psu711

I really love my 2k2 gle silver/black leather.

2 Problems

1. from november to March I was in 3 accident all of which were 100% the other party's fault. 2 minor and I major (about 12k) for a total of around 16-20k worth of repairs.

Despite all the repairs, the car still runs and looks great. The engine is solid and still has hp to spare.

2. Even before the accidents started, I started having "routine" 5th gen problems, Rotors, Bose speakers/head units cutting out, rattles, squeeks, clanks, and MY GOD THAT D@MN SES LIGHT.

So, I am kinda torn....I refuse to buy domestic (With the exception of a cts or some others that are not in my price range), I love how the max looks and drives (I had a 6th gen as a rental during one of the repairs), But my biggest problem is the "Little things" that were going wrong with a 33k+ sticker priced car.

Im sure Im not the first to ask, but Im trying to find a honest opinion of 6th gens, from someone who may have walked in the same 5th gen shoes im wearings.

Last major concern is I hate to give Nissan NA any more money and support there borderline illegal customer service department...

Thanks all!

Any advice, reccomendations are appreciated!

keanders21

I had a 5th gen for about 2 years and I never had a problem. Had to resurface my rotors once and get new brake pads, but once I got the aftermarket ones it was fine. I have had my 6th gen for about 2 weeks now and I love it. I went from an 02 SE to and 05 SL so the ride is different. I primarliy made the change because I had almost 80,000 miles on my 5th gen and it was out of warranty and plus the dealership here was offering a lot of money for my trade. I guess each experience is going to be different but I have never had a problem with any of the dealerships I have been to.

psu711

Do you mind if I ask how much you got for your 02se on the trade
my gle has about 57k on it

Im just looking for a ballpark trade value from the dealership...I always enjoy hearing what people actually got compared to what kelly blue book says.

Thanks

Im in Richmond VA, if it matters

gizzsdad

Bought an 00SE new in Oct. of 99. Sold it last Oct. with 81,000 miles. Changed fluids, drive belts @ 55,000, rear pads @ 80,000. Had coils replaced @65,000 on Nissan's dime. Replaced O2 sensors a couple of times. Other than those she was all original. Sold with extra set of alloys and 5 year old winter tires for $14,000. My 05SE is my 3rd Maxima, and best of the bunch. Fewer rattles and squeaks than the 96 or 00!

rays01se

I had a 5th gen ('01 SE Anniversary Edition) before I upgraded to the 6th gen. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with the 6th gen, but my opinion is arguably biased since I have owned 5 Maximas in the past and my current being an '05 SE. The "little things" that were going wrong were pretty much fixed with in '05. It's a lot of car for the money. Plenty of room, 4 doors, very powerful and looks classy, which is why I am a big fan of the Maxima. You had the advantage of driving the new max as a rental, so I'm sure you probably love the refinement of it just as much as us 6th gen owners. Puts a smile on my face every time I hit the go pedal. Good luck with your decision.

Hamy

I just bought my 6th Gen this week. I really love the thing. It is everything the 5th gen was plus more. I never really had issues with my 5th gen so I can't speak of that. But other than the OEM grille and the fact the front sits higher than the back I LOVE my new car. I should mention I'm a die hard Nissan fan this is my 3rd Maxima not counting the 350Z and Altima!

Twinmax24K

I've owned a 5th gen (2K2 SE) for two trouble-free years and we just bought a 6th gen to park in the garage beside it. Besides a few small quirks we are very happy with the car. You mentioned you refused to buy a domestic, I empathize with you there, with the exception of a few domestic offerings. (Ironic that the 6th gen is actually built in Tennessee.) There already are domestic-type "little things" that need to be addressed with our 6th gen: the infamous steering shimmy, rear deck rattles, trim is too delicate (grille peeling off, wood and satin interior trim seems to scratch itself, some plastic looks and feels cheap and scuffs easily), the rattle/buzz noise coming from under the car on cold starts (yet to address this, possibly the catalyst bracket problem), and electronic gremlins (trip computer controls don't work, i think this is the fault of the previous owner not Nissan; also memory seats never seem to come back to the right place). These may all be first-run bugs since it's an 04. All this aside, we are willing to put up with a few small problems to avoid bigger ones down the road. We love the powertrain and the features this car offers in a price class below comparably featured luxury sedans in the 40s and 50s. You won't regret buying a 6th gen, just try to aim for an 05 or 06 when they come out, take it for a nice long test drive, and make sure to go over it looking for bugs first. You'll grin from ear to ear every time you drive it. Good luck!

pkane3

I has a 2001 Sunlit Sand GLE. I loved it...until the 6th generation came out. I had to have one. You won't miss your 5th gen, after driving the 6th.

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

DUDE, you won't regret it for ****....... getting a 6th gen is like a total different life of a maxima.. its bigger, more gadgets, more luxury, spacius....

in a 5th gen I felt like I had to race all the time, in a 6th gen you are PIMP DADDY...

put some 22's on it and then gather all the panties that will be thrown at you..

TEK.........




no lie... I miss all my pass cars, but a 6th gen will make up for it...

ToooCute4Wrdz

I had an 02 Maxima SE and I never had a single problem; everything was original at 35,000 miles. I just made sure to break it in properly because I got it brand new, and I changed the oil regularly. If the car hadn't been totaled three weeks ago in an accident (which wasn't my fault by the way), I'd still have it. So far, I've had the 05 maxima se for about a week and a half and it's great. I'm still breaking it in, so I don't know a lot about the take off speed, however, when you're driving it, it feels like you're in a luxury car. I considered the G35, but the Maxima won me over with all the additional features and spaciousness. Heads turn whenever I'm driving because it just looks so good! You can't go wrong with the purchase of this vehicle! About the customer service, I can't complain. Maybe it's just the dealship I go to, but it's equivalent to the service at a luxury dealership.

xerius

I had a '00 and am now in a '04. The changes that took place from '00 to '03 are too great for me to be an added value for you. But, the difference from a 2000 to 2004 is tremendous. Much more of a German car feel vs a Japanese car feel. Take the step....it's worth it.

lightonthehill

Bought my 2000 SE (with all options) in July of 1999. First car I ever owned that has never given me any trouble, although the Maximas I owned before that one were fairly trouble-free. It is a most reliable and fun-to-drive car.

My '04 SL had a few glitches, which were quickly resolved what with my browsing here and helping my (very good) dealer pin down the problems. My '04 has been a perfect car since the initial glitches were fixed, and it is a terrific car to drive; The kind of car you try to find excuses to get in and go. It was built in late May of 2004, well over a year into the '04 model year.

If you can hold off a month or two, you will be able to know exactly what changes are being made for the '06 Maxima. That may influence your choice.

Should you find a great deal on an '04, make sure the VIN serial is above 900000, and check for shimmy, shocks, rattles, etc.

Good luck in your endeavors.

RHMax

I got my 00SE with all options in Jan of 2000. The only problem that I had was the ignition coils, which Nissan replaced at 25k miles, and nothing other than normal wear since. My brother-in-law is now the new proud owner at 102k miles. I now have an 05SE (built 03/05)for about a month now at almost 2kmiles. IMO, the new car is better in just about everyway except for some of the materials used for the interior.

psu711

Thanks for all the great replies everyone!!

I think my best bet will be to wait for the '06s to come out and then try to "steal" a 05 with 10-20k on it.

Im assuming that in 3 months ill pay around 1000$ dollars off my current loan while the value of my 02 shouldnt decrease that much.

Anyone have any numbers from there trade in? I would Guess, and its just a guess that a '02 gle would get 10-12k from the dealers on a trade. I really have no idea.

Well, time to start looking at car ads....I have noticed how sharp the 6th gens look in the navy blue and ofcourse, the black colors.

Any other colors to take a look at?

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

I got 13k for my 02 se......... with the 17'' rims and HID's, the rest was base.... no BOSE no leather no sunroof.....

2k2graySE

iTrader: (1)

I just traded a 2002 SE for $13,500 and some heavy negotiating picked up a 2004 SE for $22,500 at Exton Nissan, PA. Of course I picked the end of May and spent almost 4 hours at the dealership. Car had 8,600 miles and is a base SE. My observations: The base stereo is impressive (bass is excellent). Love the car. Spacious, seems well built and tight. Rides firm but better than the 02. Handles better in the turns. Turns heads and I just feel better driving it. Seats are better. My 11 year old can actually sprawl out in the back seat. Like the skyview-since I was never into sunroofs it's the perfect compromise. The 02 now seems dated to me. Some interior inferiority compared to 2002 but only in the center stack controls. No squeaks, rattles, air leaks so far. Same tranny it seems as the 2002 (but 5 speed). Not always smooth shifting. For some reason 2nd to 3rd is rough. 2002 did the same thing but a little worse. Noticed it more on a colder morning. Once warmed up it is fine. Like the Manual shifting capability. Engine is smooth and more umph than the 2002. Have a little fog on the info screen and was thinking of taking it in for that. I read the TSB on it, on this site. Oh and the other quirk is the info screen is not bright enough on a very sunny day. But on a scale of 1 to 10 and comparing it to my 2002 this car gets a solid 9! Best value especially since I searched and found a low mileage 2004 for $22.5k!! BTW-could have gotten the same SE but a 2005 at Concordville Nissan for $23,738. (Invoice minus the rebate, 14k for trade). ?? Just didn't want new. Maybe I should have taken that instead....

psu711

Good info, thanks!. I would be happy getting 12-13k for my gle. Dont know what they will say about the accidents. Airbags never came out and no engine/drive train repairs so mostly body and headlight replacements....

Yeah, im not gonna bring it up, but doesnt that all show up in carfax or something? Will they ask me about it? Should I be honest with them?

anyway....

leather, moonroof, 17" stock alloys, bose, 6 disc, duel power seats, etc.

Basically every feature except for the gps and heated seat.

If I could get out the door with a used '05 for around 10-11k (after trade) i would be very happy.

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

I got 13k like I posted below, and my girl got hit on the drivers side real bad... both doors the pillar and the rocker panel had to be replaced.....

psu711

Tek, did they ask you about the accident or were you upfront telling them you had some serious repairs?

My guess is as long as the title is good they are going to pass it on to the next person?

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

I didn't say ****..........

boone

iTrader: (1)

I traded in my '02 SE back in January and I remember getting $14,000 for it. It was equipped the same as your's. Everything but Navi and Heated stuff. Just a word to the wise. Do not buy from Victory Nissan. I bought my '02 from them and was not happy with the experience. Don't bother with Pence either. Go out-of-town. I went to Pomoco Nissan in Hampton and was quite pleased with the service.

psu711

Wow Boone,

Thanks for the info..I just moved to richmond from pittsburgh about 6 months ago and have had a very bad expeience with pence already. It was close to my office on midlothian and the best I could describe the experience would be terrible. I took my max to victory to fix the problems that the pence guys would not address and had a pleasent experience with them. They are only a few min from my apt in the west end and was planning on shopping there. I spoke with a sales rep when i was picking up my car and I was given a good impression.

I will certainly be very cautious when talking to them. Thanks for the heads up.

Anything specific I should look for with them? Or did you just have a overall bad impression of them?

To be honest, every nissan stealership I have dealt with (Richmond and Pittsburgh) have been borderline theifs. Victory was the best experience I have had so far.

boone

iTrader: (1)

To be fair, my bad experience with Victory was back when they only had the one dealership on Broad that now sells Kias. Since then, they opened another Nissan dealership in Mechanicsville and moved the previous one out to Short Pump.

The first problem I encountered was with the finance people. They basically overcharged me $2,000 and then when they caught it, they put the money towards an extended warranty without asking me. Next, I caught all types of grief from the service department when I tried to get the problem with the left speakers cutting out fixed. After that, it took them forever to get my cracked sunroof wind deflector replaced. They said the part was on backorder but when I inquired about it during a regular service visit a couple of months later, they replaced it right away.

So, the bottom line is they left a bad taste in my mouth. I refuse to give them anymore of my business.

ThunderMaxi

I had a 99 SEL and have a 00 GLE. Loved the 99, like the 00. After I sold the 99 I bought an 05 SE loaded minus navi. It rocks. I looked at a CTS and petty as it may sound it was out of the race 1-acceleration was awful and 2- no sunglass holder. FOr that kind of $, it should have made me some coffee in the morning. The 6th gen is truly a success for Nissan. It has quiks, but overall it's a class act. Also, go drive a new one. The leather and features in a new one are better than in the rental. I just had one and it had few bells and whistles.