MPH if you had ridden w/me this weekend, then you would already know .

 

[Rent]

Indian - yes they tend to run mid to low 14's with a few mods. My friends 95 GLE with I/H/E (cold air intake even) ran a 14.3 in the 1/4. With a little more work they can achieve high 13s, something almost unheard of for a family car

Good cars. You'll have fun with it, just remember, all the models except the SE don't handle to well. Springs and shocks will help!

 

[tomz17]

I drive a 2000 Maxima Sport...

Before I bought, I went around for a few test drives (sub $30k)...

First one was the camry, and I decided it was perfectly acceptable for getting me from point A to point B.., but not much more than that...

Second one was the Maxima, and as I pulled off of the dealer's lot, I immediately forgot about the camry... The experience was totally mind boggling.. I would have NEVER expected THAT level of performance from a stock $25,000 sedan..!!!! Check out www.maxima.org, there are even some there that have raced Mustangs quite successfully...

Test drove a Honda, Saturn, and a few American cars after that, but immediately came back to the maxima... there IS no competition under $30k in my opinion!!!, and since the V6 camry costs almost as much as the Maxima, why pay more for less??

If your concerned about gas mileage, (yes it DOES NEED 91 octane), your better off buying a moped... Depending on your driving style, you should be seeing anywhere from 18-30 mpg on a broken-in 4th gen maxima... If you enjoy flooring it once in a while, the Maxima guzzles gas... I drive 75+mph, and see around 19-21 mpg highway, but my car is still relatively new (only 6k miles), i hear it gets better with mileage...

drive conservatively, and you should see VERY competitive gas mileage (towards 30 mpg)!!!

The only thing the camry has going for itself is a slightly better suspension, and seems to be more popular among the american populus... If everyone jumped off a bridge...

-Tom

PS.. Test drive both a Camry and a Maxima... and I DARE you to choose the Camry on the basis of performance, after test driving both..!!

**The GXE, GLE maximas differ from the SE in suspension.. so I would recommend test driving a GXE or GLE AND an SE**

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Radeon: I dont think they make headers for a Maxima. You'd have to custom fabricate your own..and even then its hard. Cause the header is under the engine..you'd have to lift the engine and then install it.

 

[BowDown]

Get the 99' Maxima! I love the look of that car lowered 3", and jet black. I saw one everyday at College . Nissan makes some great cars . I would also suggest getting the new 2001 Nissan Sentra . Those look sweet too...

That's my next Nissan I'll get. For now my (soon to be pimped) 90' Nissan Stanza will have to do.

 

[Fuzzmuncher]

I have to concur with most everyone else here, the Maximas are awesome cars. I had one and it was smoooooooooooooth!

 

[pamchenko]

can u overclock this maxima GLE? if you're in the market for a car, look into ford windstars...god knows it took ur a$$ to wegman's enough times good luck at werk

 

[caboob]

supertool...

about financing... wait till you start your new job and see if your company is affiliated with a credit union and get financing there. Dont use the dealer's financing cuz he gets a commision too which gets passed on to you. Almost anyone can get financing. It's just a matter of how much they'll gouge you with the interest rate. a good site for general car shoppiing tips is edmunds.comnull