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Comments
On the Maxima front, I've had a good purchase and service experience with VOB Nissan in Rockville.
Best wishes.
My wife has the 2002 GLE with rail dust disease and I'm just getting out of a QX4 and into an A6 4.2
Is this problem unique to Maximas?
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
Thanks for you comments and observations. They will
assist greatly in making a buying decision. There
is no question that it will be another MAX SE.....
the only question will be auto or 6-speed. A 20
mile drive over the "twisties" in east central
Ohio will eventually resolve that question!!
I would continue to appreciate responses from other
MAX SE owners with 6-speed transmissions!!!
berbel
I sat in a 2002 Altima SE at the dealership when they came out, and I did not like them at all. Even in the 2.5S model (at $21K or so), I think the interior looks cheap. I have a Toyota RAV4 rental now, and it's kinda "industrial" looking inside, but still looks more "expensive" than the Altima, from what I rememeber. I don't get Edmund's sometimes.
Seats are fine for my 5'11" and my 5'6" wife, no problem finding a comfortable seating position. No problems at all with the car and it's lots of fun for a luxurious, roomy sedan.
djp2c; I wish you improved research and better luck with your next car. There's lots of variables and trade-offs with a major commitment like a car, house, spouse; choose wisely.
Maybe my 2002 Max GLE is different than all the others! Seats are comfy, foot pedals, hand brake, sun visor, etc....all great!
Some people complain about anything! Check the car out BEFORE you buy!....
And to think, one poster has owned several Maxs and STILL complains....
This time I thought that, may be, I did not turned the key and held the starting position long enough to make it start. It started on the second try without a hitch. Although, sometimes it seems that I have to hold the starting position longer than normal to start the vehicle.
Well, I'm scheduled to have my keys reprogrammed at the dealer this weekend. I'll update this board about any improvements.
Other then the starting problem, my '01 gle is smooth, powerful, and fun to drive.
You should request or insist that they reprogram your key for "FREE". If they don't do it, talk to their superiors or call NISSAN CORP. And let the hammer drop on them!!!
Here's a blurb from Nissan:
"The all-new Altima continues to outpace projected sales with unit sales of 18,917, a 20.4 percent increase versus March, 2001.... Maxima continues its momentum with sales of 15,162 units, a 44.3 percent increase versus last year."
Are you doing anything like this short running time?
You are 100% on the money with your comments re Altima v. Maxima. When
the Altima hit the local showroom I
happened to be there having my Max
serviced. I spent about 10 seconds sitting
in a Altima SE, got out and told the salesman
that the interior looked "cheap." The car
looks great on the outside with dual exhausts
etc but your bubble is burst with the interior
design. The Max is so much more refined!!!
berbel
evaluations of the transmission in their Maxes.
A few more would be helpful. Anybody?
berbel
One of the main reasons I chose to buy a Maxima was the availability of a manual with a V6. I prefer having complete control over what gear the car is in at all times, and don't mind the extra "work" of shifting. They are just some things an automatic can't do, for example knowing that as soon as this oncoming car goes by you're going to pass the slowpoke ahead of you. With a MT, you can already upshift in preparation.
But anyway... my previous car was a 5-spd Accord, and I generally liked the transmission. I've been driving my 6-speed for about a month now, and am still getting fully used to the change. One thing I'm having to relearn is that I can't depend on engine noise to know when to shift. It's happened to me a couple of times that I've gone to redline (while passing someone) and forgot to shift because the Maxima engine is just so much smoother and quieter than my previous car.
I definitely love the power of 2nd and 3rd gears.
Shifting from 1st to 2nd is not always as smooth as I'd like. But that could just be me...
The feel of the shifter is generally fine with me. Someone else posted a comment about how the feel can change slightly from day to day. I've noticed this too, and thought it was related to temperature changes. But it's not enough of a change to bother me.
Another thing I noticed is that in first gear, if you put a little forward pressure on the shifter you'll feel a regular pulsation when you're moving.
One other thing to consider is that with the 6-speed you have the option of getting the limited-slip diff, if that's something you're interested in. I have it on mine, but it would be hard for me to tell you how much of a difference it makes since I haven't test driven a max without one.
Future resale will likely depend upon current supply meeting future demand. And since Nissan isn't hardly building any, there likely won't be a large supply of them. But who knows if anyone will want one in a few years? Someone looking for a rather exclusive affordable sporty sedan might be quite pleased with a Maxima SE 6-speed. So maybe there will be decent demand in 3-5 years?
Guessin' the best course is either a pretty basic, almost stripped manual that will appeal to the sporty family man on a budget in 3-5 years, or go all out and fully load up the options (to have it compete nicely in future against used BMW 330i, Lincoln LS6, Cadillac CTS, Lexus IS300, etc--a poorer man's near luxury sporty sedan.
Bigger issue of resale will be the next generation Maxima. If a huge improvement over current Maxima and if a significant change to the platform (e.g., say it went RWD), then resale of current Maxima will likely tank.
I heard that ~99 Maxima GXE's don't have that (only a pass-through). I wonder whether 00~01 SE and GXE have that.
How about ~99 SE's?
By the way, we also tested the Hyundai Sonata LX (hey, why not? - looks decent, fully loaded car w/V6, fully independant suspension etc. etc. for ~$18,000; remember, its for my daughter and payments ARE a factor). Not a max by any means, but was pleasantly surprised at the ride. Much more compliant than the GLE and not a floater as you might suspect.
Regarding the previous post about rumored dealer cash on 2002 maximas ...
The dealer I visted yesterday (Ohio) is offering $5000 off MSRP on any GLE or SE maxima. This includes the current $1000 cash rebate from Nissan. Pretty good deal, since this brings the price down to roughly $1000 under dealer invoice ($2000 under if you include the rebate). So my thoughts are that there must be some dealer cash/incentives involved here for a dealer to sell a max for $1000 under apparent cost.
By the way, just 3 weeks ago I almost bought a 2002 Max SE w/6-spd for $26700 (MSRP of 30,400; same dealer as referenced above). So factoring in the $1000 rebate, I was at dealer invoice (their invoice included a marketing fee). So glad I didn't buy, since the dealer's current price beats the previous deal by $1300.
Happy shopping. I think 2002 Maxima pricing is trending in the buyers favor.
Happy motoring!
This is important to me because my lease on my 2000 SE 5-speed is up in January. Regrettably, it looks like I'll have to drop the new Maxima from my short list. The timing is wrong and I want a replacement no less sports-oriented than the SE. I asked the Infiniti dealer to call me as soon as they know when the G35 6-speed will be available. Latest estimate is January or February.
I keep seeing this rumor going around. It is false. The '04 Maxima will be built on the new Altima platform, not the Q45 platform. Production begins January '03 for introduction as an '04 model. That is so far the only verified information anyone has.
Look at this Nissan press release:
"The new Maxima will share a vehicle platform with the Nissan Altima."
http://www.nissannews.com/corporate/news/2001/reljanel20010927110025.shtml
People who live with bad wells on their property swear their water is fine. (They may have to sell the house one day so I can appreciate their motives)
But when people buy cars and swear they are perfect when they are not------this I cannot understand.
My question is, how much is a fair depreciation value for the 4k miles already on it? I was thinking that $0.30 per mile would be a fair reduction from straight invoice. So this gives me the following offer:
Invoice $25,862
Rebate (1,000)
Mileage (1,200)
--------
TOTAL $23,662, plus tax, tag & title.
Is this reasonable? Or is it TOO reasonable -- should I be taking even more than that off of my offer? I have never bought a "used" new car and need help estimating a fair price. Thanks for your help.
I guess it seems to make some sense, because what's the point of having 2 same size/same platform FWD sedans in the line-up other than trim levels?
Of course, his "information" may be BS, too. Whatever, should be interesting what news and new product is available next January.
Do all of these and you'll easily maximize fuel economy!!!
Check out the Federal Trade Commission's web site. They have some information on automotive-related scams. FTC hasn't found a product like this yet that does what it claims.
Think it was either Car & Driver or Motor Trend that actually tested the Tornado. They found no benefit. Nor is there any reason--tied to laws of physics, thermodynamics, relativity, gravity, etc.--that would cause the product to work. Junk science/junk theory.
I went to the dealer on Friday to have my keys reprogrammed. So far there is no indication that there is anything wrong with the ignition.
I was busy around town this weekend and drove the '01 maxima back and forth. There were many stops that I had to make and every time I started the vehicle it was very smooth and easy.
May be you should ask your neighbor to have the dealer reprogram the keys.
This specially happens when driving the car shortly after starting the engine.
We thought that it was probably due to the metallic brakes and cold weather combined. However, the dealer found that his rear brakes were defective. He was told that there were a Bulletin Notice to this problem.
The dealer service dept. stated that: REAR BRAKE PADS AND SHIM KIT WERE DEFECTIVE OR POOR MATERIAL. REPLACE REAR BRAKE AND SHIM KIT PER BULLETIN.
After that, there were no more problems with his rear brakes. They didn't charge him anything, since the car was still under warranty.
Hope that this notice would help some of you that have this brake noise problem.
As for my '01 Maxima ignition problem, I had my keys reprogrammed and ran around town this weekend without any ignition hitch. There were many stops that I had to make. Every time I started the vehicle, it was smooth and quick.
So far, so good.
Or do a search by year, make, and model at the NHTSA website. Unfortunately, they don't give you the text of the bulletin, you have to order it and pay about $35. However, in most cases its probably sufficient to know there is one and be able to refer your dealer (who should already have a copy) to it.