Hey guys, just wondering your opinion. So far I've found:

1999 Max 5spd with 92k for 8k dollars. This is at a dealer.

1998 Max 5spd with 129k for 4,800 dollars private party.

They're both SE's.
Question is....what is the highest mileage you'd consider buying and spending money on upgrades? I'm only commuting to school like 12,000 miles a year.

 

well i got up to 265k with mine then i replaced engine, old engine ran fine...i just wanted to go ahead and do it while i had money...i mean no matter wut car, ur always liable to run into some problems

 

I'd go with the 98 with 129K. It is listed about $700 below book value(private party), as the 99 is listed right around book value (resale). Also, if you buy through a private party, you will have a better chance of getting records of maintainence and service done to the car. I just bought a 99 SE fully loaded with 107K miles at a dealer for $5500 which was a real deal, but I had been shopping for about 3 months. (PS it was definitly worth the wait!) I would comfortably buy a Maxima with anything under 150K as long as it is in proper running condititon. These cars are built to run well over 200K miles.

 

hey congrats on the buy, good to see more maxs in boston. wish mine was black

 

I'd go up to 200k miles.

 

Thanks man....this is my first car and not too shabby to say the least. What part of Boston you from?

 

What mileage to go up to all depends on the maintenance history and condition of the vehicle. It also depends on whether the car has mostly highway miles on it, versus being used for city commuting.

Forget the 99. The 98 might be a good buy, but there has to be lower mileage 97 and 98s out there.

Keep looking!

 

Drain the oil from each tranny and don't take the one that has metal flakes in it

 

200k........

 

Metal flakes are one thing, but a leaky axle is a dead give away that you either stay away or offer 1000 less for a pending transmission failure.

 

I would be very comfortable with a max around 200K on it, the year makes a difference too. No offence to anyone here but i think the 98 is the best year of the 4th gen. i would not even consider getting a 95 or a 96. Check this link and read the whole thing it may help you decide for yourself:

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...n-maxima-6.htm

Basically from the choices you provide i would go for the 98 instead of the 99 because of the big price difference alone. but then again i cant say that becaue i cant see the car touch it and drive it. i bought my 97 with 203K on it and the engine just purrs and she is so smooth, its just a pleasure to drive, i spend lots on gas but only because i cant stay away from driving. My GF likes to drive her 2006 Huyndai Tuscon, and you know how girls can be demanding!!!;-) thats about the only thing that keeps me away from my max.

 

For me itd depend on the car i was buying, city vs highway miles, and mantenance. Id go with the 98 SE because 99's had coilpack problems, and more stuff that i dont remember off the top of my head. IMO 97s and 98s are the two best years of maximas.

Go for the 1998 and when you get well above 200k on the odometer look for a 3.5 swap.

 

I Agree with the above post, but not the 3.5 swap part. the VQ is a great engineering marvel, I believe it can last up to 300.000KM.

 

It's interesting that this thread came up, because I was just looking at this '98 Maxima with 179k. The price he's asking seems high, but I was wondering what you guys think and what I should specifically look at/make sure has been replaced at this mileage?

 

Get the 98 but look under the car right in the middle of the radiator. If it's rusted there you could get some cash off the price easily.

I have 278k miles and get 27 mpg average city 30 mpg highway on an automatic.

Good luck. The lower you pay the better off you will feel.

 

And the less you pay for it, the more you can put into mods

 

Make that >300,000 miles.

 

I would also choose the '98. The highest mileage I'd consider buying would probably be around 150k.

 

I really dont pay attention to mileage if the car LOOKS clean and looks maintianed.. I purchased my last max wit a 188K 98 SE 5spd for 3K...

-moo

 

thanks a lot for all of your replies guys, it really helped out with my choices. the 99 has had 1 owner and the carfax is clean and the 98 is carfax pending. I guess to me, 100k miles would be nice just because it seems like a safety blanket (all bad things taken care of and other bad things may be farther off?) Yes, the best thing is patience which I lack now because I'm dying to get a 5 speed but I guess it's well worth the wait.

Besides looking where you had told me, any others out there know of any other places (insignificant) that can help me knock the price of the car down a little?

Thanks again.


thanks for that link andrei

 

If I were you, I'd keep looking around if you don't find the right car. I was meticulous when looking and it took me 3 months to find the right car. I was actually planning to get a car in the spring but as things happened, I got my Max in the middle of January. If nothing comes up right away, wait till spring when everyone sells their cars. Youll def get something good at a good price if you can be patient....

A few more things you can check:
1.) look at the exhaust, (from the cat back) and see how rusted it is
2.) check the tires...if tread is low tell them to knock off a few hundred to replace
3.) tell the seller that you really hate something about the car, ie. interior color. if the seller is really motivated to sell, they will probably lower the price if you offer lower.

 

sounds great. thanks for the advice blackmax

 

Hey no problems shissqbob, i love that link, you could literally read about any used car's history

I called the Nissan dealer to find out if my car was affected by that faulty alternator diode recall, they ran my VIN and it checked out fine.

 

shissqbob,

Another good tip when buying a used car is do your best to negotiate. If worst comes to worst, you can go home with no car. However, most people selling cars, whether it is private sale or dealerships, want to get rid of cars as fast as they can. As long as you dont give a super lowball offer, and you back up your reasonings for lowering the price, they will most likely sell. Be firm and dont be afraid to walk away, literally. If they are really motivated to sell they will not let you leave without buying the car.

 

i agree millage does not play on these maxima's i got mine with 122,000 and i payed 5k for it a 98 gxe this has been the best car i ever had and i plan to keep it forever

 

I actually almost bought my friend's brother's '96 auto max with 225k mi on it for $2k and it ran just fine.

 

i'd definitely wait until the right car comes along. the 4th gen maximas are pretty easy to come by (but not really the 5spd). If you don't absolutely need the car right now, waiting is a good idea.

 

Saw this thread and thought I'd reply since I don't post often and could bump it a year or 2 down the road, lol.

I just bought (today) a 95 SE with 250k miles on it.

I'll let you know in a year...

 

If possible find two comparable cars that you would buy from private parties and if both check out, i.e. are in great condition, and you would be happy with either one, then it comes down to a matter of price. Explain to both parties the situation and find out who will give you the best price. I recently bought a 1998 Black/Black GLE w/dual screens, 128k for 4800 and a 1995 Rosewood SE 105k w/17" custom wheels for 4250. Good luck!

 

If money wasn't a huge factor, don't just compare prices to what KBB says. Think about this: if you average 12k miles per year, your estimated difference in mileage for the original two cars is 37k miles or 3 years worth of driving versus only one model year. When you finally decide to sell your car, the 99 will turn out to be the better investment. Next, think about the avg. miles per year on each...the 99 is much less, meaning the likelihood that the owner pushed the car is not that high (but possible still).

And finally, the best year for the max was 97.

 

go with the cheaper one. I bought one with 204k on it for $885. the tranny was messed up but I had a working one that I put in. The engine ran just fine for 14k miles til I decided to swap in a newer motor. and that was just because I wanted to. my first max was bought with 122k on it I think and ran excent for 20k miles til I wrecked it. go with the car for 129k on it and save yourself the money!
Matt

 

I recently purchase my 97 SE from a small used car dealer for $3800, talked him down from the $4500 he originally wanted..The car had 118,000 miles and so far so good. (knock on wood)

 

maximas id buy at 100k no more....american muscle no more than 40-50k

 

^^^^^^saying stuff like that just to get posts will get you banned just to let you kow

 

Got mine with 169,XXX

 

i cant believe i found a 1998 black on black leather and fully loaded 5 speed a couple cities over for $4500 with 122k miles. in perfect shape. just had to replace the exhaust.

 

that color is amazing on your car. Very Sexy. I think that rosewood and mahogany pearl colors have the most rediculous look when they are freshly detailed. Nice car man! Great photo. I wish my photo was as nice.

 

+1 I waited over 3 months to find my Maxima and it was well worth the wait. I bought a 99 SE fully loaded (black on black leather, bose, auto climate control, heated seats, the works) with 107K miles for $5500 at a dealership. It was a steal, and required no work. Wait and keep looking as there are plenty of 4th gens out there if you do not find one that you truly like.

 

it all would matter to me how much work was done to car when it was done to the car.if the car was taking care of things were replaced when needed, and rust. miles could be any thing up 200k i would buy it if the price was right. you could always get a replacement engine.

 

Mine looks just like yours right now...