maximusSE

I am looking to buy a new car within next year or two and i really really love maxs, but from what i have been reading on the board it seems that the 2002 maxs are full of bugs. So far I have seen one 2002 max on the side of the interstae with flashers on, and seen another being toward by a tow truck...that is not a good sign to me. but i really love maximas, but are the new ones not all they seem to be??? i mean i am obsessed i have poster in my room and everything and always talk to people about them, so anyways....whats yalls take?

WILLSE

ha i had mine towed one day maybe it was me that u saw! the tensioner pulley decided that it didnt want to stay on and the shield and nut fell off while driving down the road! other than that a new transmission, warped rotors, bose head unit messed up, wind noise and wierd clutch noises its a great car!!! haha! im not kidding! seriously though i love my max it looks good its fast! get one! but if i were u i would get the 350z!

will

Creature

Zero problems with mine and I'm pretty hard on it.

lcf

iTrader: (6)

hey creature, that is a beautiful picture in your siggy.

a great exposure.

did you take it yourself? take it with a digital?

or with a slr then scanned the pic?

wow.

noflash

Not for me. I have an '01 5-speed. I drove an '02 5-sp SE and I was impressed with the extra power, but that's it. The center console is wider, leaving less legroom (width-wise). This meant that I could not have my foot (in a Birkenstock) on the gas pedal w/o it rubbing the brake pedal. They are definitely closer together than in my car and that made for a very unsafe feeling. Don't want to accidently hit the brales when I am trying to merge onto the interstate. Also, the Bose was no better than my aftermarket system (which is cheaper than the Bose option). And I hated the stick. What an awkward way to shift into reverse! If you haven't tried it, b/c of the six gear, there is a ring on the stick you have to pull up on before you can put it into reverse. Very annoying.

So, I weighed my options and it would be cheaper to put in a SC than get an new SE. Done.

AND, why go for an '02, when the '03 might knock your socks off? RWD, bigger, badder, and who knows what else?

ajahearn

iTrader: (3)

3.5 months, 3700+ miles, no problems. You have to be careful about judging products based on testimonials. Not that you should ignore what you hear on the BB but people tend to be vocal about the bad.

I sold my 89SE for an 02SE. Why? The 89 was still running great but the power (165HP) was seriously out of date. It was a great car. When I started looking I hadn't even of thought to look at another Maxima. I had always had my eyes set on a 3/5-series BMW or possibly a used 911. I even got so far as ordering a 3-series (330i, sport, etc.). The startup I was working for starting to crumble and I decided to wait.

A year later the 02's are announced and the #'s were in favor of the Max (with the possible exception of handling which I still believe the BMW has over the Max). I got a brochure in the mail (who says mass marketing doesn't work). I decided to give it a look and wow. The 02 was fast. The 6-speed was cool. With one exception, just about every complaint (minor ones) I had with my 89 had been addressed. The exception is that the turning radius of the 02 is about 3 feet wider than my 89. This can be a little annoying as I'm still in the old habit of my 89 and occasionally a u-turn turns into a 3 point turn.

One point I've seen on this BB is the "next year's car is going to be even better". This is a form of creaping elegance. Of course some next generation of a car is going to be better. They should be. The question you need to ask is do you want (and can you afford) a car today? Hope this helps.

Maxima-Ness

The 03's will be exactly the same as the 02's. the 04 will have the new changes. FYI :-)

BTW, if you want to drive an 03, they will hit the dealerships at the end of this month. Just in time for summer :-)

RalphW

Hey,

I bought an 02 Max last month. This is the most fun sedan I've ever owned. Rock solid, lots of power, and with a few mods, handles well (I feel really well) for a mid sized car. I required a four door, and wanted a stick. The BMW 5 series was nice, but expensive to buy and maintain, plus the back seat was small (I work real estate so need the room). I also looked at the Suburu WRX which is also a fun car, not as large, and a little cheesy interior and kind of ugly (a good alternative though)My running partner has one (nice car lots of fun) but still like my car better. IMHO looks a lot nicer than the Accura's and is about 4k cheaper. I liked the car so well that I'm considering on buying another one for my wife. My only complaint so far is the torque steer you get under full acceleration. I have a front strut bar coming in and this is suppose to help. I bought mine out the door for $23,850 including all the dealer prep/destination etc, etc.. (not much in options, put in aftermarket stereo, and leather seating)..but last week got a email from my dealer that they are now selling for $2000 below invoice due to 03's coming in. So if you can get one for $22000 out the door.. I think you will have the best vehicle bar none for close to the price range.

RalphW

alembicf1x

maybe the early ones had bugs, but I think most have been ironed out by now. Bought mine in Feb, 3K miles on it now, and not one problem (unless you count the crap paint a problem, which the dealer helped take care of). Other than that, I love my car.

SptBiz

That's pretty tacky of the dealer to do that unless you did even better than $ 2000 below invoice. About 6 weeks after I bought a new Honda Accord I received an ad from Acura inviting me to upgrade to an Acura. That was pretty tacky as well.

RalphW

I agree, kind of ****ed me off, knowing I could have waited a few weeks and got it cheaper. If someone else could get in on this though it would be nice. This dealer is in Northern Virginia.

RalphW

SptBiz

It's too bad that Nissan has gotten itself into this predicament. My Nissan salesman warned me that there would be continued deep discounting on the Maximas and that the resulting depreciation would be significant. It's looking like my super deal in Jan. ( ~ $ 1000 below invoice ) is already just an average deal.

rubman

Wait to actually test drive G35 Coupe, 6th Gen MAx, M45, lots of seriously nice cars out in the next twelve months. I'd love to buy a 2K2, 6spd., but am not willing to pass up on a stellar new machine. I say if you like it , buy it. It has 255hp, xenons, 6 disc cd changer, chrome taillights, new leather, lots of goodies that make for a very well balanced car. I'd say you just wait.

Maxima06071

I on the other hand can hardly stand any of he new car for sale now the ONLY exceptions would be the 2002 Maxima and the 2003 LancerEvoVII. I would rather drop 20,000 on a 1996 Nissan 300zxTT than buy an Alty or gasp... the infamous 2003 or 04 Maxima. I'm also very attracted to the 1971 DATSUN 510. or for the 32,000* I could spend on a 2002 maxima, i could dash over to MOTOREX and pick-up a Skyline GT-R R32 for the same price Hmmmmmmm...which would make me happy?

KLOOGY

iTrader: (12)

Like Ive said before, I would have bought a G35, if it was available. My lease was up on my Jeep, so I needed another ride right away. I love my max 24/7, but I would have gotten the G35, even though it would have cost me an extra 8000 with Navi... Which was a MUST for me.. !