Hey guys. Let me start off by saying I don't own a Maxima yet, I'm interested in buying one though. That's why I created this account. My brother is a bigger Nissan person than me so he knows more about Maxima's than I do. He told me that the VQ30 motors are very reliable with little problems, but only put out 222HP - 227HP. He also told me that the VQ35 motors put out 255HP but are notorious for oil problems, specifically, oil being burned from premature wear from the piston rings. Are the piston rings the main culprit for the oil issue or is it PCV related? And If I had the choice which 5th generation Maxima should I buy? I would prefer a manual 5spd or 6spd if I have the choice. Should I go for 3.0L or 3.5L? About when do the 3.5's start burning oil? Sorry I'm asking a lot of questions. As you can tell by my name, I don't know very much. I currently own a 2001 Grand Prix GT and now want a Maxima.

 

https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...on-thread.html

Probably every Gen 5.5 Maxima you will go see will be burning some oil by now but some will burn more than others.

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Nissan/Maxima/2002/

Gen 6 (2004+) are pos
-- transmission woes
-- poor QC
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Nissan/Maxima/


How is your grand prix gt?

 

Even with their awful oil problems? I read that some people have to add 2qts every 1k miles! Thanks, but I'll pass if that turns out to be the case.

 

Some are worse than others and it's not just isolated to this car. People with Murano, G35, Altima etc with the vq35de complain of oil consumption....

It's also in the manual oil consumption is normal lol

If you that worried find a VQ35HR car like the 07+ G35...

 

My 5.5 doesn't burn a lot of oil, I just keep an eye on it. It goes down a little bit after 4-5 weeks. It has 139k miles.
The 2003 6spd would be my choice, love the VQ35 pull.

 

She's doing alright. Has had many repairs done already such as metal coolant elbows, new upper intake manifold, flushed out DEX-COOL for conventional antifreeze. You know, common 3800 problems lol. I have sought mods done, but nothing out of this world. It was actually just hit in the parking lot a couple weeks ago. Fixed it myself and kept all the insurance money. It's not 100% fixed, the fender is still dented and scratched. For that reason (that it's not perfectly fixed) I want a new car, a Maxima lol.

 

Can't see why you'd go gen 5 now... Those things are 15 years old now.

Buy a gen 5.5 and keep it in pristine condition . Last true Maxima

 

I only have $3000 to spend at max, $3500 tops! So a HR motor probably won't happen.

 

All the ones I've found on craigslist have rust on the rear wheel wells . That is a big turn off for me, but as I live up north, I think it is inevitable haha. Oh and because I don't have a lot of money to spend, but I want something decently quick. My Grand Prix is 14 years old as it sits.

 

It's old car....

Try searching for the Infiniti I35 too

 

Are the Infiniti I35's in the same price range? And do they come in a manual?

 

Probably and nope only AT.

Also when you buy manual model, find a HLSD model (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited-slip_differential). It's going to have silver pedals and transmission code inside engine bay ends with H


<-- SHOULD BE H NOT A,B,C,D,E,F,G etc

 

Is that because it has the option for a limited slip differential or something like that borrowed from the GT-R's, I think? Not 100% sure if that's the right car.

 

Your brother is right.
If I were to buy a 5-gen, I would only buy the 3.0L. Why?

• Because the engine is bullet-proof. My 2000SE has 130K miles and the engine does not use any oil between my oil changes which I do every 5k miles (synthetic oil). No oil consumption - none, nada, period!
• The transmission is good, and if you take care of it it will last for at least 200,000 miles. Mine AT shifts as it it were new; I should note I change my AT fluid every 15K miles.
• The 3.0L engine has some problems; all of them are in the "engine control" area, i.e. in electronics. With a bit of knowledge, they can be easily prevented. All you have to do is to read this thread: https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...d-seconds.html
• The 3.0L engine has plenty of power, in fact, so much it may get you into trouble. No need for the 3.5L with its oil consumption problems, expensive parts (MAF), etc., etc.

So, the only trick is to find a '00 or '01 in good shape. Good luck!

 

Yeah some Skyline or whatever.

I bought alll three variations and thought the HLSD made a difference for acceleration and corning. But I didn't have the time or money to do a fair comparison.

 

Quite happy with my 3.0L!

 

I can't speak to the 5.5, but I can vouch for the 5th gen VQ30DE. I'm at 240K miles and it still runs strong. I've had zero problems with the MT other than replacing the clutch slave cylinder after pedal drop issues. The only things I've had to "fix" would be 1) the b-pipe rusted at the flange so I got it welded at a local muffler shop, 2) I think I've changed the MAF sensor twice - possibly due to the oily K&N filter lol, and 3) I have probably gone through about 12 ignition coils

If you can find one in good shape, you'll definitely get your money's worth. I've been hanging on to mine because the utility value is much higher than what some reasonable person would pay for a 15 year old car.

Shameless plug

 

^
Jeebies 12 ignition coils

 

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/ctd/5006386486.html

I found this ad by a dealer. It is in a good price range for me, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing haha. It seems pretty legit. It has just over 150k miles and is a manual. It also is not that far from me so if I didn't luck out, it's not the end of the world. I also see that the rust has been painted over. Looks a bit odd, but it's better than pure rust, I guess. Is it a car worthy of buying?

 

if it was me I'd buy the 3.0DEK

 

he's definitely not buying oem

 

I assume the rust is common in your part of the country. The interior looks fine. So, if the engine is good, and the transmission is good, I would go for it and try negotiate down to to $1700-$1900. Re. the engine, make sure there is no significant chain tensioner rattle when you start the car after it has been sitting overnight. Re. the transmission, assuming it shifts fine, is the clutch slipping? If so, use this fact to negotiate the price down.

 

check the lower rad support too to make sure it s in one piece or in decent shape. that much rust on the body prob means youve got more underneath.