A typical Saturday. The fiancee wants to go to the mall and I respectfully decline. Today was to be the day. I'd been calling around high and low for the past few weeks trying to find someone who had a 6-speed SE. I was continuously shot down. Then I see another dealership in the paper today. I called, they have about 5 of them! I was out the door within minutes on my way.

There she is, a thing of glory. White with tan cloth and the distinctive 6-speed shift ****. The salesperson goes to switch places with me and I warned her to hold on. I was hoping for fast, and boy did I get it. This thing has to be a full half second faster than the 4th gen 5 speed (I never found the 2000/1's to be noticably faster, if at all). Third gear in this car asks for more when you're at 70 mph. HID's already in it, 17" rims, 6 disc changer up front and maybe even navigation if I wanna splurge. The handling you ask? We were going through a 30mph curvy residential at 50mph in the turns, and the car is like butter. Where did this car come from? My car can do those, but even with all the work done to my car, it still wasn't as nice as this Maxima.

I think I can get it for $29k out the door with leather, changer and HID's. My car is worth ~$12,000 in trade and perhaps more if I sold it here. My payments would be about $50 more for this new Maxima. Now, do I go for it and get rid of my baby (had her since mile #7) or do I keep my car (paid off in August, 2002) and get my used ('96 Collector's Edition) Corvette in September? The new payment will be about the same for either option, except with the Corvette, I get the luxury of having two cars. I can always have a Corvette later, I guess, but this Maxima is so sweet - and that new car smell is clutch . It comparing apples to oranges.

So I ask you, how DO you compare apples to oranges?

 

I just think $29k is alot for a nissan (except the Z). But maybe i'm just used to low prices that nissans have gone for. I doubt you can get 240 hp import for under $29k. I dunno anymore. I just never thought a maxima is worth $29k.

 

Beleive me, I thought the same thing, as I paid ~$21,000 for my Maxima in May of 1998, but it is pretty optionless compared to this 2002. Mine was a stripped SE with only the Security and Conveneince Package. You can still get a Max for $21k, it just won't be an SE and won't have a changer and HID's and leather. That car is well worth $29k in my book. And that $29k with TTT, ou the door. The actual sticker says $29k, but who pays sticker anyway?

 

I guess it's the options. I paid $18.5k for my '98 gxe in 98. but it came with nothing. The options kill you

 

Where's my sig file anyway? What the *hit?

 

If I had the money, I would keep the 4th gen as a daily driver, and get a WRX for my project car.

 

you'll loose less money on the 96 vette - i think buying a new car is an f-in waste. buy the vette, and get the maxima when it's a few years old, or drop 20k on a 2nd gen M5 and save the the 10 for maontenance

 

I just upgraded to a 6spd maxima from my 95 max & 98 I30. The car IMO is a LOT nicer, the power, look and feel on this car is superb. I highly recommend it to others. The HID's are incredible and the low end torque is much improved over the allready tourquey 3.0.

 

I just drove one, without a HLSD, but damn this car is sweet. It is a whole lot faster than my 95 5-spd and a whole lot quieter. I don't like the soft clutch pedal, but other than that it is a whole lot more refined than even my mom's 2K. It is a great car overall, and if I had the money I would easily buy one. . . Too bad they want $30K for it.

 

Keep the Max....get that Vette. I assume you're talking about the blue and white GS with the LT4 motor in it. 330hp of V8 sounds and kicks alot harder than a 255hp of V6 maxima. I love my Maxima, but truth be told, if I had a chance to go straight up trade, I'd let my Max go for that GS. They only made it one year, it looks awesome(IMO),
and is sure faster than our Maximas. I need more than a blower to offer what the GS can. PLUS- it'll be worth more in the long run. I'm a guy who likes to have the best of both worlds. Just my opinion. I wouldn't trade my 97 SE for an 02- 255hp or not.

 

Keeping your max and getting a vette = 2 insurance payments
New max = 1 insurance payment

I'm guessing that a vette isn't cheap with insurance too?

 

Those Vette GS's come in silver also, They are sweet.

I like my 98 Max and my payment end in Aug 02, but I am going to enjoy not having a payment for a while and save for my BMW.

I am also getting married, so my spend money has gone else where. Say what you will, but this commitment is very expensive. ( but it is by far the best thing I am going to ever do in my life).
C

 

I'm getting married myself. March 2003 tho. I love my 98 Max too (My payments are up in Aug 02 too. My most recent thoughts are leaning towards keeping it. Insurance is no big ****. Right now it's $192 a month, but I turn 25 in April (that brings it to a little over $100) and I move to a cheaper county in March (new house too, lol). After April 4 my insurance on my Maxima should be $80-$90 a month. Then add a multi-car discount (once I get the vette), then add my fiancee's car (when we get married), then add the marriage discount and I'll be paying around $60 a month to keep the Maxima. That's cheaper than my cell phone bill for God's sake. It just doesn't make much sense to get rid of it, but DAMNIT that 02 6 speed is SCHWEET.

 

 

If you had a beautiful Puerto Rican Princessa like this white boy does, you would be P-whipped too

 

You CAN get a 240hp import for under 29. It's called the Altima SE. Dual exhaust and manual transmission. Same as the one in the Max. It sells for 20 to 21.5. The new Max is at 260. Granted the looks are diferent but the two cars are so close together in performance that the decision is tough. We have driven both for the wife. We may wait for the 350Z though.

 

Same as the one in the Max? What? The dual exhaust? The Max doesn't have a dual exhaust. The same 5 speed transmission? The Maxima has a 6 speed transmission and is supposedly sharing with the Z car (which I don't beleive.) The Maxima and the Altima are 2 completely different cars with 2 different target markets. Is the performance similar? Sure is. If money were no object, which would you rather have? I know I'd take that Max over the Altima any day of the week, evern WITH the price difference.

 

I don't know if you'll be able to find the altima SE for 20 - 21.5, maybe the other models, but the SE without extras, MSRP is 22,500. So unless you're buying an SE with Nothing extra (or just floormats), you might be able to get it for $22,000.

A guy at work got a manual SE altima with Hids, ABS, sunroof for around $23,500 and that was a great deal according to him, since he shopped around.

 

went to the nissan dealer yesterday and checked out both altima and maxima. they didnt have any 6spds, so the max that impressed me the most was the gle w/navigation. very nice and luxrious felt like all that extra room was being put to use, as opposed to the auto se which felt bare. i just dont see the auto se as a sporty car even for a family sedan. the altima on the other hand is way too ugly. i hate the fact that nissan put the same engine in the altima as the max. but i guess thats evolution. they shoulda keep the family ties separted. anyway until i get my hands on the sixer my vote goes to the gle w/navi. the alty gets no love. cant wait to chew one up and spit it out.

 

Well said.

However, I can't expresss enough how much you need to drive that 6-speed. It's not as fast as it shoudl be (given it has 260HP), but it's a great ride with a fantastic 3rd gear.

 

i went up there again today and the salesman said that he's got six people waiting in line for the sixer. i asked him how come other people on the east coast got them and he looked at me like i was crazy. he did tell me that nissan is curbbing the six speed maxes in the intrest of promoting the altima. go figure.

 

I find that interesting because the local Nissan Dealership here has a 6 speed and they don't get **** for selection because they don't sell enough Nissans. . . They haven't even received a 3.5 SE Altima yet. I think they are out there to be had, you just have to find them, or special order them.

 

you big hp freaks, do some of you not look at build quality in these cars?
the maxima is far better off in build quality then the altima now.

besides the new maxima felt the same as my old ve. big ole ***** in 1st and second. 3rd pulled pretty good, after that felt flat.

and its a big car now. didn't realize how big they have gotten

 

yeah thats the big thing that got me was how big it is, i guess im to use to my 4th gen but its still a nice car. just not for me.