jgadlage

iTrader: (1)

It has been a while since I have been really active wtih my Maxima and it is getting up iin mileage and age. I am thinking of trading up but I have a dilema.

I have been happy with my Maxima and all the abuse it has been through and still been pretty reliable and I would like to try to keep a new car to under $13,000 - Thinking maybe a 2006 Maxima, Altima SE/SE-R, or a modded 2001 Audi S4.

I know that the Maxima and Altima will probably be a little higher than my price (13,300 for a low mileage 2006 auto SL, but I can get the Audi for $11,000 with 51K miles and the following mods:
RS4 K04 turbos AWE Tuning/GIAC chip Samco Hose Kit Balanced Bosch fuel injectors NGK PFR6Q spark plug AWE Tuning MAF housing with sensor adaptor RS4 clutch disc, RS4 pressure plate Light Weight Aluminum Flywheel Eibach Street Springs Koni Yellows Adjustable Front Control Arms with Caster/Camber Control AWE Tuning downpipes W/ TEST PIPES Milltek SuperDual Stainless Steel Cat-back Exhaust A.W.E. Center Vent Boost Gauge Short Shifter Stainless Steel Brake Lines Cross Drilled and Slotted Rotors EBC Green Brake Pads.

The only thing that I think that I would need to add would be turbo timer to keep the turbos healthy. I know that a GA Maxima owner switched over to a S4, and wanted to get their take on it - or any of yours.

I know that the upkeep on the Audi can be expensive, but how reliable aside from the major tune ups are they? I know that it would probably be a safer bet to go with the Maxima or Altima, but I have read that the 2006 Maxima also has had some problems with the CVT transmission that can be costl. What else can you all tell me about your experiences to help me make a better decision?

Thanks and have a good night.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Audi's are horrable in maint. and repairs. With those mods on it already, I'm sure it's had a pretty hard life up to this point. It's your call, if you like the car, buy it. But make sure your ready to deal with Audi's reputation of repairs.
Have the car throughly check over, bring it to an Audi dealer. They woun't fringe on the mods, but they will tell you what if anything isn't right on the vehicle.

StnBluPearlMax

IMHO - the closer to stock the vehicle is when you buy it the better, unless you're in a rare situation where you're looking to buy the car from someone you know AND TRUST. Typically people who mod cars beat the heck out of them.

And, Audis are known for being extremely high maintenance, developing odd and difficult to diagnose problems. For example, a few years ago a Nissan dealer I worked at sold someone a 2000, it was checked over thoroughly before sold, had no major issues. Within our 30 day warranty, we had put more into the vehicle on repairs than it had cost the owner to buy the car. The dealer considered buy back, but with the amount of money it had already cost to fix what was wrong, it would have cost even more.

Personally, I would never, ever buy an Audi even though I like the way they look.

fflint_18

NJ Max says it all. Audi's are horrible for maintenance. Trust me!!! If you are buying a new one have at it. A new S4 Quattro is a thing of beauty, but don't buy a used one. My buddy runs a foreign repair shop (where I work on the side to help diagnose electrical issues) and he says that Audi's keep him in business. Next comes Saabs.

He talked me out of both which is how I ended up with a Max. Wanted a 4 door with an MT.

I'm not saying that Nissan's are cheap to maintain, but if you can do some stuff yourself it's still cheaper and easier to get parts for a Nissan than a Audi.

klemenz

Audis are trash, honestly. My friend bought one and every little thing you could think of broke on that car. Lucky his parents are loaded and fixed it all until they had enough and got rid of it..

petro2342

European cars are trash in my opinion. Before my max I drove a 02 Mercedes s600 v12. Nearly 30k has been put in including a new engine. Go figure, huh? Couple examples would be a power steering pump that costed me $1,300, alternator ran about $800, 8 o2 sensors ran around $500, and a ac compressor was $1,600. Nice right? Car wasn't friendly on gas either, but what do you expect from a v12? Plus nearly 8k in just dealer labor cost.

Anyways never in my life would I own a euro car. Oh and my friends bmw awd system decided to take a crap on him. Wonder how much that would cost.


Stay with japanese cars. They last longer and parts are CHEAPER!!! Plus its more reliable and easier to fix.

Bjs470

iTrader: (13)

True that japanese cars are better on maintenance, but your also asking this question on a biased forum. Try asking this on an audi forum and see the different answers you get. My mom has an 03 passat and the thing burned oil, and it had a bunch of other things required for maintenance. But the thing drives like a dream compared to my maxima. You're gonna still pay a premium for maintenance

321VQ35MAX

iTrader: (6)

For that price why not look at a G35 sedan. You can get an 03/04 in that price range with decent miles. Same reliability as the Maxima with a bit more luxury. And RWD!

Fadrvr

iTrader: (3)

+1. I would buy an audi though.

jgadlage

iTrader: (1)

The more that I thought about it, the S4 is out. It would be an incredible everyday play toy, but I have the Saleen to foot bill for the weekends.

I think that I will go with a 2006 Maxima although I am seeing some 2008 maxima's in the mid 18K range. I wonder how much dealers are hurting and how much they are willing to come off the price to make a sale?

Found a good 2006 with 35,880 miles and asking $14,000 and a 2008 with 16,872 miles for $18,500. There has to be some wiggle room there for them to competitive. I will be doing some dealer hopping this weekend.

Weird thing that I found out when it comes to insuring the G35 vs Maxima, the G35 will cost $20 less to insure over a 6 month period than the Maxima. What have you all been doing to make the insurance rates go up? I thought we were trying to keep this car in "sleeper" status.

I would like the luxury of the G35, but there are some things that just don't sit with me:

• The interior space is a little smaller than my current max.
• It takes premium fuel - and with fuel prices going up...
• I have seen the Maxima outrun the G35 on youtube- can it be left all to driver skill or gearing differences?
• Even though that G35 is more luxurious, the Maxima has more room. If I can get a car that can beat a G35 and have more room then where is the downside? I do like the reclining rear seats though
• I don't go drag racing anymore and the traffic around here isn't that great. I could probably get into trouble if I egged myself on and got a RWD.
• The front end of the G35 just doesn't sit right with me. I don't like the front of the 2006 Maxima either, but with grill insert at least it looks a lot better (FastMod05).

IHAVEA2KMAXIMA

iTrader: (7)

You should lurk around the Audi forums and see what are some of the common complaints and what not, just to get some ideas.

20Meridian03

iTrader: (2)

I really can't say to what to choose, but I agree with the others to just do you research on anything you are interested in buying.

Good Luck!

Drockb418

iTrader: (10)

Audi are nice but so bad on repairs and small things.

petro2342

Looks like you got it all figured out, so it's all up to you now. Personally I would love the G35 because it is just more luxurious, imo. However I love the new 09+ max more so if I were shopping for a new car I would go with the max only because it features some of what g35 offers and a much lower price tag with MORE room. One thing I hated about the new G when I took it for a spin was the leg room. I wish they made it bigger like the Maxima.

So it all comes down to preference man. But from reading what you written you seem to already chosen your car; Maxima. Just make sure you get the 6.5 gen not the 6th. It looks much better, but I suppose to each their own.

ThurzNite

iTrader: (13)

Consumer reports just put out their latest recommendations. Unfortunately no Audis. In fact, not a single one made their list for reliability.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...o-look-for.htm

jgadlage

iTrader: (1)

I went out to some dealers and it was interesting

Delater 1- 2006 Maxima SE with 35000 miles, tan leather, and there were some spots on the leather and scratches in the exterior flecked paint that would need to be taken care of They started at $18,900 and I talked them down to $16,900. Thing is that I saw another Maxima online at their dealership for the same price, but different leather interior. Passed on this.

Dealer 2 - 2007 Maxima SE with 36000 miles, black cloth and various scratches and paint chips that would need to be taken care of. They started at 20,900 and I talked them down to $18,900. Passed on it.

An existing warranty doesn't make that much difference to me as I have not had to use mine on my 96 Maxima and it was nice if I could get it but for the most part they were being sold As Is.

KBB is listing a good trade in at $12,275 and a dealer retail of an excellent car listed for 17,895. Neither of these cars were in excellent condition - they were good, but not excellent. I was thinking that $13,500 to $14,500 would be reasonable for either car, but neither of the dealers took the bait. Luckily I have time to wait them out.

petro2342

The first thing when you are buying a newer car is not rush the process unless you really really need the car. The more you search around the more of a better deal you'll come across. Good luck with the search and hopefully you will find her soon enough!!

London SE

iTrader: (1)

Good call on skipping the S4. I have been researching them for months and even though they offer alot of power potential, overall they aren't for someone
who wants a low maintenance car.
Bottom line is almost everyone on various Audi forums complains about reliability, even those that truly love their cars.
They are cool, but an absolute nightmare for **** going wrong and having to
pay out the ***...Even the differance between and "S" car and an "A" car is huge in terms of parts costs.

G35 > Maxima

RWD alone is worth the step up.

jgadlage

iTrader: (1)

http://forums.maxima.org/maximas-sal...ml#post6929338

Here is my new 2007
http://s713.photobucket.com/albums/ww135/jgadlage/
Got it with 26,447 miles on it

Leo_Koneval

iTrader: (4)

Audi are really nice, I had to admit. But before when I got the maxima, I was shopping around for cars and everytime the word Audi came up, my mechanic buddy along with other people who owned Audis before frowned, they all said the same thing, the parts are usually order from across the ocean and so they're extra expensive and the wait for those parts to come in are usually long, and the repairs are complex and expensive.

4DSCDriver

I was looking at getting an Audi last year. After checking Consumer Reports and some other sources, I abandoned that idea very fast. They are great cars to lease, but they are very expensive to keep and will nickle and dime you to death.
I would definately go for an Altima or Maxima.
They would be few and far between, but you could probably find a 2006 Maxima for that, but it would have high mileage and so on.