This is probably a dumb question but it's my first post so bear with me. I'm about to buy a 99 Max. We test drove a GLE with a 5-speed. My question is was the GLE available in a 5-speed? My research has shown it was not.

 

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a GLE, probably a GXE. Did it have white guages?

 

Nope no GLE 5spd.

The biggest hint for a GLE is fake wood trim...

 

it could be a GLE and someone just changed the transmission from automatic to manual....a lot of members have done that and I was also thinking about doing it at one point...still am

 

they are trying to rip you off.. its a GXE

 

I just ran a vehicle history report, it's a GLE according to the VIN #. It has a 5-speed and white gauges. Is this car a frankenstein?

 

Raise your hood. Look for a shiny metal identification tag fastened to the passenger side of firewall. The top row is the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with J. The second row is model information. The first five characters are BLHUL. The sixth character is the trim level designator, defined as follows:

E = GXE
G = GLE
V = SE

What's the sixth character?

 

Some SEs have the fake wood trim as well.

 

Like mine

DW

 

Ditto

 

Not from the factory they dont. It may be a dealer installed option. But, if you dont have white guages, and you do have fake wood, chances are you have a GLE.

 

I Live for that fake wood!

 

Well, this is 2002, and he's buying a 99, so I don't think factory is an issue here.

DW

 

I would say you have an SE if you have the white gauges and a 5 speed. Look at the trim around the windows and the front grill. If it is body color then its an se. Also look at the rims. If they are alloy and in the design of a star its another sign of an se.

 

if you look on your door panel it might say something, mine as my color code as well as my transmission that car does sound wierd... maybe its a GXE all gussied up!!!

 

I have a 96 gle 5spd.....I made it myself !

 

Maybe it's a GLXE Hybrid with a 300ZX motor swap

 

Very fishy

 

Frankenstein salvage re-build, yup. A GLE with an SE or GXE's 5 speed and SE white face gages?? Just call that car Franky


DW

 

Speaking of 5 speed conversions why do people spend the $1400 for the conversion kit? Wouldn't it be cheaper to simply sell your current max and buy a stick?

Or does selling the auto tranny make up the difference?

 

There's a few reasons I can think of:

1) They want to enjoy the weekend project.
2) Maximas lose a lot of value, so they might not be getting too much outta selling their auto
3) 5 speed maxes are a little more rare than autos, especially finding ones with all the stuff people might want...plus there is no telling what's been goin on with the car if they do find one, so then the hassle of checking it all out

just my thoughts

 

Just the SE and the stripped down GXE had 5 speed. As for the color of your car, I have 99 same color and it's called SUNLIT SAND., code EVO.

 

Door handles, easiest way to tell an se from a gxe and a gle!

Car fax that sucker!

Also, if no climate control but it has leather, black guages, then for SURE it is a GXE with a leather kit....seen LOTS of them on ebay like that.

 

one more thing, i noticed that you said it did have white guages.

I dont beleive that a VIN can diferentiate the models on the maxima, just the model code that i think CLEE refered to, so check good!

 

My insurance company lists both Max's that I've owned as Maxima GLE/GXE's.

One was a GXE and one is a SE, so I don't think running the VIN would do you a lot of good.