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Comments
I cant believe that a lens swap would de-value you new SE, as long as you keep the clear lenses and put them back on when its time to sell it or trade. I also have to believe that both lenses are easily interchangeable.
I think they look great on my 03 SE
with polished titanium paint (is that what your calling sheer silver?) This car is a great car,
sometimes i forget this is a four door, 5 seater!!
Thats inherent with Nissans "drive by wire" system, i.e. the electronically controlled throttle that Nissan started using on the 02 Maximas. If that's the only thing prompting a service visit, I wouldn't bother, as your dealer will likely tell you same thing.
The guy that sold me the car told me to keep the clear taillights for resale value but I don't intend to resell this car anytime soon. I hope to drive it into the ground. Plus, I need the money for the clear ones so I don't think I'll be hanging on to mine. Anyone interested or know of anyone who is interested? I guess I'll post on the Maxima.org forum. I'd suggest you look there for the black SE lights from 2000 and 2001 or maybe eBay. If not, you can always ask your dealer to order them for you but that'd be a prettier penny more I'm sure.
"Carbon Fibre Look " taillights from a 2000 Max.
SE model. I purchased the lights from Courtesy
Nissan in Texas @ www.courtesyparts.com. Their
price is $ 111.00 ea. but if you tell them that you are a member of Maxima.org. ( which I am ),
then the cost will be $99.00 ea.
All 5th gen. Max Taillights are the same , so fit is not a problem. I had a body shop install them in 15 min for $25. I then sold the frosted Lights
( which are a hot item ) over at Maxima.org for
$100 for the pair ( what a deal ! )
Quite frankly , if you keep your '03 Max. 3-4 years, I don't think any one will even notice
or care about the taillights ....except me ,
and I'm keeping my '02 for 8-10 yrs.
BTW, I also replaced my sill plates with the
Stainless Steel sill plates from the 20 th Anniv.
edition Maxima. While I'm on a roll here, I also
had the 3M ScotchCal ( clearmask ) installed on
the Hood, Bumper, Mirrors, and the thicker "Xpel"
film on the headlights and fogs. I highly recommend this protective film if you drive in a high threat environment AND you want to keep your
car for a long time.
Having the "Clearmask" installed is kinda like
buying a Jaguar..... if you have to ask
" How Much ", then you probably can't afford it
I hope this helps !!!
A set of 4 cost $49.59 and they just snap in.
Just put my snow tires back on. I highly recommend spending a few hundred $$ to replace the high performance tires with snows if you live in a snow belt. I bought Blizzaks mounted on rims from tirerack.com. They have many options.
mentioned that they were inflating their tires
to 40 pounds......this is directed to that person:
With all due respect, I think you are living
dangerously. Nissan's recommended tire pressure,
at least for my SE, is 32 pounds in all four tires.
When you inflate 8 extra pounds of air in each tire, a few things are gonna happen. First, the
ride quality of your car is going to decrease a
significant amount. It's going to feel like you're driving a tank. Secondly, the middle-most portion
of your tires are going to wear out very premature-
ly and these tires aren't CHEAP! Number 3, with
all those extra pounds of air, you risk not having
all the tread of your tires on the pavement at high
speeds. This decreases control and makes the car
very susceptible to hydroplaning on wet surfaces.
I highly suggest you keep your tires at the recommended psi and NO MORE than a couple of pounds
over.
berbel
16in Toyo Proxies that come on the the 2000 to 2001 GLE's?
what do you guys think of the Kumho ECSTA Supra 712 tires? they're summer high performance tires for about $75... they're getting good reviews on tirerack... i think im going to get them in the spring with a new set of rims.. maybe put 17inchers on my GLE.
I still need new tires within the month ..either the Michlin MVX PLUS which are touring tires (if i get these, i will definitely get the Kumho's in the spring) or the Dunlop Sport A2's. Looks like we're going to get about 3-6 inches of snow here in western mass... and i have to drive to NY tomorrow. needdddddddddd those tires
Any opinions on this??
That's not to say that you can't go 80, or drive long distances. Just vary your engine speed and gears (if you have a manual). DON'T use cruise control.
I had to take a 750 mile trip in the first week of owning a 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed and varied the speed between 55 and 75 (and occasionally dropped to 4th gear) and went for a couple of 35 to 55 mph side road trips that broke up the long highway stretches. It's been 8 years and 132k miles I've had no engine problems and still average 24 mpg and close to 30mpg on the highway. Whether that advice contributed to my success is speculative, but I think so.
CUSAFR
On a different note, does anyone experience an unusually low mpg on 03 GLE? I am getting about 16 mpg city using premium fuel.
Also, dealer quoted me $635 for the rim. Can I get anywhere else cheaper?
Thanks!
Also, this board has been a great help to me in focusing on the strengths of the Maxima. I was a buyer of the first Acura Legend in 1986, and only got rid of it 2 months ago. I still have a 1990 version of the same car thats in remarkable condition. I guess, I'm looking for the same sort of dependability from the Max. Lots of those old Legends are daily runners with over 250k miles. Can you expect the same, with good maintenance, from a MAX?
Last, on style. This is obviously very subjective, but I find the MAX somewhat non-descript, except for the rear end, where it seems someone was trying to make a statement. However, I think the overall laid back styling is a virtue if you keep the car for 10 years. The 90 Legend sets no styling trend, but it is far from tired looking, especially given its age. I think the MAX has that potential, which is the reason I don't care for the Altima. Its like a very sweet drink, gratifying at first, but soon becomes boring. That, and, imho, the atrocious interior quality. I don't think I'd be interested in a MAX that was derivative of that design.
PArdon the long post. I welcome comments and opinions.
Thanks
I've been looking at the Potenza RE950s (I had them on my Intrigue and they worked great), the Dunlop Sport SP A2s which get great reviews on tirerack.com, or I'm also considering getting winter sport tires for year round use (the SP Winter Sport M2s). The Dunlop Sport SP A2s are about $100 cheaper for a set of four than anything else I've looked at, so I'll probably go for those. Very few come in the OEM size, so I'll probably go for the 215 55 17 or the 235 45 17.
I bought a set of Michelin Pilot A/S from tire rack early this spring for my 00 SE and have been very pleased with them compared to the stock OEM tires.
They were about $200 each and from the research I did were better all around performers than the MXM4 225/50R17. I'm very happy with them so far (about 25,000 miles) but I haven't had them in any snow yet.
Regarding the replacement rim price, for slightly more money you could probably pick-up a new set of lighter wheels and tires (from TireRack.com) and part out your old ones for a couple hundred each? You might come out pretty good overall?
The 3 to 4 MPG over actual seems to be the norm as reported on this site. I have never seen a post of the computer being even close or under actual MPG. Does anyone have a Maxima with an accurate (within 1 MPH) trip computer??? My wife has a Mercury that is always within 1 MPG of actual.
Since most people don't physically compute their mileage, I am beginning to believe Nissan is doing this on purpose to make people think they are getting better MPG than they actually are.
It is a shame because this is the only fault I can find with my car. As far as I am concerned they they could have left the MPH computer off.
I have a 1995 Maxima SE that I cross shopped against almost every sub-$25k vehicle at the time (it cost $20.5k back in late 1994). I found that, lack of IRS notwithstanding, the Maxima SE outhandled the Accord, Camry, Volvo 850 and Saab 900 by a noticable margin and the Passat by a small margin). It was no BMW 3 or 5 series, but it was the best/flattest handling car around corners of any of the FWD alternatives. I also previously owned an Acura Legend prior to the Maxima, and would rate it as better handling than the Legend. I even recall reading a Car and Driver or Road and Track review that, at the time, diagramed the "sophisticated" multi link beam suspension that the Maxima began using in 1995 and gave it the "thumbs up" for producing less body roll and tighter handling without significant ride quality expense.
Now that 8 years have passed, I'm remotely considering upgrading to a 2003 Maxima SE 6-speed. The more likely scenario is a 530i or 540i in the spring, but the price of the Maxima is very attractive. I was offered $750 under invoice by my dealer (includes the current $1,000 rebate).
By the way, even BMW gets caught up in technology hype. The 540i (and M5) use recirculating ball steering, rather than the rack and pinion of the 530i and virtually all other performance sedans. Try telling me that an Acura TL is a better steering car than the 540i. Ha!
We didn't have to work very hard for that price. Our dealer (in SE Wisconsin) said he'd do 26,800 for the Loaded Max GLE without Nav but she's insisting on the Nav. They are projecting delivery in mid February.
Check out the Maxima pricing on CarsDirect.com. Three years ago I priced out the Max I wanted on CarsDirect and printed out the price sheet from the web site and just went in to my local dealer and asked if he could beat their price. He did and I bought my 00 SE from him on the spot.
Habitat, as I have noted in earlier posts, I still find the Max suspension inferior. I heard the SE's suspension is way to firm ("jaw breaking and teeth rattling"). My GLE's suspension isn't that bad, except over rough roads where you will feel the bounces and hops, but the car is still able to maintain decent control. If you want a 100% Japanese made car with good performance and reliability and a very tempting price, you should act soon. IMHO, the BMWs are nice, but they can't beat the Max for value and reliability.
I acknowledge that in the past 8 years, the multi-link rear beam vs. IRS on the Maxima seems to have gone from being touted as a handling positive (based upon the June 1994 Car and Driver review of the then new 1995 Maxima SE) to a marketing detriment. However, in 132k+ miles, I've never had a problem maintaining more than "decent control" with my Maxima. Rather, I have greatly appreciated its more sporting characteristics compared to its competitors at that time. As I stated previously, my interest is in how the 2003 Maxima SE stacks up against its current crop of competitors, handling wise. IRS or not, I would like a car that drives tight and flat. I'd rather feel the road than endure body roll. There are a lot of FWD IRS alternatives out there, but do any really give the 2003 Maxima SE 6-speed a run for it's money on the sporting factor?
nissangirl: Did you shop any alternatives to your 2003 Maxima SE? How does the 2003 compare to your former 2000? Do you wear a neck brace or have you lost any teeth yet?
I have no false impressions that a 2003 Maxima SE 6-speed at $26k loaded will be as tight or offer the driving dynamics of a 530i 5-speed sport at $44k. But I could probably justify keeping my Honda S2000 based upon the price savings.
While the rear axle probably woudln't make a difference to the majority of people I think that not having a independent rear suspension is a glaring ommission in a car that is supposed to be a "premium sports sedan".
I live in a town that does not have BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Volvo dealerships, so I could not compare those - only wish I could have. I prefer to buy my vehicle locally.
I have NEVER had a wreck...KNOCK ON WOOD! So, No, I have never worn a neck brace, nor have I lost any teeth. And I have been a Maxima (all SE's) owner since 1988.
rides....teeth rattling...bone jarring, etc. etc.
It's simple......if that tighter, flatter riding
suspension is not your cup of tea then no one is
forcing you to buy one! Try an RL or an Avalon or
a GLE if you want that softer, cushy ride. Anyone
of those are really great cars that will give you
the type of ride you're looking for. Quit whining.
Anonymousposts: Ditto.....I agree with your assessment of the beam suspension. Nissan touted
it because they built it. Let's get real. Common
sense dictates that they were not going to build
a car and then say "Hey motoring enthusiasts, we've
got this really great car called the Maxima but
the beam suspension we put in the rear end really
stinks!!" If they go to an IRS with the '04 model
it will be one of the most dynamic structural im-
provements they could make. Just my 2 cents adjusted to a dime for inflation.
berbel
Back in 1994, when I bought a Japanese made 1995 Maxima SE, Honda and Toyota were still having fit and finish and some mechanical problems with their US built Accords and Camrys. It wasn't devastating to either company, but it hurt their otherwise exceptional reputations for awhile.
In the case of the ML320 and Z3, ask any (honest) senior executive from MB or BMW and they will tell you horror stories. One of my neighbors is the senior government affairs exec with Daimler Chrysler and even his own ML320 had fit and finish unbefitting to Mercedes. I have heard rumors that the Motorsports Division of BMW didn't want to send their "M" engines to Spartansburg for insertion into the former Z3 based M Roadster because they were not being built to the same quality standards as the rest of thier German made counterparts (i.e. M3 & M5). The fact that the Honda S2000 is mostly hand built in limited numbers in Tochigi (rated one of the highest quality plants in the world) factored into my purchase decision, especially after hearing the less than glowing reviews of the Z3 quality control.
Nissan has had some time to work out the production bugs with their US built Altimas for a couple of years, so perhaps the 2004 Maxima quality won't suffer. I hope not.
My 02 Maxima SE has 23K and has not been to the dealer for any fit, finish or rattle issues. The thing is a tank. I won't be getting rid of this car for awhile!
Obi
On the other hand, if you keep the car for 8 to 10 years (the Max can easily be kept for such time due to its reliability), the depreciation factor is of little or no significance. As I said, and I believe many of the board members agree, the Max is plenty of car for its value.
As a testimonial (I don't get paid by Nissan for doing this but I do not mind if I get paid), my current GLE is my third Max, and I recall Nissangirl having said that her current Max is her 4th, and there must be quite a few members out there on this Board who are repeat buyers and owners of multiple Maxs. Depreciation notwithstanding, the Max retains its faithful followers despite its minor shortcomings and the fact that we are still awaiting for that purrrrfect 4-door sports dream machine.
Of course the Max is not in a unique situation since many other manufacturers are offering incentives/discounts on their new models which leads to the lower resale value.
For those who place a premium on resale value, the Max may not be for you, but it does have alot of other qualities that are worth a look.