Today's Wall Street Journal (the sophisticated Super Street Publication ) had an article on depreciation on various cars. A 2000 GXE that stickered for $21,569 in 2000 is now only worth $11,592 It has to do with Nissan and their great low financing and rebates, so I guess you get the deal up front, but you pay later. Great for anyone looking for a 5th gen.
As much as we dislike those Honda's they do alot better at 39%, but we do better than a Mazda Millenia at 55.7%.
For all you guys that hate SUV's (me included) a 2k Ford Expedition which stickered ar $30,440 is worth $15,974 (48%). Apparently not only do they use up all of the earths resources faster, the depreciate faster too.

 

I knew about the Millenia S since I owned one and was shocked at how much it was only worth at the end of the lease.

 

when i traded my other maxima (2k1 auto 30k+ miles completely modded tranny blah blah blah) for my current maxima, the dealership gave me 20k for it trade in value! i had the car for one full year. the dealership must have been smoking some crack!

will

 

If you think that is bad..wait till the new 2004's max's come out and then the 2k2 will be crap

 

nope...the 2k2/2k3 will hold their value

the 2k/2k1 is the crappiest maxima EVER, it depricates so fast, it is built with such a crappy quailty....anything is bad on the car except the engine itself which is a work of art

 

maybe yours...
mine has been completely trouble free for 36k miles...
and i havent brought it in for a single schedules maintenance...
just change the oil every 3k miles...
not a single squeak or rattle...

 

You sure you don't need your hearing checked?

Mine's no lemon, but it ain't no Honduuuh either.

 

I disagree... just like when the 2k2 came out..although not much changed body wise, the engine and navi killed the 2000-2001

and if nissan does what all the mag's seem to be reporting.... using a different platform, RWD/AWD and 300 HP the 2k2 and 2k3 might drop like a rock... and again with 2% intrest.. that won't help either..

But that IMO

 

Wrong. 2k2s will be $17.5k by spring. Used 2k2s are $19k right now.

 

Stripped down....MAYBE.

They will be over $20,000 for a loaded 2K2 throughout 2K3. I promise.

And I have had 2 2Ks now. Both have been WONDERFUL cars- minus rotors and Bose.

 

This is precisely why I will drive my car into the ground...I'd rather get a new car and keep the Max as a project car than to sell it.

 

I don't really care about depreciation because I know we won't get rid of this car until the very end or in 6-8 years. We are going to keep it for over 150K miles defenitely. I will always look back and say, wow this car was fast. In 8 years, most family sedans will probably have 400 hp stock.

Hondas will have 400 hp too but still have the same torque numbers as today

 

My Accord V6 Coupe had rattles from day one as well as some other things that the dealer couldn't explain. That is why I got rid of it. It rattled more than my Max and my old Firebird that I traded for the Accord. I think a lot of people give Honda's more credit than they deserve!!

 

Umm yeah...I'm going to have to sort of disagree w/ you on that one... If you'll go ahead and find all of the posts dealing with car problems, most are w/ the 2002, NOT the 2000 and 2001.

 

Ya, i don't think you can really back that up. There are tons of people on this board, myself included, who haven't had a single problem and are absolutely in love with their 2k-2k1s... No rattles, squeaks, bbuild defects, or anything similar.... Thats through 16k miles of hard, teenager, fraternity lifestyle driving - with many trips to the track...

With all the problems i've seen on some of the 2k2s and 2k3s, i'm ALMOST glad i don't have one. but then, i've never driven the 3.5L, which i understand is even more orgasmic than the 3L i have.

 

thats pretty off. The 2k2/3 are falling on the lot. With the altima thing, dealers not pushing them, Nissan sending mixed signals about its future....

The 2k's are done with their accelerated depreciation free fall.. they have leveled out. Like ALL new cars the first 2-3 years.

There have been several comments regarding accessories on 2k2+. Lets see, the car costs the same or less but has more features and power and costs more to make, yet Nissan is more profitable than ever with it... whats going to give there? Squeezing vendors for cheaper parts.

Not to dis those with 2k2's, I swap in a second for all the added features. I really dont *need* an extra beefy powersteering pump that my 2k has. Although I'd be alittle upset that I couldnt get a radio to work more than a few weeks.

My biggest complaint with the maxima line in general is that side by side, the 2k vs 2k3, they are still rolling off the line with the same design issues, like windnoise and such. no investment to improve besides that monster motor and extra buttons on the dash.. for instance, you got HIDs, but they didnt really redesign the headlight controls as they should have.

 

I think you are referring to our 2K-2K1 Maxes. I love the car but I am sick of repairing things that Nissan N.A. should have never slipped by when it came to quality control. Let me refresh your mind:
Crappy rotors(even as low as 3K on a car), Crappy Bose CD, Crappy paint(esp. on front bumper), Downright sh%tty windshield, the list goes on. Funny thing is that, at a close to 50% depreciation ratio, don't reallt think I can afford to dump the car and get screwed soon.

 

lol..My dealer gave me $16,000 for my 2k GXE, which I originally paid $19,000, to trade in for my new 2k2 which I only paid $12,000 difference. The funny thing is that the GXE I traded in had a badly cracked Kamikaze bumper, been in an accident, had no radio, and was rolling on bent OEM steelies.

 

What does your 2k2 come with? Do you know that barebone 2k2 SE's invoice price is only 22,800?

I've read the same article and disagree that automakers' giving rebates and special interest financing have major effect on resale values. The fact is, when you sell your car, you rely on Blue Book and the current market price, you dont tell the buyer how much you paid for it. Hondas also have special financing and rebates, but retain values like a ****. I think the secret is in automakers seeking to increase revenues. They are willing to achieve this by completely disregarding the actual market demand, just getting as many cars on the road as possible, offering lease programs, selling to car rental agencie, etc.

Nissan especially fu**ed us all up by putting a different engine in 5th gen after it has been in production for only 2 years. More than that, now you can rent a Maxima at Hertz, Budget, and National. Nissan did us another favor by introducing a restyled Altima, which puts 5th gen owners at disadvantage, but they dont give a ****, they need to meet their earnings expectations. The only way to get your money's worth is to drive it for at least 5-7 years to take advantage of inflation (more $$)and stabilized depreciation.

 

How much would a 2k2 SE 6-speed w/HSLD and sunroof be invoice?

 

refer to carpoint.com they have the way so you can calculate the invoice with destination and every option. If I recall correctly, in order to get a sunroof, you gotta buy Bose, to that package alone is 2500+HSLD is $300, so 22,800+2,800=25,600

 

Nissan likes f*cking its own customers up the a$$

but I guess business is business

whatever...i still love my car

 

FYI.....I just bought my 2k GLE(my new girlfriend) for $16000 the prev owner says she paid 26k for it. Bottom line is all cars depreciate and should never be considered a financial investment.


Back in 99 I bought a 97 se 5 spd for $15k the market value was about 18k for it so I got a good deal. (I luved that car)

It was stolen and stripped(air bag job). My ins totaled it and gave me the $ so I went conservative and bought an 99 Acura CL. I will give honda credit they do make reliable cars....BUT they dont make cars like nissan.....the interior, the handling and everthing in general on my 97 se was better, more modern and of better quality than the CL. I was shocked when I bought that car thinking it would be top of the line. (yeah right) I have owned three hondas and they are good cars but they ride the same (dinky)unless modded. Needless to say I had the CL for 7 months and couldnt take it anymore and got the 2k GLE.

Maximas are like crack... once you try it your hooked!!!

The only car I will ever own is a Maxima. Hands down the best car made (stock) all around.

sorry for the long post, I just had to vent.

this forum is great.

have a good week guys

 

Well said. I will admit that there are more quality issues with this car that I was aware of. If I find myself complaining about the car, I just go for a drive and I am quickly reminded why I bought this car in the first place.

 

Thats why I leased back in 2000. Nissan was setting unrealistic residual values which kept lease payments very low. My 2000 SE 5 speed (MSRP of $28,200) on a 36 month / 36k mile lease used a residual value of 61%! This kept the payment at $350 a month.

I knew that the residual was way too high, but I didnt care since at the end of the lease, Id just turn the car in...which is exactly what I just did this week.

The residual value of the car (as called for in the lease agreement) was almost $17,000. The car has a market value of around $14,000, maybe $15,000 tops. So, Nissan Motor Acceptance Credit will be taking a $2000-$3,000 bath. Im glad I am not bathing in that water!

 

I agree, it seems most of the 02/03's that I see are rentals now, not good!

 

Ummm, havent you seen the countless posts like this:

"Hey, I'm getting a 2k for $18,000, is this good?"

Followed by "No, you can go get a *new* one for 21K"

In fact, the 2k2-ers were already stung by the $2000 rebate at the end of the model year. This has a direct effect because someone who did get the rebate can (and will) sell it for less than someone who paid near invoice. I wont even touch those were people paid MSRP for theirs. They are truly screwed for resale.

Yeah, when I bought mine I asked about the resale problem. The salesperson laid out the whole residual thing from leases (and fleet sales). Nissan was shooting themselves in the foot trying to compete with Honda on leases. Turns out we ended up paying for it as well as Nissan

 

LOL same here except for the fraternity

 

I've met owners who thought that too... they just didnt notice. I didnt have the heart to point them out.

Alot of the squeaks and rattles come with lower temperatures. If you live in a nice temperate zone, like central Cali, you wont have near the complaints we do at 15-20 degrees out. Even then, when the cabin warms up, alot of the them go away.

 

Low leases and fleet sales are killers for resale.

Ive heard that Saab (in an effort to boost resale values and thus sell more cars) has stopped selling Saabs to rental companies.

But, Saab sure is still writing low lease deals!

For all of the above reasons, and the fact that I dont want to keep a car much past the bumper to bumper warranty, is why leasing makes sense to me.

__________________
Larry
Tampa Bay, FL, USA

2002 MB C320 Sport Wagon

2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

2000 Nissan Maxima SE 5 speed - RIP
Modded
14.38@96.62 (2.13)
Stock
14.75@94.85 (2.30)

1989 Dodge Daytona 2.5 Turbo -"Project Frankenstein" - 12 seconds for $500

1989 Chrysler LeBaron 2.5 Turbo

 

Well, I live in Central Texas, and my 2K1 Max has every single issue I've read about so far, and then some. A-pillar rattle and rear deck rattle are now showing up. Had the excessive wind noise issue taken care of. And have a hiss/whistle that everyone says is "normal" that is the most annoying thing ever.

I like the car a lot, but my ears hate it.

 

Tim you said it NOT me.

I've thought that SO MANY times, when riding in someones ELSES car. They either don't care or get used to it. I think it's mostly that they don't care.

I don't know of ANYONE personally, besides my dad, who is as **** retentive about "noises" in cars, as I am. These noises drive us MAD and we spend endless time, sweat, and blood trying to find/fix them. Most people are clueless, since the first thing they do is CRANK the stereo up, before the car is even moving.

I hate rattles!

 

I have noticed other people's cars as well, and I can say that the only annoying sound my car makes is from my RSB on the passenger side, and i've just been too lazy to get under there and fix it. And it gets pretty dang cold in northern missouri and stays cold for quite awhile. I mean, is the car perfect - no. but do i think its close enough for me that it doesn't matter - yes.

Now the only issue i have is my front bumper and the crappy paint, but like i said, my baby isn't perfect...

 

I had my 91 SE for 10 yrs (100k+ miles) and sold it for high book before I bought my 2k1. No problems with the car and then no payments for 6 + years. I have 15k+ on my 2k1 since Jan of 2001. Only problem so far was trans TSB that was fixed. I love the car and it loves me (ain't that sweet ) I will own this car for a long time, it will serve me well and be a blast to drive (not to mention good looking) and it will be paid for. No car is perfect and it is definitely not an investment. If the car bugs any of you so much, get rid of it, cut your losses and move on. My 2 cents!

 

That's interesting about the weather affecting the noise. I live in the SF bay area of CA. I have not heard the posted noises in my car and have been listening. I had been thinking I lucked out with a better built car than some other folks on the forum, but maybe my luck is based on where I live. I want get as much fixed on it while it still under warranty.

 

I (like other people I'm sure) have traded a car because I couldnt get all the rattles stopped (Honda).

Back on the 2k2+, most of what bugs me about my 2k hasnt really been addressed in recent builds. If my rattles were simply first year run problems, I would have probably traded up. That is sad.

Anyway, I'm determined with this max that I will do whatever it takes to root out the rattles before dropping $10-15K extra for a new car.

Kinda silly really.. to lose all that equity over a few stupid plastic pieces and some foam tape. But I did a few times before

 

Got earplugs?

 

no, I got XM (woot!)

 

This is why I lease all my cars now. You know what youre getting into upfront, you know the value at the end of the lease. I put no cash down, only pay $375/month, and in a few months, I will be turning it back in and picking up my new G35.

 

What kind of lease (payment/length/etc.) you getting on the G?