I am thinking of selling my 89 max it because my brother has a 97 SE , bose, security/convenience, cold weather, leather, abs, wood, sunroof with 19K miles on it that he will sell to me for $14,000. He doesn't want to deal with the hassle of selling it or giving it to a dealer for perhaps less.

Great condition, garage kept and pampered. No mods. Would you do it ? From what I have read, the price is quite low for having everything. He might get 15-16 for it if he sold it himself. I was a bit concerned of getting it at almost 5 years old, then paying for it for another 3 on a small loan. Then, it will be 8 yrs old. My thought is it had many many years to go as 19K is nothing.

Opinions? (Recently drove an acura RSX-S and that started me thinking about new cars but I know I am taking a bath to do that and getting a tiny car..but wo was it stuck to the road)

By the way what is the 0-60 on the 4th gen 190hp max? 7 ish?

Tx

 

19k is a pretty good deal for $14,000.. nice low miles.. I say if its a 5spd.. take it.. if its an auto.. get something else

 

If it is a 5-speed, I'll take it!

-Nick

 

Great deal, great car. Right now I've got 100,000 miles on my 95. I've had to replace the starter twice, that's all. Great car.

I'm with the other guys here, I'll take mine in the 5 speed. My sisters got an auto its nice and quick car too.

Btw... 97 got updated bumpers over the 95-96.

If your willing to make the payments go for it. Whats wrong with the 89? Newers funner but more spendy, personally I perfer the body style of the 3rd gens 89-94.

 

Sweet car, low miles. 5spd or Auto, for $14k I would still go for it. Especially since its fully loaded.

 

i love my 97 se 5 speed, fantastic engine, buy it!!!!

 

go for it. $14,000 with 19,000mls that around here is about $17,000.

 

when i bought my 99 it had 50k miles on it, 19k is nothing!
Consumer Reports rated the Maxima for the 97 year as better than average overall reliability for the systems check, the highest rating, only trouble spots were the fuel, electrical, air conditioning, suspension, brakes, paint/trim, and integrity. All of these received a rating of 2-5% problem occurance. All other systems received a less than 2%, the best rating. Overall reliability is Exceptional, again, the highest rating, and is a Consumer Reports Good Bet, 14k is on the lowest side for retail price for the 97 year. To give you an idea about the percent rating the ignition for the 95 models received a 9.3-14.8% rating, second from worst Hope this helps!

 

My 97 5-speed has 86K miles on it. I love it. $14000 is a good deal. I'd go for it if I were you.

 

My 97 SE has 205,000 miles on it and still going. I'd get it, they are a great car. I've certainly gotten my money's worth.

 

Appreciate the feedback. I like my 89 but I just don't want to sink too much cash into it. I bet I could spend $1K and have it fixed up fairly well.

Main issues are soft struts, warped rotors, and some things I deal with that are not big deals like the front windows not going up straight in the tracks when they are wet such that I have to push the window out a bit on the way up...Probably just needs a lube but "Handy" is not my middle name.

Thanks

 

you still have not said if its a 5spd or not

 

The 97 I might get is an auto. I would not say I rate as an enthusiast..family man with no authority to add fancy mods to the car..so, what it is is what it will stay (unless I can sneak something in here and there )

People crap on the autos do they? Not as fast/fun? I took a new altima (only the 4 cylinder) out for a spin and thought its trans sucks. Didn't shift when I wanted it to. My 89 max shifts just fine when I want it to by just easing up on the accelerator. Altima really was lame if you ask me...Now, the v6 might be more fun but looks silly in side to me.

 

Super low miles too.
Manufacturers 0 - 60 is 6.7 sec.-
I shift sloppy, so around 7.5 to 8 or more.
But the 0 to 60 is a lame estimation of what this engine can do. (and is a terrible way to evaluate any engine really.)
It really shines in the 30 to 50mph and from 50 to 70mph is fun fun fun.
Lots of usable torque. Invest $50 in a front tower strut brace and totally enhance the handling feel with no degredation in ride quality. -you can have a ride as nice if not nicer than most new cars at half the price. of course you could add lots of aftermarket stuff but it's a pretty sweet package stock.
I've got 100k+ on my 97 se 5 speed. -no problems...at all. And I abuse it at least once a week just to hear that sweet engine wind up.
Plus with all the luxury items on yer deal- it's a steal.
Driven.

 

Definite buy for 14k.

Just to put things in perspective, I picked up my 98 SE Fully Loaded for 24 000 Canadian which is like 15 - 16K US. I went thru the same ideal...should I buy a new car with a 4 cylinder engine? After carful thought, I would prefer a used maxima then a new lower end car.

The Max will outlast most cars. My family still owns a 92 and a 91 Maxima Brougham. Still runs great.

Lefty

 

what ever you do dont buy a maxima!!! they are slow, espically the 5spds. no aftermarket support. you wont like it

just kidding got for it. keep it real keep it maxima.

 

I bought a 97 SE a couple of months ago and love it. They are very good cars. I needed a car badly at the time and grabbed an auto but I wanted a 5 speed. I've got all the options except keyless entry and everything still works. Fun car to drive, more fun with bars on it.

 

I've got a 97 SE 5spd that I bought about two years ago. Absolutely love it!!!!! Very solid car, very comfortable, and best of all.....very fast. I love the way the engine revs! From 4-6,000 it just flies. I'm with everyone else....buy it. You won't regret it. I've done some small mods but can't wait to get a RSB and some AGXs and some H&Rs. Too bad that all requires $$$$$. Well, guess I can save. You know, every time and I mean every time I get into Max I feel lucky. Think that may be the sign of a great car. BTW, I bought mine with 49K and it just turned 80K. Strong, very strong.

Cheers

 

Buy it bud that is a great deal, and een though I have a 2k2 SE auto I still think the 97-99 SE is the best looking Maxima.

 

I worship my 5-speed. But it is a trade off comes on those days sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.

Auto or 5spd $14k for 19k miles is a great deal...particularly if its one owner and garage kept. I just got my 97 SE with 44k miles for 12k at the Atlanta Auto Auction (it took months to find a 5 speed)...and after $2,000 in paint work, new emblems, retinting, taillight replacement (they were cracked), detailing, and new tires/wheels its finally looking sharp. So, in my estimation its a great deal.

 

Agreed! The 97 SE is tops in looks and performance. Compare and Crunch your numbers all you want. Even for the money this thing is a steal. It flies. Feels good, handles better than auto's twice its size and looks good. Nissan. Driven.

 

Thanks for all the thoughts on the 97 se. I bought it. Fine car..Fine shape. 21K miles now.

Only issues are these:

1. pulls to the right.. alignment needed.

2. Tires pretty low on tread. I could use advice on good, long wear , good handling replacements... I might keep them on for the winter so capability in the snow is important.

3. Door edge guards have worn away some paint as they close on the back fenders.. How silly that they don't fit well enough to avoid this. I need to rip them off, and get the areas touched up so it doesn't rust in salty winters.

All in all...a fine car.

Any advice on these issues is appreciated.

 

dont aling it yet. get some lowering springs along with some new rims and tires. that will take care of two problems. you can get 17inch tires with good snow capability. otherwise good to see you with a max.