Hey people, i have a lot of experience with cars working at a mechanic shop, and i want to know if a maxima would be a good choice for me.

I just turned 17, live in NYC, and currently in high school.

I know about all the mods to use and everything, so if you think i should buy it and not go for something else please tell me what year should i get, and the price range and mileage i should look for

Im only going with a GLE or SE and most likely an auto cause of the stop lights and busy places.

Please dont flame, and thanks for your support!

 

I got a 96 maxima for my first car and loved it. Go for it, you wont regret it

 

You post whored for this?

If you go with a GLE, it's not like you'll have a choice for getting a 5MT...

Sure, why not. You could also get a 'Busa or a Z06 as your first vehicle, it doesn't really matter.

How can we possibly tell you whether or not the car is a good choice for you? Think about that one for a second, given that none of us even know you.

What year should you get? Again, up to your personal preference. That, and what you can find in a price range you can afford, same for the mileage.



IN SHORT.

It's going to be your car, you need to make a choice yourself based on your wishes. See where I'm going here?


Oh, and it's not like this question hasn't ever been asked before, pros and cons for teenage drivers, what this car is best suited for, etc, so

 

you kinda posted in the wrong section.. but it all depends on how much you can spend... i was 17 when i got my 02 SE, it had 97k, got it for $7200 out the door from the dealer.. it was one owner and i consider that a good deal.. maxima's are going for pretty cheap everywhere so if you land on a good deal, go for it.. just make sure all the maintainence is done and you should be set

 

pmohr : i actually did search a lot!
but i just want to know peoples opinions, people who have been in my situation, if they like it or not

 

There are many 'my experiences' threads, opinion threads, threads by teenagers who got an A32 as their first car, etc. If you haven't found them, a little more searching is in order.

 

<-- says, get a 02-03, you'll love it

before you buy it, take the car to a trusted mechanic to see if everything looks good and then go from there..

 

Turning radius worse than an Amtrak freighter FTL

 

lmao

 

I'm 17 now and I have a 96 max. It was the car I got January of last year when I got my license, and I love it. The ONLY thing I wish was different, is the transmission. I really want a manual. Other than that, the car is awesome. I hope to hang on to it for at least another year or two. It's reliable and with a little money you can really make your maxima stand out, if that's what you're into.

 

yup thats perfect man =]
any other reviews about the max?

 

i bought my 97 max when i was 17 for 2.8k and enjoyed every second of it so far. lots of work needed but what i wanted was a bit of a project to be able to understand cars more before i moved away for school. watch for the radiator support rusting. mine was almost cut in half
but as others stated, search the General Maxima forum as this is most like where this thread belongs.

 

2.8k is pretty cheap!
but i dont want something to give me a lot of trouble, especially with all the exhaust mods ill be doing within the first month or 2

 

warning: IMOfest...

get a 97 SE. why?

it has been said (sorry i don't have a link) that the 97 is the most reliable. I can vouch, because other than a starter failing, i have not had a single breakdown or annoying problem (at least one which i could NOT fix myself) in the 2 years i've had this car. stay away from 99's, plenty of problems. they were (iirc) the testing grounds for the 5th gen, and had many problems (search, esp. coil packs).

SE has the best look (again, IMO). this is coming from a guy who doesn't like ANYTHING chrome. all SE's came from the factory with body-matched grilles and door handles, black window trim, and not to mention the best looking wheels. SE's also have a more sport-tuned suspension. on the flipside, it's rare to find an SE with leather and a sunroof. I lucked out and found a sunroof, but actually prefer cloth after 2 grueling summers in a 97 Infiniti i30t (deep evergreen) with leather. (btw, the i30 is the "same" as a maxima)

if you want to broaden your parameters, add 96-98 infiniti i30t (note the t, it means Touring package) to your search.

you can easily find an A32 matching these preferences for ~3000 private party, ~6000 dealer. look around. buy a newspaper. buy from www.carmax.com (btw, most cars on that site can be shipped to your local carmax dealer for a small fee). search on www.cars.com

for personal preference, i have had 2 3rd gen maximas, and 2 A32's. my brother has a 6spd A33B, and my dad had an A34 for a rental a couple months back. of the 6 maximas i've driven, i prefer the A33B (6spd, 3.5L FTMFW!!!!), and mine is a close 2nd.

if you're interested in the aftermarket scene, then a 4th gen MAXIMA is your best bet. Also, you might have noticed that the 4th gen forums have the most threads/posts of all generations. good luck, and welcome to the family. soon.

/IMOfest

 

thanks!
that was detailed and really helped man

 

man im gonna give you the same advice that i give everyone that is young and wants a cool car...


get an fbody... the maxima is a somewhat fun car but you aint gonna pick up any *****es in one... plus its slow..

 

2000 Maxima GLE was my first car, I still love it cause its big and comfy and fairly powerful for a first car. BIG downside is the fuel economy on the automatics especially with bad driving habits (i.e. flooring it a lot) which is hard on your wallet especially as a student, so I say get the manual. Otherwise its completly up to you!

 

dont know if this has been said or not but................

Save yourself some money buy a honda.......

 

ohh the exhaust..that was another thing. had to replace near everything except the Catyl and the muffler when i first bought it. rusted to hell and back. but my car was on the lot for a fair amount of time and had 187k miles on it so far.
runs like a dream now.
overall preformance repairs=700.Exhaust=320, filters sparks and fluids=100ish, some brake issues=200
body=..id rather not go into it.

but like tyler5619 said. ive owned a mercury sable 2000(Drunk driver hit), sentra 95(brakes failed disasterously), dodge intrepid 97(timing chain broke and cost more than i would pay), and for a short period inbetween cars i had a mazda 6 2006(4 cyl..when you turn the A/C on you feel the horsepower drop....)(rental) the Max has by FAR outrun the competition and blown my past cars out of the water. and when i get a new paint job on it i plan on keeping it all throughout college or untill i can afford a 2003 but i will cross that bridge when it comes.

 

I had my 88 maxima when I was 18. Yes it was an 88 but it still hauled and it had more features than any of my highschool friends newer cars had. Owned it for 7 years while my friends went through 3 and 4 cars in that same time.

 

LOL. Exactly my thoughts...

and asking what price range to look for... all depends on the year, mileage and condition of the car. KBB should be your first stop for that info, not here.

OP: Ask yourself what you can afford, and go from there. And yes, a 4th gen Maxima would make a great car for a first time car owner/driver such as yourself.

I fail to see how a 97 has less problems than a 98.... IMO of course.

 

It depends on how much your budget is, if you got three thousand go for A 4thgen if you got more than 5 thousand go for A 5th gen. I been driving since I was your age and had A few different cars and the Maximas are really nice if you take care of them the right way,(dont floor it at every stop light) and take your time looking for one thats not been abused. Also if your gonna do exhaust mods get ready to get pulled over if its to loud the cops love giving tickets in NYC for that and you gotta go to court and see A judge too+ miss A days work.....and fine

 

true that, i was silenced from the start when i redid mine. i think the cannons some people call exhaust are very unattractive.

 

I am 17 years old and I have a 97 GLE, although, its been getting dinged up quite a bit... keyed... backed into... and I live in Washington State too LOL

 

 

thanks for the reviews people!

so what do you think will be better for me a this age, a 4th gen or a 5th gen, i have about 6k total but as i said before i want about 1k on upgrades like the warpspeed y-pipe,catback, b-pipe with a resonator,rsb, and fstb, if any of those would be bad for a 4th gen please tell me!
thanks again

 

Asking this in the 4th gen section, you know you're going to get biased opinions...

Overall the A32 has less trouble prone areas (IMO) than the A33...MAF, coil packs, etc. Not to mention NATS, which can be a PITA (which means avoiding '99s, but that's a given).

 

yea i knew about that. and the 95-96 is so old and i dont like the steering wheel that it has lol

 

Indeed, older (but better).

 

You better hide pmohr.... LOL The 95-96 wheel is hideous IMO.

 

98>*

just because

 

I don't mind the wheel at all, personally.

But then again I also like the look of a Hi-Point, that might explain it.

 

alright with that said, i will go with a 97-98 now.

can someone please verify what mods would be good and not that expensive.

i would be working with a mechanic this summer so idc about installation as it will be free for me

any ideas?

edit: oh and i know that this is covered a lot, but i just want to know what do you all recommend in like 1 or 2 lines =]

 

'Expensive' is completely subjective.

Search, there have been several hundreds of threads about inexpensive 'good' mods.

Also, whether or not a mod is 'good' is, again, subjective.

Y and 00VI, call it a day. Or a 3.5. Or a blower, or turbo, or nitrous. None of these are 'expensive', relatively speaking.

 

how much will an 00vi cost?

i know that a y would cost like 150 and everyone says its the best bang for the buck

 

+1

 

Y is the best 'bang' for the low 'buck'.

Really, a 3.5 swap doesn't cost that much (wait until you find a good deal, and it can be had for probably around 00VI prices), and it arguably makes the most power for a simple setup.

Nitrous is the best power adder for not too much money, and it's easily removable.

Again, all personal preference. You've got a grand to spend, buy some tools and throw in a 3.5.

Check the classifieds for the 00VI, there's a good half dozen for sale right now. Mine ran me ~$150 for everything that's needed. The only big piece you absolutely need for the 00VI is the UIM itself, and there's one for ~$80 in the classifieds right now, IIRC. Get some aluminum, make yourself some adapter plates, modify the valve cover, coils, LIM, there you go.

 

a 3.5 would cost less than a grand??
that would be really good then.
should i get it from a junkyard or from where?

 

There are quite a few listed on car-part right now for under $500, and several dozen all together.

A few hundred for tools, engine hoist, fluids, etc, and you've got yourself a 3.5 swap.

This is assuming you do everything yourself, of course. The labor involved would be over a grand in and of itself, whether you do the hybrid or full swaps.

 

I bought my 3.5 for 300 bucks w\73k............... +100 bucks for cam adapters +100 for gaskets,oil,antifreeze ect ect.

and sawblade's ftw

But the honeycombs are ewww