ok, ive been looking into getting a new car this year but am not sure what to get, so far the max is looking like the best choice but i was wondering, whats the 0-60 times on the auto transmission like compared to the stick.
also would the max be a better choice than a 02 VR6 jetta, please tell me what you would do in my situation , and any other info i should know about this style of maxima would be great to have. thanx alot

 

My wife has a 02 JEtta...do not get one. The car is nice, pretty qick, and drives well, but stupid **** breaks on it all the time (window motors, sunroof, fuel air sensors, and the list goes on. She has had it for just over a year and it has been back to the dealer about 7 times. Buy a japanese car so you don't have to worry about poor build quality from a VW. Oh, and I have a 2k Maxima. love it. faster, smoother, and more stylish than the Jetta. Can't tell you 0-60 times, but my stick is faster than my buddy's identical 2k auto (and more fun to drive)....sticks are alot tougher to find though.

 

I would get the 5th gen in a heartbeat! The 5 speed is almost a second faster in the 1/4 mile and a full second faster 0-60 than the automatic. Get at least a 2k1 or go 2k2+ if you really want some power.

 

Times for a 6 speed 2k2 are slightly faster than that of an auto. Typically, the 3.5 with sticks run the 1/4 in mid 14s, autos in mid to high 14s. Not a huge difference, but there is some. Depends what you want out of the car I guess. I'm happy with my auto, as its the lazy way to do things. And its plenty fast, kinda... still wanna mod it, but thats just normal for an enthusiast I guess

 

I also got lazy and opted for the 02 auto. Still it is plenty fast and hasn't stopped me from doing my mods. If you want more speed, go with the 02-03 stick. Bottom line, whichever you decide, enjoy the hell out of it...

Pedro

 

exactly what they said... This is the best car I have ever owned! The 3.5 might be a bit peppier, but I suggest you go drive em and see for yourself how awesome it actually is

 

agreed....but the 3.0 is an awesome engine too, if you can't afford a newer max with the 3.5

 

Everbody i know that has v dubs the last few years has had many problems. VW has put the screws so tight to their suppliers, that they cant build quality parts.
My favorite dealer Liberty close to my house is a Nissan, Kia and VW dealer. You might guess that of those, the Korean car has the highest percentage of warrenty calls. Guess again.
In a high rev 4 cyl a stick is always better. The max has pleanty of torque so an auto aint bad (Tho I would have the 6spd if my wife could somehow get some manual shift shills)
In all the consumer type mags the Max has no trouble areas and is way above average. My o1 85k not a single issue exept for rotors, my o3 19k and still perfect.
The jetta styling is getting very dated. New Golf and jetta due out in a year.
Bought last may, had 6th gen on the lot and drove both, I liked the 5th gen better.

 

all i can say is that i spank vr6's with the ac and radio on with a fat cow in the trunk.

 

well u guys have pretty much made my mind up, i have a 87 3.0 max (pictured in my sig) and even with it beeing 16 years old i still love the car and its dependable. so i could only imagine how much more so i would love a newer maxima. If you guys dont mind could i get some pix of some 5th gens.

 

some pics of my 2k max at this link...mine is an SE with the stock 17"rims (some came with stock 16s)...http://members.cardomain.com/irish44j

 

check my homepage for my 2000 and 2002 Maximas

 

Please get a stick shift. Even if you can't drive one, just learn. They are faster, cheaper to buy/maintain/repair as well.

In terms of this or an 02 jetta I'm going to recommend you drive both, then I expect you'll buy the maxima. It's a better bang for buck and a larger car, and especially with the 02-03 maximas they will be faster.

As mentioned above VW has poor build quality. I thought recently maybe it wasn't as bad as some say but one of these big consumer groups had a listing of most and least reliable vehicles and VW was cleaning house in the small cars for low quality (jetta, beetle, golf). I mean the bastards just continually have things going wrong with them, which is pathetic considering the cost.

Of course they are nice cars with a lovely ride, etc. but I would take a maxima over one any day of the week. I test drove a 1.8t jetta before I bought my maxima. I realize it only has around 180 horsepower but the performance was not even in the same ball park (Have a 2000 SE now). If I had to get a VW I'd consider a 1.8t because they are a good bit cheaper than the VR6 and chip it for some extra horsepower.

Another plus on maximas is that their resale sucks so badly that a late model one can be had for a song. Let some other person drive it for two years and watch $10k fly off the price!