Never bought a used car before, so maybe you guys can help. A friend of mine recently bought a used rental car and got a great deal on it. So far it has been fine, but I was wondering if you guys would do the same?

Not sure if they are maintained well but so far he has had a positive experience.

So would you buy a used Max from Hertz, Avis, w/e?

 

I would try to find a 6 speed one, because I have heard about a lot of people having problems with the autos.

NEVER, I repeat NEVER, buy a used rental car. People drive the **** out of those things.

Good luck finding a car man!

 

Actually, I think it depends on the type of rental car you buy. Almost everybody can afford a say Ford Focus as a rental. The majority of the people who dog the cars, (and I used to be one of them when I was 25 to 30 yrs old) either can't afford or don't want to pay the extra cost to get a Maxima or other luxury sedan. I'm now in my mid 40's and the last few cars I rented a Chrysler 300, and a BMW X5 I tended to drive them way more civilized than when I was in my 30's.

I know everyone over 40 won't but IMO out of say 30 renters you might have 4 people who dog the vehicle. From my experience the Maxima can take a little abuse here and there with no ill effects. So, if you can get a good deal on one with low miles, buy it. My last two Maxima's a 97 Se and my current one an 03 Se both were off lease. I kept the 97 seven yrs and sold it with 147k miles on it and the 03 currently has about 75k on it. Go for it.

 

hit and miss with those things.. people that WE know prolly drive the **** out of them... because we are like that. However there are an abundance of people out there that drive responsibly regardless of whose car and how they are paying for them. think about the majority of people that travel: business and older/married people.

Furthermore, rental companies generally take REALLY good care of their vehicles (at least here in Canada).

My suggestion: look at it like you would look at any other car. Get a mechanic to check it out, try to find history on it etc..

 

I wouldn’t buy a ex-rental car, just the thought of pedal to the metal for the majority of people that rent them. Anywhere from accelerating real fast and braking real hard, driving in pot holes etc, unless they have kids or are seniors, those cars literally take a lot of abuse.

My advice, I would price your max on http://forums.maxima.org/6th-generat...08/www.kbb.com.
select private party, good condition, you can put in your price range, mileage, zip.

Make a spread sheet, have year on the left, mileage on top eg.

50K 60K 70K 80k

04 $13,000 $12575 $12500 $12,000

05 $14,000 $13800 $13500 $13,000

06 $15,000 $14875 $14500 $14,525

Now shop on http://forums.maxima.org/6th-generat...autotrader.com. Choose make model, used, Maxima 04 thru 08, your price range.

A whole list of maximas will be displayed stay away from used car lots and dealers, and compare price and mileage on your spread sheet that you made. This way you won’t get ripped off.

Always figure on approx 15,000 miles on avereage per year.

A heads up, when you call, say, ‘ I’m calling about the car you have for sale’ if they say which one, then most likely they’re a dealer, and you can hang up.

Using this method I bought my 04 Maxima, had 55k miles back in Nov 06. Now has 106k miles still looks and drives great.

One lady owner from new, kind of high miles but she was a nurse (not bad looking either) , mostly highway miles.
The car was immaculate inside and out, and has turned out to be a great buy.

Anyways, hope this helps

Good luck

ps Always make sure, the title is clean before you close on any car.

 

Only buy a rental if you know it's a rental, people get pissed off when they realize they just unknowingly bought a rental, I would

I know of a few who bought rentals from dealers and returned them just because of the unknown, plus the dealers try to act like it's just a used car

If you buy a rental it is well taken care of maintenance wise, body is touch and go but they should throw in a nice long extended warranty, a friend of mine bought his daughter a Ford Focus and they gave him a 150k warranty covering anything

 

 

i agree with these guys...i wouldnt buy a rental car...i beaten the hell out of the rentals i had...

 

This is why I wouldnt buy a rental Maxima or not. I know not everybody drives like that but do you want to take that chance?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgHALxIYfCY

 

lol damn he did doughnuts and a whole lot of bad things to that car and it wont come up till the future don't buy a rental man just search around you'll get the max of your dreams

 

Maximadude,

I just did this three weeks ago. I picked up an 08' SE with 9600 miles that came out of an auction and was a rental vehicle. So far I have no complaints at all and am confident that any major issues that might occur will show up prior to the bumper to bumper warranty expiring. I have also owned a 4th and 5th gen and am confident in the overall build quality. I also agree with a previous poster that these cars can handle a little abuse ealry on. I also agree that not every renter is going to abuse the car.

I did have concerns initially, but with such low mileage, a clean history as well as 27k miles of warrany left I felt it was a great deal. With the economy tanking as it is many rental companies are unloading cars (many Maximas) at a furious pace. Used 2008's started showing up for sale everywhere in my area.

FYI I paid $18k for mine and it had 9600 miles. My guess is that I paid about 9k less than the original sticker for a car with little mileage.

 

Bah, I got mine at a dealership with a warranty. No hassle. Has been perfectly fine for a year. They changed the rad cause of a leak, alt pulley and belt, thats all.

 

Never driven a manual before, and friends with manual cars don't want me learning on theirs...

 

Don't the rental companies charge for damages like that? They have to fix the car right?

 

I know someone that works for Enterprise. I was told that they only sell low mileage, pampered ones on their used car lots. The ones that were dogged go to the auctions.

 

Thanks, I guess it's really a hit or miss type of thing, although it's good to know that Enterprise only sells decent used cars.

Also interested in a 6 speed, but would have to learn stick. I've rode around with people driving manuals but never did it myself. Is it THAT hard to learn?

 

Better yet, would it be a good idea to buy a manual Max and go from there? I would assume it pretty much forces you to learn, right?

 

Video looks no worse then what some of my neighbors do, does not take much to spin tires, the roads look wet, and I doubt they did any damage other then premature tire and e-brake wear.

The car just needs a routine trans fluid change but most people think that fluid last forever

Used cars in general are hit and miss, the average individual does not treat a car well and asides from changing the oil every 3-5k, the trans, radiator, and brake fluid are neglected

 

I usually change trans fluid every 24k, coolant 2 yrs and check brake fluid every 30k. Also air filter, oil filter, drive belts, and spark plugs as per the recommended maint. schedule.

 

If you buy the extra insurance for like $10 they cant do anything about it unless you total it out, Hertz hates me for that lol

I know a bunch of people who also do that kind of stuff to their cars all of the time, but I wouldn't want to buy one from them either. IMO the best bet would be to take it to a mechanic you know and trust and have them go through it. Same goes for any used car.
Just my 2 cents

 

Let me rephrase that... are the manual trannies on these cars forgiving / easy to learn on or should I buy a clunker first and practice on that?

 

maxman7 here, Hey I just bought a 04 max,SL with 5spd. auto and 220,000 miles on it, the car runs great and shifts great, but it was a one owner with perfect service records. I just decided this was the only way I could afford what I really wanted and with mine being loaded with navigation and leather, It is garage kept perfect and I love it. I would definately replace a motor or tranny to keep enjoying this ride. If You do somr research You can get the vq35(3.5,v-6) for 700 to 1000 dollars for a used but reasonable miles engine,and a brand new one for 2,000 to 3,000. of course someone has to install it. as for tanny I,d say a lot of the negative feedback is due to dip****,s ignoring their owner,s manual. Only nissan,matic-k fluid or equivelent can be used in the auto trannies, nissan will flat out tell Ya these tannies wont shift properly or wont shift at all if You use any other fluid.Yeh I know dealership crap but it is,nt worth taking the chance on this one. Make sure You check the tranny fluid for discolor,metal fragments or a burnt smell. It will smell like a clutch smell or hot brakeshoe smell if it is in bad shape.Make sure You get any service records Ya can. You need to know if the timing chain tentioner,s has ever been replaced, they are notorios to go bad on one that,s been drove hard.If they hav,nt been replaced, start car with hood open,go to passenger side of car and have a listen, if You hear whining noises (like a chain rubbing metal) then Ya probably want to pass this one up. Changing that stupid nissan design flaw requires pulling the engine. thats just a few of the worst things to look for,Study this forum a day or two and You will be a maxima Tech. awesome site!

 

Thanks, I agree this is an awesome site and I've learned a lot so far!!

 

This is true, also the price should be adjusted accordingly since it was a rental, like others have said just get it checked out if you are getting a good deal.

Also I have looked into learning to drive a manual, where I live if you just go on Kijiji and sites like that there are private ppl (not an actual driving school) who will come with there own car and teach you to drive stick. One guy even gave a extra lesson for just a couple bucks more on your car when you get it.

 

Ive purchased a former rental car. let me say it like this. DO NOT EVER purchase a rental car.

If you cant figure out why not to purchase one, you should probably drive a scooter or something lol.

 

Is that really necessary though? I know someone who learned manual on her first car and didn't really screw anything up. She said as long as you don't do something stupid (like go from 5th to 1st at 50MPH) or slip the clutch excessively you'll be fine.

So is a Maxima a good car to learn stick on?