Nissan Maxima

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Comments

  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    are not identical, but more than just "similar"
  • knr5knr5 Member Posts: 85
    According to my memory of the brochure information, it is 40 feet for SE and GLE (17" wheels) and 35.4 feet or thereabouts for the GXE (16" wheels). I currently own a 98 SE (maxed out 5 speed) and was considering the 6 speed Maxima '02 but I find the increase in turning diameter (a little over 4.5 feet from my car) more than a little off-putting. In my mind it makes the car less agile and nimble.
  • amitphilipamitphilip Member Posts: 4
    knr5, you are right. I bought the 6 speed SE a few weeks ago. If there is one complaint I have, it is the turning diameter. The cars does feel less nimble than my old one, and the difference is a bit discomforting at times.. making a U turn that I have to take to get out of my dwelling is sometimes an adventure
  • amitphilipamitphilip Member Posts: 4
    Does anyone use brake dust shields? Do you know any cons of using them? Are they really worth it?
  • godeacsgodeacs Member Posts: 481
    you park your new Max in your house?....lol

    Seriously, the large turning radius is the thing I like least about my 2002 Max. Compared to previous cars (Volvos), it's like driving a tank when turning sharply.....
  • eksterekster Member Posts: 22
    Any opinions on if, or at what mileage, fuel injectors should be serviced?

    Thanks
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    If building bylaws would allow it, I might give it some thought. After all, that would be max security for your pride and joy. And you can relax and listen to music in it, watch TV from it, or just lounge around after a hectic day. And after fighting with your wife and she kicks you out of bed, well... sleeping in the car wouldn't be bad. Mind you, having your car inside the house may lead to more fights with the wife. :))
  • tywebbtywebb Member Posts: 2
    I am in the market for a 2002 Maxima SE with just about everything but the Navigation system. According to Edmund's, invoice is around $27,600 (that includes destination).

    In the Washington Post, alot of dealers are running ads that saying 1000 or 1200 below invoice on all Maximas.

    Now I have to assume that simply means they are selling them at invoice and the 1000 rebate kicks in correct?

    Some guy at work suggested Priceline.com and said put in a wacky price and see if it catches. If I were to expect to pay 25,000-26,000 for a new Maxima SE with leather, meridian, TCS before TTL, would I be freaking nuts? I figure an out the door price of say $27200-$27500 that inludes TTL and destination would be decent. Or can I reasonably expect to get it even less than that?

    Thanks in advance to anyone who answers.
  • scotth5scotth5 Member Posts: 2
    on a Max with everything but meridian, navigation and TCS for $26000, out the door! This did include the rebate and was for a car sitting on the lot. You listed a few more options and I am down south of you in Alabama, but you might get close. If you are prepared to buy, give it a try and Good Luck!
  • jtdmd2bjtdmd2b Member Posts: 4
    This rebate is fabulous. I just picked up a Majestic Blue with Grey cloth 6sp for $23833. The options include Bose, Meridian, Sunroof, floor mats, Splash guards, and Front side airbags. I didnt even know that Xenon was included until I flipped through the brochure. I had been shopping Altima 3.5s, Passat 1.8s and Subaru WRXs. Original MSRP was 28833. However, I did have to put up with a hard sell regarding Paint protectant and extended warranty. No thanks.
  • slingshot80slingshot80 Member Posts: 55
    There is a dealer around Boston selling the base 2002 SE for about $21,500 and the SEs with more options I think are about $24,000
  • anthonycanthonyc Member Posts: 21
    How do you remove the side carpet in the trunk covering the inner fender. I want to be able to reach the top of the rear strut/shock tower. It looks like it is one continous piece then runs from one side of the trunk to the other side and it will involve removing a couple of cargo net hook retainer rings and possibly some pieces behind the seat.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I got a rental 2002 Maxima SE yesterday because my 2002 Jetta is in the shop, trying to get a rattle in the dash fixed. I like the Maxima alot, definitely alot of power and great handling. It needs some traction control though, because it's all too easy to spin the wheels (I know it's optional, but this car doesn't have it). And also, the driver's seat is a bit uncomfortable to me for some reason. Maybe I am used to leather or something, but the driver's seat feels too hard or something, and I couldn't seem to get it fixed the right way either. It's a very nice ride though.

    And with the steering wheel radio controls, there is no problem using them even though they are not lit up at night.
  • aftyafty Member Posts: 499
    I remember a little while ago people in here were complaining about a hood rattle in their new Maximas. Well, Nissan just issued a TSB about it. Check it out here:

    http://12.233.210.59/tsb/hood_rattle.pdf
  • berbelberbel Member Posts: 167
    So, vocus......what's your point? Why is a VW
    owner on the Maxima board whining about what he
    doesn't like about Nissan products? I mean, as
    an SE owner, I don't go to the VW board and com-
    plain about VW's........I couldn't care less about
    VW's. Is there a reason you're here?

    berbel
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    He had a chance to drive a new Maxima and is just offering his opinions on it. That's cool. I would probably do the same thing. These threads aren't Owners' Clubs. So, chill, buddy! :))
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    First of all, this is the US the last time I checked. Free speech is covered by our Consitution. Secondly, I was not whining. I said simply that I didn't find the seat comfortable for myself. That's my opinion. I just gave my impressions with the driving experience.

    I happen to like the Maxima very much, even though some people hate its styling. I always wanted to drive one for a somewhat extended period, and was glad to have this chance. It's definitely a fine car.

    Like I said about the radio controls, I had read somewhere about the steering wheel controls were hard to use at night due to their lack of illumination. I thought the same thing when I first got into the car, but I wish my VW had as many functions for the radio on the wheel as the Maxima has. And the controls are very easy to use, despite their lack of illumination.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Thanks for your viewpoint. I am glad someone sees it my way.
  • gg2k2segg2k2se Member Posts: 109
    Good comments vocus, canadiancl.

    Yes, I did notice the larger turning radius immediately, but have adapted to it. A minor nuisance but still well overshadowed by all the other good stuff. Snow tires highly recommended in snowy areas, the wide tires are like tobogans..tobgenn..agghh... wooden sleds.

    I had gotten as high as 26 mpg all highway with my 2000 SE, but frequently get 16-18 in town driving my 2002 SE.

    As for best price, always use invoice for your particular car as a baseline. I got close to invoice BEFORE rebate, so the addition of rebate should bring price to well below invoice. I took the .9% in January.

    I had the accel pedal recall done (no problem) and have ordered the gas filler fender shield which I will pay $50 for, well worth not having the grit in the filler area. My service person was rude and argumentative about my problem, saying dirt could not get into the area, until I took her to my car and showed her how you could see your finger on the other side of the filler area, through the drain holes.

    But everything still great with my 6 speed SE. My father-in-law bought my 2000 SE so I'll keep you abreast of any significant differences between the 2.
  • obiwankenobi1obiwankenobi1 Member Posts: 290
    I got a chance to drive a 2002 VW Jetta VR6 and I thought the seats were just awful. I did think the ergonomics were good and it also drove very nice. But the seats? Ahhhhhh....NO!

    I'll stick with my 02 SE! :-)
  • weltonwweltonw Member Posts: 21
    Save yourself the $50 and just use two little screws to fill the drain holes. That's what I did and it works like a charm.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    Infiniti is rumored to soon introduce a new RWD, V8 sedan to go between G35 and Q45. It is supposed to be called M45, based on the Japanese Nissan Gloria.

    Maxima is rumored to introduce a new version of Maxima some time soon. Rumors are it will be V8 and RWD and will be larger than the current model and will compete against TL and Avalon. Only no one knows what it is going to look like.

    Do you feel now what I am feeling?
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    I meant to say "Nissan" is rumored to introduce a new version of Maxima..."
  • montmaxmontmax Member Posts: 32
    The new Max isnt going to come out until late next year as well as the TL.
  • kcb2kcb2 Member Posts: 22
    We paid $21,822 in the Atlanta, Georgia area after subtracting the $1000 customer rebate and a $500 factory to dealer incentive and adding $489 dealer fee. (The advertising fee in Atlanta is around $400 so this was consistent with what I found after checking 10 or so dealers.) Tax(6%)and title gave us a driveout price of $23,212. This included front and rear splash guards, wheel locks, Goodyear tires, mats, and the "paint protection package". We compared driveout pricing by phone with dealers who had the GXE available, (easier to find the SE but we didn't want sport suspension and the spoiler. The paint protection was just included because it was already on the car. This was a silver with frost interior GXE which had all we wanted in a new car: ABS, 4 wheel discs, cassette (not on new Altima), CD, autodim rearview mirror, HID headlights, alloy wheels, 16" wheel radius, but no Bose stereo or sunroof. We wanted cloth with the option to put in aftermarket leather later if we decide we "need" it. We figured we got the Maxima with the nicer interior and luxury feel for a better price than the V6 Altima similarly appointed.

    Also, the guy who went over the car's features after the sale used to do body work and mentioned that Nissan parts are some of the cheapest on the market. He said he once repaired a Honda and a Porsche with similar damage and the Honda parts cost more than the Porsche parts.
  • carguy585carguy585 Member Posts: 4
    Does anyone know of anywhere to possibly see pictures of the 2003 Maxima. Any specifications? Any possible release date (heard somewhere that it was June of this year).
    Thanx in advance,
    Kevin
  • steeler0023steeler0023 Member Posts: 10
    I am in a market for a new car and since I was afraid of buying a 02 Honda coupe ex because it could get stolen , I turned to nissan .. was it a good move ? also is teh Se the top of the line in Nissan Max ? and is it possible to get a 02 Mar within $ 20k range ? thx for your comments, as it will make my ddecision making easier!
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    The top of the line Max is the GLE, then the SE, with the GXE at the bottom. Prices you can get range from mid-$22k (stripper GXE) to mid-$27k (loaded GLE).
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    You don't want to buy an Accord coupe because it might get stolen?! Why, are they pretty hot items with the thieves in your hood? I would think a Maxima, especially an SE, would attract twice as much attention.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    All Hondas and Acuras are very easy to steal. My dad's friend is a locksmith, and so is a friend of mine. If you know what you are doing (like a professional car thief would), you can literally pop the door lock on a Honda/Acura with a paper clip.
  • godeacsgodeacs Member Posts: 481
    Accords always top the list of stolen cars here. Maximas have never been in any "Top 10" list I've ever seen....

    Wise move, steeler.....
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    that the next Max will be Nissan's version of Infiniti M45?
  • gerapaugerapau Member Posts: 211
    steeler0023: I will disagree with mirth and say that the SE and GLE are both the top of the line Max with the GXE bringing up the rear. The SE is the sportier Max and the GLE is the more luxurious Max but both fully optioned will be within about $1000 of each other (with the SE actually being the more expensive fully optioned.)
  • berbelberbel Member Posts: 167
    Re my comments about the VW owner complaining about
    Nissan products.................

    Yeah, maybe I was too hard on him especially since
    Maximas eat VW products, especially the Passat v-6
    for breakfast.........but..........

    I feel the same about my car as I do my brother.
    I can criticize my brother, but if you do, you're
    cruisin' for a brusin' with me. Get it? :)

    berbel
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Well, that's your opinion. Everyone's entitled to one about cars. So there you go.
  • mndrvermndrver Member Posts: 5
    Anyone else concerned about the number of 2002 Maxima SE's that have been showing up as Rental Cars? I travel every week around the country and have seen 5-15 2002 Maxima SE showing up at every Hertz location. Typically Maxima's haven't been a big rental car with the exception on a few GXE's. I am looking at buying a 2002 SE but I worried that the resale on this car is going to suck in a year or two when the rental cars flood the market. This has happened to several cars that have been big rental players.
  • sterling13sterling13 Member Posts: 13
    The next generation maxima will come out about a year from now as an early 2004 model. It will have a V6 with about 270hp, CVT/6-speed transmissions, and FWD. It will be a little bigger than the current generation Maxima. The 2003 Maxima will come out in a few months with little change except for the availability of a Titanium package. It will have a short model year and be replaced by the '04 about a year from now.
  • 92drexel92drexel Member Posts: 153
    I hope not ruski. Did you see how ugly the M45 is (www.freshalloy.com)? If forced to drive one, I'd only drive it at night!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have heard that resale on Maximas is going down anyway. That reason may be the culprit. I rented the one I had from Budget, and they had at least 2 of them in their fleet, both white SEs.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    Yeah I was expecting more from M45, but seeing the pictures of Nissan Gloria made me wonder how they could make it look good. Turns out they can't.

    The M45 looks worse than Toyota Avalon
  • montmaxmontmax Member Posts: 32
    Their are a few more of them in the rental fleet which sucks, most SE's because the GXE production is just a fraction of what it use to be. I think Budget,Enterprise and Hertz has them and they are hard to get, my Brother tried to get one several times to no avail.
  • pathmax00pathmax00 Member Posts: 22
    My Y2K gle has 51750 miles on it. At around 45000 I started to notice excessive pinging under hard acceleration. I tried all brands of premium gas including Sunoco 94 to no avail. I took it into to Woodbury Nissan this week for an oil change and mentioned the problem to the service manager. When I went to pick up the car Bill Powell told me he changed the coil packs per a tsb out on them. The best part was even though my car was out of warranty they did it for free!! The pinging is totally fixed and I can't say enough about this dealer. If you max is pinging on premium this is the problem.
  • gogrannygogogrannygo Member Posts: 4
    I bought a 2002 Nissan Maxima SE this month because reliability and resale value were tops on my list. I feel like I have paid a hefty price for reliability and resale value and from the sounds of this board it may not even deliver on the resale value. I really like the big engine, smooth transmission, and smooth ride but I don't find the car attractive, there's no place for my left foot because of something that looks like a wheel well, the side mirror adjustment knob is in a blind spot, the manual stickshift gear shifter in an automatic tranny car is just plain annoying but, by far, my biggest complaint are the seats - not enough soft foam cushioning. I have mentioned the seat problem to a number of friends and all are in agreement that Japanese designers put seats designed for small Asians in cars meant for big, beefy Americans.
    I want to make it clear that I am not suffering from buyer's remorse. I wanted a new car and I'm happy to make the payments on it. But I'm MAJOR UNHAPPY with the seats, etc. and I wonder if those things will cause me to sell out before my usual 8 years. In giving up comfort, will I get the reliability I was after? Less time and money in the shop?
  • steeler0023steeler0023 Member Posts: 10
    gogrannygo, if you thought the Nissan Max SE you just bought wssn't attractive WHY did you buy it ??? .... I would buy something that looks good in my eyes. what you just said, seems like you re stuck with a payments of a $25k-27k car and on top of it youre unhappy. what did you do that ? thx
  • godeacsgodeacs Member Posts: 481
    Spending that kind of $$$ on a car you don't find attractive is well.....???????

    You don't like the seats either? Did you even test drive the Max? FWIW, I drove Volvos for almost 20 yrs and their seats are known for their comfort. Can honestly say I don't notice much of a difference.

    Don't know...but certainly sounds like "buyer's remorse" to me....
  • mirth3mirth3 Member Posts: 1
    In Linda's defense, it's almost impossible to tell from a test drive whether the seats will be uncomfortable for you on long drives. Of course, the Max has 8-way adjustment, so maybe she just needs to fiddle with it some more. I agree, however, that every other "problem" was forseeable before she bought the car.

    Linda - to ease your mind a little, the Max is a very reliable car. The latest Consumer Reports auto issue ranked it third just under the Infiniti G20 and the Honda Accord.
  • nedlyjnedlyj Member Posts: 89
    While I have complained about the seats in the 2002 SE as well, I finally got it adjusted to where it's just fine. Sometimes I think the problem IS the 8-way adjustment because there are too many things to mess up! In hindsight, the leather with the memory seats may have been worth the extra $ because I wouldn't have to go through a day of "fiddling" every time someone else moves the seat. But, in defense of Linda(?), I couldn't tell that in my test drive either.

    As for the looks... I think the Max is great looking (mine is Pearl). But what I really like is the fact that compared to the Altima (which every reviewer seems to love) the Max feels more solid, and the interior fit and finish isn't even a comparision. The Altima still looks cheap inside. And I'm sure resale will be fine - unless of course you paid sticker price...

    But, to echo several others, why on earth would you buy a car you thought was ugly? That's the most confusing point to me.
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    If you really focus on specific features only, such as those tail lights, the rear end, or the grill, then the Max could be called ugly. But viewed as a whole, it looks great. I take a second look everytime I see one (esp the SE). Beats the Camry, Accord, Passat, etc. hands down in the looks department.

    BTW, IMO, the I35 looks even better.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have 2 different stories about seat comfort.

    In the rental Maxima SE I had the other day, the seats were great when I first got in. It was not until I drove the car for 20 mins. or so that I found the driver's seat too hard.

    In the VW Jetta I have now, the seats are very firm. I had trouble with this when I first got the car, but bought it anyway because I liked it. Now, the seats are the most comfortable I have sat in to drive.

    That's why it's helpful to take a long test drive. At least 15-25 mins., before you buy a car.
  • argieargie Member Posts: 22
    People,

    I was wondering if anyone could help me with the IGNITION problem for my '01 Maxima? I would like to hear from people that have experienced or know somebody that had an IGNITION problem with their new Maximas.

    I took my vehicle to the dealer's service dept. and had them check on the apparent ignition problems that has surfaced occasionally. They could not specifically find the source of the problem nor they could duplicate it.

    I was told by the service supervisor that there were only five other reported IGNITION problems with the Nissan Maxima that was recorded by Nissan Corp. They requested me to pay attention next time when this IGNITION problem surfaces again so they could properly find and fix the problem.

    The situation is not frequent, but new vehicles should not have this problem.

    Here is the break down:

    - About once every 3 weeks or so, I have to start my vehicle 2 to 3 times to make it run. Mostly, it happens during cold starts (when not used for 12 or more hours).

    - Me and my friend (who is a self taught mechanic) think that it might be either: Ignition Timing problem, Starter problem, or Fuel Injection problem.

    - Last week, this problem resurfaced. And I had to pump the gas pedal one time to start the engine properly. I know for a fact the new vehicles should not require to pump the gas pedal to help start the engine. This could be a Fuel Injection problem.

    - The service supervisor says that it might be the key itself. The chip inside the key could be giving problems.

    - However, I hear the engine cranking even when it could not fully start. When it does finally run, it would hesitate at first by shaking a little and goes to normal engine idle.

    Like I said, this only happens about once every 3 weeks. But to a new car?!

    I would appreciate if anyone could throw in some ideas or experiences from similar past problems. Thanks.
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