lightonthehill

On my daily perusal of my dealer's back lot, I watched a beautiful majestic blue Maxima SL being unloaded. Moving closer, I saw the '2005' on the window sticker!

I was surprised Nissan started the '05 VIN serials at the same place they started the '04s: 800000. This car was VIN Serial # 803184.

The exterior looks exactly like the '04. I will look closer inside on tomorrow's visit.

The base was $29,350 (same as '04 SL, unless I am mistaken).
This car had sunroof ($900; same as '04), VDC with TCS ($900; same as '04), driver's preferred ($800; up from $700 on '04), 5 mat pkg ($150; about the same), and dest chg of $560 (IIRC, no chg from '04).

Total MSRP was $32,780.

The dealer not only does not have the '05 Maxima brochures yet; he hasn't even ordered them, so won't have any this month.

But this was still an exciting day for me!

CanadianMoFo

So no noticable changes except for a few dollars here and there for options?

CM

lightonthehill

CMF - Other than the increase in price of the Driver's Preferred package from $700 to $800, I think everything is about the same, pricewise. That hundred dollars represents less than one third of one percent of the total vehicle cost. Not bad when we consider how much some things are going up (gasoline and natural gas come quickly to mind).

It will be interesting to see the SE prices. When I get a better look under better light, I plan to check out the inside of the '05 SL at my dealers. If I understood the 'changes for '05' posted here a day or so ago, I'm not sure the new brushed aluminum interior trim pieces apply to the SL. The brushed aluminum probably won't result in a cost increase for the SE.

Also, we had heard on this board that TCS (traction control) would be standard on the '05 Maxima. On the '05 I saw today, it was still part of the VDC/TCS package costing $900.

Mike_TX

The extra $100 on the DPP is for the auto-dimming outside rearview mirrors (now standard with DPP).

Mike

Redsand187

autodimming outside mirrors??? I've got to have those! I wonder how much those things will go for from the parts department.

Everytime I'm at a drivethru at night, I have to fold the mirrors in because the person behind me lights shine right back in my face. Very annoying.

nyautostyle

thats whats up. so nissan dealership should have them. wonder how much bigger they are than the 02 mirrors.

6thGenMax

iTrader: (6)

Can someone get me a SE Vin # from a 05. the complete vin. i need it to order parts from the 05.

Thanks!

lightonthehill

6thGenMax - You may need an SE '05 VIN. All I have is an SL VIN:

1N4BA41E25C803184.

I will try to get an SE VIN very soon, and will post it here.

As info, the VINs of SEs and SLs will be exactly the same, EXCEPT the VIN serial # will tie to either an SE or an SL in Nissan's records, and the 9th character of the VIN will be a security character possibly based on an algorithm using the VIN serial.


For those who may be interested:

THE INTERIOR OF THE '05 SL IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE '04.

I parked my '04 SL right beside the '05 SL, and my wife and I spent twenty minutes examining and comparing, and we could not find a single detail either inside or outside that was different. I.e., the 'brushed aluminum' (or titanium) change for the '05 must be for the SE only.

6thGenMax

iTrader: (6)

most likely the SE only, i was talking to my dealer and he may have a deal NO ONE could pass up on swapping out for a 05 SE. but we will see. if i dont do that, ill end up with all the 05 interior trim peices at least. cause the junk i have now seems to scratch way way too easy.

the 05 se vin will help out alot when you get around to it, appreciate the assistance & thanks!

aliti19

iTrader: (2)

hahaha... a deal NO ONE could pass up? I don't know about you guys, but this sounds like classic dealer

Maximadmoiselle

iTrader: (1)

Well, just came back from my local Nissan dealer. Was told that no one had the faintest idea when the '05 will arrive ("Probably in November.."). When I told them Georgia dealerships have it already, the guy responded "No, get the '04 because you get the $1000 rebate and it's the same car". To this I responded "No, the '05 [SE] will have interior improvements". To which he responded "Oh, really? We don't have such information". When I noted that half of the Maximas on their lot had a 8----- serial #, which means the cars have been laying around for quite a while (shimmy anyone?), he told me that "the serial # doesn't necessarily have to start with an 8 or a 9". Told me to call him next week. This is the type of people that are selling us cars these days...

lightonthehill

Maximadmoiselle - How familiar! After perusing the '05 Maxima SL on my dealer's back lot, and having read on another thread here that the '05 Maxima brochures had arrived at that poster's dealer, I went inside and requested an '05 Maxima brochure.

The response was that they would order the brochures when the '05 Maximas began arriving. When I informed them the '05s were arriving, and one was already here, the sales manager, three salesmen, and the internet manager (all gathered around me) said the '05 Maximas had not begun arriving. When I insisted, the sales manager went and looked thru some paperwork and saw they did have an '05. He then said they would order the brochures, and I could get one next month.

As to your dealer, tell him the '04 Maximas were built in proper VIN serial order, 800001 to at least 931660 (highest VIN I saw). ALL '04 Maximas with VIN serial numbers beginning with 8 were built before the first day of spring (March 21, 2004). Sounds like he is either ordering cars not equipped to customer wishes, or is not giving good deals. He is not the only dealer like that.