I was looking at getting a new 2003 max but my re-sale and trade in sucks!!! Man I've never seen a car that depreciated so fast, other than american cars... What's the deal? I have a 2k max.. what are you guys getting for a trade in? What are you getting if you sell it your self. I love my Max, but I'm really disappointed by how much it's droped in value... Anyone know why it's not worth much?

 

Trade in values suck in general right now due the status of the economy. WE're actually lucky with Maxima's. There are plenty of other cars that would get you bent over a lot further by car dealers. Also if you have a 2000 this is the worst time to try and trade it in because the NADA books for 2003 will not come out for another 2 months. It is still considered 2002 so the miles on your car will hit it hard until January 1st and then your car will be 3 yrs. old instead of 2. Hopefully this all makes sense.

 

Yea, I too am feeling the same pain...Looks like it went from about 27 in late 2000 to about 16k now...Just 2 years we lost 11grand

The best thing to do IF you are gonna trade it, would be to wait another 6 months or so. Myself...I'm keeping mine till 200k miles.

 

i'm keeping my 2k until the wheels fall off...

 

This would be the best thing to do. You will easily get 200K miles out of the car and by that time the car's resale won't look so bad compared to other cars with 200K miles.

Just my .02

 

I also will be keeping my 2k1 until for 200k+. All the bugs are out of mine. Who wants to get another one and have to get all the TSB's done again (Fuel Cut, Wind Noise, Brake Judder, etc). I'm also half-way through a 4 year loan. Don't want to start that over either.

I'm very happy with my 2k1!

 

The trade in value and the resale value has nothing to do with the economy.

It has 100% to do with the fact that Nissan gives the best APR and most discounts on their vehicles. This later results in more depreciation. It was in the Wall Street Journal about 3weeks ago and a thread about it.

Dixit

 

Your right, I've been told that it's because of the deals that Nissan gives. What I should have done was lease this car. I don't want anyone here to think that I'm not happy with my Max.. It's been a sweet car, but I'm just one that wants the next best thing every two to three years... Going to get the G35 coupe 6 speed...

 

I'm thinking 200K-250K. I hate to say this but, this is probably the most realistic thread ever. Our Maxes are a great bang for the buck when bought, a shaft when re-sold. Was thinking about a 2K2 sooner or later but, reading all of the threads, THIS IS NEVER EVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Don't think I want to start all over again dealing with brake problems, rattles, etc. Guess I'll just pay off my car in the next couple of years and see what the wind brings. Next up I'll do the stereo and wheels while waiting to see what transpires in the next couple of years.

 

I agree and plan on keeping mine past 200k. Hell, at the rate I put miles on it, should be a couple more years...but whether I decide to go mod crazy or not, or buy a new car to play with, the Max is great for all around utility, and has decent performance, so there's no reason to get rid of it anytime soon, even if I wanted something faster.

 

Eventually the incentives have to end. It's a double edged sword, they want to encourage people to buy new cars by offering "great deals"; however, this is at the expense of the used car market. People are going to be more inclined to drive it into the grave if they can't get a fair price for it.

 

This is not excessive depreciation! The avg. value of a vehicle after 36mo (3yrs) is 50%. Some hold a little higher and lower, but this is about the avg.

 

Yup but I'd have thought that a premium car like the Max would have retained a little more value...but with the 2k2's and 2k3's being offered for 22 to 25 it slamms us book value-wise.

On the other hand...if we DID think about trading in for a 2k2 or 2k3, maybe they'd cut us some slack and offer 17 or 18 for a loaded 2k2 thats been hanging around the lot. Might not get exactly what you want, but if you have an auto and want a 6 speed it might be a decent way to go...

Just thinkin out loud here...

 

Max being premium not really. Try and look up the resale value for the GS400, not saying its a premium, but they do hold their value.

 

There is a simple cure for the depreciation: don't buy new, buy 1-1.5 year old Maxima and smile for the next few years.

 

The value of a car depriciates the greatest within the first few years. the longer you keep the car the less it will depriciate per year. we tried trading our 98 pathfinder in, in 2000 and the guy told us it would be stupid to because of this reason. he told us to wait and we would get more out of it. so keep your car longer, and think about trading it in a few more years.