ok the time has come.....need advise
09-27-2006, 05:23 PM
#1
ok the time has come.....need advise
I am about to buy a 6gen max. I am really kinda worried most of the www.edmunds.com reviews are not all that great..I have had my 97 for nearly 10 years love it. I am worried about the build quality. Can you guys put my worries to an end? also should i get the nav or buy aftermarket such as the avic z1 by pioneer.
whats a good price to pay for a 04 w/ nav about 40k.
whats a good price to pay for a 04 w/ nav about 40k.
09-27-2006, 10:29 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
Posts: 8,143
I can't speak for others, but once I had my dealer correct a few little details early on, the two years since have been absolutely and totally glitch-free. Not even a creak or rattle. I absolutely love my '04 SL.
There are, of course, many things to check for on any car we might be ready to buy. Most checks are listed in any publication discussing car buying.
Three things I would particularly check on the 6th gen Maxima are:
1. Remove the sill molding on both front door openings and lift the carpet and pad and be sure there is no rust in the footwells. The worst problem with my SL was a stopped-up power sunroof drainage tube in the left front 'A' pillar at about the level of the bottom of the windshield.
Took me two weeks of work (hair dryer, etc) to get all the moisture out of the pad under the carpet in the footwell. Had I left it there, we would have had a rusty mess. Took the dealer about an hour to open things up and remove the pinch in the drainage tube.
2. Drive the car on a good road with light traffic. Change speeds slowly from around 35 mph to 75 mph (you will probably use local roads to test at lower speeds and a freeway to test at higher speeds). While moving on straight road, remove both hands from the steering wheel, and hold the wheel lightly at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions with the fingertips of each hand. The steering wheel will vibrate, but only in a limited range (less than a half inch or so).
If, at any particular speed, the steering wheel begins to move from side-to-side very visibly, and moves a half inch or more, the car may well have the dreaded 'shimmy'. This can sometimes be fixed by a very high quality balance and alignment. But sometimes, the problem can be most difficult to fix. If this problem exists, insist this be fixed before you consider committing to purchasing the car.
3. While driving at around sixty mph, brake fairly sharply, and notice if there is an irregular vibration or steering wheel shaking that indicates the brake rotors may need replacing. The car should not pull to one side during braking, either.
If everything else checks out, the brake problem can almost surely be fixed, and should not stop the purchase. But if there are other problems, adding a rotor problem might tip the scales away from this car.
As to the price, there are too many variables; the condition of the car and the options on the car being the biggest. There used to be little routines on Edmunds, etc, where you could answer a dozen or so questions about a used car and the routine would give you the fair market value for your area of the country. I would bet those routines are still there.
There are, of course, many things to check for on any car we might be ready to buy. Most checks are listed in any publication discussing car buying.
Three things I would particularly check on the 6th gen Maxima are:
1. Remove the sill molding on both front door openings and lift the carpet and pad and be sure there is no rust in the footwells. The worst problem with my SL was a stopped-up power sunroof drainage tube in the left front 'A' pillar at about the level of the bottom of the windshield.
Took me two weeks of work (hair dryer, etc) to get all the moisture out of the pad under the carpet in the footwell. Had I left it there, we would have had a rusty mess. Took the dealer about an hour to open things up and remove the pinch in the drainage tube.
2. Drive the car on a good road with light traffic. Change speeds slowly from around 35 mph to 75 mph (you will probably use local roads to test at lower speeds and a freeway to test at higher speeds). While moving on straight road, remove both hands from the steering wheel, and hold the wheel lightly at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions with the fingertips of each hand. The steering wheel will vibrate, but only in a limited range (less than a half inch or so).
If, at any particular speed, the steering wheel begins to move from side-to-side very visibly, and moves a half inch or more, the car may well have the dreaded 'shimmy'. This can sometimes be fixed by a very high quality balance and alignment. But sometimes, the problem can be most difficult to fix. If this problem exists, insist this be fixed before you consider committing to purchasing the car.
3. While driving at around sixty mph, brake fairly sharply, and notice if there is an irregular vibration or steering wheel shaking that indicates the brake rotors may need replacing. The car should not pull to one side during braking, either.
If everything else checks out, the brake problem can almost surely be fixed, and should not stop the purchase. But if there are other problems, adding a rotor problem might tip the scales away from this car.
As to the price, there are too many variables; the condition of the car and the options on the car being the biggest. There used to be little routines on Edmunds, etc, where you could answer a dozen or so questions about a used car and the routine would give you the fair market value for your area of the country. I would bet those routines are still there.
09-28-2006, 04:00 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 108
wait for the 07. I just traded my 05 se w/ navi in for an 07. Big differece. If you really want an 04 , get it with navi, next time around when you try to sell it everybody else has navi vehicle on the market already. Also, you should be looking to spend from 19,000 usd to 20,000. Go to kbb.com and find out the prices. Anything more is too much. The dealership appraise my car for 18,000. Good luck
09-28-2006, 12:46 PM
#7
Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 137
My experience is similar to lightonthehill's - few minor problems upfront long since resolved.
I think the Maxima is a very good choice and a great value -(the performance and equipment that can be had for the $$ compared to other alternatives).
Have you considered waiting a few months for the new G35??
I think the Maxima is a very good choice and a great value -(the performance and equipment that can be had for the $$ compared to other alternatives).
Have you considered waiting a few months for the new G35??
(click in the bottom right hand corner)
09-28-2006, 01:59 PM
#10
Owns way too many maximas
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Old Bridge, NJ
Posts: 142
Go for it. I've had 4 4th gens and love my 04. The biggest thing that was changed on my car was front struts, and they werent even bad. They were slightly noisy. The dealer changed them no questions asked.
09-28-2006, 02:02 PM
#11
Oh yeah and as for the 04, I've had no problems with mine except for the peeling grill and skyview replacement. All under warranty. You can get a good deal on an 04 for sure, just check it out before you buy it, and make sure it's not a rental return!!
09-28-2006, 03:18 PM
#12
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 628
I had the shimmy on my 04 SL until proper balancing solved the matter. However, my steering wheel would oscillate about a quarter of an inch or less, not the half inch mentioned by Light. It really shouldn't oscillate at all on very smooth roads. Road force balancing helped with my shimmy, and it hasn't returned after 15K more miles.
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