Would it be worth spending extra money to buy a 97 max rather than a 95 or 96?
04-06-2003, 07:08 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 685
Would it be worth spending extra money to buy a 97 max rather than a 95 or 96?
I am planning on buying a 95 or 96 maxima SE 5 speed this summer. And expect to pay about $6,000-6,500 for one in nice condition with around 90,000-100,000 miles on it (hopefully a little less). And i am still going to have around $5,000-$6,000 left over after buying it. Which will be nice to have for mods, repairs, insurance (if i dont have the money one mounth), and anything else unexpected. But i dont know if it would be worth the spending extra money to get a 97 SE 5 speed. I figure i would have to pay about 8,000 (maybe 7,500) for a good 97. So then i would only have $3,000-$4,000 left over. I think i would rather have a 96 with more money left over than the 97. I dont know, for me they both have there pros over each other. I need some opinions. I guess it really does not matter either way. I like the 95-96 front bumper stlye as much as i like the 97 (it grew on me) and they are both technically the same car. Is there any real reliability difference? In the end a max is a max, and i would be just as happy with a 95/96 and extra money as i would with a 97, as long as its an SE and a 5 speed!
04-06-2003, 07:56 AM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 685
Yeah, here are a couple of things that i can think of that make the 97 better than a 95-96, and the 95-96 better than the 97. Trying to think of more...
97
Nicer stock SE rims (could buy cheaply for 95-96)
Nicer stillen body kit available
Better impact tested bumpers
Can buy/do red clears easily
95-96
JWT ECU made for year
Slighly lighter
97
Nicer stock SE rims (could buy cheaply for 95-96)
Nicer stillen body kit available
Better impact tested bumpers
Can buy/do red clears easily
95-96
JWT ECU made for year
Slighly lighter
04-06-2003, 09:22 AM
#6
I bought my 95 SE (autotragic) with a 100K miles in nearly perfect condition.. only thing it has was 1 cig burn on the seat oh and the E-Brake boot is kind of tore up.. looked like it melted.. Other than that the cars perfect 
... I paid $5,720 for it...
... I paid $5,720 for it...
04-06-2003, 09:32 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,701
95-99 They are the same car. The diff in crash tests are with damage to the bumper. Not damage to the passenger cabin. Its more to do with insurance ratings. BUT I don't think there is much of a diff in insurance premiums so it is irrelevant.
If I were you I'd just look for a 95-97 Max with the features you want and try and buy it at a fair price. Limiting yourself to just one year could be difficult of you want a nice 5 speed or something.
If you are debating, the 5 speed is far superior in performance than the auto and gets better fuel mileage. Sure you can mod an auto but in stock form the 5 speed is much faster. Also make sure you get the C&C package if you don't want that 112-117 speed limiter.
If I were you I'd just look for a 95-97 Max with the features you want and try and buy it at a fair price. Limiting yourself to just one year could be difficult of you want a nice 5 speed or something.
If you are debating, the 5 speed is far superior in performance than the auto and gets better fuel mileage. Sure you can mod an auto but in stock form the 5 speed is much faster. Also make sure you get the C&C package if you don't want that 112-117 speed limiter.
04-06-2003, 10:24 AM
#10
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,362
Originally posted by kratz74
95-99 They are the same car. The diff in crash tests are with damage to the bumper. Not damage to the passenger cabin. Its more to do with insurance ratings. BUT I don't think there is much of a diff in insurance premiums so it is irrelevant.
If I were you I'd just look for a 95-97 Max with the features you want and try and buy it at a fair price. Limiting yourself to just one year could be difficult of you want a nice 5 speed or something.
If you are debating, the 5 speed is far superior in performance than the auto and gets better fuel mileage. Sure you can mod an auto but in stock form the 5 speed is much faster. Also make sure you get the C&C package if you don't want that 112-117 speed limiter.
95-99 They are the same car. The diff in crash tests are with damage to the bumper. Not damage to the passenger cabin. Its more to do with insurance ratings. BUT I don't think there is much of a diff in insurance premiums so it is irrelevant.
If I were you I'd just look for a 95-97 Max with the features you want and try and buy it at a fair price. Limiting yourself to just one year could be difficult of you want a nice 5 speed or something.
If you are debating, the 5 speed is far superior in performance than the auto and gets better fuel mileage. Sure you can mod an auto but in stock form the 5 speed is much faster. Also make sure you get the C&C package if you don't want that 112-117 speed limiter.
JWT is coming out with a 97-99 ECU soon 
.There is no speed limiter on SE's without the C&C, only GXEs.
Originally posted by s0ber
I bought my 95 SE (autotragic) with a 100K miles in nearly perfect condition.. only thing it has was 1 cig burn on the seat oh and the E-Brake boot is kind of tore up.. looked like it melted.. Other than that the cars perfect : D... I paid $5,720 for it...
I bought my 95 SE (autotragic) with a 100K miles in nearly perfect condition.. only thing it has was 1 cig burn on the seat oh and the E-Brake boot is kind of tore up.. looked like it melted.. Other than that the cars perfect : D... I paid $5,720 for it...
04-06-2003, 10:27 AM
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 685
Originally posted by kratz74
95-99 They are the same car. The diff in crash tests are with damage to the bumper. Not damage to the passenger cabin. Its more to do with insurance ratings. BUT I don't think there is much of a diff in insurance premiums so it is irrelevant.
If I were you I'd just look for a 95-97 Max with the features you want and try and buy it at a fair price. Limiting yourself to just one year could be difficult of you want a nice 5 speed or something.
If you are debating, the 5 speed is far superior in performance than the auto and gets better fuel mileage. Sure you can mod an auto but in stock form the 5 speed is much faster. Also make sure you get the C&C package if you don't want that 112-117 speed limiter.
95-99 They are the same car. The diff in crash tests are with damage to the bumper. Not damage to the passenger cabin. Its more to do with insurance ratings. BUT I don't think there is much of a diff in insurance premiums so it is irrelevant.
If I were you I'd just look for a 95-97 Max with the features you want and try and buy it at a fair price. Limiting yourself to just one year could be difficult of you want a nice 5 speed or something.
If you are debating, the 5 speed is far superior in performance than the auto and gets better fuel mileage. Sure you can mod an auto but in stock form the 5 speed is much faster. Also make sure you get the C&C package if you don't want that 112-117 speed limiter.
True, I think i should just look for a good deal on an SE with what i want (mainly a 5 speed) and buy it no matter if its a 95, 96, or 97. Since i really dont prefer the looks of the 97 over the 95/96. And i thought that the 4th gen SE's had no speed limiter anyway?
04-06-2003, 10:46 AM
#13
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 685
I agree, you shouldn't limit yourself to 1 or two years, you might find a great deal on a 97. Most of the features that come with an SE can easily be added to a GXE. The only thing that would be real difficult to change are the body color door handles and trim. The suspension difference is very small and if you are going to add aftermarket springs it doesn't matter anyway. On the other hand if you like all the stuff that comes on an SE it might be cneaper to pay a little more for an SE in the first place. 97-99 SE rims can be picked up for ~$400. If you have your heart set on an ECU upgrade you might want to stick with a 95-96, but JWT is coming out with a 97-99 ECU soon .
Yeah i really do like mostly all the stuff that comes with the SE much better. Mostly the spolier, white faced gauges, steel wheels, fog lights, no speed limiter, black window trim, and the body colored door handles. Also most of the SE's tend to come with more options than the GXE's like a sunroof and leather. I really dont care about the suspension since i will probely upgrade it anyway. But i think it would be worth it more me to spend the extra $500 or whatever for an SE. Since i dont want to deal with the hassle of getting a spoiler and the having it painted, put on, ect...
04-06-2003, 11:01 AM
#15
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 685
Originally posted by maxspeed96CT
I like the 97 better , but i got a great deal on my 96 so i cant complain , personaly id rather have a 96 SE than a 97 gxe and they are around the same price.
I like the 97 better , but i got a great deal on my 96 so i cant complain , personaly id rather have a 96 SE than a 97 gxe and they are around the same price.
04-06-2003, 11:09 AM
#16
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,362
Originally posted by Smithdogg1
Yeah i really do like mostly all the stuff that comes with the SE much better. Mostly the spolier, white faced gauges, steel wheels, fog lights, no speed limiter, black window trim, and the body colored door handles. Also most of the SE's tend to come with more options than the GXE's like a sunroof and leather. I really dont care about the suspension since i will probely upgrade it anyway. But i think it would be worth it more me to spend the extra $500 or whatever for an SE. Since i dont want to deal with the hassle of getting a spoiler and the having it painted, put on, ect...
Yeah i really do like mostly all the stuff that comes with the SE much better. Mostly the spolier, white faced gauges, steel wheels, fog lights, no speed limiter, black window trim, and the body colored door handles. Also most of the SE's tend to come with more options than the GXE's like a sunroof and leather. I really dont care about the suspension since i will probely upgrade it anyway. But i think it would be worth it more me to spend the extra $500 or whatever for an SE. Since i dont want to deal with the hassle of getting a spoiler and the having it painted, put on, ect...
Exactly why I got an SE, I thought it would be easier to pay a little more up front than try to add spoiler, fogs, white gauges, rims, etc. And I hate the chrome door handles & trim. The 95-96 SEs have the alloy 'sawblade' rims. The 97-99 SEs have the 5 spoke alloys 
, but they can be picked up for about $400 as I mentioned above. The 97-99 SEs have a different steering wheel too.There is a post in the FAQ that lists the year to year diference in the 4th gen, it's near the end.
04-06-2003, 11:24 AM
#17
Originally posted by Smithdogg1
How much did you pay? how many miles where on it?
How much did you pay? how many miles where on it?
And i got the 97 Se wheels for 200$ off ebay
04-06-2003, 11:32 AM
#18
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 685
Damn sounds like a pretty good deal. And its runs perfect huh. Nice deal on the wheels too! Thats good to know, maybe i will be able to get a nice 95-96 for less than $6,000 than. or maybe a 97 for around $7,000 rather than $8,000.
04-06-2003, 01:58 PM
#19
And you call yourselves Maxima enthusiasts? 
Have we all forgottten that the 97+ SEs have the black leather wrapped sport steering wheel? To add just that to a 95-96 (which, you would probably really really want to
) expect to pay $300.
DW
Have we all forgottten that the 97+ SEs have the black leather wrapped sport steering wheel? To add just that to a 95-96 (which, you would probably really really want to ) expect to pay $300.DW
04-06-2003, 03:32 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,529
Originally posted by dwapenyi
And you call yourselves Maxima enthusiasts? Have we all forgottten that the 97+ SEs have the black leather wrapped sport steering wheel? To add just that to a 95-96 (which, you would probably really really want to ) expect to pay $300.
DW
And you call yourselves Maxima enthusiasts?
Have we all forgottten that the 97+ SEs have the black leather wrapped sport steering wheel? To add just that to a 95-96 (which, you would probably really really want to ) expect to pay $300.DW
04-06-2003, 03:36 PM
#21
go with the 97. you will be happy. i have a 97 gle with 120k on it and it runs like my pops 96 which has 78k on it. i like the changes made from the 96 to 97 model. oh and if i were you i'd spend my extra cash and buy some nice custom leather interior. nothing better then leather i always say....
04-06-2003, 03:58 PM
#22
Originally posted by dwapenyi
And you call yourselves Maxima enthusiasts? Have we all forgottten that the 97+ SEs have the black leather wrapped sport steering wheel? To add just that to a 95-96 (which, you would probably really really want to ) expect to pay $300.
DW
And you call yourselves Maxima enthusiasts?
Have we all forgottten that the 97+ SEs have the black leather wrapped sport steering wheel? To add just that to a 95-96 (which, you would probably really really want to ) expect to pay $300.DW
04-06-2003, 04:10 PM
#24
I have a 97 SE and a 95 GXE which I just purchased. I am going to use it mainly for racing so thats why I got the 95. Its lighter because of the lesser crash protection, no power heated leather seats, no sunroof etc, plus the ecu can be modified.
There are some nice things about the 97 and I am taking them, like the 16" wheels, steering wheel, lights etc.
Depends on what you want it for, show or go.
PS I am presently swapping for the SE LSD transmission that the 97 has as well.
There are some nice things about the 97 and I am taking them, like the 16" wheels, steering wheel, lights etc.
Depends on what you want it for, show or go.
PS I am presently swapping for the SE LSD transmission that the 97 has as well.
04-07-2003, 12:12 AM
#26
I got a 97SE for $9,000 with 75k miles (damn Bay Area prices) and Im very happy even though I paid more than others here. Its loaded and damn is it nice...most of my friends dont expect it to be as quick as it is...5 spd too...97 front looks much better, as well as the rear. And you gotta love the steering wheel!
Derek
Derek
04-07-2003, 05:51 PM
#27
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 685
Thanks for the advice guys. I am just going to look for a good deal on a maxima that is an SE and a 5 speed and buy it if its a 95, 96, or 97. No sense in locking myself into one year. So i am guessing that i will have to pay about $5,500-$6,000 for a nice 95, $6,000-$6,500 for a nice 96, and $8,000 for a nice 97. Right? The KBB values for the years seems and little low to me. And no one seems to sell them for that cheap in the want ads around here.
Some of BOTH!
Depends on what you want it for, show or go.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Ray229Harris
3rd Generation Maxima (1989-1994)
10
09-16-2015 08:16 PM
MaximaDrvr
7th Generation Maxima (2009-2015)
16
08-19-2015 08:20 PM