Hello, i am new to this forum. Thinking about purchasing 2016 black maxima sv with 35k on it for 19k. Currently drive 10 base Acura TL with 120k on it. How reliable are maximas, what should i worry about or what mods should i do if i purchase it next week. Thank you for your help.

 

So far mine has been real reliable, however i would not buy a used Maxima SV, set your eyes on either the SR or Platnum. The reasoning for this is the options you get with both of them are far more than the SV and at the price you can find them is much lower than when they were brand new. I prefer the SR only due to the fact that i like to feel the road and curves when driving but if you like a more refined ride then look at the Platnum or SL, just my thoughts, but i think you will be much happier with one of those choices. I hope this helps

 

Hey VirusVx

I'll give you my hopefully balanced accessment in answer to your question.

In short the answer is that this car is reasonably reliable, or well within average in the areas that count most. In other words, I don't believe this car will leave you stranded on the side of the road.

The engine is rock solid. The transmission is a bit quirky and plenty of folks prefer the natural feel of a standard automatic , but *most* folks haven't had serious issues with it. Nissan has been doing CVT for a long time, and while not perfect it's probably better than what you'd get in a Altima or pathfinder.

The bad news is there are some common issues. The top two seem to be
1. Sqeeks and rattles
2. Infotainment issues

As for the trim, I have to say the best bang for your buck is the Platinum. If your looking at the SV because of the price, believe me you will wish you had got the Platinum. I didn't want to spend 40k on a car, so I got a slightly used one for significantly less.

Why the Platinum? Here are some reasons

#1 The around view camera. You need this feature! The Max has pretty good visibility for driving, but your visibility of what is just outside your door and near the ground is poor. Trust me

#2 if you take my advise to buy used, you're less likely to get a former Rental Car if you go with the Platinum. Sure there are some, but most of the rentals are lower trims

#3 All the rest of the goodies, there's just lots of cool toys on the Platinum. Granted, most of these features can be found on the SL too, but go back and re-read #1

So that's my 2cents, do with it what you will

 

 

Thank you all for you answers, thing is that a person selling this car is an owner of a dealership and family friend. Hr is practicly giving me this car for decent rate and 0 money down and i really looking to get it due to the fact i need a newer car. TL i have is base and i am sure Maxima will feel pretty fine to me. I have no special features on TL, leather and heated seats. Most likely will go with SV trim, is there a way to add some of those goodies from Platinum later on or not worth it? Also is navigation updated or shouls i somehow update it myself. Would car at 35k still have original warranty on it?

 

At 36 K the whole car warranty is done. You are left with the powertrain warranty which I think goes to 60K. See if the dealer will extend the bumper to bumper coverage to 75K. Otherwise I'd opt for a lower mileage better equiped model. As pointed out earlier, there are too many nice options that really can't be retrofitted..in particular the 360 view camera !

 

I think the SV is a solid value, you get quite a few features and avoid items that can be problematic, like the panoramic roof. I went with an SR because you get the LED headlights, heated and cooled front seats, and the upgraded interior, which I like much better than what comes in the other trims. I've not had any difficulty with mine over 7 months and 18K miles.

 

Hi VirusEx

To answer part two of your question, the Max is a very popular car for modding so if your into that then you will be very happy. Keep in mind, these are almost all style mods and not performance mods. At this time, the drivetrain is not considered to be very tuner friendly, so your kind of stuck with what you got. That said,The stock Max is pretty darn fast as it is

 

I have a 2016 SV. I bought it new in 2015 and settled for an SV because they didn’t have the color combo I wanted in any other trim level within 500 miles. I didn’t want to wait so My philosophy was that you can’t miss what you haven’t had. I also knew I was going to replace the sound system regardless. The around view camera does look cool, but For me, it was worth The extra $$. If I had it to do over again, I would still get the SV. Now, if you care about sound, and don’t plan on upgrading the system, then look for a higher trim level cause the non Bose system really blew.

 

Oh BTW, I really beat my cars up. I already have close to 70K on it with no issues.

 

Well, did you get the SV? Are you happy with it?

 

Not yet, but going to get it this Saturday. Will be back in here with bunch of questions.

 

Make sure:
1. Owners Manual (and read it; there is a ton of goodies on this car)
2. Spare Tire and tools
3. Both Fobs
4. Vehicle History Report (BEFORE YOU BUY!)
5. Most came with mats: front, rear, trunk
6. If locking lug nuts, then get the unlocking lug!
7. Check your GPS. Make sure card is installed.
8. Try to work a deal for some free oil/filter changes.

 

How would i know id card is installed into gps? That is one of my main concerns. Vehicle is clean, already checked carfax. Oil changes are not an issue, i do it myself, always use synthetic oil.

 

Because your GPS will not work without the card. You can find the slot for the card just below the CD player slot, on the right side.