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Comments
Jim
Now, it seems, the newer Nissan's and Infiniti's seemed designed by committee and, IMO, the G35 sedan makes the rear end of the 1995 Maxima look beautiful by comparison. Infiniti just e-mailed me information about the new M45 sport sedan. It may have a lot going for it, but the exterior and interior looks are an absolute non-starter for me. The Altima and Maxima appear to be designed to look like they were modified BEFORE leaving the factory. Not my style - I'll take a 530i sport 5-speed, thank you very much.
I hadn't thought about the Pontiac comparison, but that's probably a good analogy. And I have never and would never own one.
To differentiate the forthcoming '04 Maxima from the Altima, Nissan will probably increase the horsepower even more, possibly to 280, which is clearly overkill and excessive for this car. The big 17-inch wheels also mean a wider and more cumbersome turning circle, etc. Nissan: don't abandon function and engineering for styling overkill, boy racer design, and gee whiz looks.
had me in a quandry for the last couple of months.
Own a '00 SE and will trade on either a '03 or '04.
There lies the quandry which will probably boil down to a value judgement this coming year.
Do I trade for the '03 which is still made in Japan
or trade for the '04 which is rumored to have rwd,
and fully independent suspension but made in the
USA with "maybe questionable build quality."
I do have issues with the beam rear suspension. I
find it does tend to fishtail under the circumstan-
ces described above by others. Accordingly, I think
fully independent suspension would be a blessing
with negligible impact on flat steering response.
I do believe that the biggest doubt I'll have to
wrestle with between the '03 and '04 will continue
to be the country of origin. I can't help but be-
lieve others will share this concern.
Possibly some input from others who share this
board will help with my decision!!
berbel
interior of the '04 Max to the cheesy, cheap looking FoMoCo look of the Altima. The Max is their
flagship model and the interior is part of the "total look" of the
Maxima. Warning to Nissan: Downgrade the interior
of the Max and I'll be in a Acura showroom looking
at a TL "Type S"
berbel
tranny problems you cited. Is this problem found
only in the TL or is it prevalent in the CL (the
coupe) as well? The CL "Type S" has been marketed
for the last couple of years and I had not heard
of the tranny problem you cited
Thanks/berbel
whotheman
See, that doesn't make sense. I think it might send current Maxima buyers to look at Altima's. But then again, maybe that is what Nissan wants.
Me? I am quite happy with my 02 SE model. It was built in Japan, and BOY can you tell. Not one rattle or odd noise in it. Plus, reliable as "all get out". 17,500 miles and the only problem has been the suspension recall. I would only trade it for a Z car since they are still made in Japan.
Foreign cars made in the States scare me, because my 99 CL was a rattle and tranny nightmare for the most part.
Obi
Funny you mention this, I was just talking about this about 10 posts ago. It's all over the TL-S forum here on Edmunds.
I bought an S2000 last fall and admit that one of the factors that influenced me was that it was hand built in Japan in the same factory that produces the NSX. I wasn't really considering the Z3, but a little research concluded that BMW still hasn't solved all of their US qualty control problems.
Perhaps "US built" by itself is not really a serious issue. And perhaps "first year model" isn't either (hasn't been for my 1995 Maxima). But for the 2004 Maxima to be a completely new model built in the US? I waited until the 2002 model for Honda to correct some little bugs in the 2000/2001 S2000; I would certainly wait to see how the 04 Maxima fares before buying.
interesting reading re the '03 vs. '04 subject.
Thanks to all for expressing your opinions.
Received the latest issue of Car and Driver in the
mail yesterday. They had a one-page critique of
the '03 Max SE. Can't quote varbatim (don't have
the mag in front of me) but they made some interesting statements about Nissan and the Max.
They said that they wondered what happened to the
Max that made their "10 best list" twice. (They
don't think the car is worthy to be on it now)
They criticized Nissan for being "greedy" for
substituting the cheaper beam rear suspension in
lieu of independent suspension. They implied that
the Max being sold now is inferior to the ones
that made their "10 best list" circa 1995. They
implied that the Max is becoming a dinosauer in
a world of rear drive and all wheel drive cars.
They also suggested that adding the "six-speed"
transmission would help a little (apparently they
believe not much) to return the Max to the realm
of a sports sedan.....a moniker that they apparently believe the 1995 model deserved but the
present models (starting in 2000) definitely do
not deserve. They create the impression (at least
with me) that they believe that Nissan has done
a disservice to the Max and Max buyers by somehow
"lessening" what a Maxima should be as opposed to
what it has become through evolution from 1995.
berbel
;-)
Back to Maxima's!
sufficient time in 1995 to sufficiently "analyze"
the "dynamic impact" of the rear beam suspension
on the "maxness" of our beloved sedan...:-)
The "berbel"
Is $15,000 a fair asking price for a 2000 SE Auto no Bose or leather but everything else?
TIA
Try asking the same question on the "Real world trade-in values" under the smart shopper section and some extremely knowledgeable people will give you a good price to shoot for. Just be sure and give them all of the specifics including exterior and interior condition, mileage, options, model and location in the US.
Good luck.
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
Good luck.
1) How does the leather interior hold up on the Maximas? (I've never owned leather)
2) Is it possible to get a new 2002 GLE for under 25K? (I'm trying to stay around 23K) If I can't, I may have to wait and buy a low-mileage used GLE.
Thanks to anyone who can help!
My Maxima shifts like "butta"!
BTW, there is another person on TH called obiwankenobi. Did you "borrow" his handle by adding the "1"?
I got this deal by a dealer. not sure how good it is. ANY HELP/OPINION/ADVICE WOULD BE GREAT.
*fully loaded 2003 SE,
with:
leather package
meridian package
titanium package + sunroof
traction control package
last but not least, splash guards
(has everything BUT navigation)
black car with black leather or
blue car with black leather
without taxes, $25,413
+ destination fee of $540
+ inspection by nissan (forgot what this was called... basically to remove the plastic, clean up glue, etc) $349
am I getting ripped off? thanks-
verde2
That does sound like a good price though. What's the MSRP on the car you are looking at?
I agree with VOCUS. If that "inspection" fee is
some duplicitous way to hide "advertising costs"
just tell them you are not going to pay it. I commented on this subject once before on this
board. ADVERTISING is "cost of doing business"
just like paying homeowners insurance is cost of
owning a home. When I bought my Max they tried to
hammer me with the same thing. I simply told them
I wasn't paying it and it came off the paperwork!
Also.....I think you have a pretty good price on
the new SE. Good luck.
berbel
I guess he was here first!
Obi
Thanks,
JazzerMP
I scheduled ITS inspection next week. I enjoyed every moment driving it. Car is 2.5 years old, 30K miles and I was offered $12.800 trade in price by Nissan dealler. I was also trying to get new Camry but could not get more than $13.500. And of course they wanted to sell new car for MSRP. So I checked with NMAC and I have to pay only $250
as early termination fee. This is lower than I expected. I want to return it earlier to avoid charges for tires later on.
I want to get used Nissan now (2001 or 2002 model) and let somebody else pay 1st year deprisiation. $5000 for one year is too mach. I like the car but I don't like to waist money.
Give them $15500 for this car. Check your local newspaper for how much people selling this car.
You'll be amaized.
Good luck.
A/C Compressor $625 ($705)
Alternator 450 (290)
Automatic Transmission or
Transaxle 1080 (1310)
Brakes 210 (455)
Constant Velocity Joints 1145 (740)
Clutch, Pressure Plate, Bearings 515 (635)
Exhaust System 375 (480)
Radiator 445 (380)
Shocks/and or Struts 1530 (470)
Timing Chain or Belt 1305 (460)
I was under the impression that the fifth generation Maxima is a revision of the fourth generation chassis and mechanicals. So it seems surprising that repair costs on CVJ’s, Struts, and Timing Chains fell so dramatically. Does anyone know if these numbers are reasonable, and if so, why?
On a different specification I remember reading that my fourth generation Maxima has a turning diameter of 34.8 ft. while the 2000 Maxima’s number was 35.7 ft. I’ve been interested in buying a 2002 Maxima SE 6-speed, but just saw that it’s turning circle is 40 ft! Could this be true? And what would account for the huge change in the same generation?
Thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to help with these questions!