Yesterday was eventful. Traded my 1998 GLE (241K miles and going strong) for a new 2011 3.5SV. Saw the brilliant silver and had to have it. In many ways, I was sad to see the '98 go. Has been a very reliable car, and I enjoyed using this site to keep it that way. Saved myself a lot of money and probably kept the '98 on the road for a few extra years. Whoever gets that car (likely at auction) will be lucky because it's in perfect working condition. Even the dealer who traded with me was impressed with the mileage and the condition. It was just time for a change.

I am now onto my 3rd Maxima - been driving one since 1990 and expect to get at least 10 years out of this one.

My 4th gen is gone but not forgotten.

 

Well, at least you stayed in the Maxima family instead of leaving it altogether. Post some pics.

 

yea, post some pics of the 98 max ane the new one.. my girlfriend has a 98 maxima with 230K and runs like a TOP. great cars!!

 

My '97 Maxima GXE is about 500 clicks away from hitting 300,000! I've replaced the radiator, rear springs, starter, alternator (covered under warranty) not to mention the typical things you'd expect from driving a car for well over a decade.

Bought it used (about 40K on it) and haven't had any significant problems other than a persistent EGR Flow trip of the light fantastic (which I now get through MA inspection by driving it just enough after the reset to test "ready" in all but two readings (the state requirement).

Two things I've NEVER done: flush the coolant (except during the aforementioned radiator replacement) and flush the transmission (which, knock wood, is still going strong).


So ... yeah, I'm bragging, despite a bit of rust under the hood.

 

WOW thats great!! maximas last forever, my girlfriends maxima just hit 230K miles on it and i actually just replaced the radiator today. as for the transmission it runs really really strong ans shifts very smoothly through the gears. i dont want to touch that fluid being who knows when the last time it was changed or even if it was ever changed at all. good to know you have 300k on your tranny and you never changed the fluid.. my girl puts on avg over 120 miles a day sometimes close to 200

 

It's stories like this that make me glad to have a max BTW when is a good mileage for a tradein?

 

I would say that the ideal time to trade in depends on your circumstance. I held onto the '98 GLE as long as I did due to some family financial issues. After a while, staying with it sorta became a challenge, especially after passing the 200K mileage mark. My dad (famous for his ability to pinch pennies) was impressed with my 'frugalness', especially since I always had to have the best 'toys' until now. Finding this site definitely helped and made it fun. I made the change now because I got what I think was a great deal. My employer participates in the Nissan Vehicle Purchase Program (VPP) and I was able to get a great price on the car, a reasonable price for my trade-in, and 0% financing. It was something that i could not pass up. For those who don't know about the VPP program and who are looking to move to a newer car, do a google search for Nissan VPP. There's a list of companies who participate in the VPP program. I have purchased my last two Maxima's using VPP and it's just too easy to pass up.

I didn't think about taking 'nice' pics of the old maxima until it was too late. I did snap a couple of quick ones with my Blackberry, which I am attaching. The pic that I like the best is the odometer!

 

Putting 120 miles a day on a Max (or any car, really) won't hurt it. Cars like to be driven and, frankly, I think that's what's kept my Max rolling to the 300K mark (just 250 miles to go before I hit that magic number, btw).

As far as a trade in goes, here's my cranky old guy advice: That time is NEVER. Seriously, as long as your car starts, and is street-legal, safe and reliable (and, if it strands you, you have AAA and a flexible personality and set of circumstances), then it never pays to trade in your car before at least four years pass after it's paid off.

Now, unlike a lot of Max owners, I'm not into mods and a slick appearance (I mean, I LOVE them, but my budget and personality don't allow me to make them a priority), so my never-say-trade-in counsel may not be right for you. I'm just sharing my experience. Here's the deal: My most expensive year ever (the year I replaced the rear springs and some other stuff) was $3000 in maintenance. In general, though, I've averaged under $1400 in maintenance costs per year since the time I've owned the car outright.

Last year -- again, this is a '97 GXE we're talking about -- my repairs were under $1,000!

And, yes, I am included brakes and tires in those figures -- even though every car will need those items fixed pretty regularly.

OK ... sorry to take up all the virtual oxygen in this virtual room. Happy motoring!