Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Nissan Maxima

1…5152545657…174

Comments

  • otis12otis12 Member Posts: 171
    I tend to agree with those of you who say the Maxima will be squeezed out by the new Altima...which is fine by me. The new V-6 engine for '02 brings more power to the Max for a laughingly small markup in price. Hey, if the Max doesn't get advertized and promoted, I for one, will be looking to scoop one up at marked down prices. My only question: is the backseat roomy enough for a person 6'3"?
  • blackmax01seblackmax01se Member Posts: 8
    Does anyone know of any way to wash and dry a Black Max without leaving any water droplet stains. Know matter how hard I try I can not get these spots from coming back. The car was waxed last month and even after using a chamois, the stains reappear?

    Thanks
  • tgif888tgif888 Member Posts: 351
    I dry my black TL-S with California Water Blade. It works very well.
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    how about drying the car inside a garage away from sunlight and wind?
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    If you can get someone else to help just wash a part of the car, rinse and get the other guy to dry...its what we do and our car always turns out spotless (we spend like 2-3 hrs washing and waxing lol). Just dry it as fast as possible after rinsing..
  • ukrickukrick Member Posts: 66
    I tried out the back seat in a '01 Maxima. I'm under 6' tall and leg room was pretty good, however my head was slightly touching the top of the car. Hope this helps a little!
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    If they are fresh ones, use a quick detailer/ final finish type product to clean them off.

    If they are old they may be embedded in the wax. Glaze or use swirl remover to get them out, then put on a good coat of protective wax.

    If it's acid rain, there are some professional products to remove "frog eyes" but these are strong.
  • thebezthebez Member Posts: 1
    I'm the very happy owner of a 2000 Maxima SE, but have one remaining wish... When I bought the car, I opted for the manual climate control in order to save some $$$. I'm now wishing I had the automatic system.

    Anyone ever heard of a method of retrofitting the automatic system? I haven't talked to my dealer about this, and would prefer to pick up an automatic system & install myself - - if that's even feasible...

    Would appreciate any help or ideas. thanks!
  • phkckphkck Member Posts: 185
    I fit in the back of my 00 GLE (6'2") but not that comfortably head room wise. Defintely more room than the back seat of my 02 TL type-S though.
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    thebez,

    I also wish for climate control on my 2k SE. With the hot and humid weather of late I have been going back in forth with "fresh" and "re circulate" to keep the car cool.

    It seems that on fresh mode the A/C is not very cool and re circulate is to cold after awhile. My wife is like "will you stop with that thing already". I respond "relax, IM getting ticked off", then anything goes.

    Sorry I cant add to the solution but I saw a chance to vent here so I did. If I get any info about this upgrade I will sure to post it.
  • sebbsebb Member Posts: 16
    Hey all...I know this has been touched on...but I never really saw how good of a deal the '02 Max was over the '01 until I ran the numbers. For example...in 3/01 I bought a 2001 Max SE with C&C, Meridian, Bose, Leather, Traction, Side Airbags, Micron, Mats, Guards, Deflector...etc. Only option we didn't get was the 6 disc. MSRP on the car was $30,060. With the 6-disc, it would have had an MSRP for $30,519. Those include destination charges.

    I was just looking on Edmunds...where they have the MSRP for all the options on the '02. If I tabulate the exact same car in the '02 model year (off a base MSRP of $25,989 including destination)...I get a MSRP of $30,433. Cool...but look what you would get on this car over the '01...

    * 33 more HP
    * High-Denisty Headlamps
    * 6 Disc Changer
    * Heated Steering Wheel
    * Speed sensitive audio
    * Memory power seats

    So...do the math...the fully loaded '02 with ALL OPTIONS including destination charge is cheaper by 86 dollars!!!! (Based on MSRP).

    There is no way this could be true. I am thinking you cannot get a Max with all options without getting the NAV system which is 2 grand. That would make the new fully loaded Max about 1900 more than an '01 fully loaded. So...the question is this.

    If you can get a Max SE with all options without the NAV, you get all the extras mentioned above for 86 dollars less. I assume this is based on how they have lumped last year's options into this year's standard equipment...with little markup in the MSRP. If you are forced into the NAV, then the point is all moot. But...still...I think there are going to be some '02 Max buyers getting some great deals on a even better Max.

    Any thoughts on this?
  • bmms8bmms8 Member Posts: 86
    do u guys know that a maxima has more leg room |(front and rear) than any other car, even a lincoln, or cadillac...it beat out the town car i think by 2/10's of an inch, to me thats really suprising, its cause the maxima has a whole lot of front leg room
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    maybe the MSRP works out that way, but what about how much the dealers discount? With the new Altima coming in just below the Maxima, I don't think Nissan will have to discount a whole lot... if they discounted a lot, that would overlap into the Altima's market share or they'd have to discount the Altima just as much. I think what you have to look at is the dealer invoice more than the MSRP.

    Maxima has more leg room than ANY OTHER CAR?! I'd check those numbers again, but I think the Maxima doesn't even have enough rear leg room to beat out an Accord.
  • bmms8bmms8 Member Posts: 86
    why don't you check the numbers, the leg room combined with the front and rear is a lot more than you would think...look it up, don't tell me to...
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    The Maxima has more cubic footage in the interior than the Accord. I sorta doubt the Maxima having more legroom than a Cadillac, Lincoln maybe. Chryslers no.
  • carlb4carlb4 Member Posts: 1
    Have you noticed? Per the Edmunds spec page, the 2002 Max calls for Regular fuel, versus premium for the 2001.
  • ukrickukrick Member Posts: 66
    Check out the Nissan web site for complete MSRP pricing for 2002 Max.


    http://www.nissannews.com

  • leonivleoniv Member Posts: 120
    Actually, for the 2001 Maxima, Premium fuel isn't required. It's just recommended for optimal performance. It should state this on the inside of the gas door. If premium was required, it would say on the gas door, like my Inf. J30, "Premium Fuel Only". My 01 Max just says something like "Premium Fuel Recommended....". I'm guessing the 2002 will be the same way.
  • slopedirkslopedirk Member Posts: 46
    Ok, I have a 2000 SE w/17" 5 speed.

    I have read some engineering reports on suspension and beam axles don't have a handling disadvantage on fairly smooth roads and skid bads. In fact, the guys said it has an handling advantage as they maintain both wheels at the correct angles to the pavement better than a strut independant setup where the angles change with wheel travel.

    Dual Wishbones such as the accord are very good, and handle bumps better than the Max's beam axle. It should be noted, however, that when you take fully independant suspension and add a stiff anti-sway bar, you effectively nearly tie the wheel travel of the two sides wheels together, nearly doubling the spring rate for bumps on one side only, negating much of the effect of the independant suspension and causing ride harshness.

    A flex type beam axle typically incorporates the sway bar side to side stiffness into the beam. I think this is what Max does. The beam was added - as a cost savings device.

    I am not 100% pleased with my rear suspension, it seems to bottom easily and transmits more harshness than it should, but the car drove a lot better than the accord and others in terms of performance, so you take trade offs. Even the IS300 we drove had tradeoff's, the crappy fuel milage and small back seat the biggest downsides.

    Another upside, is that the rear probably ever won't need an alighnment done on it like other designs will.
  • taurus2taurus2 Member Posts: 63
    Is the Maxima changing for 2002? I saw pictures of a different Maxima in a magazine the other day.
  • tgif888tgif888 Member Posts: 351
    Yes. It will have a bigger engine 255 hp., Xenon headlights, navigation system, different types of rims, etc. The outlook is basically the same except the headlights and the tail lights had changed.
  • leonivleoniv Member Posts: 120
    you can check out the new 02 Max on www.nissannews.com
  • al57al57 Member Posts: 67
    weeks ago i asked for help on replacing light in the spoiler on 2000 SE..I've spoken to dealer,body shops and the like..no-one has a definite answer..some say the spoiler must come off the car but it just doesnt seem like an engineering marvel if thats the case..meanwhile still have a broken lens and am looking for best way to approach the problem..anyone had this problem yet
  • ralphiew34ralphiew34 Member Posts: 1
    Just checked out the 2002 and took an SE for a test drive. Quick thoughts:

    -33 hp makes a big difference. I'm driving a J30 (222 hp V6) and have driven the 2001 Maximas, and noticed a significant improvement in pickup. Didn't get a chance to really open it up (only got to 55 in a 40), but it felt flawless, and 0-55 felt like I never got out of first gear it was so smooth and quick.

    -New xenon headlights look stylish.
    -New rear light styling (metallic/chrome housing instead of plastic) are an improvement.
    -New titanium-color gauge faces look *really* cool. These are all a matter of personal taste, but these minor tweaks really make the 2002 jump out at me in a way that the 2001 never did. Teenage boys who would have looked past the 2001 models driving down the street will be more likely to elbow their friend and point this car out.

    If you were looking at 2001 Maximas, and were riding on the fence, take the 2002 for a test drive and see if that pushes you over...
  • sebbsebb Member Posts: 16
    har1bush - so you think the dealer invoice will be higher by 1500 or so? With MSRP on fully loaded SE's (2002) coming in at 30433 (confirmed on Nissannews.com)...an increase on dealer invoices would put them at or around 28,000.

    Doesn't leave much wiggle room for profit for Nissan. Will be interesting to see what invoice will be on fully loaded SE's for '02...and if you can avoid the 2 grand NAV system.
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    Maxima:
    Front Leg Room: 44.8 in.
    Rear Leg Room: 36.2 in.
    total: 81 in.
    Accord:
    Front Leg Room: 42.1 in.
    Rear Leg Room: 37.9 in.
    total: 80 in.
    Town Car:
    Front Leg Room: 42.6 in.
    Rear Leg Room: 41.1 in.
    total: 83.6 in.
    De Ville
    Front Leg Room: 42.4 in.
    Rear Leg Room: 43.2 in.
    total: 85.6 in.

    Ok, so the Maxima has more legroom than all of those cars up front (but what sedan lacks front legroom these days anyway? I think the rear legroom numbers tell the true story when it comes to cabin space). But you said add it up? Well, unless I added those numbers up wrong, I'd say the Cadillac and Lincoln still has some edge over the Max. It looks like the Maxima matches more favorably with one of its competitors (what a coincidence!), the Accord.
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    Well, ok... maybe the invoice wont tell the story either (yeah, I agree, the invoice will probably stay similar to the '01). But what I had in mind was that Maxima now competes with the Avalon in pricing (and even the new top-end Camry). So, the Nissan dealers won't need to discount a whole lot to match the Avalon's price, whereas, in the past, when the Maxima was going up against the lower priced Accords and Camrys, the dealers had to discount and that still meant selling it for higher prices than the competition. Plus, Nissan plans to make and sell fewer Maximas for '02, and I believe that the 255hp sedan will be a hot commodity. I believe that until the brand new '03 Maxima comes out, the deals won't be as good as it used to be (in terms of the number of greenbacks you have to put down).
  • taurus2taurus2 Member Posts: 63
    Thanks! Wow I've never been a Nissan fan but I really like the Maxima. I think its cool that its ganna have a nav system. I think the '02 Camry has one as well.
  • gerapaugerapau Member Posts: 211
    I agree it is crazy to compare the Maxima with the Town Car and the De Ville in terms of interior size. I disagree though that it is the rear legroom numbers that tell the true story when it comes to cabin space. You do have to take both front and rear leg room (as well as should room, head room, etc...) into account. Remember that rear leg room is measured with the front seat in the fully back position. If we look only at rear legroom then one would assume that the Accord is slightly larger then the Max with 37.9" compared to 36.2". However, if we assume that the front legroom of the Accord is sufficient and set the front seat of the Max at the same distance (42.1") then the Max's rear legroom increases by 2.7" and is now larger then the Accord. So you should take both front and rear legroom (as well as the other dimensions that I mentioned) into account when judging the overall cabin space of a car. I for one do enjoy the extra front legroom offered by the Max. This is the first car that I have owned where I do not drive with the seat in the fully back position.
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    Measurements aren't the only important thing, the way an interior is designed can make an interior feel larger. We rented a Towncar last summer, I swear it was not nearly as spacious as I expected. I think the Intrepids we've rented were larger. The Lincoln probably felt smaller because of how the seat cushions were so fat and bulky. Plus, the thick rear pillar didn't make the interior feel airy at all.

    My friends Cadillac SLS doesn't feel as spacious as our Maxima. I'm pretty sure the dimensions of it are larger, but it has the same problem as the Towncar, thickly padded seats, upright dash (this is the previous gen), etc. make for a smaller feeling interior...I guess. Whereas the Maxima uses more glass, has a dash that is shaped away from the passengers and seats that aren't excessively padded..
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    Here are some interesting news regarding Nissan's 2002 lineup. So Nissan is going to push the Maxima a little further up so there will be less sales (more unique?)
  • gone2vegasgone2vegas Member Posts: 3
    Does anyone know the name of the song and the artist(s) from Maxima 20th Anniv Ed commercial, where the Maxima goes screaming across the desert? That was a rocking song and I'm gone to Vegas and want it in my CD player. I appreciate the info.
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    uhhh I put those numbers up because someone else was tauting the Maxima for having more legroom than a Town Car or a Cadillac.
  • taurus2taurus2 Member Posts: 63
    Nissan: Maximizing the Maxima with Vega
    In this commercial for the Nissan Maxima, we see a car driving downhill at a super-fast speed, contrasted by the slow, distinctive beat of the Suzanne Vega's song, "Tom's Diner." Her original version of the song was a capella, and can be found on her Solitude Standing album. It was later re-mixed with club music by DNA on Tried and True: The Best of Suzanne Vega.
    Tom's Diner (a capella)
    Real Audio song clip



    Suzanne Vega : Solitude Standing
    Add to Cart $5.99


    Suzanne Vega : Tried & True: Best Of
    Add to Cart $22.99
  • gloriadgloriad Member Posts: 18
    Just purchased a new 2001 Maxima GXE, automatic this weekend. We loved it while we had it for 2 days. After just 81 miles on it we noticed the A/T
    slip when driving from 1st to 2nd and also 2nd to
    3rd gear. We found there was a technical service
    bulletin #NTB00039A on this problem. Took Max back
    to the dealer for repair. Service tech said he couldn't find anything wrong with A/T & that was just the way the Maxima's drove. I don't think so.
    He agreed to have the area factory engineer check it out. As of late today he had not been out. Has anyone else had any problem getting Nissan to fix this problem?
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    U can download the commercial from adcritic.com and search for 2000 Maxima. I have it heehee. Also, isn't it just the regular SE Maxima instead of the AE you're talking about?
  • leonivleoniv Member Posts: 120
    I would verify the TSB does indeed apply to your particular VIN, then print the service bulletin out and show it to him. Tell him the TSB does apply to your car and he should fix it, no questions asked. If he takes no action or blows you off again, I would go directly to the dealership's manager. Tell the manager he tried to blow you off and refused to service your vehicle. I don't even bother with the middlemen (service managers). When you take it to the top and express your disappointment over the dealership's lack of response to your needs, they always take care of you immediately. Taking the issue to the top will let the service manager and that idiot service person know you mean business. I say if they want to play, you should play harder =).
  • chris4o1chris4o1 Member Posts: 9
    Hey guys, i'm going to be heading down to the dealership next tuesday to go purchase my new 2001 SE black/black cloth. options are: floormats, air filter, and splash guards. i got an invoice of 22998, which i believe is TOOO high! i was wonderin how much should i be payin for this SE, i know people who buy SE's with C&C at around 23k!
    thanx
  • ukrickukrick Member Posts: 66
    If I'm not mistaken, that song is by The Who. It's called "We Don't Get Fooled Again".
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    I have 2000 Max and have had only one issue with the trans. Driving on a long trip from Memphis back to Chicago I was cruising at 85 (most of the time). I admit I kicked it up to 110-115 several times on a long stretch where there were no cars. After several hour's of this I noticed that when I took my foot completely off the accelerator the rpms would drop to an idle speed around a 1000 rpms All the while my car was in the drive position with the overdrive button ON.

    Why the trans did not just stay in gear I don't not know. It was if I placed the car in neutral and coasted. As soon as I gave it some gas it immediately engaged and the rpms would be back around 3000. I stopped at Nissan as soon as I got home and they found no problems. Nor since then have I been able to reproduce the event. I assume this was something the car did when the trans gets warm.

    This may be different than your problem, but I have not heard about any recalls on the 2000 or 2001 of any type. Drive it a little further and keep track of any unique times or driving conditions as this occurs.

    Nissan will stand behind your car 100% if they can duplicate your problem while driving.

    I love this car!
  • kmcleankmclean Member Posts: 173
    This tip might be dated - or perhaps untrue, but here goes. When I bought my new 97 Max in San Antonio a few years back, the local dealers had a tough time finding one with the cold weather package (not surprising - but I was moving to Seattle in a year). The closest car (both geographically and equipment-wise) was in Denver, but was equipped with the Bose system (I had wanted a fully-loaded five-speed), which I didn't want. The dealer indicated that he couldn't swap the Bose with the standard sound system because of the speaker configuration - so he just knocked another $700 (?) off the price.

    Here's the point: he said that Nissan ships a limited number of partially finished Maxs to a site in southern California (can't recall where) so that the interior can be custom configured to exact specifications - IF you're willing to wait a few months for delivery (and, I'd guess, probably get less of a good deal). So take it for what it's worth (which might be quite a bit if you're looking to avoid a $2K navigation system), and check it out with a knowledgeable dealer.

    Cheers from the PNW!

    Ken M.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    As an otherwise big fan of Nissan, I also find overstated horsepower and underachieving performance to be reprehensible.

    If their numbers are honest, at 255 horsepower, 246 lb-ft of torque, vehicle weight of 3,224 lbs and with a 6-speed manual, I would expect the 2002 Maxima SE to be able to match a 1999 BMW M3 in acceleration (240 hp, 236 lb-ft, 3,175 lb vehicle weight, 5-speed manual). We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath.

    I don't think the recent horsepower inflation and performance disappointment dilemma is restricted to Nissan. Not only does my 1995 Maxima SE (190 hp) meet or beat the 2000/2001 222 hp Maxima, it also is way ahead of anything currently coming out of Toyota, Honda, or Volkswagon with similar or better "ratings". I stated previously that I think BMW uses Clysdales (to thier credit), while almost everybody else has switched to Shetland Ponies.
  • danny25danny25 Member Posts: 119
    I don't have an auto myself, but I'm pretty sure when ever you take your foot off the gas the rpms drop quite a bit. Dropping all the way down to idle speed may not be very common, but I do notice it drop a lot in my mom's 626 when ever I take my foot off the gas to slow down for a corner or something.
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    Maybe if acceleration times were only determined by horsepower and curb weight the new Maxima should stick close to the old M3. However, you know that this is never the case.... acceleration times can be heavily determined by traction, gear ratios (especially), weather conditions, and aerodynamics (slightly). If the previous Maxima with 222hp and 5-speed ran the 60 in the high 6 sec range, I'd expect low to mid 6 sec for the new one.
  • gloriadgloriad Member Posts: 18
    Thanks LEONIV and JIMXO for your input. The service manager did send out the factory engineer to test drive Max today. The factory engineer found the car to be within specs and so nothing will be done. The service advisor gave us the number for Nissan's consumer complaint line which I will be calling first thing tomorrow. So far I am not very impressed on how Nissan is handling this issue. If they acknowledge this is a known problem with the tranny per their technical service bulletin then why won't they just fix the problem?? They say it doesn't pertain to our car. Our car was manufactured 6/01. They still have our car and I don't want it back until it's fixed. Any ideas??
  • jscatenajscatena Member Posts: 61
    The newer, computerized" transmissions take a while to "learn" your driving style and habits and they gradually shift on that basis. I know the feeling as my wife have a 2001 Maxima and she drives much more conservatively than I do. So, when I drive it, it "slips" between shifts. If I intentionally accellerate much easier and allow a long, slow build of of rpms, the shift is smooth as silk. If the problem persists or you change drivers or driver style, the technician can "flash" (I assume that means "clear") the chip memory and it will start learning all over again and then adapt to the newer driver.

    Be patient. It's worth the adjustment. This is my wifes 5th Maxima since 1989 and we've loved every one of them

    jpscatena@t-one.net
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    My advice is to drive the car for a few weeks and see if the trans gets better or worse. I think any transmission problems will be fully exposed in a short amount of time and then the problem will be more evident.

    Your warranty is 3/36k miles. I know you want this fix now, however if their testing shows no problems where are they supposed to start? Very unlikely your time yelling will get you a new trans.

    Relax, enjoy and let the car do what ever it must. These unique types of problems eventually show up in a short amount of time.

    Good luck!
  • leonivleoniv Member Posts: 120
    I didn't know your car was manufacured 6/01. That date is definitely outside of the dates for the slipping tranny TSB. i agree with jimxo. if there really is a problem, it will show up soon and probably be much worse. Granted, by the time it does show up, it may have caused more damage (damaged flywheel?), but your car will be under warranty and Nissan will have to fix it. Keep your receipt from this visit and show them you brought the problem to their attention earlier so it's their fault the problem has grown worse. If there's another dealer or some repair shop that specializes in Japanese cars, I would go there for a second opinion. Good luck.
  • gloriadgloriad Member Posts: 18
    Thank you JSCATENA, JIMXO and LEONIV for all your help. Will take your advice and give Max a chance to work things out. I will be the main driver and will be putting on 600-700 miles per week. Will keep you posted.
  • aaronw1aaronw1 Member Posts: 9
    Okay, I have a question about the interior lighting on 2000 maximas. Specifically, a 2000 SE. On the driver's side door, there are 6 buttons total on my car. The power door lock, the window lock, and the 4 window switches. On my car, I've recently noticed that the window lock button is NOT lit. Has anyone else noticed this, or is my window lock light broken or is something else going on? Thanks a lot for responses...
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles