I just sold my 99SE and am in the market for a 5-speed. One car has 139,000 and a clean title (no accidents) for $8100. The other has 115,000 and more options but has moderate damage from an accident. He wants $9000. I am going to look at both of them today, what kind of things should I look for?
Thank you

Edit: they are both 98's

 

Make sure you check over the the history of check-ups on the car, oil was changed every 3,000 miles, etc. If one of the cars was driven mostly highway, then that would be in a better condition (engine wise). Usually around 100,000 miles maximas are still running like almost new. So make sure overal the engine was mantained properly, thats the key point.

 

I wouldn't go over 100K miles..

I got my 96 GXE for $5000 with 80K miles city driven by a 70 y/o but well maintained.. it could use a paint job, not badly, but it would be nice.. nothing else wrong with it

I know you prpbably wouldn't want to go from a 99 to a 96 but I would reccomend not going over 100K..

 

^^^you must b e a newbie..lol... it all depends on how the car was treated in the past. 100k is NOTHING for a well taken care of max. 200K and the car is considered 40k in FORD years. It all about the cars past such as oil changes and tune ups, and if the car was dogged by a 17 year old ricer or babied by soccer mom.

 

well not sure if it helps but i got my 98 se fully loaded with konig rims and 73k miles for 11k.it had all the maintance resets (tune ups oil changes) and i found a link in this forum with a free history report.

 

 

Those prices would be on the high side in my area, but I don't know where you are, so it might be okay.

One thing: Do you plan on getting a loan? You will have far more trouble getting a bank loan on a car with over 100k.

 

Those are outrageous prices. A 98 max FULLY loaded with 100K should cost no more then 8 grand.

 

you know what I menat..lol

 

Yeh, The Blue Book Value is less than what they are asking. I hope to low ball them at least $500. I have $9000 to spend. It's sad how much Maxima's lose their value over the years...

 

Its a buyers market right now. Trust me I just sold my Acura after being on the market for 2 months. Negotiate and then negotiate again. The worst thing that could happen is they say no. Those prices seem high to me also. I just bought a 97SE blk/blk 5spd fully loaded for $6500. 100k miles but in pristine condition inside and out. The car was only on its 2nd set of tires with some life still on them.

Inspect the paint carefully...well at least I would. Cause bird crap etchings and scratches might annoy you down the line. Expect to pay more for a car that was very carefully maintained. If it doesnt feel right now it definately wont feel right later. I think examining the seller is almost as important as the car. You can usually tell by the type of person they are how well they take care of their car. I would not buy a fixer upper. The car should need nothing. If it does then knock it off your negotiated price.

If you can pull out a spark plug and examine it. That will tell you alot about the health of the engine. It takes all of 2 min to do. Check the CVs for damage. Look under the engine for any leaks before and after you test drive it. Check the oil it should be clean and up to the fill line. Be very weary if its low cause its either leaking or burning oil. The transmission and oil pan should be clean and not caked with oil.

 

I agree, those prices are INSANELY high.

For 9 grand you should be able to shop around for a loaded max with UNDER 100k miles.

Also, when using kbb, make sure you are looking at private party value, that retail value is WAY overpriced.

 

My max is still running strong at 92,000. Seems like I just broke the clutch in from the factory!

 

i was at subaru of gwinnett yesterday, and they had a 2001 maxima SE 5speed with about 35k miles for $14000 i drove it and it seemed like it was in good shape. i only mention this cause it says you're from atlanta in your profile
http://www.subaruofgwinnett.com/en_U...685245&fz=true