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Maxima's Retirement Age

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Old 12-31-2007 | 12:41 AM
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Maxima's Retirement Age

Well I've had my 2K Max for over 8 years now, with ~93K miles on it. I've been pretty happy with the performance/reliability with the car, especially with all the help I get from the peeps from this forum ever since day one. However I contemplating of trading in my Maxima for a G35/G37 . The main reason being is that I have countless paint chips and the coating is coming off my hood (Nissan uses some very cheap paint). My question to you all is, if I am leaning towards trading my Maxima in, should I do it ASAP before I hit 100K (I am assuming that once past that the value would drop drastically) or should I just stick it out (maybe repaint the car and drive it till it dies (if anyone can comment on the life of there maxima so far or how many more good years they can expect after 100K) ....
Old 12-31-2007 | 01:23 AM
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Owning a car for 8 years since new isn't too common now a days, so it's good that you've owned it for that long. I think it all comes down to a matter of if you are ready to move on, honestly. I have just parted with my first car of 6 years and picked up an 02 SE 6spd on Friday and I remember telling myself I'd never part with my first car. But like I said, it's specific to your needs I assume, whether that be something newer, more powerful, roomier, classier (what have you).

As far as how many miles after 100k you could look to expect, I'm assuming at least another 60-80k before it starts turning into a real money pit. I could be wrong though. I'm sure other user's inputs will be helpful.
Old 12-31-2007 | 02:07 AM
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you might as well keep the max and buy the infiniti. you arent going to get anything for the maxima.
by now, the max BETTER be paid off.
Old 12-31-2007 | 04:42 AM
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keep it and buy a new car..... why give it away ..
Old 12-31-2007 | 05:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Lontar1
keep it and buy a new car..... why give it away ..

What he said
Old 12-31-2007 | 05:22 AM
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I sold my '99 maxima in april. At that time it had 193,000 miles. The only reasons I sold it was because the clutch went and because it was my only car and wanted something that I knew would be reliable. I sold it to a friend of my mechanic, and I heard recently that the new owner threw a new clutch in it and changes the plugs, and it is still going strong. It now has over 210,000 miles on it.

I would agree with the others though. Keep it and buy the infiniti. If you trade it in you are probably looking at $2000-$3000 at most. It will run plenty long enough for you to get your moneys worth out of it.
Old 12-31-2007 | 05:46 AM
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for some people its not as easy to keep 2 cars... What it comes down to is If you can pay insurance on this vehicle you will not drive as often and have a spot for it in the driveway/garage. I would keep it because its better for a daily driver compared to the G35/37. I know my friend with a G35 and he cant get out of his driveway in the snow(6MT & Eibach, and snow plowing stillen splitter). And to answer your Q Maximas are great after the 100k mile range with typical maintenance.
Old 12-31-2007 | 07:19 AM
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If it helps any, the value of my car barely changed between 90k and (currently) 107k.

If anything, it's the amount of miles i put in a relatively short time that's killing the resale.

If your Max is working just fine, i suggest keeping it. If you really need the money to apply as a d/p towards a new car then sell it.
Old 12-31-2007 | 07:48 AM
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Max2K,
I say keep it buy the car you want and use the Max as your dd. If you just put liability on it and only drive it in the winter time it will help extend the life of your replacement car.

I kept my 97 SE for 10 yrs and sold it with 147k miles on it and it still ran great. It needed the hood re-painted too but I sold it because I wanted leather seats and I really wanted the 6 speed w the extra horses.

Your 2k has up to date safety features such as; air bags all around, ABS, and decent crumble zones. Keep it and enjoy.

Last edited by Maxgig; 12-31-2007 at 07:55 AM.
Old 12-31-2007 | 08:47 AM
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Originally Posted by soonerfan
you might as well keep the max and buy the infiniti. you arent going to get anything for the maxima.
you'll get like less than 1,000 for it considering the condition the paint is in.. you might as well keep it and have a second car.. as far as insurance is concerned, just get liability on the old max to save $ and you'll be good to go
Old 12-31-2007 | 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Max2K
Well I've had my 2K Max for over 8 years now, with ~93K miles on it. I've been pretty happy with the performance/reliability with the car, especially with all the help I get from the peeps from this forum ever since day one. However I contemplating of trading in my Maxima for a G35/G37 . The main reason being is that I have countless paint chips and the coating is coming off my hood (Nissan uses some very cheap paint). My question to you all is, if I am leaning towards trading my Maxima in, should I do it ASAP before I hit 100K (I am assuming that once past that the value would drop drastically) or should I just stick it out (maybe repaint the car and drive it till it dies (if anyone can comment on the life of there maxima so far or how many more good years they can expect after 100K) ....

My FIL had two Taurus' (Tauri ?) before trading up to an F-150...both had > 300k miles. He'd say keep it, you're barely broken in.

Last edited by 2002 Maxima SE; 12-31-2007 at 09:08 AM. Reason: mispell
Old 12-31-2007 | 09:07 AM
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My gf wants a max, ill take it iam looking to get her a 4th gen because i like the body style
Old 12-31-2007 | 09:42 AM
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my car has 106,000 miles on it and still going strong! I don't know why but I have this strange creaking noise in the right of my car anyone else experience anything like this?
Old 12-31-2007 | 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by wyche89
you'll get like less than 1,000 for it considering the condition the paint is in.. you might as well keep it and have a second car.. as far as insurance is concerned, just get liability on the old max to save $ and you'll be good to go
+1. You might have another 100k of trouble free driving miles left in that car. Only now are you finally getting to the point where you get to drive it for practically the cost of gas.

Buy your new car, and split the driving with the Max. In 6 years, your G35 will be paid off and practically new, and you'll STILL have 40k left in the max! This is an opportunity for you to maintain one *very* nice car with low miles for a long time.

Seriously, I guess it depends on how much your insurance will be, if you can keep a car garaged, etc, etc. If your insurance is sky high, it is hard to keep an extra car around. If you, like me, pay less than $60 a month full coverage, then it (IMHO) is worth it to have an extra car around as piece of mind. I have done the "split the driving" between cars for years. It is very convenient to switch cars when one needs maintenance or gets in an accident... you are never without a car.
Old 12-31-2007 | 09:49 AM
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KEEP DAAMAX!!!!!!!
Old 12-31-2007 | 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by KenjiOta
my car has 106,000 miles on it and still going strong! I don't know why but I have this strange creaking noise in the right of my car anyone else experience anything like this?
Yeah i get a nasty creak when i turn outa a driveway or something with the wheel turned to the left real hard like the control arm or tie rod noise
Old 12-31-2007 | 10:42 AM
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mine is to stay in my family forever..
Old 12-31-2007 | 11:06 AM
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Mine will retire when the wheels fall off........no pun intended.
Old 12-31-2007 | 11:27 AM
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+1 to what everyone else said. I recently purchased a wrx and the dealership was going to give me a roll of quarters for my car so when I really sat down and thought about it I decided to keep the max. The reasons for mine are a little different because I plan to have the max as a dd and as a car when I am modding the wrx. However insurance wasnt that much more. My insurance company gives a huge discount if you file a car that will be driven I think less than 7k a year. Just something to think about.
Old 12-31-2007 | 12:08 PM
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i just got rid of my 99 max and got a 2002 my 99 had 167000 and i regret it 100% i should of kept it it ran great
Old 12-31-2007 | 12:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Deckdout2
Mine will retire when the wheels fall off........no pun intended.

That is exactly what I intend to do and that is what happened to my bro-in-law's Maxima in the 80's. The vehicle was gifted to him by his adivsor/professor and he used it till he completed his PhD and he would tell me the whole car would rattle from the inside out but the engine would keep going on and on and on. He owns a G35 now, Nissan Maxima have a reputation of strength and durability stretching couple of decades.
Old 12-31-2007 | 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by papo99
i just got rid of my 99 max and got a 2002 my 99 had 167000 and i regret it 100% i should of kept it it ran great

Sad to hear that, the 99 max are one of the most reliable and highest resale value. I doubt you will get that from ur new one..
Old 12-31-2007 | 01:13 PM
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You can really bargan the tradein also. I traided my 93 4runner in on my 00 max (rip) and they offered 1700 but I was able to get them to give me 4300 for it and knock a 1000 off the asking price of the max. The bigger or more expensive the purchase the more willing they are to give you more for your trade.

For the most part I agree with everybody else and would say keep it or do a private sale. Maby see what they wil offer you on trade and pass it on to somebody close to you for a great deal. I'd rather see somebody you know or somebody on here get agood deal then the dealer.
Old 12-31-2007 | 01:25 PM
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Up here in Michigan, rust kills you before mileage ever will. Once rust hits, the price bottoms out even if it only has 50K on it. If you guys only get 2-3$K for your cars, hey, I'll take them from one of you guys in the sunbelt area. They go for more than that up here!! Painting the hood isn't that expensive...
Old 12-31-2007 | 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by MaximaGT-R
What he said
What they all said. Keep the Maxima for daily running around so you don't rack miles up as quickly on the Infiniti. Plus, with the Max being 8 years old, you'd be fine just carrying liability/uninsured insurance on it.

I sure wish I had done that with the Accord I had. It was a 1990 with 280, 285 miles on it when I sold it, but ran great. Probably still runs great, I saw it more than a year after I sold it and by then it had to be pushing 300k.
Old 12-31-2007 | 03:19 PM
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Originally Posted by cefiro80
the dealership was going to give me a roll of quarters for my car.
haha roll of quaters... yea you wont get much by trading it in. but i guess you dont have a choice if you dont have the extra space. nissan resale value sucks, im gonna keep my car as long as i can. and use it during the winter when i get another car.
Old 12-31-2007 | 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Professor`
Yeah i get a nasty creak when i turn outa a driveway or something with the wheel turned to the left real hard like the control arm or tie rod noise
I had the same problem took it to my local Sears and they said it was my CV Boots that were worn out, had them replaced cost me a couple hundred bucks ...
Old 12-31-2007 | 04:32 PM
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Hey guys,

Thanks for the all the advice ... I think I'll keep it till it dies, I still love my max, just really itching for a new toy
Old 12-31-2007 | 08:39 PM
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As long as it runs good and doesn't start killin your wallet KEEP IT.I had to part ways with my 95 recently cuz it was costing me an arm and a leg to keep on the road but not a day goes by that I don't miss that car even though I was able to pick up an 03.
Old 01-01-2008 | 07:41 AM
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Originally Posted by kgallerie
I sold my '99 maxima in april. At that time it had 193,000 miles. The only reasons I sold it was because the clutch went and because it was my only car and wanted something that I knew would be reliable. I sold it to a friend of my mechanic, and I heard recently that the new owner threw a new clutch in it and changes the plugs, and it is still going strong. It now has over 210,000 miles on it.

I would agree with the others though. Keep it and buy the infiniti. If you trade it in you are probably looking at $2000-$3000 at most. It will run plenty long enough for you to get your moneys worth out of it.
well that might be tru were u live but 5 gen have a great resale value. i just sold my first 5 gen with 162000 on it ,had it appraised and he gave it a 6800 to 7200 resale value check out edmunds resale value about the same qote .... SHIFT_ ticket
Old 01-01-2008 | 08:44 AM
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then you got a hell of a deal.
Old 01-01-2008 | 10:46 AM
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+1 for keeping it and get a new car.

The price that 2k maximas are going for isnt realy much if you think about it. (if your talking dealer trade in maybe 2-3k) id rather keep it and haggle um more on the new car


I you buy a g37/35 you can keep the milage down, value up and etc. Just use the maxima for a daily driver and the G for a weekend car.

Last edited by maxspeed96CT; 01-01-2008 at 10:48 AM.
Old 01-01-2008 | 01:29 PM
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Originally Posted by L.M.L.
mine is to stay in my family forever..
same here........
Old 01-01-2008 | 02:00 PM
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The car will probably not die out mechanically if you do general maintaince. Probably you will get tired of all the little rattles and squeaks that will develop and get rid of the car.
Old 01-01-2008 | 05:21 PM
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Because I live in the Northeast snow belt my car will most likely rot out and become unsafe to drive long before it dies mechanically. I'm always amazed when I travel to Florida and see cars that are 20 years old and still look brand new. That doesn't happen here with the snow, salt, and sand.
Old 01-08-2008 | 11:49 AM
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I have a 02 Max too and had it from day 1. I have around 60k on it and it runs great. Just keep it till it dies. thats what im going to do. I love this car though.
Old 01-08-2008 | 12:07 PM
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Go ahead and buy your Infiniti and then sell your max through classified ads and autotrader. You will get a lot more money for it as long as your not in a rush to have it sold. I just can't justify buying a new G35/G37 and keeping your old max to drive around in; if I bought a new car thats what I want to be driving.
Old 01-08-2008 | 02:13 PM
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Mine has 97k is barely out of college (undergrad) and is looking to go for his Masters in NA. This would require a thesis which would also require some internal modification, since he's about done w/ bolt ons (finished Undergrad Valedictorian A33B4AT's w/ a Major in Dynoing, and a Minor in Sleeper Look). So, it's far from retirement.
Old 01-08-2008 | 03:56 PM
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My old 89 has 256,000 and still running strong with no major problems (will keep it till it dies), 100k for a well maintained Max is adolesence!
Old 01-08-2008 | 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by gunzs
well that might be tru were u live but 5 gen have a great resale value. i just sold my first 5 gen with 162000 on it ,had it appraised and he gave it a 6800 to 7200 resale value check out edmunds resale value about the same qote .... SHIFT_ ticket
They do here as well, even with high mileage!


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