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Comments
The question I have is related to one of the few complaints I have about the Max. Although it's fairly quiet and very comfortable as far as the ride is concerned, any harsh bumps are very jarring compared to other vehicles I've owned. I feel them through the steering more than I'd like. I was wondering if this is somewhat the blame of the lower profile tires, and if this would be remedied by going to 15 inch rims like our Honda had. I like the appearance of the GXE wheels (a huge improvement over the 01's), but I have to buy some snow tires anyway and might consider a different size rim if it would help.
Ideas or experiences???
2 months ago = August (They are avail. since August!)
Try making an offer at a price you think is fair. Be prepared for rejection. There are always other dealers and the internet.
Invoice $22,375 MSRP $24,746 TMV $22,522
Base on the above, I don't think the dealer's offering price of $23,500 is that great. By this time of year, you should be getting below invoice even. A dealer in No. VA was offering me $1K below invoice on a GLE with the 3.9% in July...but I drove the 2002 GLE and loved it. Even for the 2002, you probably can pay just a hundred or two above invoice. (I paid ~$400 with a 5.9% APR) Because of the recent decrease in consumer spending and the Fed's interest rate cuts, you should get a great price and financing plan. Don't settle! The dealers should be the ones sweating right now not you. Best of luck!
Sounds like you would be better off to go with an 2002 based on the price you were quoted for a 2001.
I am very pleased so far.
For what it's worth, my '95 Maxima SE 5-speed turned 7 yesterday (114k miles). I would have had exactly $0 claims between the standard 3/36 and extended 7/100 (or 7/114). Not a single thing that wasn't routine maintenance.
You may want to consider whether the extended warranty is worth the cost on the Maxima.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010927/lath065_1.html
But I have never had a worse experience than I had buying this car. Dealer was not believable and if I had not done Web research I would have been very sorry. And been robbed. Also had little knowledge of product.
They ruined the excitment of buying a new car, but they are the only dealer within 100 miles, I would not buy or recommend Nissan again. I had an 89 Max and liked it very much, but this is the last. I guarantee I will not have this beyond the warranty period.
I bought a Ford Focus last year and the experience was excellent.
Thanks,
Surendra
I think the events of the last few weeks make it incumbant upon all of us - ME especially - to give Nissan the benefit of the doubt as to their ability to maintain quality control in the states.
Nonetheless, I have to adimit that I took some comfort in buying a 1995 Maxima knowing it was built in Japan (vs. Accord, Camry and others). They all had difficulties maintaining quality control at their US plants back then. I am not sure how they've fared since. In any event, I have been extraordinarily pleased with my Maxima, both in terms of reliability and fit and finish. After 7 years an 114k miles (with the car parked outside) the paint finish still looks like new. I may be looking at them with biased eyes, but I rarely see a similar vintage Accord or Camry that still looks as good.
I think the 2003 Maxima redesign / production will warrant careful study. As I head towards a decision to upgrade in the next few months, it has been enlightening to see the significant number of complaints posted regarding Mercedes new C-class. Unfortunately past reputation does not always guarantee future commitment to quality.
P.S. Coincidentally, I saw on CNBC this morning that Nissan autoworkers are voting today on unionizing with the UAW. Previously voted no twice.
Did you write to Nissan Canada to make a complaint? If not, think about the next client who is going to get robbed.
I HATE CAR DEALERS WHO DO THAT! And afterwards, they say to trust them. To be fair, I think only a small portion of car dealers are like that. My experience with the 2 dealerships I went to was SUPER! There was no presure and they where knowledgable.
When you see the difference between the TL (Made in USA) and the RSX (Made in Japan). You'll know.
On the same theory, my Infiniti I30t (Made in Japan) had better build quality than my TL-S (Made in USA). It is sad but true.
Avalon and Camry are not as maintence free as some people would claim. From personal experience I have found that units made here are not exactly the same as cars from Japan. Why? I don't know specifically, however they are still higher in quality than the big three.
I owned a 99 Acura 3.0 CL that was built in the states. That car had the worst fit and finish (misaligned body parts, etc.) of any car I've owned. Plus, it had rattles in the dash. I am SOOOOOOOO happy my 02 Maxima SE is built in Japan. The car is like a rock! All parts line up and NO rattles! I am happy I bought now instead of later.
Also, I agree with tgif888 when he says to look at a TL and then an RSX. You WILL be able to see the difference!
Obi
I should be ready to buy a new car by the time the 2003, US built, Altima platform based Maxima comes out. I will be watching very closely how well the new Altima does with respect to build quality, reliability, and recall rate, given the common plant and platform with the upcoming Maxima. Of course the real story is what will happen with these cars 5+ years from now, but my crystal ball is broken. Too bad.
Maxima has room, sportiness, and reliability. It had been around and the V6 is legendary.
They ruined the excitment of buying a new car, but they are the only dealer within 100 miles, I would not buy or recommend Nissan again. I had an 89 Max and liked it very much, but this is the last. I guarantee I will not have this beyond the warranty period.
I bought a Ford Focus last year and the experience was excellent.
(Quote from dip2c)
Ok, you are going to let some moron salesmen scare you away from buying a car? What will you do if all of them are like this? Walk? Also, why why would you go from a reliable car company to one that is on the recall list every month, all in the name of dealer experience?
Both are great cars but Maxima feels more solid. PLus price is good for Maxima. Got an offer around 23.6k for GXE. But I was told that SE 's price is pretty close to GXE.
But then again, I don't like stiffer suspension as the roads here are full of bumps & pot holes. So I guess GXE is a better option.
Can't afford GLE , way out of my budget. My budget is below 24k. SE is going to cost 24.2 at least.
Let me know what u guys think. Should I go with SE or GXE ?
I test drove the 02 SE auto, and it was very nice, solid handling, good power as compare to the 01 SE's that I passed on. I wanted to try the 6 speed before I decide, but seems like a few more months until it gets to the dealers.
If I were you I'd call around to a couple of other dealers to see what they say about the 6 speed. If you start getting a lot of different answers I'd start doubting what your original salesperson told you.
Also, there are a number of Nissan dealers that post their inventory on the web. I'd keep an eye on that to see if anyone else has a 6 speed in stock.
Just print it out and show the printout to the dealer. If the dealer refuses to match it, buy it from carsdirect.com then.
Then show the car to the dealer...heh.. "see what did I tell u?"
Seriously, Maxima's price is very good as they are closer to invoice unlike Altima SE. I showed the printout to dealer and asked them to beat it. They gave me a better price eventually. Now I am just thinking whether I should buy SE or GXE.
My budget is actually below 24k. Buying the SE would stretch my budget real bad.
Thanks for your advice. Maybe I should try driving SE and see how it goes. => see how bad it goes over the bumps & pot holes.
But getting a SE will cost at least 24.2k according to carsdirect.com 's price. With taxes, it is going out of my budget. (below 25k)
As far as using premium gas, the owners manual only "recommends" premium. As I recall, the max. has a sensor that inhibits pinging if lower octane is used. Although I did use mid grade in the really hot weather, I've never used premium, and the thing runs/sounds great. . . And I'll bet it would blow the doors off of an Accord regardless of what grade of gas was put in either.
P.S. I don't know how it works now, but 2 years ago Accords with leather were assembled in Japan, but the majority of the others were assembled here. Mine was assembled in the USA. The left-rear window didn't work right, and there was a constant rattle in the dash from day 1. But, I've also had two Dodge Dakotas in the last four years (a club cab and now a quad), and they've both been 100% flawless, outstanding vehicles, so American companies can get it right too.
On the other hand, there wasn't a lot of risk of me leasing another 9-3.
The enjoyment of the car and the ready power merging into high-speed traffic is worth it to me.
For insurance, has USAA given you a quote yet? You might be favorably surprised, if you're over 25 and have a clean record.