I agree with you about the clear tail lights... too trendy. The first thing I did when I bought my '02 Merlot GLE was to replace the tail lights, however my preference was for the '00-'01 SE black units. Looks 'goood'! The only color the clear looks good on, imho, is Sterling Mist. To each his own !
A lot of what you mentioned in Post # 5594 is a matter of getting accustomed to the car. Yes, I'd like to have lighted steering wheel controls, but after 6 mos. I can now find them in the dark with out looking for them. You can to!
Mirror control...same thing. I can find it without looking for it. Just put your left hand on your left knee , slide your hand forward and reach up 2 inches. " BAM " there it is. It just takes practice.
But you know what? How many cars in this price range have 255 hp, heated steering wheel, seats and mirrors, auto climate control, 2- position seat memory with auto exit feature, traction control,electronic brake force distribution, brake assist,ABS, Bose stereo with 6- disc in dash player,Sunroof with tilt and slide,Auto dimming rear view mirror, leather interior, Alloy Wheels,wood trim dash, AND HID head lamps. Not many !!! Did I mention the award winning 255 hp VQ 3.5 V6 ????
Guys, I'm going to let you in on a " BIG " secret ! There is no perfect car. Some do come closer than others however.
Considering my car pooped right out and i had to roll it off the road and bring it to a stop! At least I knew the guy that I was racing and he came back and waited until I got the thing started again.
Anyone out there looking for a loaded 02 Maxima SE? It has 4,000 miles. I drove a Infinity G35 coupe last weekend and want to get it. Problem is, the dealer won't give me anything for my car. I would like to get $22,500. Do you think this is too much? The sticker was $30,500.
That sounds like a lot for a 2002 SE, considering the new 2003's loaded are going for around $26k. My guess is that something in the range of $21k (i.e. 20% less than a brand new 2003) is about the best you can do. What did the dealer offer?
jg28: Reviewers comment on the unilluminated steering wheel buttons because they spend a short time with the car. My I35 has the same buttons, and after a week or so, you operate them by feel (and they are nicely differentiated by shape, size and location) without looking at them anyway. So, bottom line is that it is no problem at all. The whole point of having them on the wheel is that you should not have to look at them, but just use your thumbs without taking your eyes off the road. They work very well, indeed. --Andy
When you say loaded, what does it have on it? I'd say 21K is pretty high even. I might be interested depending on what color it is, condition, etc. What would the dealer give you? The used car market is very bad right now for sellers because of the financing opportunities with new vehicles. The Maximas (2002 SE) I've been looking at are around 18-19K with around 10K miles.
Go to the Smart Shopper forum and ask Terry (rroyce) what the going price is in the "Real-World Trade-in Values" discussion. If you give him all the exact details on your car, he'll give you an accurate assessment of what it's worth. But everyone is right - $22K is high for even a loaded 2002.
Are there very many of you out there that still have a '00 SE? I currently have one, but have been considering trading on the '03 GLE. Very hard decision considering my '00 is nearing the payoff point, but while it's still worth, hmmm, well, something anyway, was also considering selling it myself and getting an '03. Besides more horses, and leather on the GLE, any opinions or advise. Maybe I should hang on to my '00. Not real sure I like the looks of the '04, don't think I want to wait on it.
I rented a Maxima SE (02) that I drove for one day. I hated the seat comfort, never could find the right position. But I got used to the steering wheel buttons right away. I was using them in the dark, and still never had a problem.
I have a 2000 SE with only 12,500 miles bought it new with only C/C package and paid 24300..From what's been posted you can easily buy a new one with much more equipment for not much more,get 3 years newer and great financing as well..The problem is not that you shouldn't get a 2003 for a great price but what's the value on the 2000 SE plus payments start all over again.. By the way I'm almost done with my payments as well...NO LEASE HERE..look forward to having some months not making payments..keep what you got
The 03 GLE has various creature comforts (plus a more powerful engine and brighter headlights) that you may not have on your 00 SE. The 03 is in its last production year and most, if not all, of the bugs have been eliminated, plus it is made in Japan. (Don't mean to belittle homeland products, just reporting what consumer mags say). Also, you can get a great deal and pay less than invoice (due to incentives, which I think will continue since the economy remains soft). These are the positives for the 03 Max.
On the other hand, you probably will lose some money if you sell your SE now because cars tend to depreciate sharply in the first few years and the Max is no exception. If money is NOT at issue, and you get a decent resale price on your SE, go for the 03 GLE. I would not want to buy the 04 when it comes out, because you will have to pay a premium (just look at the Altima, the Z and the G35 when they first came out)and face all the bugs of a first year production car.
One dealer offered me $18,500 the other $20,000. Plus the tax credit for the trade. Thanks for your opinion. I guess the car salesmen weren't as crazy as I thought.
The prices the dealer offered me are in the last message. The car is Tungsten blue with frost leather. It has everything except the navigation system and the sunroof air deflector. The car has a couple of very small paint chips on the front bumper. The rest of the car is scratch and dent free. It has 3 coats of Zaino (excellent product). It is dealer maintained with oil changes every 3 months. It has 4,050 miles as of today.
Greg, a dealer offered you $20g? That is a very good offer IMHO, especially if you have a manual tranny. Add the tax credit to it ($1250 in my area) and you'll be getting as much as private retail without the hassles.
The Maxima's resale value is going down because of the rebates constantly being offered. I also have seen some Maximas in rental fleets, and that makes resale values drop. It's also the oldest (or close to it) design in its class.
I just brought my wife a 2002 Gle max with 1800 miles for 20k plus taxes. I work for the dealer and gave the customer 500 more than the best call on it. 2002 tungsten blue GLE 1800miles with every option except nav. Good luck See all dealerships are not bad.
Yes there are 4 silver/gray colors. I picked up a Sheer Silver 2003 SE about a month ago. I love the car, except it has an annoying squeak in the dash. Anyone else experiencing this? I've got 2500 miles on it, I suppose I need to take it in, only problem is that the dealer is an hour away.
bought a 2002 Maxima SE today with 16K miles for $18,000. So that loaded GLE at 20K sure sounds like a great deal. I got a good deal too I believe. The HID headlamps are so bright and nice for driving around in suburban areas with less street light. Love the solid build quality and amazing speed and sporty handling. I have to disagree with Edmunds about the harsh SE suspension. It seems to balance that well. About colors, I was looking for black but settled for the glacier pearl. It'll be cooler in the summer but still think black is the best color on almost any car.
yama: You might be better off just living with the rattle. As soon as a dealer starts taking stuff apart and putting it back together it will never be the same and the car might be more prone to multiple squeaks and rattles. See if you can tell where the squeak is coming from and come up with a fix yourself. We owned a 93 Vigor that had a very annoying rattle but a small piece of paper took care of the sound.
I just traded in my '00 SE Sterling Mist for a '03 SE Gray with Titanium Package and Leather.....love it. This is now my 4th Max. With the low interest rate, rebate, and price slashing, plus they gave me a very decent trade, I just couldn't help but going for it. She's a beauty!
Congrats!! I thought you wanted a GLE ... I guess you like the stick shift after all ... or is the SE an auto. The Titanium Package is cool (particular with the in mirror compass), but the gray color may not be very accommodating in hot climate. As I recall, you are from Mississippi or one of those "tropical" states. Enjoy!!!
Welcome to the Max club, jg28 and qsrter. I am sure you and/or your wife will enjoy the Max. Interesting how low mileage 2002 Max can be bought at basement prices. I wonder whether the buzz of a completely new 04 Max has anything to do with it. By the way, does anyone know how to quickly test whether the heated mirrors work without waiting till snow falls? I know that heated mirros are also supposed to "clear up" rain. My 97 GLE heated mirrors do that fairly readily, but my 03 GLE mirrors seem to work slowly, if at all.
Both are excellent. I come from 3 previous SE's, so I was use to the tight suspension. I had actually decided I wanted a GLE, but my dealer only had Black one's, and being from the deep south, I just can't see having black in the summer time down here. Yes, they could have located me one, but they are the #1 Nissan dealer in the state, and other Nissan dealers are very reluctant to trading with them, and if they did have to locate one, it wouldn't have been discounted quite as much, or they say. BUT, they had just gotten in this Gray with light gray leather, TI Edition, SE and I fell in love at first sight. It had just arrived a couple of days earlier, so it only had 5 miles on it. I'm very pleased, to say the least. Thanks!
have you touched the mirror with your hand? i tried it once and it was warm to the touch... it does seem like it takes a lil while for them to heat up... i couldnt imagine not having them when it rains.. such a nice feature.
I've got a 2003 SE in titanium (in Canada they call it siverstone) and it looks great, especially since I applied Zaino to it. It's kind of close to gun-metal grey but with a slight metal-flake in it. With the chrome wheels and dark window tint it really turns a lot of heads! I used to have a black '97 SE but didn't go dark this time because of the excessive chrome in the tail lights and the window trim. I figured that the bright window trim was too much of a clash with dark body panels. It's just a matter of what you like, I guess, so that was my choice. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your MAxima when you get it. Colour doesn't affect the greatness of the car, no matter what colour you choose. It's an awsome ride.
The mirrors are sort of warm to the touch, but barely. I wish they warm up as quickly as the heated steering wheel, especially in the winter when snow falls heavily.
IMHO, the interior design of the Max could be better. For example, the traction control and interior lighting buttons should be placed on the right side of the steering wheel. The remote mirror control can then be moved up to the trac control's place (instead of hiding behind the steering wheel). Also, the exterior light control dials should read auto, off, side markers and headlights, instead of off, auto, side markers and headlights. This can avoid turning the HID headlights on and off unnecessarily. In addition, the steering column should not only be tilt, but also telescopic. Even the cheaper Altima has these features!
The foregoing are minor issues, and they don't detract from the fact that the Maxima is a very reasonably priced, reliable, powerful and well equipped sporty family sedan.
I tried the heated mirrors one foggyish morn. and didnt seem to do much, had the heated seats on, do i need the heated steering wheel on too? Also Bose 6 disc CD in dash skips from time to time, anybody else had a problem with it? dealer says no other complaints , but gladly has a new one on order for me.Awesome car though, first time Nissan owner and its a blast! 03 SE Titanium package, Polished titanium paint and that sweet 3.5 255 VQ V6, with 4400 miles
She is such a dream. I hope this feeling never ends.
To be honest, there wasn't a thing wrong with my '00 SE, except that my 36K warranty was out. There were many factors that went into the purchase of this new '03 SE. 1. New (had a whopping 5 miles on it) 2. They knocked off $3300 3. Nissan has 3.9% financing 4. Leather, Titanium Edition Package, 17" bright alloys, 6 CD, oh I could go on and on 5. They gave me exactly what the bank told me they should give me for my trade 6. I fell in love with it at first sight 7. It was made in Japan ('04's are being produced in Tennessee)
For now, that's enough reasons, I think. I sure convinced my husband, and he just bought a '02 Pathfinder LE back in August. No Christmas at our house this year I guess.
do u mind telling us what the dealership gave you for your 2k se?
i was in the same boat as you .. thinking bout going from a 2k GLE loaded to a 2k2 or 2k3 GLE loaded.... my biggest concern is losing so much on depreciation... thanks..
if u dont want to disclose the info over on here.. please feel free to email me at kyleknicks@toughguy.net LOL.. thanks
If you only keep it a couple of years then you will lose on depreciation 5 or more years and its a good investment all cars depreciate- how bout the guy who bought a 7 series 3 years ago for 70k and now its 40k!! Go for the 02 or 03 MAX you like best and enjoy the ownership!
I don't mind, it may be most beneficial for others as well.
The bank (I still owed on it) said trade value is $16,000, so I was expecting them to give me like $13.5 to $14.5, my mileage was 36,387, just a bit over the average, it had frost cloth interior, a nice Big Red stain on the back floor carpet, thanks to my unpredictable son, it slipped out of his hand and bounced! which we tried to get out many times with no luck at all. It had fogs, cd/cassette, sunroof w/deflector, and spoiler, and 1 year old Dunlop Sport tires on it. They gave me $16,000 for it. I was pleased, I was really not expecting them to say exactly what the bank had told me. But when they did, that pretty much made my decision to go ahead and go for it.
Even though I know you lose on car purchases, I feel the Maxima is a good investment, and still holds good value.
Good luck Kyle, let me know what you do. I can't say enough about the '03, it's such a joy to drive.
Am considering buying this car that has 45,000 miles on it. Dealer is asking $16,900 but will negotiate. 2 questions: I touched the brakes lightly when a truck pulled in front of me and felt the brakes shudder. Would this be a problem with the rotors? And is this normal for a car with this mileage? Secondly, there is alot of pinging from the motor when accelerating. Would this cause problems later on or is this because of using regular instead of premium gas? P.S. This car flies as is !!!
The CD on my 02 SE has never skipped in the 7 months I've had it. That's amazing after driving on Washington DC streets. Some of the worst in the country. I'm still waiting on the replacement radio (4 weeks and counting) because the left side speakers don't work very well when the CD is playing. If you have skips it's either a scratched CD or the CD player. As far as the heated seats, it takes a few minutes for them to warm up but when they do, you'll know it. And you don't need the steering wheel heated at the same time.
My wife and I are looking around for the next car and we have driven the Camry, TL type S, RL, Altima, and the Maxima. We have narrowed it down to the TL type S and the Maxima. THe one question I have is everytime I drive the Maxima I notice a slight shake. I have taken out 3 different ones, but the same thing everytime. I live in the DC area and it is cold here, so I was wondering if maybe the tires are just cold and need to be warmed up with more then 5 minutes of driving. Has anyone else had this experince? We love everything about the Max and will probably get one, but I am really curious about this shake.
The 2000 Maxi's are NOTORIOUS for 2 problems. Bad warped rotors (TSB aka Technical Service Bulletins out there on this) and the other is bad coils. Coils are the things that replace a distributor, there's one for each spark plug. If you buy this car, make damn sure they replace all 6 coils and put on brand new rotors and pads all the way around the car. Do NOT buy this car unless those things are done. You can go to www.maxima.org and look under TSB and find them for both coils and rotors. Print them out, bring them in to dealer and make them fix. Otherwise make them discount the car big time and get that work done aftermarket. Brakes will run around $500 and coils $600 including labor at a dealer so if you buy as is they should reduce the price by at least $1100.
My wife and I are looking around for the next car and we have driven the Camry, TL type S, RL, Altima, and the Maxima. We have narrowed it down to the TL type S and the Maxima. THe one question I have is everytime I drive the Maxima I notice a slight shake. I have taken out 3 different ones, but the same thing everytime. I live in the DC area and it is cold here, so I was wondering if maybe the tires are just cold and need to be warmed up with more then 5 minutes of driving. Has anyone else had this experince? We love everything about the Max and will probably get one, but I am really curious about this shake.
I forgot to mention that the coils are the reason the car is pinging. Bad gas can make it ping too, but the Max has a device to retard timing to avoid pinging. In the maxima.org site there are TONS of 2000's getting coils replaced. This is a widely known prob. Check out the org, it's the bomb, it blows away this site for Maximas.
Go to the Forums section and into the 5th Generation area. It's specific to the year 2000-2003 models. Look up top under TSB's and you'll find them. You can also search the site on coils and rotors and you'll find lots of ammo to take to the dealer. I have a 00 SE Automatic, loaded, and I like the car but wish I had the power of the new ones with the bigger motor and also I would get the stick shift if I had it to do all over again. The auto tranny robs the Max of about 20% of it's power potential.
Comments
too trendy. The first thing I did when I bought
my '02 Merlot GLE was to replace the tail lights,
however my preference was for the '00-'01 SE
black units. Looks 'goood'! The only color the clear looks good on, imho, is Sterling Mist. To each his own !
A lot of what you mentioned in Post # 5594 is a
matter of getting accustomed to the car. Yes, I'd
like to have lighted steering wheel controls, but
after 6 mos. I can now find them in the dark with
out looking for them. You can to!
Mirror control...same thing. I can find it without
looking for it. Just put your left hand on your left knee , slide your hand forward and reach up
2 inches. " BAM " there it is. It just takes
practice.
But you know what? How many cars in this price range have 255 hp, heated steering wheel, seats and mirrors, auto climate control, 2- position seat memory with auto exit feature, traction control,electronic brake force distribution, brake assist,ABS, Bose stereo with 6- disc in dash player,Sunroof with tilt and slide,Auto dimming rear view mirror, leather
interior, Alloy Wheels,wood trim dash, AND HID
head lamps. Not many !!! Did I mention the award
winning 255 hp VQ 3.5 V6 ????
Guys, I'm going to let you in on a " BIG " secret ! There is no
perfect car. Some do come closer than others however.
But all in all, pretty embarrising!! :-/
Obi
--Andy
The 03 GLE has various creature comforts (plus a more powerful engine and brighter headlights) that you may not have on your 00 SE. The 03 is in its last production year and most, if not all, of the bugs have been eliminated, plus it is made in Japan. (Don't mean to belittle homeland products, just reporting what consumer mags say). Also, you can get a great deal and pay less than invoice (due to incentives, which I think will continue since the economy remains soft). These are the positives for the 03 Max.
On the other hand, you probably will lose some money if you sell your SE now because cars tend to depreciate sharply in the first few years and the Max is no exception. If money is NOT at issue, and you get a decent resale price on your SE, go for the 03 GLE. I would not want to buy the 04 when it comes out, because you will have to pay a premium (just look at the Altima, the Z and the G35 when they first came out)and face all the bugs of a first year production car.
Just my humble thoughts. Take care.
What's the story?
I work for the dealer and gave the customer 500 more than the best call on it.
2002 tungsten blue GLE 1800miles with every option except nav.
Good luck
See all dealerships are not bad.
Interesting how low mileage 2002 Max can be bought at basement prices. I wonder whether the buzz of a completely new 04 Max has anything to do with it.
By the way, does anyone know how to quickly test whether the heated mirrors work without waiting till snow falls? I know that heated mirros are also supposed to "clear up" rain. My 97 GLE heated mirrors do that fairly readily, but my 03 GLE mirrors seem to work slowly, if at all.
IMHO, the interior design of the Max could be better. For example, the traction control and interior lighting buttons should be placed on the right side of the steering wheel. The remote mirror control can then be moved up to the trac control's place (instead of hiding behind the steering wheel). Also, the exterior light control dials should read auto, off, side markers and headlights, instead of off, auto, side markers and headlights. This can avoid turning the HID headlights on and off unnecessarily. In addition, the steering column should not only be tilt, but also telescopic. Even the cheaper Altima has these features!
The foregoing are minor issues, and they don't detract from the fact that the Maxima is a very reasonably priced, reliable, powerful and well equipped sporty family sedan.
Just my thoughts.
Also Bose 6 disc CD in dash skips from time to time, anybody else had a problem with it? dealer says no other complaints , but gladly has a new one on order for me.Awesome car though, first time Nissan owner and its a blast!
03 SE Titanium package,
Polished titanium paint
and that sweet 3.5 255 VQ V6, with 4400 miles
I have had my Sterling Mist 2002 SE Maxima since August of 2001. Love the car. Built like a tank. 22,400 miles and it runs like new!! :-)
Obi
To be honest, there wasn't a thing wrong with my '00 SE, except that my 36K warranty was out. There were many factors that went into the purchase of this new '03 SE.
1. New (had a whopping 5 miles on it)
2. They knocked off $3300
3. Nissan has 3.9% financing
4. Leather, Titanium Edition Package, 17" bright alloys, 6 CD, oh I could go on and on
5. They gave me exactly what the bank told me they should give me for my trade
6. I fell in love with it at first sight
7. It was made in Japan ('04's are being produced in Tennessee)
For now, that's enough reasons, I think. I sure convinced my husband, and he just bought a '02 Pathfinder LE back in August. No Christmas at our house this year I guess.
Take care!
i was in the same boat as you .. thinking bout going from a 2k GLE loaded to a 2k2 or 2k3 GLE loaded.... my biggest concern is losing so much on depreciation... thanks..
if u dont want to disclose the info over on here.. please feel free to email me at kyleknicks@toughguy.net LOL.. thanks
then you will lose on depreciation
5 or more years and its a good investment
all cars depreciate- how bout the guy who
bought a 7 series 3 years ago for 70k
and now its 40k!!
Go for the 02 or 03 MAX you like best
and enjoy the ownership!
The bank (I still owed on it) said trade value is $16,000, so I was expecting them to give me like $13.5 to $14.5, my mileage was 36,387, just a bit over the average, it had frost cloth interior, a nice Big Red stain on the back floor carpet, thanks to my unpredictable son, it slipped out of his hand and bounced! which we tried to get out many times with no luck at all. It had fogs, cd/cassette, sunroof w/deflector, and spoiler, and 1 year old Dunlop Sport tires on it. They gave me $16,000 for it. I was pleased, I was really not expecting them to say exactly what the bank had told me. But when they did, that pretty much made my decision to go ahead and go for it.
Even though I know you lose on car purchases, I feel the Maxima is a good investment, and still holds good value.
Good luck Kyle, let me know what you do. I can't say enough about the '03, it's such a joy to drive.
the brakes shudder. Would this be a problem with the rotors? And is this normal for a car with
this mileage? Secondly, there is alot of pinging from the motor when accelerating. Would this
cause problems later on or is this because of using regular instead of premium gas?
P.S. This car flies as is !!!
Seeya
Seeya
site for more information.
Seeya