hey guys, new here just registered today

anyways, i need a new(used) daily driver, and i thought what better 4 door car than a 4th gen(my fave) maxima, especially considering what you get for the price? anyways, i've been searching on autotrader, and its been pretty tough finding exactly what i want. leather, auto and a sunroof are a must, and i would like the bose- but how much 'worse' is the non-bose system? also, i really like the black color only, and on top of that low miles, which brings me to my main question;

approximately how many miles do you guys think is "too many miles" on the car? how many miles can this car see before the end of its life, assuming i dont drive hard? i'll be driving about 150 or so miles everyday, so a lower-mileage max is important...

any advice\help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance guys

 

if you take care of it..the vq will go over 200k easy..

some things to look for in used max is the starter on a 95-96 and knock sensor. all of them are starting to go bad around now.

just use the average 12-15k a year to get a good estimate of the milage the car should have..12k per year is low milage f.. 15 is about normal. 18+ is kinda high.. milage isnt as important as how well the owner took care of the car.

when u look on autotrader, make sure your only looking for a GLE or an SE.. the gxe wont have BOSE sunroof or leather. GLE should have all of that, SE has optional bose.

black emerald is a very nice color. besides black it is the darkest color availible..black at some angles.. nice deeep green at others..

bose systems sound good.. but they are difficult to repair/replace..if i were u, id get the normal system which still sounds fine..then upgrade the speakers and the HU. u can buy 6.5 speakers cheap off ebay.

 

thanks alot for the advice & help

on edit: which trim level comes with the spoiler? can i buy the spoiler separately somewhere, & if so how much is it?

 

SE comes with spoiler, but then again a spoiler could've been put on as an option at the dealer.

 

good luck with your choice. just make sure to test drive it to make sure everythings good and that youre getting the most bang outta your buck.

 

get a 5spd! or convert it youll thank us later.

 

u can buy the spoiler for 100 bucks off ebay i thnk.. painting it is a diff story..

i think maxima rear end is ugly without the spoiler..

 

There are alot of things that could be wrong with a car.

I drive about 20-24K a year myself.

You should check for any leaks....meaning...power steering, brake fluid, motor oil, radiator fluid or tranny oil. Beware of a perfectly clean under-side of a car. If you see alot of dust and dirt underneath the car, and no oil, then that's a pretty good sign. A sqeeky clean under-side probably means it's been washed recently. Bad brake calipers = brake fluid all over wheels for instance....you need to be aware of all possible leaks.

Check for ripped boots....including CV boots and rack and pinion boots (they are the accordian looking rubber things near your front wheels). Run the AC and heater to see if you get acceptable temperatures. It's easy to think an AC unit is working fine if it's -10 degrees out and vice versa. if they don't run properly (AC or heater), then you could suspect clogged/bad heater core or head gaskets. If you don't get extremely cold AC under cold conditions...it's either an undercharged AC system, bad compressor, or atleast a leaky one.

You can put your hand over the exhaust...if your hand wants to pop out...and gets cinged/burned...then the exhaust seals are good. If you can completely cup your hand over the exhaust..and can hold it longer than 1-2 secs...and it doesn't get cinged...then that's bad.

Also check for sweet smelling exhaust (usually head gasket), dirty exhaust (bad compression/leaking piston rings), or white smoke (smells like fuel..indicating rich fuel mixture). Anything but clear exhaust is generally bad.

Note any regular electronic malfunctions too (windshield wipers, all climate control functions, radio, window motors, power locks etc etc.). Sorry for the rant...just things I'd check for before you buy any car.

 

On the 95 Maxima, can't speak for other models, the BOSE makes a big difference. I had a Maxima with and w/o BOSE, my current one has BOSE. You'd be amazed at how those tiny BOSE speakers can reproduce clean tight bass. Of course, you can't compare it to an aftermarket bi-amplified systems w/ subwoofers. But as a factory option, BOSE is usually enough for most. My last vehicle had 15" subwoofers and component separates, now I have my 95 SE w/ BOSE and I'm content although I miss the heart pounding, earthshaking bass. I haven't even bothered installing a full aftermarket bi-amplified system in it yet. But maybe some day I'll add a sub so I can cross the satellite speakers at a higher frequency, and let the subs do most of the low frequency work. You'll be very happy with the BOSE for that year of Maxima.

If you can get 5-speed, even better. My previous Maxima was automatic, not as quick when launching from dead stop. The 5-speed gives you a commanding launch from a dead stop. Even during sudden acceleration from cruising speeds, the robustness of the 5-speed is very nice!

If you can get a hold of an SE w/ BOSE, sunroof, and leather interior, and other creature comforts, bells and whistles, you'd be all set for a fun experience in a sport sedan. BTW, mine had 105k miles when I purchased it.

 

Make sure you get a compresion test on the engine and have any codes pulled from you ecu. Check the ignion coils as they start to go bad latter in the cars life
Check for any body work any open seams. A crashed max repaired may never be the same again.
Tranny have is checked as well.
This is in addtion to what the other guys have said above. Good luck and welome to the community

 

Also have any car checked by Jeff at MaximumTuning.com He is in glen cove about 30 minutes from the queens. Since you in new york you can drive in.
Let me know if you need any help with that I'm in the area.

 

okay...
1. Bose is definitely better, IMO...
2. go ahead and get the 5spd....trust us
3. over 200k miles is nothing for our engine/tranny
4. wait on a good deal...they are out there
5. estimate 15k miles a year when buying.

---the other guys had good things to look for, as far as repairs. Check all that stuff out. Just putting in my .02.

 

Hey Fellow New Yorker.

I recently purchased my first maxima. Took me little over a month or so to find the perfect car.

98 Maxima SE FULLY Loaded - Black on Black
54,980 Miles
Heated Seats, Alloy Wheels, Spoiler, Leather,Sunroof, and BOSE SOUND SYSTEM.
$8700

I found this car on ebay and purchased it privately off ebay from a Doctor who lived in Staten Island.

This car was driven less than 10,000 miles a year from what carfax said.

Good Lucky

 

Yeah, I looked for 5 or 6 months before I found the max that I wanted.

cal0205, sounds like you got a really good deal. Let the modding begin.

 

well the reason i dont wanna get a manual is cuz i know i'll be stuck in traffic alot. i dont plan on racing it either, for now at least.

as for the plethora of problems to check for, not sure i'll be able to find all of them myself... so i probably will ask for help.