Nissan Maxima

wannawrx1 · December 2001

OK-I looked at C&D from December- The new Infiniti i35 actually does 0-60 in 6.9 seconds. this is down from the previous model by about a full second. As such, a new 6-speed maxima should be about a second quicker. In the same issue, they test a 3.5 Altima automatic which did 0-60 in 7.3 which is a full second slower than the 5-speed Altima did it. A 5.9 second Maxima would be quite a performance (540i and GS400 territory for half the price) And I'll have to reconsider trading in my 2000 maxima for a new WRX (which makes my car feel like a Lincoln Town Car)

gymshoe · December 2001

Yes..my 2000 maxima has 17" wheels and the turning radius is huge. Yes..the car is longer than our A4. However, my A4 also has stock 17" wheels. Didn't even know you can buy an A4 with 14s! new 1.8T A4's come stock with 15". Anyway, in the same residential road, to do a U-turn, the maxima would require to go over the sidewalk on the right side, turn and still hit the sidewalk on the other side of the road. The A4 does it within the road. Went to test drive the '02 maxima and asked sales guy about the huge turning radius and he tried to convince me that it wasn't that big by showing me its turning radius, ........in a huge empty parking lot. Well, thanks. It's kinda hard to see how tight the radius is in a parking lot!!

Also...ANYONE FROM THE BELLEVUE/EASTSIDE AREA (washington state)? I need to get some service done for my maxy, and to my dismay....Bellevue and Kirkland Nissan is.... "Temporarily Closed!!" What the heck is up with that?!!?

Back to the turning radius thing...
I think it's a design flaw in the current model maximas. The wheel wells don't seem to be designed for 17" wheels, so to accomadate them, and prevent them from hitting the wheel wells when fully turned, they shortend the degree to which they can be turned....thus increasing the turning radius. Does anyone with the standard 16" wheels on their maxima have a problem with doign U-turns?

riez · December 2001

wannawrx1... Are you comparing apples to apples? The new I-35 is automatic transmission only. The former I-30 used to have a manual transmission as an option. (Not sure I ever saw one, but it was listed as available. Can't remember if 2001 I-30 had 5-speed manual as option or if that was killed off in 2000.) Published acceleration times for Altima 3.5SE 5-speed manual have been in the 6.25-6.50 second range. Not sure about the automatic.

92drexel · December 2001

I think wanna is correct. I'm sure that the last year that the I30 was available with a manual transmission was the '99 model year. The 2nd generation I30/I35 (2000, 2001, and 2002) do not offer a manual (ala ES300 and TL) I believe.

tiger8 · December 2001

Don't know if this relates to the mysterious closing of Nissan dealerships in your area. A couple of weeks ago on the the Car Guys (click & clack, the tappet bros.) show on NPR, a woman called in from somewhere in Washinggton state and said her new Maxima's odometer was calibrated in KILOMETERS. Very mysterious, and when she returned to the dealership, it was closed. Some hanky panky obviously going on. Don't recall any more details.

trmichaels · December 2001

Just took delivery of my 2002 Maxima GLE this week. Bought from CarsDirect.com, and had a less-than-impressive experience from them and their NJ dealer (I live in CT). Communication from CarsDirect to both me and the dealer was horrible, and also from the dealer to me. The paperwork and my trade-in were both handled poorly. Nobody seemed to know what was going on.

In spite of these problems, I did get the car for $400 over cost (although it seems that a recent Town Hall poster from Boston got a much better deal than I did). Nevertheless, the car was driven up to me from NJ, a 2 1/2 hour trip, which was appreciated, and delivered right to my door.

Initial impressions: I love the quiet, smooth ride of the car, and its luxurious interior. Fit and finish seems first class. Radio and climate controls are superbly laid out and easy to use.

Dislikes: The Bose stereo is a huge disappointment so far. I'm no car audio connoisseur, but I had a Bose system in my 1990 Buick Riviera that sounded far superior. The Maxima Bose seems to seriously lack clarity and crispness. I've heard some people say it needs to be "broken in," so I'm hoping maybe it will get better. As of now, I am most disappointed with it.

I also find it tiring to drive long distances because of the way the area where my left foot rests curves in, right where I would normally put it. Can't seem to find a comfortable place for it, and end up feeling cramped.

The instruction manual seems rather unclear in spots, especially concerning the HomeLink remote programming. Took me quite a while to figure out how to set that up, as it didn't always indicate if a button should be HELD after it is PRESSED (for those trying this set-up, the buttons on your "rolling" garage door opener's training module AND the car's Home Link console must both be pressed AND held, which may require 4 hands).

Does anyone have any suggestions on some rugged car mats for the snowy months to protect my nice new Maxima mats? Brookstone sells a set called "Waterhog" that I am considering.

Thanks!

bigbadboss101 · December 2001

I have a 6 speed with about 1,200 miles. Enjoy the car very much, with the following complaints:

BOSE
- Bass isn't great, and the subwoofer rattles.
- Random CD seems to play the 1-2-5 combo often.

Steering wheel control
- Need to be lit up

Computer
- I rather see instant figures instead of averages. Some question the accuracy of the numbers.

Other than that, I am happy with the looks, performance, etc.

I have the pant saver car mat. It isn't big enough and water will run off the back of the front mats.

storyteller · December 2001

trmichaels: check the Weathertech Premium or Luxury mats.

amazing2u · December 2001

If those are the only complaints you have, I'm VERY impressed (other than the sub rattling)! LOL!

BTW, I'm getting tired of waithing for mine!

seeya on the .org

Simon

roar1 · December 2001

If you go to www.nissannews.com (6-14-01) you will find an article about the Harbour Report.
This report comes out every year and ranks North American Automobile Plants ( sorry,not
worldwide) in terms of manufacturing expertise.
The Smyrna Plant was rated the # 1 Manufacturing Plant in N. America by the Harbour
Report for the 7th year in a row in terms of efficiency. The report equates efficiency
with quality.
There are many automotive publications that do surveys, reports and awards. I will try
to do some research to see if there are any more " worldly " reports or ratings. Sorry about being slightly off topic but the new Max. WILL be produced at this plant.

corkfish · December 2001

I have a 93 Nissan which I believe was built in Smyrna. The car has been flawless. Nonetheless, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the important parts ( engine, transmission etc) built in Japan and then shipped over for assembly? I thought all these US plants did was to put the parts that were made and built in Japan together.

dukehouston2 · December 2001

I have had a loaded 01 SE Max for about 15 months, excellent car, BUT I don't like the Bose.
My sub is also buzzing, and no I don't crank up the bass, the bass is muddy and the unit distorts at high volume, and to me the unit is tiring to listen to for an extended time at medium to high volume. I don't remember that with my '95 SE Max which also had the Bose. Those units did not have the Sub, BUT we're Bi-amped, each speaker had its own amp and it got LOUD without distorting. I drove my brothers '98 SE with the Bose and it also sounded great, clear with no distortion. BTW I also liked the reduced rake of the windshield, seemed like it had more head-room.
Otherwise I think the car is the usual Max...Great, with no problems...

Duke

silver_bullet · December 2001

My 1997 Nissan pickup was built at the Smyrna plant, and has been dead reliable. As far as the Smyrna plant assembling Japanese parts, well, the engine block in my truck has a casting mark that says "Hecho y Mexico". Doesn't sound too Japanese to me...

dabronxr · December 2001

Wow that was really funny that you said your left foot has no where to go. I have my GLE for 2 weeks and the only annoying thing is where to poit my left foot. THe car interior comes out to far where I would normally have my foot resting. Only option is to bring foot all the way in towards seat and lean knee to left against door, but then my leg is resting on the arm rest right angle and it digs in. Sorry for this post folks, but I just finished telling that to my wife then lo and behold I read same complaint here. As far as the instructions for the homelink, I disagree. I found it very simple. If I reacall(I did this 2 weeks ago) you press down for about 30 sec's to clear factory setting then hold remote next to the car transmitter on visor and prsee for a short time and poof they are now one and same!

danny25 · December 2001

I don't have a Maxima but I think the homelink in my CL is the same. It's easy to program it if it's not a rolling code garage door, but if it is it is a lot more complicated. I have a rolling code garage door and have yet to program my homelink since it takes more work, and I'm a bit lazy right now.

bwia · December 2001

I am too embarrassed to ask for help, but I cannot get homelink to work with my Genie garage door opener.

Trmicheals, on my 2002 GLE, (Post #3684) the dealer reduced the invoice price by $300 for MA (I think that's advertising) and $726 for the hold back without much negotiation, resulting in a final price of $25,611. By the way, the paint matched perfectly on the added on spoiler, a dealer freebee, which was done outside the dealer shop.

wilvolt · December 2001

I too had issues getting the Homelink transmitter to work with my opener (Genie). I think the problem was the instructions that came with the Max. I went to the Homelink website and got their intructions. After struggling with the Nissan instructions for almost an hour, I got it working in five minutes with the Homelink instructions.

bianca2 · December 2001

I found it very easy to use. The only thing "complicated" about making it synchronize with a rolling code is that I had to haul out a step-ladder to press the red button on the receiver mounted near the ceiling in the garage. Took me a minute to find the right button. My mom's garage door is pre-rolling code, so it was just as easy as dabronxr describes.

I now have it set to left button opens my garage left door, right button for right door, middle for my mom's house. I love it, very convenient.

bigbadboss101 · December 2001

Easy to program, at least for regular non-rolling codes. I only have one garage door to open, so I will need to find doors for the other two :-)

canadiancl · December 2001

Program your neighbours'

)

trmichaels · December 2001

It's always nice to know you're not the only one (with homelink programming trouble, nowhere to put left foot...) I guess that's why these forums are so great!

After griping a little and having a few more days on the road with my car, I really must say, on the positive side, that the ride of this car is fantastic - very quiet and smooth as butter. It is a joy to drive. And I think I may be adjusting to the stereo - somehow, it didn't seem as bad today. Besides, I can always upgrade the stereo if I feel the need.

Has anyone ordered a wood dash trim kit from exoticwooddash.com? I just ordered one, with the OEM wood. I'm not sure if I'll use all the parts (seems like overkill), but a few sure would dress the dash up nice.

Dabronxr.... maybe if we put the driver's seat back farther, our legs can stretch out. But then we'll need longer arms to reach the steering wheel!

Still discovering neat features in this car by reading the (often vague) operator's manual (window roll-down with key or keyfob, auto-seat adjust on entry/exit, sound system perks, etc). Very, very nice. Now if I can just figure out how to attach that cargo net that is all rolled up in a ball......

Thanks for the floor mat tip, storyteller

dabronxr · December 2001

Let me know how the trim kit works out. Let me know if it is an easy job, or one that will have me pulling whats left of my hair out! I'll be ordering some Zaino's Brother's products for the finish and the leather, I will let all know how well it works. I have heard all good things about that stuff. Any1 have any trbls with Zaino products. By the way for those who don't know they sell mail order only products to keep car looking new. I found them on one of the msg boards here. People sent in pictures of the cars they did and the finish looked like glass!

adamlee23 · December 2001

Hi all,

A new member here, I have enjoyed all of your posts, it has been very interesting to read. I bought a 2001 Maxima GXE for 22,833 at 3.9% financing. At the time I thought it was a good deal, but now I see all of these other posts, and it is a bit disheartening. When you consider that in some areas you can get a GLE for 25,000. Overall, this has been my first Nissan product, and I have been happy with it. I almost wish I were able to wait until the 2002's came out, but I was coming out of a lease, and needed a car right then. I guess buying and negotiating car deals are learning experiences, that I will carry with me when I deal for the next one.

godeacs · December 2001

you did fine! You got a great car at a great financing rate and you are happy with the GXE - that's what counts. There's always gonna be someone who gets a better deal; what they pay, or claim to pay, is beyond your control.

Enjoy the ride!

sc5a4u · December 2001

I own a '00 SE with 12K now on it. I leased the car because I like switching cars every few years. I truly like the Max, it's a fine vehicle no problems what so ever in over 1 1/2 years in my garage.
I have recently had an addition to my family and now have 3 kids. 1 10yo, 1 3yo still in a car seat and now the baby. My question is: is the Max going to become a full size and are all the changes which have taken place in the last model year?

Don't get me wrong, I love this car and it's a good size car now but it will not suit me and will have to go elsewhere when my lease ends.

Has anyone heard anything in reference to this?? Thanks for the help.

SC

storyteller · December 2001

sc5a4u: Most rumors have the next Maxima being built on the new Altima platform, although some suspect it will be stretched to be a bit bigger. Still, the Altima is just barely bigger than the current Max, so you aren't looking at a big sedan when the next one comes out. I'm afraid your family is growing too fast for Maxima to keep up. You might want to look at a Toyota Avalon or Honda Odyssey.

tshort1 · December 2001

I have two questions:

1. Can anyone give me the specs for wheel nut torque on my 2000 Max.

2. Is it possible to install the HEPA air filtration system on the 2000 MAX? If so, would it have to be dealer installed or can a "do it yourselfer" do it?

Thanks, and Merry Christmas to everyone.

tshort1

hrvat · December 2001

Whoaaaa!!!

In Friday's edition of the NY Daily News, there was a full page ad that you can get 0% financing on the 2002 Maxima until Jan 2nd. I don't ever remember seeing 0% financing on the Maxima's.

Are sales THAT BAD? Is this something to be alarmed about? Or is it simply an opportunity to take advantage of the offer.

Any chance they'll offer this again in the spring of 2002?

riez · December 2001

Here in midwest the Saturday Motor/Auto News sections of newspapers showing ads for Nissans saying "Just announced 0.9% APR WAC for 36 months or 3.9% APR WAC for 60 months on 2002 Maximas and 2002 Pathfinders Ends January 2, 2002."

sdawson713 · December 2001

Hey Guys. Happy Holidays. I sell in the Central NJ area and the Maxima doesn't have 0%. It has 0.9% for 36 months, 3.9% for 60 months, and there was a 500 dollar rebate as well. Sales on Maxima's have slowed down tremendously with the new Altima, but it is not a desparate situation yet. You can get a very good deal, though. Figure around invoice.

Some dealerships are advertising 0%. However, there's a lot of fine print. The 0% is in lieu of all discounts (you pay sticker), rebates (they keep your 500), you have to pay a 495 application fee (thats one costly credit check), and finally, you can only finance $15,000 (you have to put anywhere from 8-14 thousand down.)

I don't think rates will be this good in the spring. But I do expect a good program next summer. If you have more questions, let me know.

Sid

92drexel · December 2001

I think the lug nut torque is something like 72 to 87 lbs (I forget the exact range). That info is definately in the owners manual (I don't feel like walking outside to get the manual from the glovebox).

However I know it's in the manual.

92drexel · December 2001

I agree with godeacs. Plus there will always be improvements to cars each year. I know people who paid extra money for the 2001 AE and the 2002 is faster and cheaper. Besides, the folks who bought a 2002 might feel slighted when the 2003's come out. You just have to realize that purchasing a car is always a loosing proposition and that there will always be something bigger and better out each year.

Drex

Now that I think about it...cars are sort of like computers! I bought a new computer only one year after a buddy of mine bought his and mine is twice as fast (and we paid the exact same amount of money)!

maxima_rocks · December 2001

I am planning to buy a 2002 Nissan Maxima GLE before the end of the year. I have just moved to Dallas and would appreciate if anyone could suggest me good dealerships and the price I should go for. Also is Nissan offering 0% financing on news GLEs.

Thanks..

maxima_rocks · December 2001

Cannot make up my mind between the two of these cool cars, even after test driving them. Any kind of insights are appreciated. Thanks.

riez · December 2001

maxima_rocks... If you are seriously considering the 3.2TL, you should test drive and consider the Infiniti I-35. The loaded Honda Accord V-6 automatic, base I-35, and base 3.2TL are more direct competitors to the Maxima GLE.

Having test driven the Maxima SE, base I-35, and 3.2TL Type S recently, not sure there is any real comparison between the Acura 3.2TL Type S and the Maxima GLE. The former is a serious (albeit FWD) all around sport sedan designed to really go. It drives, handles, and rides like the 4-door pocket rocket it is. The GLE is a much more sedate, highway cruising car. Not designed to be a serious sport sedan. That mission is up to the Maxima SE or I-35 Sport.

You should compare the 3.2TL Type S to the Maxima SE and I-35 Sport. That is a much more apples-to-apples comparison. Test drive the loaded Accord V-6, base 3.2TL, or base I-35 in comparison to the Maxima GLE. Test drive them all and you'll quickly see, hear, feel, and know the significant differences. While they are similar, they have difference missions and go about achieving them in different ways.

bdlfe · December 2001

Nissan is offering 0.9% for 3 years AND $500 cash back. (This is up here in the Northeast, but I believe this should be a nationwide thing)
I'm in the market also for a GLE, and am going to look for it around $26,000 ($30,000 MSRP). That is about $1000 below invoice! Stick to your guns when negotiating or go to priceline or autobytel.

As for the Acura TL Type-S comparison, the Type-S is a FAST car, but it is cramped and a couple thousand more than the Maxima. Hope this helps. Good luck and let us know your experience.

sglator · December 2001

Guys,

Anyone considering TL-S should be aware of their transmission issues. Currently, a fair number of of TL-S transmissions fail within first 20K miles.

People stay in lines to replace them. There are even some guys who had their transmissions replaced 3(!) times.

Please refer to TL-S forum at http://www.acura-tl.com.

It's awash with failed transmission stories.

There is no problems with base TL. Only TL-S.

godeacs · December 2001

That would be a great deal on a 2002 Maxima GLE! Not likely though....may be sticking to those guns a while...lol

hrvat · December 2001

Here's a story I thought you all might be interested in:

I called a Nissan dealership in the Northern NJ area today because I had some questions pertaining to the 0.9% financing deal that lasts until Jan 2nd.

I barely completed my sentence before the salesman indicated there was NO SUCH PROMOTION. I told him it was in the newspaper. He said it only applied to the Sentra's. I told him to ask his manager about it, only to have the same rep come back on the line to say the manager doesn't know about the 0.9% promotion either!!!

I ask the guy about giving me the 1-800 number for Nissan so that I could find out more about this, because at this point I'm thinking maybe I misunderstood the ad I saw and everybody who's posted about it here on Edmunds is nuts. The rep tells me he doesn't have their number!!! Instead, he gives me their website address. I told him I'd be willing to hold if he asked someone at the dealership for the number, but he only got more "defensive" in his tone of voice and referred me to the website.

Well, low and behold, they did have a page on the website about the 0.9%, so now I call back asking for the same rep so that I can bust his chops a bit. He still kept insisting there was no such a deal!!!! This was even as I offered to give him the exact URL so that he can see it himself. I finally ask to speak to the manager.

The story gets even better....the "assistant" manager comes on the line and insists that it's not true either! After putting me on hold for a minute, he came back to say that I was correct about the 0.9%, but that it was only for 24 months not 36 months. After I pointed out the website address, he agreed I was correct.

This leads me to the following....why are dealerships so "unknowledgable" about the products they sell? If it's Nissan Motor Corp's fault about not properly informing the dealerships, why are the keeping this deal like a secret? Damn, the Bin Laden sightings we're getting from the Northern Alliance are more informative than what I was able to get between my calls to the 1-800 number and the dealership.

Also, where's the customer service aspect in this? The guy couldn't look up the Nissan "800" number for me? When I politely indicate to them that there actually is a 0.9% program, rather than being being appreciative that I brought it to their attention, they actually got more defensive about it!!!

My background in customer service has given me a low tolerance for poor manners and etiquette on the phone and incompetence. How people like this are in business is beyond me.

****If you're wondering why I called them, my father bought his 2000 Maxima there and the representatives there at that time WERE OUTSTANDING in both their professional demeanor and product knowledge.

This concludes my rant for the day (Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday's to all).

bdlfe · December 2001

That is not even good, that is too conservative! bwia paid $25,611! Now that is an amazing deal and definitely his lucky day!!

Yes these salespeople are trying to act "ignorant" to the ads on tv and in print about all Nissans.

This is from the nissandriven site:

--From Wednesday, December 19th through Wednesday, January 2nd, it's Nissan's Good Buy Sales Event.
Get $500 cash back* in addition to already great offers on 2001 and 2002 Nissan models. Choose from Sentras, Maximas, Quests, Pathfinders and Frontiers - even the new Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed, at 74.6" it's the longest bed of any 4 door compact truck.
And say hello to great financing: get 0.9% A.P.R.** on 2001 and 2002 Nissan models - from the 255 horsepower Maxima to our most powerful Pathfinder ever!
But hurry! On January 2nd, your chance at great cash back and APR offers says good bye!

See your Nissan dealer today!

LEGAL: *Cash back from Nissan not available on 2002 Sentra SE-R models, 2002 Xterra and 2002 Altima. You must take delivery from new dealer stock. **Short term financing on new Nissan's in participating dealer stock. Subject to NMAC credit approval. Offer excludes 2002 Quest and Altima. See dealer for details. Offer ends January 2, 2002.--

It doesn't get any plainer then that.

As for customer service, these days there is no such thing. These are car salespeople who know that we know the numbers and they are trying every which way to get as much of our $$ as possible. That's their job. Otherwise we'd be getting Saturns.

If you want to do the leg work and shop around to find the best deal, good for you. If not, you settle for what you get. There's always a trade-off.

Thank goodness for the internet for resources and forums such as this.

realyecat · December 2001

for a 2002 Maxima is definitely possible. Competition is fierce this year and 2002 is the last year for current Maxima platform.

riez · December 2001

hrvat... You have to keep in mind that dealers want to make money on all parts of the deal, or as many as they can, including financing. They have arrangements with local banks and various lenders in which they get a percentage of the finance rate charged. If the bank quotes you 7.25 percent, the dealer might be getting .25 percent. So they don't want you to get a subsidized rate thru the manufacturer's financing arm, or any bank they don't have an arrangement with. If you do, they won't make a penny on the financing. They don't want that to happen.

I ran into something similar, though not nearly as drawn out or painful, when I bought a Certified Pre-Ownded '98 BMW 540i manual on 11/30/01. Was the last day of an advertised BMW Finance Offer (3.9 percent for 48 months and they made first payment). Luckily I did my negotiating in person and had a copy of the national ad. It was also on their web site. Dealer said he didn't know anything about it. I showed it to him, he makes a quick phone call (or so he said), and comes back to say I was right. I got the financing. But I'm guessing he had been hoping to steer me to one of his desired lenders.

bwia · December 2001

Today's Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) profiles Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's CEO, who has become the subject of a comic-book hero in Japan.

Portrayed in a business suit, and not in a superman-like cape, Mr. Ghosn (rhymes with phone) who is a citizen of France but was born in Brazil and grew up in Beirut and Lebanon is credited for turning around the once near bankrupt Nissan.

According to the WSJ, Japanese managers are considering Mr. Ghosn's management style of drastic cost cutting and layoffs, although they still cherish the ideal of job security and loyalty to suppliers and long-time business partners.

hrvat · December 2001

Thanks Riez for your input. Certainly makes more sense now.

Only about 6 days left before the 0.9% financing AND $500 rebate offer deadline. The best quote I have so far on a base SE (no sunroof, cloth interior) is $23,500. One dealership called me back this afternoon to tell me that they didn't have the Sterling Mist that I want but that they would sell me an SE they had in the lot that had a sunroof for $24,100. I know some of you might have jumped at this, but I don't want to pay an additional $600 for a sunroof I don't even want.

maxima_rocks · December 2001

I wanna thank e'body for their suggestions and valuable comments.
Acc. to Kely book value, the invoice price comes out to 25802.00. Thsi includes the cost of Sedan + dest. charge + Wind Deflector + Mud Guards.
The dealer is ready to give me at 25981.00
This package does not include the Meridian edition, Dual front side impact air bags and traction control.

Do u guys think thet this is a good price ?

Does a place like Dallas require one to get a Meridian edition ( Heated front seats, Heated steering wheel, Heated outside mirrors) & traction control.

Is it possible to get a $500 cash back, even if one gets the car at invoice price.

And how was $25,611 (price paid by bdlfe msg #3741), 1K below invoice price ?

bwia · December 2001

maxima_rocks:

Before going to the dealership I printed, from Edmunds, the 2002 GLE specs and options that I wanted and showed it to the salesman. I simply asked him (not expecting him to acquiesce) that I was not willing to pay the advertising and hold back charges, and that I was paying cash. See posts #3684 and #3717 for the transaction details.

Because the Altima is cannibalizing Maxima sales I would assume that Nissan is probably subsiding below invoice deals because at that dealership Altimas were selling at near MSRP.

I hope this helps.

bdlfe · December 2001

maxima_rocks, it was bwia who paid that price (msg # 3684).

I just got mine yesterday for $26,300. Everything except navi. Even the stupid sunroof deflector. But I'm happy with the price. It was worth it for an excellent service from the salesman. This after going to a few dealerships that wasted my time running back and forth to there sales manager. (Reminds me of "Fargo")

It was difficult to get the color I wanted in GLE, they have tons of SEs in stock. Apparently everyone (or the Nissan bigwigs thought they did) want a sporty sedan with stiff suspension and few luxury items with an A/T. There are few 6-speeds out there. So why not make more GLEs??

It will be difficult to find GLEs not loaded, or at least thats what I've seen up here in the NE. The price, $25,981 is good but I would go for a few more off or have them throw in a few accessories. Like wheel locks for them 17" 7 spoke rims! and any other freebies.

Remember, the dealer/salespeople have the $500 cash deal AND the holdback which is like $800-900. Even my salesguy straight told me this. But if you get the 0.9%/2-3 yr finance, this is awesome too.

Good luck...can't wait to pick up my Sterling Mist today!!

sysadmin1 · December 2001

Where's ya get that great deal? I went a couple of weeks ago to a dealer in southern NH and drove the GLE. Of course I had nothing but good things to say about it, and he had me park it around the front...Then they started working on me as if that particular car was going to be mine. I asked for their best price, told them I would pay invoice, (the GLE had everything inc the nav), they came back with 29,300 or something like that. Said it was an end of the month deal, they wanted to unload....what load of crap...I walked, check several sites, and came up with an invoice almost 1700 less. DO these dealers think we are stupid?

Anyway, where'd you get that deal?

thanks

bdlfe · December 2001

I'm around the Philly area. My deal was around $700-800 under invoice. But they're still making a few hundred off of me. I didn't completely milk them.

If the dealer comes up with a number that is not far from the MSRP, just walk. Invoice should be around 10% off of MSRP. I went to 3 Nissan dealers before I settled on the price. One of them just keep me hanging by making me wait for a "number" that the manager will come up with... right out the door I went. If you can take it, try going out of state, perhaps Boston or maybe even down to CT. On other forums, people have even traveled to Canada (from NY or Washington State).

Oh bring a friend, it helps if you know someone good with numbers, so you don't get low-balled. That way they can't intimidate you, especially if they have a few people coming at you with numbers, the salesperson, manager and the finance person.

Like bwia, I brought along printouts from websites and the dealer I got it from knew I meant business and didn't want to play games.

So my advice is to come prepared and with reinforcements. And be ready to move on to the next salesguy, like I was fortunate to get.

Good luck.

bdlfe · December 2001

Hey sysadmin1, maybe bwia can help tell you the dealer in the Boston area. I think that's where he got his from, according to msg #3684.

Nissan Maxima

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