Nissan Maxima

lofquist · January 2002

Amazingly enough, except for the Seattle folks who are so close to Vancouver, the next biggest group of buyers seem to be from the DC area going to Toronto. Lots of them have written me back. It's really not that far (500 mi). Fly up on a cheapy airfare, stay overnight, drive home the next day. Not a bad two days work to save $4000. There are ways to get it shipped, but the costs are typically pretty high.

Yes, the Maximas in Canada meet all US safety and emissions (California too). You wouldn't be able to get them into the US if they didn't. Nissan will give you a statement to that effect (even though the sticker under the hood says it too). Warranty is fine too. We've been able to find some really good dealers with excellent prices even by Canadian standards. Just email me and I'll send off the "cookbook" instructions. (jonlofquist@aol.com). I'm really having fun watching others save money like I did. The same can be done for an Infiniti I35.

Oh, and on your request for me to drive it for you.... Sure, of course I will. Just send the money up to the dealer. I'll pick up the Maxima. I should make it to your place in say, two to three years, ok? :-)

-Jon

habitat1 · January 2002

Get an SE 6-speed and I might be able to drive it back from Toronto to DC. I have family in northwest PA that I visit every few months.

Unfortunately, neither my wife nor I can drive an automatic. It's against our religion. But I would be gentle on the 6-speed!

Seriously, lofquist is right on the money and I might have gone to Canada for a Maxima if I didn't decide to keep my 1995 SE and get a Honda S2000 instead. Although a 530i through European Delivery was also looking tasty and probably my second choice.

p_g_00 · January 2002

Jon, did you change Speedo/odo? if so by dealer or here in WA? I am concerned if it's going to affect resale. odo usually is not supposed to be touched, isnt it?

> Speedo is in km and miles; odo is in km, but can be changed if you prefer.

cpa4u · January 2002

I had heard about the Canada prices back when I bought my I30 and asked around about it. I have a few auto dealer clients and all of them said the exact same thing.....It will kill the resale value down the road. They indicated that what will happen is the Nissan/Infiniti dealer here in the states will replace the instrument cluster with the US version (Mph) and then attach a signed sticker in the door to indicate the change. If you ever go to trade or sell, this could cause a "TMU" to be attached to your title. TMU=true miles unknown. From my questioning this does not happen in all states. I called DMV here in Kentucky and they told me that even if the dealer replaces the odometer and knows the mileage at the time of the switch, the car would still be a TMU. Per my dealer contacts, this could affect the price down the road as much as $3,000-$6,000. If this is true, that would negate any savings on the front end of the deal. I wonder if anyone purchasing these Nissans/Infiniti's within the past few years have either sold or traded one yet? If so, did anything adverse happen??

gerry18 · January 2002

"#3932 of 3956 montmax by robertr Jan 23, 2002 (02:06 pm)
You may be right about the extra power. I couldn't find the R&T test on line, but I looked at Car and Driver's June 1999 test of the 2000SE.
Their result was 14.9 sec 0-90, and 19.5 sec 0-100. It seems odd that it would take all of 4.6 seconds for that last 10mph. That means it took 25% of the time for the last 10 mph. My Maxima "seat-of-the-pants" feels faster than that, but then I don't do it every day.

"

Sorry for the physics lesson, but since the kinetic energy of the car, that which the accounts for where all of the HP was absorbed, varies with the speed squared, the car would have about 23% more kinetic energy at 100 mph than at 90. That doesn't account for all of why it takes the relatively long time to accelerate that last 10 mph, but it explains the majority of it.

gg2k2se · January 2002

Thanks for the info, so now I've heard twice that Nitto's are good tires. Anyone else have info?

As for Snow tires, I agree 100%. I always purchase 4 snows for my cars. I bought 16"Blizzaks mounted on 5 spoke Borbets from Tirerack for my 2k SE and I'm keeping them for my 2002 SE. I figure an expensive car carrying expensive kids is worth the spending the bucks for snows. I can recommend tirerack.com, good price and service.

I'm only up to 300 miles on my 6 speed, but it's definitely a blast. I'm putting my first coat of Zaino on today.

gg

pbhatti · January 2002

i didn't get the info from anywhere but put it together from what I heard around the net (edmunds, freshalloy, maxima.org) about the next max. From what I heard Nissan is planning to take on the big boys (BMW 5 series, A6, E class, Lexus GS) but for $10K-$15K less. So I thought it would definitly need a v8 (4L version of Q) 4 * (340/4.5) = 302. To handle this amount of hp and torque it would have to be RWD, AWD or both. This would move the maxima away from the altima, and g35 and it wouldn't tarnish the image of the maxima being a sport sedan.

lofquist · January 2002

I've talked with my DMV and speedometer shops numerous times about this. When you change the odo, the new one is set to the equivalent number of miles. It's just like if your odo had broke and you needed a new one. There are tons of places in the Seattle area for example that specialize in this because of all the used cars that the dealers are bringing down from Canada. It certainly doens't hurt their resale. My DMV says if it's done right like this there is no record needed and no problem. The speedometer shop will also give you a statement to that effect. A couple speedo shops even said they can do the work by mail if you'd like.

If on the other hand you just slap in a replacement with either zero or some other number of miles, then you have a situation I presume.

-Jon

robertr · January 2002

I realize that. You quoted me out of context-that's what I was referring to in the next paragraph by mentioning:

"At that rate, assuming that it takes 0.7 seconds for each additional 1mph (actually, the time should increase), the additional 9mph would..."

I was making a simplifying assumption to make a point in conversation about the car, not trying to give physics lessons. I have better things to do than sit down and spend time calculating the "percentage increase in kinetic energy" or trolling boards for vehicles I don't own or plan to buy looking for opportunities to give unsolicited lessons or "correct" people.

Maybe you should spend less time with your slide rule and more in the real world. By the way, since you want to get excessively analytical, another real world factor you didn't mention is wind resistance, which likewise increases with the square of the velocity. The raw kinetic energy as calculated by Einstein's equation presumes a vacuum.

Now, since I am not an engineer, the above is an educated layman's understanding and I make no representations that the above is accurately stated, but you may want to get back on your calculator and figure out how much the wind resistance increases your "about 23%".

mney6 · January 2002

As a dealer we have to tell the customer about a odometer switch.
On the odometer statement you have to mark TMU.
Alot of finance company's will not finance TMU vehicles.
Extended warranty companies will not acccept TMU vehicles .
Cars with a TMU badge at the auction will bring a considerable amount less.
Yes,you can save dollars now but it will cost you when you trade.

cpa4u · January 2002

I had a friend a few years back that owned a Pontiac Trans Am. He had a problem with his odometer (digital) and had it replaced under warranty with about 8,000 miles on it. The dealer did the replacement. Set the new one at 8,000 and put a "badge" in the door under the manufacturer's build plate (or whatever that thing is called listing build date, etc). When he traded the car a little while back, guess what......according to Ky DMV, it is a TMU car even though the work was done by the dealer and the mileage was correct on the new odometer. Most dealers wouldn't even come close to what that car was worth due to this. He checked with probably 15-20 dealers, auction brokers, etc...same story with all of them. It is considered a TMU car and kills resale. Now, the laws may be different up in the Northwest (Seattle, etc), but here changing the odomter/speedometer would KILL the resale value.

storyteller · January 2002

I can see how that would limit your ability to sell a car to a dealer or broker, but I wouldn't expect trouble selling a TMU car to a private party. If you were up-front about the history of the car maybe some buyers would be leery, but I doubt you'd have trouble selling a Max that you'd taken care of, especially if you kept careful service records.

mney6 · January 2002

if a customer is looking at a vehicle that has TMU and one that isn't a TMU more than likely they will the one with actual mileage.
We have bought TMU's at the sale and usually will pay 3000 to 3500 less for them.

lofquist · January 2002

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this. KY sure seems to be the exception to the rule here. My MN DMV said no statement needed. And I've heard back from people in a couple dozen other states that say the same. In the Seattle area the dealers are importing Canadian used cars by the hundreds each week. Heck, one of the biggest speedo shops name is even "Kilometers to Miles"! How could they do this if every one automatically became TMU? Like I said the shops will even do the change for you by mail.

Also realize that there is no requirement to change the speedo/odo. The speedo has both km and miles on it.

-Jon

habitat1 · January 2002

Doesn't the Maxima odometer toggle between miles and kilometers? I forgot to check when I test drove one a couple of months ago. If it does, I think I could live with large kilometer over small miles speedometer. It would probably be good for at least one "but officer, I thought I was only going 100 km per hour"!

I'm not advocating going fully digital for a sedan, but my S2000 speedo/odo display switches between KM and Miles at the push of a button. Unfortunately, Honda is not as cooperative as Nissan when it comes to bringing Canadian cars to the US and honoring warranties, etc. The more modest savings wasn't worth the risk.

P.S. My local Nissan dealer (DC area) also claimed that an odometer switch would "cloud the title" relative to resale. This may be a dealer scare tactic, but I intend to investigate further if I consider the Canadian route in the future.

dabronxr · January 2002

I have heard good things on Zaino. I have never used it. I have 2002 Max. Wich of the Zaino products are you going to use, and in what order. I will wait to hear from you then place my Zaino order. Thnx. I got my Max end of December and still luvin it.

godeacs · January 2002

at least not on my 2002 GLE....miles only...

saddaddy · January 2002

I am really considering an 02 Maxima as a car and would like to ask you guys a few questions. What are some real world values for longevity and mileage? How much is new on the 2002 models as far as the engine goes? What are some common problems with these cars? They really look good and the hp numbers are impressive, to say the least. Thanx ahead of time.

cpa4u · January 2002

If I lived in a "non-TMU" state, I really would have thought about the Canadian vehicles. You guys are lucky that the change doesn't go on the title of the car. Just out of curiousity, the shops there are not required to put any kind of sticker on the vehicle showing that the odometer was changed? And you are not required to disclose this to DMV? If both if these are not required, you guys are very lucky there!! SOunds like you got some great deals.

lofquist · January 2002

>> Just out of curiousity, the
shops there are not required to put any kind of sticker on the vehicle showing that the
odometer was changed? And you are not required to disclose this to DMV? <<

That's what I was told more than once. Just set it to the proper number of miles. When you sell there is a box on the title to disclose if the the odometer mileage is not correct. But of course in this case it is.

But the most interesting are the shops I talked with in Seattle. They said just send them the cluster. They will change it and send it back to you to re-install yourself.
-Jon

habitat1 · January 2002

I have a 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed with 121,000 miles that still looks and runs like new. The ONLY non-routine maintenance item that I incurred in 7-years was an air bag light that came on at 100,000 miles and had to be reset ($75). And, as far as normal wear and tear items, how's 90,000 miles out of the front brakes before replacement and 50,000 miles per set of tires? Rear brakes and clutch are still original. I have averaged 24.1 miles per gallon, ranging from 20 in mostly city to 28+ on the highway.

The new 3.5 liter engine is, as I understand it, an enlargement of the 3.0 liter that I have and an engine rated by some as the best V-6 made. I know of no "common problems" with the Maxima, at least from the 1995 model year on.

Note: 2002 Maxima's come with larger wheels and lower profile tires than the 1995 model, so I wouldn't count on getting 50K per set (especially with the SE).

Hope this helps your decision.

gg2k2se · January 2002

I'm an engineer so I was skeptical about the Zaino, but willing to give it a try. I did a half and half hood test comparing it with Zymol on the other half of the hood (not on the Max,on my minivan). The shine was about equivalent but the Zaino seems to last longer and was easier to apply, even with the multiple coats required.

I use the Z1 polish lok, Z2 Polish for clear coats and Z6 gloss enhancer spray. I've done 3 different cars and am very happy with the results. I also used the Z5 polish to remove swirl marks on my 95 Honda and bought 2 of their applicator pads. It has looked great on a red honda, sterling max and tungsten max. I use cheap 100% cotton towels to wipe off the polish. I did 3 coats on my Max.

I like the products enough that I will try the Leather cleaners and tire stuff also.

Good luck....gg

92drexel · January 2002

Very good stuff. I agree. Don't forget to "remove" the old build-up of wax with the blue dawn dishwashing liquid.

Also, if your car is a dark color, then get a bottle of the swirl remover (Z-5) as well. I used the following steps with my max (black):

1) washed with blue dawn
2) z1 polish lock
3) 3 coats of Z-5 (over a 2 week period)
4) 2 coats of Z-2

I applied so many coats of Z5 because I had a lot of swirls. I also used Z-6 between Z-5 and Z-2 applications to enhance the shine. Great stuff. No BS, the car looks better than a showroom car (my buddy works for Nissan and shakes his head when sees my car). Also, you can alternate between Z2 and Z5 depending on the swirls.

Also, if your really feeling good...apply Z1 and Z2 on your rims. I bought new 17's from tirerack last year (high aluminum polish) and z'd them before I put them on my car. Brake dust does not stick to them at all. I clean my rims with water and Z7 (car wash) once per week with minimal effort (light wiping with a sponge). Great stuff.

Drex

PS: I applied one coat each of Z1 and Z5 to my older car (my workhorse) in July 2001. The water still beads like I just waxed it. I've driven it through some harsh conditions too. I'm totally sold. Here's the website: www.zainobros.com

davidii · January 2002

I test drove a 2002 Nissan Maxima SE this weekend. The salesman told me that Nissan would be introducing their new 2003 Nissan Maxima soon. He said that the 2003 Nissan Maxima was going to be totally different than the 2002. He also said that it would be a higher end car, designed to compete with the Infiniti, and Lexus market. If anyone knows anything about the 2003 Maxima I would appreciate it.

tgif888 · January 2002

This is sure is the joke of the day. Your salesman knows nothing.

max2001 · January 2002

There are a lot rumors out there about the new max, optional V8, awd, etc. But nothing concrete (at least to the public). You'll just have to wait and see.

As for competing against infiniti and lexus, uhh...then why have an infiniti division in the first place? I agree with tgif888...your salesman is clueless.

habitat1 · January 2002

..compete with the I30/I35 and, for a majority of buyers, wins. Granted, some are budget conscious and the GXE is the only model they can afford. But for those wanting a more sporting sedan, the SE 5&6 speeds have been the preference. On the luxury side, it seems purely subjective as to whether the added goodies in the I35 are worth the added price over the GLE. For some they are, for others not.

Neither of the other upscale Japanese brands - Acura or Lexus - have their #1 and only remotely profitable seller as simply a rebadged and upgraded "underling". No offense - I own one. And, as I've posted previously, in the DC area you are likely to get better service from VOB Nissan than any of the (to remain nameless) Infiniti dealers. With a car as good as the Maxima/I35, the quality and price (not to mention availibility) of routine service is worth at least as much as an extra year of warranty that won't likely be needed. Service results in your area may vary.

IMHO, if the Infiniti brand is going to survive, it will be on the backs of newer and unique volume models such as the G35, not by a rebadged Maxima. One look at the sales numbers will tell you that Infiniti as a stand-alone company would be dead. And this after years of producing at least as good if not better car than the Lexus LS, again IMHO.

storyteller · January 2002

Habitat1 is exactly right. But the fact Infiniti is bringing out the G35 is a hopeful sign that they will emphasize a clean distinction between Infiniti and Nissan.

Meanwhile, though, Nissan has a challenge on its hands. The exact role of the Maxima has been fuzzy in the past, varying from the most upscale Nissan to their "sports sedan." They now have to create a car that occupies a unique position in the Nissan line vis a vis the Altima. As good as the Altima is, Nissan sure doesn't want to carry on longer with a Maxima that lacks a unique identity and a lot of appeal.

saddaddy · January 2002

What are some expectation someone could have when buying a 2002 max? In relation to invoice and such? How proud are the dealers of these cars? I have heard that in some cases, you could have a Maxima with a higher MSRP for cheaper than a new Altima. Is this true?

dabronxr · January 2002

I e-mailed them and that is pretty much same thing they reccomended. I will also get the leather conditioner.

canadiancl · January 2002

Apparently not that proud! A Max can be had for under invoice in most areas south of the Canadian border.

saddaddy · January 2002

That's reassuring. Im from the Toyota camp where such deals are hard to come by. This is good to know. Thanx for the info!

storyteller · January 2002

Just a guess saddaddy, but the next Maxima will probably be priced close to halfway between the Altima and the G35. If the new Max is priced the same as Altima, it fuzzes up the product line. So Nissan will almost surely try to make the next Maxima a high impact, exciting car that will not compete with Altima. At the same time, I can't imagine they'll price the next Max as high as the G35, which is quite a value (at least until you start adding options). So the price of the new Max will be somewhere north of Altima but south of G35, possibly closer to the latter. That's my guess.

godeacs · January 2002

surely you jest! No way is that a true statement for all of the US! Slightly above invoice maybe in some cases, not all...when's the last time you checked prices in the US?..just curious....

rcurrie · January 2002

Just purchased a 02 GLE last week and I noticed when I toggle through the trip computer there is a "clock" that is displayed. Is this recording the number of hours that the car is running? I heard that some Chevy P/U trucks have this as well, but I didn't think Nissan was also installing the hour display on its cars. I know this is how boats are rated as far as "usage" is concerned, but I really didn't think it would start becoming common among passenger cars. Being that I live in a congested part of the country(NJ), I am afraid that this may affect my resale value being that the hours/mileage ratio will be higher hours with relatively lower miles.

Also, is the MPG display calculated based upon what the car has achieved since it was new or is it calculated based upon the last time the trip computer (A or

was set? I read the manual but it didn't go into any detail.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
BTW- I love everything else about this car.

Rgds,

Rob

godeacs · January 2002

Rob, congrats on the new GLE! Have had mine for 4 months now and love it too! Yeah, the clock tracks cumulative time spent driving - really a worthless thing if you ask me. First I'd ever heard of it in a car also.

Can't answer your second question for sure but think it's the current mpg from the last trip computer reset....

pwitz · January 2002

I have had my 2k2 GLE since November. The clock on the trip computer is not an hours meter (like it was on my '99 Silverado). You can use it to time your trip...simply hold down the trip computer button, and you can reset it at will. The MPG function updates itself at some interval...I think you can "ask" it to recheck it by holding the button down....you can likewise do this for MPH.

Great car!

I gotta read up on the climate control...the Auto vs. Manual and the vent positioning is a bit confusing.

alfaber · January 2002

Assuming it's the same as on my I35, you just reset the timer or the mpg or mph displays by holding in the button for a few seconds. The only problem with mine is that the mpg seems to read 3-4 mpg high all the time. Not sure why, as the equivalent display in my Volvo 850 is very accurate.
--Andy

godeacs · January 2002

page 2-31, the MPG is from the last "reset". To reset, hold "mode" button down 1 sec to clear.

gg2k2se · January 2002

Like alfaber and pwitz say, you can reset (start fresh) the hours, average mpg and average mph anytime just by holding down the button for a few seconds until the display blanks out (I thought the manual was fairly clear on that). It has nothing to do with the trip computers.

So it's like a stopwatch that's on when the car is on. Might be useful if you wanted to know how much time you actually spend driving vs taking "potty breaks" on long trips (for those of you with rugrats), or possibly to know how much time you spend commuting in a given week or what your average mph is for your commute. Any other thoughts on how this might be useful?

Lots of trivial data to fill up our already crowded minds. I love it. ......gg

92drexel · January 2002

Good luck. That's great stuff. I use the leather care stuff too and that is another great product. It's very long lasting without being greasy; and it smells great (unlike most leather care products). Just make sure you follow the instructions (for the all products) to a T and you'll be cool. Also, buy extra bottles of Z-6 because thats good to use between washes to keep the car looking good (without having to drag the hose out - esp during winter).

Goodluck.

kimj1 · January 2002

I have a '01 GLE with about 14,000 miles on it. Lately when I turn on the AC (I live in TX and we have had a couple of warm days) I get this horrible odor that lasts for about 1 minute and then it is gone. This happens every time the car has been sitting for more than 45 minutes or so. The best way I can describe the smell is that it is a sour/moldy musty odor.

We don't eat in the car. I also don't leave the windows open, so water has never gotten inside and no animals have been able to hide out inside.

Could this be a problem with a filter or something? If so, is it easy to change?

I know this is a strange problem, but it is really driving me nuts.

Any help would be appreciated. Kim

rwclifton · January 2002

I'm in the market for a 2002 Maxima GLE (Sterling Mist or Gray Lustre w/Black Leather) with all the options except the Navigation system. I believe the list price for this vehicle is $30,241 including freight. (Invoice is $27,054)I know there is a $1000 incentive until the end of the month. What are people paying under invoice? What kind of "marketing fee" are Nissan dealers charging? If anyone has purchased in the Washington, DC area what are you paying and where? Any information would be helpful. Also, does anyone know if there will be incentives next month and if so what are they?? Thank you for your responses!

kyleknicks · January 2002

when i open the vent, there seems to be a burnt smell coming into the cabin.... but when i turn on the AC... the smell last for a sec and then goes away. weird!

p_g_00 · January 2002

Price for Maxima 02 discussion at freshalloy.com

obiwankenobi1 · January 2002

I get that every once and awhile on my 02 SE model. I think it has something to do with the In-Cabin Microfilter.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

chewyman · January 2002

GXE's are now being advertised for $20,900 with Automatic. Do you think this is as low as they will go? $1000 rebate until 1/31/02. Seems like a good price for what you get, 255hp xenons, auto, power stuff, alloys and cd. What other mfr offers this much for this price?

canadiancl · January 2002

I have never formally checked out US prices. I was only commenting on what I have read on people posting their buying prices. I'm sure there will be pockets of areas that are exceptions, but my "seat of the pants" impression is that many are getting below invoice, especially with those generous rebates that only seem to be offered to US market. So don't take my comment as the gospel truth.

whiskeysaigon · January 2002

first time poster, long time reader! could anyone help me with a problem I'm having with my 2001 Max. at 18K it started to have a metallic sounding rattle when i accelerated or first atred the car. I've only fed it high octane. What's up with the noise? Any help would be appreciated.

alexmom · January 2002

I'm looking at buying a Nissan Maxima for my son. This is a 1991 Nissan Maxima with 190k. Is this too much mileage? How many miles will these engines run for? Price is $3,500, in great condition. Owned by highway patrol officer.

What do you think? I appreciate a quick answer - going to look at it on Wed.

Nissan Maxima

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