Nissan Maxima

gogrannygo

Vocus is right, I didn't notice the seats on my "test drives" because I generally wasn't in the car for more than half an hour. Besides, I was too busy trying to figure out how to drive the thing without snapping my neck off. And should I mention the alarm thingie I didn't have in my previous car? I'll never be able to show my face again at the neighborhood gas station after the alarm fiasco I created there. I'll admit the dealer gave me the car to "test drive" for almost 3 days before I decided to buy it and by then I KNEW the back of the seat was waaaaay too hard but, again, I was after RELIABILITY and RESALE VALUE this time around. Thus, things like seats and appearance didn't come into play. This is the first time I bought a car strictly for VALUE rather than EMOTION (yes, there are some advantages to getting old). Had I allowed emotion to take over, I would have bought that hot looking Pontiac Grand Prix. Instead, I chose to let other people buy the pretty cars and cough up the maintenance dollars I didn't want pay. I would prefer to buy a domestic car if ANY of them had ANY kind of reliability rating because Americans know how to design comfort for Americans if these Maxima seats are any indication. I'm glad to hear from Mirth about reliability ratings that I didn't happen to check. I researched cars for 6 weeks all over the internet before making a decision but, obviously, I couldn't check every site out there. Thanks for all who responded.

argie

I have some friends that are Asians. Your very creative description of them when discussing your SEAT problems was not appreciated at all. A typical stereotype example.

By the way, some of the few Asians I have are pretty told (6' or taller). So please by more considerate. This board is not a place to comment on such things. Thanks.

argie

argie

Sorry about the TOLD thing, it should be TALL!

canadiancl

He just said Japanese cars seem to be designed to fit smaller Asians, didn't he? That's pretty tame. There's nothing racist about that. For one thing, it's probably true. Asians aren't midgets, but compared to caucasians, they are smaller generally. I don't think too many Asians should/would be too offended just because someone pointed that out. I know, because I have A LOT of Asian friends and because I AM Asian. I've often remarked to my friends that Japanese cars (and for some reason Hondas in particular) offer a more comfortable fit for us. I know my caucasian friends (and I have a lot of those too) certainly aren't offended when I tell them that I don't find big American sedans a good fit.

rswagle

Hot looking pontiac grand prix?... uhh, granny?

canadiancl

the Gran Prix is probably the best and most tasteful looking Pontiac, maybe even the whole GM lineup (except Corvettes and Camaros).

steeler0023

Go grannyGO, You had ne business buying the Nissan Max, you couldve just been happy with that Pontiac Grand prix..lol...DONT make comments about japanese people, either you buy the car or you dont and walk away and get a crappy grand prix. how in the world you compare Nissan Maxima to a Pontiac ?!! You need help gogrannygo!!!!

steeler0023

Tu te trompe canadien EH... Pontiac sucksss...!!!!! a plus

godeacs

While I don't agree with her rationale for buying the car, gogrannygo said nothing that could be construed as offensive to Asians! (Note post $4407). AND, it was the opinion of her friends anyway, NOT her's!

Geez, what is this world coming to? I am surprised you didn't comment on "big, beefy Americans"!...geesh..........

canadiancl

Now her description of "big beefy American" doesn't quite conjure up the same mental image :P

rswagle

I am an American and I am not beefy. I take offense to anything said to me which is derogatory. I am sensitive, so from now on, only positive things may be said about my maxima. Thank gosh for free speech! LOL!

rswagle

Seriously though granny, drive what you like and enjoy. Any auto enthusiast will tell you that your car is an extension of you and reflects your personality. I personally love driving my 00 MAX GLE and would not trade it for anything. Give it a few months to really see what an amazing piece of machinery and engineering the Maxima is. Granny, Happy Motoring!

canadiancl

I hope I don't come off as politically incorrect because that's not my intention, but big IS associated with Americans. I love you guys but everything about you is "big". You have a big country with a big population in a big economy. Your sports are big. You have a big military (thank God!). Your cities are big, with big roads and highways. You like big houses, drive big cars and trucks. Heck, you even have bigger meals. I swear to God man, every time we go down to the States, we marvel at the size of the portions your restaurant serve up. You guys just don't believe in being subtle. I love it! Canada is too reserved and mousy in comparison.

godeacs

ROTFLMAO! All kidding aside, that comment re: Americans was far more "derogatory" (but I took no offense) than anything she said re: Asians........

canadiancl: thank you, on behalf of your southern neighbors, I accept the compliment and take no offense!...lol

argie

I was suprised to hear so many responses towards my expression of gogrannygo comments. May be it got a little out of hand. I work for the government, and this type of issues or comments are pretty sensitive. That's the reason I reacted that way earlier.

May be gogrannygo didn't meant anything bias with her comments. But this day in age, such issues are not taken lightly (unfortunately).

Anyway, does anyone know or experienced (I hope not) the IGNITION problem that I posted earlier?

Thanks.

nedlyj

C'mon people, let's get a clue. Stating a factual example, or generalization about a culture is not by its nature racist, stereotypical, or insensitive. We (Americans) have apparently been reduced to whining super-sensitive spineless idiots who believe every reference to a "group" is somehow inherently problematic. Geezz..... And for the record, I have good friends in Japan, I've been to Japan, and Yes - Asians, on average ARE smaller than Americans on average - fact.

Back to reality...

92drexel

I'm still shaking my head over that M45. I still can't believe that Nissan/Infiniti can introduce something so hideous along with the drop dead gorgeous G35 coupe at the same auto show.

I hope they keep that designer away from the new max.

tr3

Just purchased a new 2002 GLE. Pick it up Tuesday. A spoiler is being added to the car. Does anyone know of anything I should check for after the spoiler is installed?? I want to make sure the dealer doesn't forget something when the spoiler is installed. Thanks

dklanecky

I've always thought it looked odd when I see GLE's or GXE's where they've added the spoiler (which includes the 3rd brake light)and not removed the original "high mounted 3rd" brake light.

I'm not sure but when I had my 95 GLE's spoiler added by the dealer, I think a cover plate came in the spoiler kit so they could remove the original brake light and cover the space it was originally mounted.

Other than that, you could compare the ease with which the trunk opens before and after the spoiler it attached.

Might be a difference due to strength of the springs/hinges?

fredvh

Did any of you Maxima owners consider the Mazda Millenia when you were car-shopping? Supposedly they are selling for approx. $7000 under MSRP. That would put the price around 22K for a vehicle with all the goodies. I have not really seen one and have not driven one as of yet. They are supposed to be well-built according to reliability studies. The engine(2.5L) might be a little small but that would not bother me. Any comments?

bianca2

Yes, we drove the Millenia when we were shopping. It's not a bad car, but we didn't care for it in comparison to the Maxima. It seemed noisier, the engine and transmission a bit rougher. The handling was not as crisp. I didn't like the fact that it didn't have split folding rear seats. All that said, it wouldn't be a bad choice if you do a lot of highway cruising, and if you're looking to save money while still getting a car with a reasonable amount of equipment. I thought the seats were comfortable, trunk was a decent size.

We had a 626 about 10 years ago and liked it a lot, for what that's worth (not much, considering how long ago that was!)

mcontreras

One thing you might want to check is whether the dashboard warning light comes on when you apply the brakes. This was mentioned on this board previously and was the case when I picked up my GLE (with the optional spoiler) ...

sysadmin1

Hey all,

Hoping someone has seen this...just looked at my foglights this morning, and BOTH have cracks going across the glass front. I had a 2k GLE, and many other vehicles, and have never had a rock or something take out a foglight or even headlight for that matter. My car has 4800 miles on it and was previously mark free. What are the chances that I could take rocks into each in such a short time span, probably zilch. My guess is that the fixtures are mounted too tight or something and they just cracked over a bad bump or something? ANyone got any ideas? It really looks like crap with them both cracked. I'll give a few days to see if anyone here has had this prob (maybe you should check your 2K2 max's...)

Please let me know, then I will try the dealer, but doubt I will get very far with them, but you never know. I would think the full warranty should apply, but those things are kind shaky....kinda like asking the dealer to replace a rock chipped windshield right? But to have two brand new fogloghts both crack in similar ways in such a short time?

Only other option is to just buy some online and replace them...but my car is only 2 months old...

tr3

Thanks for the input about the trunk, 3rd light and the dashboard light. I'll check them both out before I take delivery.

obiwankenobi1

I have a 2K2 Maxima SE and my foglights are fine after 10,000 miles of driving. No cracks or nothing. Unfortunately, it really might be just bad luck.

Good luck in finding a solution! :-/

Obi

habitat1

I have a 95 SE and several months ago noticed the foglight lens was cracked. I was anticipating an expensive fix, but the lens itself was only a $10 part that I replaced with a screwdriver. Might you be so fortunate, or with the new design do you have to replace the entire foglight?

steeler0023

Hi all, I am looking for a used maxima (99 or 00) , are there any web sites where I can find some maxima's for sale ? Is it worth it to bu a used maxima ? thanks for the input.

habitat1

A used Maxima may be worth it, if you know the car's history.

Certainly somebody will get a heck of a deal when I sell my 1995 SE 5-speed in a year or two. Even though it has 124k miles, the dealer informed me at its recent 120k mile service that the engine compression is perfect and all mechanicals look like they could easily go another 125k miles (or more). I've put very easy highway milage on mine, as evidenced by just now having to replace my original rear brake pads. Fronts lasted 95k miles. I may just keep the car another 10-12 years for my 7 year old daughter to inherit.

Maximas don't seem to hold their resale value quite as well as Camrys or Accords, which may make them a good buy as a used car. Just check the maintenace and service records and try to find one that's been babied like mine.

P.S. From Pittsburgh, or just a Steelers fan?

fredvh

Can you 2002 Maxima owners give me an idea of what kind of mpg you are getting with approximately 75/25(highway/city)?
I have heard that the 3.5 engine is not as fuel efficient(mpg) as the 3.0. Is this true?
Have any of the 2002 Maxima owners also had the 2000 or 2001 Maxima and what, if any, are the differences? Any mpg differences?

anthonyc

I did consider the 2002 Millenia P before I bought a 2002 Maxima SE. I came so close to buying a Millenia two weeks before I bought the Maxima. The Mazda dealers around here do not have a lot of Millenia P in stock. I almost bought one at $22500 plus tax with winter package but I changed my mind literally the last minute just before I signed the paper. I ended up paying more for the Maxima SE. One of the reason I did not buy the Millenia was because of the steering wheel felt really big for some strange reason. It drove and handle pretty well but some how the sitting position was kind of strange with the abnormally large steering wheel plus it does not feel as roomy as the Maxima SE. The Maxima SE was comparable to the Audi 100 V6 that I traded it in terms of interior room. Also, I kept noticing the hesitation when it tried to shift out of overdrive from freeway cruising speed. However, I do like the firmer brake pedal feel of the Millenia when compared to the Maxima SE. There is definitely more power with the Maxima. Also, I do like the fold down back seat of the Maxima. The other issue with the Millenia is the fact that it is going to be the last year run, it will be discontinued by Mazda, I am a little worry about buying a discontinued model. Leather is standard on the Millenia and but it is an option on the Maxima which require the Bose package. The Millenia is definitely good value for the money.

pjonkheer

I am seriously considering a 2K2 SE with all the options minus Navi. What can I expect to pay? Edmunds says the TMV is about 3 or 4 hundred over invoice, but I have heard you can get one under invoice. Is this true?? Thanks in advance.

jscatena

I'm sure it's been covered on here somewhere before but, my wife's 2002 GLE has a severe outbreak of rail dust (yes, it's white!) I called the dealer and was told that rail dust is not covered under warranty but that I should have it "detailed" and they would take the rust spots off at that time (at my expense). Is this correct? Is there a TSB that covers this? If replying, please also copy a reply to my home at jpscatena@t-one.net

Thanks!

kcb2

fredvh, We have just 700 miles on our new Maxima GXE and were pleasantly surprised that we got 28-29 mpg on the highway. We went by the dealership to get darker floor mats and the guy there told me that the Maxima has gotten better gas mileage than even the 4 cylinder Altima because the more powerful engine does not have to work as hard. We get about 29 mpg on our '93 4 cylinder Honda Accord, so we were very pleased to find we were getting comparable mileage on the V6 3.5 liter Maxima.

aggiedog

I just purchased one yesterday (04/01/02) with the following options:

Bose Audio System $953
Floor Mats $60
Front Side Air Bags $216
Front and Rear Painted
Splash Guards $85

Leather Trim Package $1,347
Meridian Edition Package $346
Power Sliding Glass Sunroof $779
Sunroof Wind Deflector $44

Total Options $3,830

Regional Base Price $22,871
Color Adjustment - - $109
Optional Equipment $3,830
Destination Charge $540

Total $27,241

The MSRP was 30,401.00. The prices above are all invoice prices and the only things I did not get were the Nav system and Traction control. The 27,241 included the $1,000 rebate which ended yesterday as well, unless Nissan extended it. I also checked with CARMAX online. They may have been about 300 below invoice but they were a little too inconvenient for me and didn't have the right color or options.

mirth

Edmunds just posted an article about the 2k2 Maxima. Basically, they said get the Altima 3.5 because it's just as fast and cheaper. But that's not really true, because with incentives you can get a GXE or a base SE for less money. So you're better off with a more contented Maxima than the more expensive Altima.

scotth5

Picked up a grey lustre SE on Saturday with everything but traction control, meridian and navigation system. After shopping 5 or 6 dealers in the area, only one would sell to me for what I wanted to pay. Ended up I paid slightly more for delivery because the dealer had to go 300 miles to get it.
MSRP $29,753.00
Invoice $26,679.00
Price $25,019.86
doc fee $ 99.00
title fee $ 16.50
delivery $ 500.00
tax $ 864.64
Total $26,500.00

I couldn't find another dealer that would get within $800 of the price, so it pays to shop around. Good luck and have fun shopping!

sysadmin1

I checked Courtesyparts.com and they list an entire foglight assy for $140. I emailed them and they told me they dont sell the lens sep. and I asked how much for jsut the two foglight assy's, since I dont need the entire kit (stalk, relay, wiring) that they list on their site. They replied that each foglight is "Not lens only, Whole assembly $127.96 each & $12.50 UPS in the states"....wierd huh? Sounds like it pays to buy the whole kit and toss the stalk and other hardware.

I have a email into my local dealer to see what thye will do. I dont think this will be covered under warranty, not sure if I want to try or not. The dealers for Nissan service really do suck, at least in NH...

Car has less that 5K, with both cracked. I'll let you know...

yamadave

I'm thinking about getting a Maxima for my wife. I would like to get an SE, but I am leaning towards a GLE because of different tires and softer suspension settings. How does the SE do in snow? Also I'm looking for honest opinions about reliability. The nearest Nissan dealer is 50 miles from me, and it is completely out of the way. Can a Maxima go 200K without major repairs assuming scheduled maintenance is performed? Also is Nissan offering 0.9 financing? For what terms? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

djp2c

I challenge anyone over 5'8" to get into a 2002 Maxima GLE and set the seat to your liking. Then try and read the speedometer with the steering wheel in any position but up as far as it can go. (You can't)
Try it.

Then try and use the gated shifter. (horrible) Go and drive a VW Passat with a gated shifter and you will see how a gated shifter should work.

Try and look out you rear vision mirror when the sun is over you. You can hardly see anything because of the reflection of the dash in the r/v mirror

I just returned from Florida and in Daytona Beach there are many opportunities for U Turns. Be sure you know how much room you need with the new GLE as the narrow U Turns can cause you a hell of a lot of trouble.

Try the sun roof. The tilt position opens about half as far as my old Maxima. (progress)

If you get a spoiler on the GLE you will have a problem with the trunk lid staying up. It will slam if the person closing it doesn't know about this problem. (The trunk lid spring should be changed when a spoiler is added)

The trunk size seems a lot smaller too.

The front cup holders are of no use at all. They must have been designed by a large soda drinker. (Try using them for a small coffee)

The 1989 Maxima was a far better car and well ahead of its time. The 02 is about five years behind its time, except for the engine. And engine alone is a poor excuse for buying a car.

And finally the colors available leave a lot to be desired.

OK now tell me how stupid I was to buy mine. I will agree with you on that.

rswagle

Yes, what were you thinking?! Did you not test drive the max. did you take it out merely around the block or did you take it for a test drive for an extended period. i understand that it is hard to assess the comfort of seats in such a short period of time. I commute 1.5 hours one way every day and have found that my max gle has excellent seating comfort. play around with 8 settings..it takes some fiddling then lock it into memory! The colours available are perfectly fine and look great to me. In regards to the sunroof, the car is a totally different generation of max. than your '89. Things change, and this might be one of them that doesn't suit you. Anyhoo, just my 2 cents! Happy motoring!
regards

qstick777

I'm 5'11" and have no problem finding a comfortable seating position. I will agree that the tilt steering does not seem to have much adjustment, only a few inches total.

I have noticed that if I put the steering wheel all the way down, I can only see the speedo up to about 40 and again around 100 mph. I also noticed that with the steering wheel in that position that I can't lift my leg to move my foot from the accelerator to the brake. I also notice that if I drive with one hand in the 12 o'clock position that I can't see the speedometer either (forgive the sarcasm, I couldn't resist ) I'm actually surprised that the driver's seat doesn't go back further. I drive with my seat at its furtherest position, but can't imagine being comfortable if my legs were any longer.

The cupholders seem to be designed for 2 items - soda cans (smaller area) and soda bottles. Most of the cars I've seen have fixed position cupholders, the only exception that I've seen being the Taurus which uses rubber flabs to adjust to the size of the cup.

Can't speak on the rearview mirror problem, as I haven't noticed any problems. Also can't speak on the roof, as I never owned an older Max.

As for the spoiler, sounds like you could have a nice little lawsuit if you work it just right

I like the color options, but will agree that they are rather limited. I've noticed that most of the "cool" colors seem to be only available on smaller, cheaper cars.

Can't speak on the radius for U-turns, as this is my first Max and I don't have anything to compare it to. I don't have the occasions to make many U turns, but have heard many complaints that the turning radius is rather large.

Sorry that you have so many complaints with the Maxima. While there are bound to be things that won't be to my liking, so far I'm very happy with my Max.

My only complaint is that ever since I've had the car, I've noticed an increase in the number of cars behind me with flashing blue and red lights. Has anybody else had this problem. My car seems to not feel right if its not doing at least 60, but I haven't been able to convince the police.

canadiancl

I know you were just trying to be funny, but actually you weren't far from the truth. I had a '95 SE, and I swear the car was boring, almost clumsy, unless you were driving it like you were in a hurry.

jscatena

My wife's 2k2 white GLE has developed a severe case of Rail Dust. I contacted the dealer and was told to take it to a good detail shop (at my expense) as it is not covered under warranty.

Am I gettting a straight story? Is there a TSB covering Rail Dust? I know that Ford has one and that will repair/refinish damge done.

Jim
jpscatena@t-one.net

kyleknicks

wow..seems like u're reallllllll unhappy with your 2k2 max huh? wanna see it? i would love to buy a nice maxima at a good price. i was actually thinking about trading in my 2k max for a 2k2 model. i'm sure i'll enjoy your ride alot more than you do...

berbel

When I bought my '00 SE, I purposely avoided the
5-speed because of the big fuel "cutout" controver-
sy. This was in spite of the fact that I really
wanted the manual transmission.

The new 6-speed has been the subject of some criti-
cism in several reviews I've read. E.G., "throws
too long," "difficult to get into certain gears,"
"feels clunky," "not smooth shifting," etc.

TO YOU '02 SE OWNERS w/ 6-speed transmissions:

I would appreciate objective critiques of the
manual transmissions in your Max's!

Thanks in advance for your input.

berbel

steeler0023

thanks again for your comments about a used Maxima. I was debating between a new vs. used max as well as Maxima vs. Honda Accord ...
I am from Pittsburgh, but now in Washington DC suburbs, but definetly a huge Steelers Fan!

ssn171

Berbel,

I drove a 5 speed Toyota Corolla for 8 years then bought a 2000 Maxima auto. While I loved just about all the dynamics of the car, I really missed driving a stick. I sold my car to my parents and bought a 2002 SE 6 speed. I'm by no means an expert when it comes to manual transmissions (I've maybe driven 4 different cars with stick)but I'll give you my 2 cents.

Yes, I find the stick to be notchy but about the same as my '91 Corolla was (not too much to write home about). I especially find it notchy going to 3rd. What's kind of funny is that some days the shifting is very smooth while other days it feels notchy - temperature related?? I'm not sure what to think about that. Am I disappointed with the shifter feel? Yes, but all the other great attributes of the car outweigh this one thing by a mile. I'm getting used to the feel and am very satisfied with my car.

ssn171

90max

I've owned quite a few Nissans over the years and I certainly understand djp2c's and granny's utter frustrations with the 02 Max. While the engineering on the Max is remarkable, the design elements - including the design and placement of the seats, foot pedals, handbrake and sun visor - are completely incompetent. It's as if Nissan devoted its best engineers to the motor, tranny, handling and braking, and then hired the Yugo design team to finish the project. Nissan's seats, in particular its fabric seats, are simply defective. This isn't limited to the Max. Car&Driver was critical a few months back of the seats in the Altima and the I35. Read some of the posts on the G35. There's a post by someone who already traded in his G35 because of the lousy seats. See http://pc99.detnews.com/autosconsumer/autoreviews/index.hbs?myrec=133 for more comments on the poorly designed seats in the I35. These problems can't be detected in a test drive. Buying a new car is like buying a new pair of shoes; the new shoes never feel as comfortable as the pair you've been wearing for years. Ultimately, you buy a new car trusting that the manufacturer knows how to build a seat and where to place the pedals, steering wheel, sun visor, etc. Inexplicably, after doing these things right for many years, Nissan presently has no clue as to what it's doing. I believe the problems are compounded in the new Max by some very inept design decisions and some very poor reverse engineering (i.e., jerry-rigging). I'm scheduling the third visit to the dealer to address the problems with the seat, which I expect will accomplish nothing.

gmanzx3

Regarding the 6-speed...It is very notchey. More so than any other manual I have ever owned. But is it horrible or not worth buying the car over? I personally don't think so.

As far as the seats and ergonomics...I couldn't disagree more. I had an 01' with the cloth seats and thought they were the most comfortable and supportive seats I ever sat in. They showed no wear after 24,000 miles. My new 02' cloth seats are not quite as comfortable, but overall I still like them. I also feel that the relationship to the steering wheel and pedals is perfect also. This is the main reason I purchased this car twice. The car "fits" me perfect. Basically you need to test drive every car you intend on purchasing. Obviously what's perfect for some is horrible for others.