If the cost isn't really the deciding factor, then why would you not buy the newest car you could?

 

Can't believe so many of you guys bothered to reply to this thread...let's just let it die now...

 

this is a touchy subject. it's obvious from this thread that there's bias from 3.0L owners against the 3.5L. (mainly because the 3.5L is the newer/better/faster/more reliable car ) The truth is they have the same amount of reliability and if you really want to get nitty gritty, the 3.5L is and will be the more reliable car down the road.

the only way you might enjoy a 3.0L more than a 3.5L is if you plan to do significant mods to it. and then you'll have to hope any 3.5L max you meet up with are stock and have bad drivers.

 

Exactly. Also the 3.0 is easier to work on. I do a lot of maintenance job myself, not just save money, that because I enjoy it. You will feel the pain even trying to change just the spark plugs on the 3.5. Also I never feel the 3.0 any shy of power compares to the vast majority vehicles on the road.

 

Don't draw the conclusion too early. As I said, reliabilty for the 3.5 in the max is still unkown, that needs years of observation. Of course, I would take the new Max into consideration for my next car If the 3.5 is good enough to convince me. Probably the next 3.5 would produce 300hp, you never know

 

I would too, if it doesn't look as chunky as the 6th Gen.... just gonna hafta wait and see....

 

maybe in the maxima form, but i believe it has been used in the pathfinder for longer and has proven to be pretty solid up to this point. plus with nissan's history of building solid engines i wouldn't expect the 3.5L to be any less reliable than the 3.0..(unmodded) especially since they use it on so many platforms!

that would be great. the parts would be that much easier to retrofit to pretty much all 3.5 engines.

 

how manny "my tranny is acting up" topics pop up on the .org from 02-03 owners monthly ? If it aint the slushbox its the 6spd tranny. So what your engine makes "255" HP if the tranny is slipping, or grinding, or missing a gear ? Not too many 3.0Ls have tranny problems. Once again, you cant say newer cars are more reliable... I see 86 Integras with 300K miles coming through my dealer for little work- timing belts, small leaks here n there... car might look like **** but it runs like a champ, now take a new car and compare it to a 86.... yeah its new but it sure don't run like that old beast. I think I'm done with Nissan after the Max is paid off, I've been a complete Nissan fanatic all my life, but my next car is a slightly used NSX 6spd.

 

i doubt very highly the large majority of real world owners exhibit the same tranny problems SOME people complain about here. i haven't had any issues with mine. *knocks on wood* that's not to say i won't but i don't think it's as big an issue as some people make it seem. i'd be willing to wager there's more members of the .org who haven't had tranny issues than those that have.

in general you're right, newer model year cars are known for first year reliability issues. but in this case the 5.5 gen maxima was the last iteration of the 5th gen and they've had 4 years to work out the 'kinks' and make the best of that model. i think history will show the 5.5gen maxima to be the most reliable of the 5gen max, probably not by much though.

good luck on your next car.

 

yeh jeff - what's up with "One is slow, the other is fast." Its all good.... but go with the 3.5

just my 2 cents

 

But I think the 02 is what i am going for....

I am not Planning on modding the car
so 3.5 is better for what i was looking for

Thanks for all your input

 

Best post on here I've seen in awhile

 

From my experience with the few performance mods I have, my 00 5 spd beats 02 03 automatics so i dunno about all these accusations...should be based on whether its 6 spd or autotragic

 

^ lol. good for you.

drivers being equal, even a 5spd 3.0 with your mods will have trouble pulling a stock 3.5 auto from a stop or roll.

i'm done antagonizing this thread.

 

they need two seperate forums for the 5th gen...VQ30 and VQ35...then there will be peace.

 

EXACTLY! That's really Nissan's fault.

 

Compare the # stock to stock draw your own conclusion.
5gen does not lost too much on accelaration.
5gen wins the braking performance.
5gen wins the skid pad(i.e. better handling).
5gen also wins the quietness(i.e. better engine refinement).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000 3.0 MAXIMA 5-speed
STANDING-START ACCELERATION
0-30 mph:2.47 sec
0-40 mph:3.82 sec
0-50 mph:5.20 sec
0-60 mph:6.88 sec
0-100 km/h (62.1 mph):7.30 sec
0-80 mph:11.61 sec
0-quarter-mile:92.4 mph, 15.30 sec

ROLLING ACCELERATION
20-40 mph (second gear):3.4 sec
40-60 mph (second gear):3.4 sec
60-80 mph (third gear):5.3 sec

BRAKING
80 mph-0:221 ft
60 mph-0:126 ft
30 mph-0:32 ft

HANDLING
490-foot slalom:42.6 mph
Lateral acceleration (200-foot skidpad):0.81 g

INTERIOR NOISE (dBA)
Idle:39
Full throttle:74
Steady 60 mph:65

BEST NUMBERS
0-60 mph:6.7 sec (MT)
SS-quarter-mile: 15.1 sec (MT)
60 mph-0: 126 ft (AW)
Skidpad: 0.82 g (R&T)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2002 3.5 MAXIMA 6-speed
STANDING-START ACCELERATION
0-30 mph: 2.44 sec
0-40 mph: 3.60 sec
0-50 mph: 4.73 sec
0-60 mph: 6.21 sec
0-100 km/h (62.1 mph): 6.53 sec
0-80 mph: 10.35 sec
0-quarter-mile: 95.5 mph, 14.77 sec

ROLLING ACCELERATION
20-40 mph (first gear): 2.0 sec
40-60 mph (second gear): 2.8 sec
60-80 mph (third gear): 4.0 sec

BRAKING
80 mph-0: 231 ft
60 mph-0: 130 ft
30 mph-0: 33 ft

HANDLING
490-foot slalom: 42.6 mph
Lateral acceleration (200-foot skidpad): 0.78 g

INTERIOR NOISE (dBA)
Idle: 41
Full throttle: 77
Steady 60 mph: 65
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I can't believe people didn't catch on to my QR25 joke. =\