I did a search and didn't find much on this so I wanted to get some opinions. I am ready to sell the 99SE-L and get either a 2001 AE 5sp or a 2002 SE 6sp.

I plan on buying either one used and have found a few that suit my taste. There is about 2-3k difference in the price of the cars with similar mileage and options. (leather, bose, no nav)

I wanted some input on which way you would go if faced with this choice. I keep oscillating back and forth on if the extra HP\torque and HID lights in the 2002 are worth the extra money. Part of me also really likes the looks of the AE body kit. I can't afford a brand new 2003 optioned like I want so a slightly used one is what I have to choose from.

I would really appreciate any input on this from the fellow Maxima enthusiast who have experience with these 5th gen cars.

 

I've had a 2K SE auto and loved it, saw the 2K1 AE's and fell in love with the Majestic Blue color exclusive to the AE. Then I heard the rumors about the 2K2's coming out and wanted the extra power with a 6-speed. Get the 2K2 6-speed if you can. Nissan is doing low financing plus since the 2K3's are out already, I'm sure you could get a killer deal on a 2K2.

 

Used 2K2. You're getting a bigger, better engine.

 

I vote for AE. Resale is practically the same, due to the higher up-front premium, and you're saving the extra $3K plus getting the cool body kit at no charge (costs mucho dollars to add it to a 2K2). A few modifications equaling the cost of the body kit on the 2K2 and you're just as fast and had a whole bunch of fun modifying the AE.

Of course, I might be a little biased.

 

I had been seriously looking at buying a 2000 Maxima, but then the AE came out. I loved it in Icelandic Pearl/Frost. Then I heard the 2002 would be faster, so I waited...and the rest is history...

 

I have a 2k 5 spd and a 2k2 6 spd and there is no doubt in my mind which I would prefer; the 2k2.

I would seriously recommend a used 2k2, you won't regret it. BTW, once you drive with Xenon, you'll never want to go back.

 

Without a doubt I would go for the '02. Yes, the '02 might cost a bit more, but you could get a brand new one with really low financing and at a great price. I just bought an '03 for invoice, so considering that you could get an '02 for a solid 1000 under plus the low 3.9/60. Also, the '02 will be worth quite a bit more when you are ready to get rid of it. All of the extras on the AE will not be worth anything 4 years from now. Resale should definitely be considered, because who is going to want an '01 with the much uglier tail lights and less horepower 3 or 4 years from now?? Just my 2 cents...

One more thing...you will have so much more fun driving the '02. Do yourself a favor.

 

dude....you have the ugly tails on your 03, the 2000/2001 SE/AE tails are the best looking one

 

again, to each his own, but try valuing an AE and a comparably (kind of) equipped SE from 2001. Now two model years old and still a difference in value.

Also, there are some things we AE owners like...I for one love the perforated seats you can't get on any SE (unless Canadian).

I have never really liked the Max rear end, but think the smoked look is much more appealing than the ricer Altezza look of the 2k2+'s.

I guess this issue comes down to:

if you are in the market for a Max (but don't have a 5th Gen now)...go for the newer car.

if you already have an AE and are debating trading it in...hang onto it.

Of course, opinions will differ...

 

I disagree with you on resale. Go to Edmund's and look at the year-to-year resale value for the Maxima. Then consider that the AE was priced higher than the GLE at MSRP originally. I think, in a few years, the resale of a 2K2 SE and an AE will be very similar and he will have paid a couple grand less to get it in the first place. It really depends on if/when he sells it. If he knows he will drop the car in another two years (like he is his 99 LE), then he is going to take another bath regardless. If he keeps it long term, the AE is a better deal in my opinion.

I am biased, but I think the AE looks better with the body kit. Adding the Stillen body kit to the 2K2 would add even more distance between the prices and it would not retain any resale value in the end. That's an important point in this comparo as well.

Anyway...if you want the VQ35 6-speed, go with the 2K2...that's the only reason to do it in my opinion.

There is also the several 2K2 recalls and the zero that I've had to take my AE in for.

I am really not trying to argue which car is better, just which is a better decision to make.

 

Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but the '01 tails cannot hold a candle to the '02/'03. The black coverings on the casing looks cheap and out of place. The only car it looks "decent" on is a black '01 because the black casing blends in. On top of that, the exhaust finisher on the '01 is horrendous. If you plan on changing it, I guess it does not matter, but I do not. The AE does look nice with the body kit etc...but it will be worthless in 3 years. Edmunds or not, when you trade it in, you will not get a penny more for an AE vs. a regular '01.

 

Most dealers are going to give you a percentage of blue-book or wholesale blue-book and the blue-book on the GLE, AE, SE, GXE are all different. Granted, it will be minimal once the car depreciates to under $10K, but so will the difference between a 2K1 and 2K2 at that time. Right now, blue-book is almost $1K apart between a GLE and an AE 2K1. Leaving the AE thing behind, in four+ years, you'll barely be able to tell the difference between a comparably equipped 2K1 and 2K2 in price, but you will have paid less for the 2K1 in the first place.

He shouldn't pay more than about $22-$23K on the AE today and he won't get a comparably equipped 2K2 SE for anywhere near that. He'll save big money (at least a few grand) up front and end up with near identical resale if he holds on for several years. I don't know how you can disagree with the financials of this situation. I'm not going to argue about the engine, performance, etc....just the deal itself.

 

The altezza rear lights are clearly a bad afterthought on the Max, unlike the lights on the Altima. I like the smoked taillights on darker colors (black, grey, green) the best.

 

What are perforated seats? I have a Canadian 02 Max SE and I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.

Stereodude

 

Apparently an '01 feature. Some members here had stated they had perforated seats on their SE's some time ago.

I know they were standard on leather AE's.

 

How is he saving all of these "thousands" if his interest rate is a good 4 points higher on a used car?? He will easily make up the price difference in interest alone. If Nissan wasn't offering such good rates on a new car, I would agree with you. A dealership will give him a much better offer on an 02 sitting on their lot, because they have a lot full of 03's as well. With the difference in interest, and the better resale value combined the better deal is the '02.

 

Okay, you got me there. If he is financing the car you may just be correct. I wouldn't be financing the purchase through the dealer or the neighborhood bank if at all, so I didn't think about that in the evaluation.

On the other hand, paying cash or home equity loan...

 

Agreed. Paying cash is another story. The resale value would be negligable if you were not financing.

 

You know how sometimes your brain tricks you into reading a word incorrectly on paper or the screen just because it is so close to another word you're more familiar with seeing? So I keep reading your handle as if it is...

PJ Honker

Cracks me up every time. Sorry, just can't help it.

I guess that was a bit off-topic, but I think we finished the other topic so I had to move on.

Cheers!

 

Don't worry about it. My name has been messed more than you can possibly imagine. FYI it's pronounced Jon-Cure. Nevertheless, that was pretty funny!

 

Apologies in advance if I butcher the format of this post. Just signed up with Maxima.org. I have a 2001 Max SE/AE (yep - Majestic Blue, sigh) that I love. It is my first new car, and sadly has 38,000 miles+ on it already. Flawless except for brake rotors, which I hear can happen on all 5th gen models. I'd go with it as your re-sale will be competitive with the 2002. I figure that after I re-do MAF, tweak my brakes (probably not XD or slotted, they aren't too effective, but definitely steel lines), put in a rear bar, I won't want to trade it for the world. Or for a 2002. Drive it like it's stolen, and on most roads, the 20-30 HP won't matter. I've found the police don't base the ticket on HP, just speed.

It is a sedan (my first, almost made me nauseous), so I want to stiffen up the ***-end, and then maybe look at dropping it an inch or an inch and a half ot get rid of the SUV feeling. But you'll have this with either year, and with the AE you'll have the pretty decent exhaust going for you, the sills (cosmetic, but cool), and maybe the color. The perfed leather is a bit of a help in summer, any leather is still bound to brand you until you tint.

My 2 cents. Best of luck to you in your decision-making.

Maria14

 

Welcome to the board and good to hear about your love for the AE. With all these VQ35's on the road, the AE doesn't get as much love as it used to.

Click on my homepage to check out what I've done to my AE. The performance mods (doing all the work myself, particularly) have made it very hard to imagine letting it go in the near term.

 

Ok, but what is it? Are they small micro holes in the leather, or what? What is perforated leather?

Stereodude

 

Perforated leather is purely aesthetic. The leather has small visible holes for appearance only. However, I'm pretty sure some Saab's have the perforated leather for cooling the driver.

 

Yep. Looks nice, is a TINY bit cooler than flat (un-perfed) leather, anything helps in a heatwave.

I'm really not certain about long-term care....

 

Thanks for the welcome message, I'm just a BIT overwhelmed by your mods, when do you do this stuff? Wow.

 

unless you have the perforated leather, you don't know what you are talking about.

1. 'purely aesthetic'...pardon the pun, but my a$$ it is! As for the 'appearance only' holes...I find it breathes much better, actually provides a bit of grip on lateral cornering (I mean not much, but when I test drove an SE and AE at time of purchase, the AE definitely felt like it kept me planted in the seat more) AND due to the ability to release/flow air works rather well at providing a more comfortable seat to say nothing of helping the seat warmers out

maria14: long term care should be no worse than 'regular' leather and may actually be better by not trapping moisture within the seat itself

 

I'm a weekend mechanic. It is my hobby...I love working on my car, so I make time for it. De-stresses me from meetings, conference calls, travel, and office work.

 

I don't want to get into a heated discussion about this, but I still disagree. If this were true Nissan would have advertised it as a feature. As I remember, Nissan never once mentioned the AE seats providing better grip or better flow of air. I know for a fact, Nissan or any other car maker for that matter advertises every feature their automobiles come with.

 

Oh reeeeeeeeeally? OK. Well, if you find yourself slowing down on your car, just let me know!!

I'm trying to convince myself that I could put in a Berk intake kit and still be able to drive my car. The same week.

 

Thanks for the info. I just wonder if any of the leather care products (any, not just what I use, don't want to start another small fire on my first day ) actually lodge in the perfs and cause damage or discoloration. I wouldn't ever put any directly on the leather, and I'd absorb it into a cloth first so as not to glop it on, but it's still a thought.

 

Since I see PA in your profile, I don't know if I can be a lot of help. However, I'll take the frequent flyer miles if you want to fly out a personal mechanic from Seattle.

 

so true

 

not that I have found...I have done both, the direct 'glob' method and the 'work into hands and then into the seat' methods. Neither had any adverse effects. What I would think is that the holes actually might allow some of the conditioner/treatment to get to more of the 'back' of the leather surface.

 

I think it dries out pretty fast either way. I, also, have never had any issues with the leather cleaner and conditioner on the perforated seats. I use a wet kitchen sponge and lather it up really good. No adverse effects on the Maxima or other cars I have used the same method with.