I am looking to purchase a 98 or 99 Max and am encountering ads for an ES model I am unfamiliar with.
It is available in a 5-speed (which is what I want).
What is the difference between the ES and SE?

Thanks in advance.

 

As far as I know there isn't an ES model for Maxima's. There are only GLE, GXE, SE, and SE-L (99 only) that are offered...I'm thinking that the add that you saw was a typo.

 

At first I thought it was a typo as well. Have seen too many now, and don't trust salesmen to answer straight, so posted the question here.
The ES models I have noticed have been the 99s, so may have been the ES-L.
What's the difference between the ES-L and SE?

 

speedo, it is probably in kilometers!

 

Well I still don't think that it was meant to be ES. The SE-L's are the 99 maxima's that you see driving around with a small emblem placed behind the front wheels on the door. They were just a limited edition that was produced. It just offers a couple of more options than just an SE, like they have leather standard and I think the BOSE stereo system. Yet you don't have to get the Limited to get those options. My car has the BOSE and I had a chance to get the leather but here in Texas I didn't want to deal with the heat. If you want a further opinion just call your local nissan dealership and ask. They are usually cool about answering questions.

 

A while back I saw Maxima ES for sale in Canada. They had slightly different options for the 99 ES Limited. For example they came with cloth heated seats... I am not aware of any ES produced for sale in the US. If you do a search on the web for 99 ES limited Maxima, you will get some info...

 

According to a Canadian friend who owns one, the ES is a Canadian-market version of the SE. The ES has the same performance-oriented suspension and tires as the SE. It does not have all of the interior luxury features as the SE. Any specific ES vehicle may have been "optioned up" to approach the US-market SE.

Advantages of the ES:
- limited slip differential

Disadvantages of the ES (for operation in US):
- odometer calibrated in km
- climate control displays temperature in Centigrade

[Edited by Daniel B. Martin on 01-11-2001 at 01:08 PM]

 

The only difference I've seen with the ES as opposed to the SE is that you don't get the trunk spoiler with the center light and the ES badge on the top right corner of the trunk. Cloth seats as standard. They sold both the ES and SE models up here in 1999. It has the white guages as well with sport suspension.
IMO its an SE w/o the spoiler.

I bought the '98 SE without leather, which cost another grand.

 

Interesting!

So, can someone educate me on what GXE stands for?

SE = sport edition
GLE = Luxury edition
GXE = XXX edition??

May be other nomenclature like Si, DX..... as well

 

The GXE is the base model. It has cloth seats, 15" steel wheels, no sport suspension, base radio...base,base base!
The engine is the same for all models up here...GXE, SE and GLE. I test drove one and found it to have a plush ride, nice and soft. Its good as a daily driver who doesn't want to stomp very often. In the sales brochure it talks about how much power you have on tap to pass. I didn't like the chrome grille on it, though. If you want more details I can post the '97 & '98 sales brochure specs, although I don't have the ES brochure.

 

df