I know of a fellow, that owns an '03 6 speed TE with only 23k miles. He has all documentation to prove this, and besides the car looks pretty much showroom clean (other than a little dings).

My question is - would it be worth it to pay say 1.5 times the price of a regular 2003 maxima with average mileage for this mint condition example? And the main reason for my question is because a vehicle with very low mileage over a long period of time can often suffer more problems than one driven the way it was designed to - i.e. all internal rubber parts dry rotting and cracking, amongst other issues.

Or should I stay away?

 

I'm not a huge fan of super low miles cars.. Having a car that is driven regularly is less likely to have unique problems to cars that sit a lot.
Your AE looks killer dude, why not stay with it? I love those G 19's on it.. best OE style wheel to put on a max.

 

If you were to specify a price I think it would be helpful :P

I wouldn't be scared of it as long as the price isn't too high.

 

I would go for it as well, as long as the price was right, say around $14k. From my experience not driving it a lot would affect the exhaust system the worse. If it was garage kept the rubber parts should be ok.

 

14K low miles or not, that car wont sell for more than 10k, and thats a lot..

 

If you paid $14k for an 03 Maxima, you would be clinically insane.

 

The car has been sitting for too long of a period. Suddenly taking it out of it's way of operation might lead to major problems in the future. Look for something around 120km to 180km for about the average cost of a 2003. Your bank account will thank you.

 

I base my answer solely on how much he is willing to sell it for. If it's been garaged and all maintenance has been done properly, I'd jump on a 2003 TE 6MT with that low of miles.

I'd never be scared of a low mileage car as long as it truly was taken care of.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Yeah my AE is okay, but was looking for something with a 3.5L. However the chances of leaking oil and notchy transmission worries me.

As for the car, he is asking $10800 canadian (which is approx the same as US right now). He goes away on business trips so the car is sometimes left at the airport for days/weeks at a time, otherwise it is left parked up at home, and used very occassionally (unfortunately it seems like city driving moreso than highway).

$10800 is still pretty high for a 5.5 gen in my area, as decent used examples can easily be had for around $6000...so I think I will pass and just forget maximas completely once my 5th gen gets me through school.

 

i always find it weird for ppl coming here needing help from people all over the world to buy a car in your neighborhood... if you want it, buy it... simple as that... good luck

 

Might be weird for you, but some of us like to make better informed purchases with the help of forums.

 

For me, all other considerations aside -- I value low miles, and how the car was cared-for.
Time is not an issue, unless the car was stored in a shed or something.

I'd want to know about the oil consumption FOR SURE, but even then -- it's hit or miss. It could develop over time....and likely, the PO hasn't even paid attention to such things.
Crunchy trans -- no big deal with low miles.

The TE pkg is a must, and I'd want LSD FOR SURE!!!

if the price is right, and it's what you want -- then I'd say it sounds pretty good!
gr

 

This might help others answer your question:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ235363730

 

You seem somewhat conflicted about purchasing another Maxima and based on other posts I've read from you in the past it seems like you are often on the fence about the car or moving on too something "better" or not.

That is entirely subjective of course but the 5.5 TE 6MT is about as good as it gets in terms of the 5th Gen. Now, 11K for that car is just plain too much. I'd say 8K would be reasonable.

Should you or should you not decide to get the car really depends on your long term plans. Will you keep it for a long time? Are you actually happy with the Maxima platform or are you always lusting after RWD or AWD?

Is the car fully optioned? Color? Bone stock I am assuming?

Ultimately it is your choice but I love my 5.5 TE and I plan on driving it for a long time.

 

Craig, I see you are selling your car - howcome??

 

Seems fully loaded (other than no nav), and its black, bone stock.

Yes you are right, I am on the fence about Maximas in general. I owned a few of them, then had a G35 coupe which I had sold, and now I am back to a maxima. I moved to downtown Toronto, where the use of a car isn't needed for maybe 1 day a week, so the car is very seldom driven. I wanted a 5.5 because of the extra power and nice updates, but its more of an emotional decision than a logical one - my car current costs far less and will probably be more reliabile with the sturdy VQ30/5spd combo.

 

Your current car and the new one won't differ that much stock for stock.
At the very least take the new option for a drive and see how much of an emotional response you actually get. Thinking you'll like it and liking it are two different things.

I owned a 2K 5spd a few years ago and buying this car I have been quite satisfied with the extra power and amenities that comes with the 5.5

The selling point for the Maxima with me has always been bang for buck. I am hard pressed to find a car that offers so much at this price point.

Test Drive...

 

Having driven downtown Toronto numerous times (and a few times in a G35 Sedan, quite coincidentally), I'm of the opinion that your overall experience will be identical between the AE and the TE. The point being, you'll never be able to go WOT. It's not like you'll ever see 4th gear on Bloor Street, eh? You'll always be shifting through the lower gears. Total PITA.

That, and downtown Toronto is door-ding Central. And as a knock down for any 5th gen in Toronto, I have two words: turning radius.

All that in consideration, and solely from my point-of-view, I think you should keep the AE. Quite honestly, a skirted AE 5MT feels more unique than a TE 6MT... unless you have the Polished Titanium paint.

 

Point taken on both cars feeling identical at lower speeds. I should mention that the only time I actually use my car is to escape the city to go into suburbs, and on longer distance trips for the most part. I rarely need a car to drive within the core, my feet get me everywhere these days.

I must say, Bay street is bloody harsh on my car, which is exaggerated by my s-tech/gr2 combo.

The reason I was toying with the idea of getting this car, is because it can last me many years to come without much worry (hopefully). There should be no rust on it, and everything will look near showroom fresh (I am a sucker for flawless cars, who isn't though). The major turnoff besides the price is potential VQ35 oil burning and 2nd/3rd gear crunch. If I could get the car for 7 to 8k, then I think it may be worth it...

 

OK, then here's an opinion on your two concerns.

Oil burning only seems to affect about 1/3 of the 5.5 gens, so the odds are in your favor. And even if it does burn a little oil on a regular basis, so what? Put a quart or two in the trunk and check your oil every few weeks.

The 3rd gear crunch seems to affect even smaller of a percentage of 6MT's. However, since I have it, I can say with total confidence that you can mitigate this issue by stabilizing your engine. The most significant mod would be ES torque mount bushings, then the NWP Torque Link Connector, and even ES bushings under the shifter assembly. (I'm guessing a new Tranny-side motor mount would go a long way to stability, too.)

In other words, both of your concerns are valid, but shouldn't be deciding factors.

 

Is the 1/3 of 5.5 gens suffering from oil burning taken from both autos and 6-speeds? If so, then I am willing to bet its a much higher % when looking at just 6-speeds, but correct me if I am wrong.

Does changing the tranny fluid to good quality synthetic seem to alleviate the gear crunch issue? I had a very occasional 2-3 shift crunch in my G35 coupe, however I still had powertrain warranty and had the tranny replaced under warranty without any issue.

 

I don't think transmission comes into play with the oil burning stats. Keep in mind, these "stats" are pulled out of my dookie, based solely on reading the Org.

Some people claim that, yes, but I don't think their problem was actually the infamous Crunch. I say that because I swapped OEM fluid for MT-90, and all I sense was a difference, neither better nor worse. Just different. The 3rd gear crunch is a mechanical design flaw in the synchronizer. Apparently the "flaw", per se, is so close to tolerances that only some MT transmissions are affected.