I test drove a 97 SE 5 speed today with 65K miles. It felt great, but I had a couple of questions. I heard a slight amount of "whine" in first gear. I figured it is normal, but wanted to see what 5 speed owners thought. I've never owned a manual, so input would be nice. The clutch felt great and the VQ engine was very strong, as expected.

I've followed the Maxima list for a good number of years and have a good impression of the 4th generation Maxima. If there are any items you think I should check into with this one, please post.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

 

I have a 97 se manual also. It does have a whine sound too it. I've never had it checked out but I have had nothing but luck with Nissan's so I figure it is just normal. I've driven it for like 30k now and I have had no problems.

 

I DON'T EVER RECALL HAVING ANY PROBLEMS WITH A USED NISSAN. WHERE DO YOU GET THE IDEA THAT USED CARS SUCK? UNLESS YOU DO NEUTRAL DROPS FOR A LIVING.

 

Not all people can afford a new car.(I know I can't) Or maybe he likes the 4th gen body. If you don't have anything constructive to add please DON'T POST.

 

Uhh, i have the money to get a 2000 or 2001 max BUT i went for the 99 cause its what i like. i dont like the 2000+ body except for the 2002 and i cant afford that. So dont say things like "used cars suck" used is actually better than new if driven good.

 

I know you got the money now and the 4th gen is a good way to go (I personally hate the body style of the 5th gens). Why not save the $$ and hold on for another year for the 6th gen Maxima? V8, possible RWD, higher end luxury...drool. And by that time, the 4th gen prices should drop quite a bit more.

 

cause if you keep waiting, you'll always want the next best thing, u have to realize when its time to just buy the damn car. i have a 97 SE bought it used with 55k miles on it, it now has ~69k and all is running good just normal maintenance like tires, brake pads, and whatnot. Goodluck

 

97 5 speed with around 65K miles huh? Check those transmission bearings or else you may have a huge repair bill on your hands.

 

New is the way to go...if you like getting bent over on the price you pay for it new and then when the value of it plummets because it's used after you buy it.

 

1st gear whine is fine. If it drives smooth and seems to be taken care off then buy it. Dont mind the bearing problem it only happened to certain members here for abvious reasons.(their own fault or abuse)

 

more of my friends have problems with their new cars than those that buy used. so i dont see how new is best

 

And.... what do u drive?

 

I can see your point and there is truth to what you say. But you can't stereotype all used cars. I should know about lemons. My first car, a 1989 Volvo, was a lemon. But I bought my Maxima 2 years ago off a lease with 45K miles on it. The car was in good condition then and is in great condition now.

 

That's why you reasearch a car before you buy. Carfax, Nissan's central Database, dealer maintenence records etc. My 96 GXE which I bought 2 months ago had just 44k miles, owned and driven by a lady since it was new, every service performed when due at the same dealer since new and she traded it in to a Nissan Dealer to buy a 2k2 Maxima. Best of all, I just paid $8695 (the car has C&C) and also got a 2/24,000 extended warranty thrown into the deal.

I'll probably never buy New when I can buy a car with so much depreciation knocked off and in excellent shape.

This wasn't somebody else's problem, more like somebody else's loss that's my gain.

 

I used to have some gear whine in 1st gear. I had the dealership service the car every 30k and they would always use the standard manual gear lubricant. Then at 90k I did the 30k service myself and used redline oils gear lubricant. 1st gear whine decreased significantly.

 

That whine you hear is the torque from the engine. First gear gets you up to 20mph so you can put it into second gear and go from there. First gear in most cars that I have driven whether it be Japanese or domestic have a whine.

 

The whine is normal. What you are hearing is the deep first gear (lots of gear teeth). The lower the gear, the more pronounced the whine.


Dave

 

Yeahhhhh.... OK.

 

You lose more money buying a new car than an old one.

 

I'll never buy another brand new car especially a Brand new Max, the Max is a car you should get "New Used". Actually although I have a 2k2 ( got as a demo)and a 97 SE, 97-99 Se's are and probably will remain the best looking stock Maximas and are very reliable and safe. They are a much better buy than a 00 or 01 and look much sportier and more agressive!

 

Hey everyone, stop paying attention to this guy. He's screwed up his Maxima and clearly doesn't take of it, so he's not looking at things from the same perspective as most people on this site. If you don't believe me, do a search on other posts he's made - I'm not flaming him....it's just he has a different perspective than most people on this site.

 

na dont take your chance

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I see that the whine is normal. This morning I drove a 99 SE and it exhibited the same slight whine. It drove the same as the 97. I didn't know that Bose slightly changed the face plate of the radio. I'm thinking of moving ahead with the purchase. The VQ pulls wonderfully and the car is in good condition.

 

Does it ever! Pulls like a champ.

 

I test drove a 97 SE and heard the whine from 1st. I bought the car regardless. Reading this thread makes me feel MUCH better thanks to the explanation about how 1st is a deep gear and the noise is more prominent due to the large sum of teeth. (PS. I get to pick it up sat.)

 

Congratulations on the purchase! I wasn't able to strike a deal with mine, but am still very happy with my 91 Enjoy!