hey whats up people, well im in tha market on buying a 00-03 maxima. love that car! any words of wisdom why i should buy this car. or why i shouldnt.

 

welcome to the .org. there are many difference between 2k/2k1 (5gen) and 2k2/2k3 (5.5gen) maximas. each generation has its own pluses and minuses and they all have problems. my best advice is to lurk in the forums and you will pick up alot of information. read the stickies and FAQ's also! it would take some time to set the 2 cars apart.

 

welcome to the org!! both versions of the 5th gen are hott but you get more power in the 2k2+ if you didnt know. have fun searching for info, ask questions if you dont find enough

 

There are differences with all of them, like before mentioned the 02 has more power. From there you get cosmetic changes, ie the headlights, taillights, 6 disc in dash changer...

 

i have a 03 maxima (5.5th gen), and i personally like this one better than the 2k because of the new headlights and all come with HIDs. plus you get 20 or more horses, the tail lights are nice, but over all i just like them period. this is my first big car so im not used to driving a big car, the turn radius is terrible, i guess it has a long wheel base, but other than that, the maxima is a fast car and i love it.

 

chun, what were you driving before? I love my Max even though it's a 00 and a 99... I have always liked the Maxima drive and feel. They are fast, and can haul all of your friends. and your junk.

 

00-01 3.0 liter v6, auto or five speed, normal headlights

02-03 3.5 liter v6, auto or 6 Speed, thats SIX SPEEDs , HID headlights, more likely to get stolen than 00-01 headlights

 

I've owned both a 5 gen and a 5.5 - love the looks of the 5 gen a lot more, but love the everything else about the 5.5 gen.

 

Google and Edmunds are your friends. Also, check the stickies on this site as well.

 

Over the years I've owned a '94,'98, and '00 Maxima. All have been reliable, good cars.
Of course there will be individual problem areas with any model year car, Nissan or otherwise. My 00 has been essentially trouble free. I still enjoy driving it!!

 

the main difference in reliability is that the 00-01 have an engine that has many years of design and rework to it, tried and tested one of the best engines ever built. i trust that the 3.5L is just as good but being only 3 years old, the test of time has not yet been determined. they are both great cars and you wont be upset wiht either of them. the 20 extra horses can easily be gotten out of the 3.0L (but an extra 20 hp can be gotten out of the 3.5L as well). i would say the big difference is the 5-speed verses the 6-speed. all else is fairly equal.
i must say the heated steering wheel is something i wish i had in these cold midwest winters.
the 6-disk in-dash CD player is probably my next luxury upgrade, i think you can swap this right in and out with the 01 single disk.

SHIFT_gears
MAXIMA-ize_passion

 

Go see this thread for opinions on 00-01s vs 02-03s...

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=346622

I have an 02 6 speed and I love it.... performance, style, comfort, everything....

 

Now the dark side....

00 have coil-pack problems
00-01 have TCM and 2-3 shift solenoid problems (auto)
00 have a fuel cut problem (Manual)
00-01 have rotor problems
02-03 have recalls, so check to see if they have been fixed
02-03 have MAF problems
00-03 all years seem to suffer from some form of interior squeak-rattle

Is there anymore I should mention? Can anyone add to that list?

But the car is a wonderful car to drive and I'd purchase one again.

 

I get an interior squeek from time to time thats driving me mental

 

allright fellow members thanks a mil for all tha feedback. it was either a 5th generation maxima or a honda accord. but ive always like tha way tha maximas look and also how they perform. reliable cars. 1st car i bought was a dodge stratus and that was a peice of junk. 1st the tranny went out then sumthing happened to tha motor. well the car dont work no more. still gonna fix it up though. words of advice dont ever buy a used dodge!

 

Please dont get a Honda... just buy a max and call it a day

 

I was pretty happy with my 00 Accord V6 coupe, I loved its suspension and structural integrity but hated its lack of low-end power below VTEC and lack of luxury features the Maxima has. But then again, the Max was about 2K more.

I got it because the 00 GLE was T-boned...then I used the left over money from the totalled Accord to buy the 3rd gen. A tree fell on the Accord, makes me wonder what will happen to the third gen

 

My 5.5 is the best car I have owned. When I was shopping around for a reliable car that also looked nice inside and out I was going to test drive an Accord until I sat inside it (POS), the interior design of the Accord is hideous. Try and find a private seller for a good deal.

 

Watch out for the crappy Nissan service departments too. If you have a problem with your car 9 out of 10 times they will say that you don't.

 

It isn't just Nissan service department. I have had much worst experiences in Ford Dealerships. 90% of automotive service places are a bunch of idiots who know nothing about cars and have no right touching them. It comes down to it being as easy "trade" to get into. Hell, you don't even need a GED. Basically they are mostly a bunch of high school drop outs anyways with BS certifications.

Rant over...

BUY A MAXIMA!!!! I like my 02 with 6 speed, but on the other hand a 2000 with a turbo setup and short shifter would be nicer right about now!!!

REMEMBER : I said most, NOT all