# Thinking of buying a Maxima. Input requested...



## RS097 (Jun 29, 2005)

Hey all.

I was just hoping I might get some input. I'm considering getting a 2002 or 2003 Maxima SE 6-spd to replace my current VW Passat and have a couple of questions:

1. How have your cars been for reliability/quality? Are there some consistent weak spots that I should look out for or annoyances that are common with these year Maximas?

2. What are your feelings on the driving experience from owning one? I've seen complaints that the structure isn't very stiff (something I like about my Passat) and that the suspension is not well tuned in various respects. How do you find it?

3. If you had to do it over again, would you have bought one?

Thanks in advance!


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## brianw (Feb 25, 2004)

Reliability is generally good. I think the coil pack problem was fixed... so I'm not aware of any major issues at this time.

It's not a European car. The chassis is improved from the earlier models, but it's not bank-vault-stiff like a Mercedes E-class.

The main enemy is crappy paint-- most Japanese makes, Nissan included-- seem to use paint that comes off the moment it leaves the factory. The paint SUCKS. The second enemy is squeaks and rattles in the interior. Many of the cars are solid, no rattles at all... but eventually all will squeak and rattle. Some do it disappointingly soon.

Shifter feel is also pretty poor. Nissans have never been great in this regard. Suspension tuning I can't comment on. Stock it's really pretty decent, but it's nothing to praise much either. The rear beam is still a significant ride comfort loser on rough roads, too.

If you can swing the extra money, a G35 sedan is a better performance car to drive, IMHO. A used `02-`03 Maxima is down to something like $16k-$20k which is a steal if you just want a nice car with a manual transmission, but for ultimate performance the limitations of FWD and the discomfort of the beam on rough roads really hurt it.


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## am3rican (Feb 26, 2005)

Having owned a VW Passat for a scant 2 weeks (electrical system went out completely second week), I can compare the two. The maxima definately does have better quality than the VW, particularly in the electrical and drivetrain arena. The Maxima is a bit on the heavy side, but having also driven a Passat, I can vouch for the fact that it does have superior handling and is far more fun to drive. The ride on the Passat, I have to admit is a bit softer and less bumpy.

If i had to again, would I buy one again? Maybe, ask me in about 4 years when i trade it in. Id definately pick the Maxima over the Passat though. Brianw did touch upon the issues that are common. Overall, I would have to say its not as reliable as maybe a Toyota(Lexus) or Honda(acura).

I would have to agree with Brian on getting the G35. it has better resale value, handling, fit and finish. Overall, its a smarter buy.


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## RS097 (Jun 29, 2005)

Thanks for the input guys. :thumbup: Any other comments would be appreciated.


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## Puppetmaster (Mar 28, 2005)

I have a stock 2000 Passat and a slightly modded 2002 Maxima... 

It really depends on what you're looking for. Are you gonna be modifying the Max at all? Or keeping it stock? I'm not sure about the market for Passat parts (I know with the '97 Golf I used to have, there were a good amt of aftermarket options) but the Maxima doesn't really have that big of a selection in terms of aftermarket parts. 

The Passat is definitely fun to drive and is a little more "solid" feeling than the Maxima. My Maxima is definitely a faster car, but it took a full suspension upgrade (struts & springs) and a rear anti-sway bar for it to feel even close to the Passat in terms of handling. 

As far as reliability goes, I've not run into any major issues with the Passat but there are definitely more fixes required than with my Max. The other thing is cost, IF you take your cars to the dealership, the VW repairs cost easily twice as much as the Nissan repairs, for comparable parts, ie O2 sensors. Anyways, I'm satisfied with the Passat but if I had a choice, I'd rather have an Altima, Sentra, or another Maxima. They're just easier to maintain (I do most of my own work on the Maxima, but I'm still trying to learn more about fixing the Passat) and I'm pretty sure parts are cheaper if you're gonna DIY.


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## Trainoperator (May 17, 2005)

RS097 said:


> Thanks for the input guys. :thumbup: Any other comments would be appreciated.


If you purchase an '03 maxima xenon headlights come standard. Depending on where you live, they may get stolen. Only three plastic clips hold in each assembly. I had mine stolen twice. Switched to halogen for piece of mind. I bought mine new after having a 93 maxima for 10 years that I also bought new. It's a good car but the SE requires 93 fuel which is rather expensive these days.


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## RS097 (Jun 29, 2005)

Thanks again for the replies!

I would probably leave the car mostly stock with the exception of some minor cosmetic mods. That said, if parts needed to be replaced out-of-warranty I'd likely take the opportunity to upgrade them a bit at that point. About how much did it cost for those suspension upgrades Puppetmaster? At least on the Maxima I don't have to replace 15" wheels to go with the suspension.

The HIDs aren't really a concern. I'm in a pretty safe area. Funny -- the Passat owners like to convert _to_ HIDs and some of you guys seem to go the other way. Do a lot of people with 00-01 models convert to HID?

I'm already stuck with the premium fuel so no biggie there. I've basically stopped monitoring gas prices - got enough other things to stress over.

I'm partially debating if I should go for a Maxima now as I'm having tranny problems with the Passat and not getting very far with the dealer on it so far, go for an older 3-series BMW (expen$ive repair$), or hold off until next spring when my warranty's gone and add cars like a used TSX, G35, or IS300 to the shopping list. I suppose I may just have to just wait for a 6-speed Maxima to show up locally so I can drive one again. I looked at a couple last time around but it's been a while now.


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## am3rican (Feb 26, 2005)

RS097 said:


> Thanks again for the replies!
> 
> I would probably leave the car mostly stock with the exception of some minor cosmetic mods. That said, if parts needed to be replaced out-of-warranty I'd likely take the opportunity to upgrade them a bit at that point. About how much did it cost for those suspension upgrades Puppetmaster? At least on the Maxima I don't have to replace 15" wheels to go with the suspension.
> 
> ...


Well, IMO, i'd either get a TL or a G35. G35 would definately be a smart buy considering it has excellent resale value. The TL, I have to admit, is also a smart buy because it has even better resale value, and gets better gas mileage than the G35. It all depends on your tastes. If you do decide to get them, get a 5 or 6 spd. If you get either car, it would pay off within a yr because the maxima depreciates much quicker, so in a years time, you would be about even, even though the G35 had cost you more


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## Puppetmaster (Mar 28, 2005)

RS097 said:


> Thanks again for the replies!
> 
> I would probably leave the car mostly stock with the exception of some minor cosmetic mods. That said, if parts needed to be replaced out-of-warranty I'd likely take the opportunity to upgrade them a bit at that point. About how much did it cost for those suspension upgrades Puppetmaster? At least on the Maxima I don't have to replace 15" wheels to go with the suspension.


My upgrades cost me about $500 for the suspension and a RSB. I actually got all my parts used off the maxima.org Classifieds...  so brand new, add $250 to the total. 

Progress RSB - $100
Progress springs - $100
Tokico Illumina struts - $300
Installation - free (DIY)

Check out this site for some good info:

http://www.innerbean.com/housecor/spring_strut_decision.html



RS097 said:


> I'm partially debating if I should go for a Maxima now as I'm having tranny problems with the Passat and not getting very far with the dealer on it so far, go for an older 3-series BMW (expen$ive repair$), or hold off until next spring when my warranty's gone and add cars like a used TSX, G35, or IS300 to the shopping list. I suppose I may just have to just wait for a 6-speed Maxima to show up locally so I can drive one again. I looked at a couple last time around but it's been a while now.


Like american said above... Maximas have some of the worst resale values, so definitley keep your options open if you're gonna be selling later down the road. If you're like me and planning on running the car to the ground, then its definitely a good car, from my experience so far and from what I've seen on the forums.


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## Driven (Jul 19, 2005)

Trainoperator said:


> If you purchase an '03 maxima xenon headlights come standard. Depending on where you live, they may get stolen. Only three plastic clips hold in each assembly. I had mine stolen twice. Switched to halogen for piece of mind. I bought mine new after having a 93 maxima for 10 years that I also bought new. It's a good car but the SE requires 93 fuel which is rather expensive these days.


Ah man, I didn't know about the 93 Octane gas! I was looking into an '03 SE myself. What can yall tell me about the SE model? Is that the top of the line model or what? Thanks.


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## brianw (Feb 25, 2004)

All Maximas from 95+ use the same engine among year/trim combinations (e.g. all 95-99 Maximas use the VQ30DE @ 190hp/205lb-ft, all 00-01 Maximas use the VQ30DE @ 222hp/217lb-ft, all 02-03 Maximas use the VQ35DE @ 255hp/246lb-ft) so the trim doesn't matter.

The VQ as tuned in the Maxima requires 91 octane or better. You can feed it lower octane, but expect the ECU to retard timing to the tune of 10-15hp or so.


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## 02MaxUpgrade (Jul 19, 2005)

RS:

Just picked my 2002 up, I was locked in on Maxima for sentimental reasons -- I was replacing a hard-working 1990 that my Dad sold me, had almost 190K on her.

Feel I got a lot of car for the money. Was looking for a solid cruiser as second car, my first is 1999 M3, so I don't have the performance expectations of some replies. But little things like clear corners, slightly wider tires, and maybe some other little stuff would be fun.

Meridian package is very nice, black leather, bose, heated steering wheel (!), little do-dads like that.

Train -- hadn't read about the octane, you sure about that?


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## Daelemans (Jul 9, 2004)

Interesting points made here.... I like this community - saved me some serious $$ in the past.

I too am contemplating getting a 2002 or 2003 SE. I used to have a '90 SE with a manual which was pretty fun to drive. The family composition has changed a little since then (got kids now). We've got the obligatory mini-van (Sienna), and my other cars are getting pretty long in the tooth ('91 Lexus LS400, and a '94 Sentra), so I want to get a newer mid-size sedan to replace both. I've narrowed the search to 2002/3 Altimas or a 2002 Maxima (both Auto tranny since wife has to drive it).

A few questions/observations:

1. The V-6 altimas are about the same price as the Maximas for 2002. Do Maximas depreciate pretty fast? I've seen some folks recommending G35's over Maxima's for resale value issues.... what's up?

2. The Altima I'm considering is the 3.5 model - it appears that it's pretty much the same engine. Do we know what's different besides a slight de-tune? (probably uses less than 91+ octane too ! ).

3. Handling/performance comparable between the two? The Altima has only 15 Hp less.

4. Things to look for when shopping for a 2002 Maxima? Any early signs of trouble to come? I know that my '90 was pretty noisy: stretched timing belt cause a racket for a while; and the tranny was always noisy (although neither ever failed).

Thanks for keeping the thread going..

Dox


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## 02MaxUpgrade (Jul 19, 2005)

Agreed the 3.5 Altima is a good car, can you really get one for the price of a 2002 Maxima? Thought they just started putting the 3.5 in the Altimas, this year or last?

Don't be fooled by the prices dealers ask for, you should be able to find a nice 2002 for around $14K. Do your research on the web, go in and be ready to bargain hard. Only reason to pay more would be extended warranty, if that is important to you.

I found the dealer selection surprisingly poor, considering there are so many Maximas on the road. Ended up buying private party.

Read some really good things about G35, agree that would be a nicer ride but again more $$.


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## RS097 (Jun 29, 2005)

Altimas have had the V6 since the new body style came out in 2002, and I'm pretty certain they too like premium fuel. Only the 4-banger uses regular.

$14K for a 2002 Maxima? I'd love to see that around here. Dealers are asking about $19K and the only 6spd I've found locally was looking for $17,500. We'll see what happens as winter sets in though. I hate test-driving cars in the cold but thinks start looking up when the price discussions begin.


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## brianw (Feb 25, 2004)

Nissans depreciate pretty fast in general.

I wouldn't touch an Altima until the `04 model year, the interiors SUCK. Plasticky cheap...

The engine between the Altima 3.5SE and the 02-03 Maxima is the same in reality. It's called "marketing"... and Nissan's good at it.

G35, if you can afford it, is worth the extra money for the better handling, better interior, better power...


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## 02MaxUpgrade (Jul 19, 2005)

Well of course most don't list them there, you have to bargain hard. Go in with an Edmunds or kbb print-out, and say you're not going to start negotiating from the artificially inflated list, but if they want to talk real price then you're interested. 

Bringing in a cashier's check also helps. Mind you all this advice, and I ended up going private party!  

But for comparison sake, here's a GXE that a local dealer has for $14K:

http://arlnissan.brownscar.com/Preowned-Inventory.aspx?InventoryId=4117786

Often showing another dealer a better price can help.


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## Daelemans (Jul 9, 2004)

Thanks for the inputs - appreciate it. The G35 looks sweet - but it's too rich for my blood... and I could never justify it with my better half.


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## Puppetmaster (Mar 28, 2005)

Daelemans said:


> 1. The V-6 altimas are about the same price as the Maximas for 2002. Do Maximas depreciate pretty fast? I've seen some folks recommending G35's over Maxima's for resale value issues.... what's up?
> 
> 2. The Altima I'm considering is the 3.5 model - it appears that it's pretty much the same engine. Do we know what's different besides a slight de-tune? (probably uses less than 91+ octane too ! ).
> 
> ...


1. Maximas do depreciate fast, especially once they change the body style so drastically like from the 5/5.5th Gen to the 6th Gen.... 

2. 2002 Altima = plasticky interior

3. The VQ35 Altima doesn't have 15 hp less... most would agree that the 2002-2003 Maxima's hp is overstated and the torque is understated. I've seen em stock dyno around 204-211 whp which, if you factor in a 15-20% drivetrain loss, will be around 240 hp to the crank; same as the Altima. 

4. I've had my 2002 since it had 41 miles... the only 2 complaints have been the sucky stock tires - Bridgestone Potenzas (deathtraps in the wet) and the Bose headunit (I've had 2 replaced and it still hasn't fixed the problem of the cd player cutting in and out of the left speakers, and yes, its a head unit wiring issue. not a speaker issue)

All the best!


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