Mikey319

I have a 2018 Maxima Platinum with 47k miles on it. My residual is $18,506 and I have 6 payments left of $420.94. It needs to have the front bumper/hood repainted (lots of rock chips) and it has had some issues in the past sensor and trans wise. Also, 3 of my rims need to be re-finished from curbing them. I'm not sure if it would be worth it to keep this car for the time being and get everything fixed on it cosmetic wise and get it certified while i'm still in college or if I should pay the wear and tear and excess mileage and get something else. What would you guys do?

slava

I would get rid of it. Look at this: https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...o-buy-instead/
Perhaps the disastrous CVT reliability has been fixed with more recent models, but I wouldn't bet my wallet on it.

Mikey319

it definitely hasn’t been fixed. I had the valve body replaced at 35k

slava

Wow. Then I think the answer is clear, even if it may not be what you wanted to hear :-(

Mikey319

It just sucks because I’ll never find a car with the same features for 18k dollars. I have about 1.5-2 years of college left and I don’t want to get a beater car after having this for 3 years. Ya know? I also don’t want to have to pay the wear and tear and excess mileage either. So that’s where I’m also stuck. Plus the disposition fee if I don’t get another one or buy this one.

slava

You always lose when you have to trade a car, but IMO you'll be better off in the long run. Just get something reliable that meets your needs. Full size sedans tend to be a great value, especially lightly used. The Maxima would be a good value if it had the longevity of a typical modern car.

lindros2

My advice:
1. If you love the car, negotiate to buy it for cheap from your financing company (you leased with Nissan Finance? If so, good luck getting through...)
>>> the news for sedans is bad - they'd LOVE to get your car off their books
2. If you love the car, but are willing to take a chance, like I did, lease a new one. I bet you can get a similar lease deal on a 2019 or 2020. i.e. leasing a Platinum with purchase price @ $33-35k...
>>> and they might wipe out 6 months of payments - they have for me in the past... VW is doing similar things... Nissan dealers would LOVE to get one off their lot...

In my life - not for everyone - I do not buy cars. They depreciate like a rock, and I don't want to deal with repairs, etc.
$18,506 is - in my mind - is a 3 year lease w/ tax and everything included.

Mikey319

which sadly in my experience it won’t have the longevity

Mikey319

I hate the car honestly. It’s been in and out of the shop. I like how it drives though. If it didn’t have the issues and constant rattles I would totally buy it. I figured maybe start financing it and finish college then get something else. And yes it was through NMAC. Maybe they’ll give me some kind of deal for all the trouble I’ve had with it. Doubt it tho lol. I want to be paying less than what I’m paying on my car (also paying for my mom’s lease at the moment) so financing would definitely drop the payments. The tires have I think 8/32 for trim all around and my pads have 8mm all around.

jc53

You are in college and you are paying your mother's lease as well as your own! Wow! You must have a full scholarship or a great part time job. But seriously, with the issues that you seem to have had, I agree that you should move on from that Max, be it a new lease or other vehicle.

Mikey319

no scholarship sadly 😩 I’m paying 645 a month between both 2019 civic EX. She pays insurance though for both cars thankfully and tolls. So I’m trying to lower my payment at this point to save more. I have a 100% commission job and I hate it haha. I’m ready to get a different job at this point. It’s not that I hate the car I guess but the problems it’s had. I want to love it, I really do Bc it looks sooooo good, but idk. If I happen to go through with financing this one it’s definitely getting warranties. I would probably keep it for 2ish more years and then get something else. Or I’ll see if they can get me into another maxima and lower my payments but I doubt it. I also commute to school so that’s why I don’t want to lease again. If I did I would need 20k miles per year.

Randy

If you leased the car new Nissan gives you a $500 excess wear and tear credit when you turn car in. Should be in your contract.
Nissan will send you a reminder somewhere around last 6 month's remaining. Now for the mileage you will be over , depending on your
agreement that could be 10cents for every mile over 36,000. In your case that would be approx $1100. I don't think they will put a charge
on you for paint chips because that should be normal wear , but the wheels will definitely cost for repair. You can find a local wheel repair
center get estimate and go from there. If they are really bad Nissan could say they need to be replaced and that will cost.

If I was in your shoes I would go to the Nissan dealer and see what kind of a lease deal you can get at this time. They aren't selling or leasing many
cars right now. Also remember Nissan has eaten the last two lease payments meaning you say you have 6 remaining actually you have 4. That will only
come into play if you lease or buy another Nissan.


Hope that helps somewhat.

Mikey319

they only give you that credit if you lease another Nissan. I want to get away from the brand I think (after having 3 problem children from them). I don’t want to lease again, I would rather finance my next car for the time being while I’m in college. I drive a lot (20k per year plus) and I have 45k miles for my lease .15 cents per mile over that. My lease goes back December 14th I think. I have a friend that repairs rims so I’m not too worried about those mainly the front. And it’s not just chips it’s MANY chips. They will definitely charge me for it. I think something went wrong when they were painting it.

Steptide

I still have a year and half on my lease for my 18 max. I've actually thought about this quite a bit though. Will I be able to find another vehicle to lease that's as nice as the maxima for $360 a month? At the end of my lease, the residual is 15k. I could go lease a camry or accord maybe, but at 360 a month? With all the features and niceties? I don't know. Guess we'll see when the time comes

robtroxel

I'd listen to Randy, Steptide, and Lindros. You are actually in a great position to see what your Nissan dealer will do for you in regards to remaining payments or lease forgiveness. Why not look at the Altimas too? Otherwise, stand by for a ram for charges past normal wear and tear along with the excess miles if you bail out of the brand. The interest rates are very low right now whether it is a lease or purchase.

As for Slava, who pulled your chain? Seems like you are a hatchet-man in discussing the CVT. This tranny is no better or worse than anything from Honda / Acura.

Mikey319

As mentioned, I do not want to lease again and I do not want another Nissan. It especially doesn't make sense to get a 2019/2020 Max with barely any changes. I had 3 nissans (2014 Altima 3.5SL, 2017 Max Platinum, and current 2018 Max Platinum). All of them have had issues with the transmission. The altima flooded inside and molded as well. (27k miles). My 2017 was lemon lawed after having it for 6 months, and this one has had issues with the distance sensor, transmission, and lots and lots of rattles. It was also leaking water inside and that hasn't been resolved yet because the dealer hasn't been able to duplicate it. Needless to say, I am not a fan of the brand any longer. The only reason I am considering financing my current maxima is because I won't be able to find another car with all of the features it has for $18,500 and to avoid the wear and tear. I am in college and commuting so I don't think it is a good idea to lease again. My mom, brother, and grandma have hondas and have had zero issues with their transmissions. I can certainly talk to my nissan dealer, but I am not sure what they would be able to do for me at this point.

slava

Numerous class action lawsuits, Consumer Reports surveys, and a flood of individual reports all over the internet say otherwise. You can draw whatever conclusions you want, but I'm personally not comfortable keeping this car past warranty and that's going to be my advice to anyone else as well.

Mikey319

I agree. My factory warranty is expired and I’m absolutely terrified. That’s why if I end up financing this one it is getting certified with a bumper to bumper warranty.

robtroxel

Slava, You use words like "flood" etc to describe Nissan's problems. I am sorry you and Mikey have any issues, however, it is not the norm for these cars.
Mikey, the input here is strictly how to get you into another car while spending the least amount of your funds. With the kind of mileage you will accrue and your fear of the CVT, you may need the peace of mind a warranty can provide. That points to getting another newer Nissan. Otherwise, I would make the best deal on your Maxima and fix the wear and tear items and go for it. See what your dealer would charge for a Nissan powertrain warranty. Or if the cost is too much----
a CVT used on EBAY can be had for around 900 bucks or less. If you switch brands you have locked in a big loss! Finally, I put 46000 trouble-free miles on my 2016 Platinum and did experience lots of paint chipping on the front end. My cost was 500 bucks for a repaint. My 2019 has many improvements and refinements both in the lighting and safety options now standard and seems solid after 12,500 miles. Hardly any paint chipping on the 2019 so they much have improved the paint The decision is a tough one. >>Lock in a huge loss and change brands or buy your Max and fix it, (favorable interest rates) or purchase a new Nissan car with a full warranty. I can understand your anger given your past experience and maybe it is best to take the beating and move on. The rest of us, the majority if you will, will soldier on with cars that are not perfect but still good enough to last a long while.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-03-07-N...f13277a0533a1b

Mikey319

I’m not 100% concerned about the trans. Does it worry me a little? Sure it does. Is it life or death? No. My thoughts were that since it has a previous repair under warranty on history and if I get a bumper to bumper warranty when I finance it, it should be okay and I could argue/ask for assistance with consumer affairs if they don’t warranty future issues. I would most likely keep it another 2 or so years and trade it in if I finance it. Or, I may bite the bullet and get a beater car for a year while I wait to see what 2021 brings. I’ll have to see what my Nissan dealer can do for me. I have a meeting with a master technician on the 22nd I believe and I will point out everything wrong to him. If he can repair all the rattles and maybe say “hey this paint chipping isn’t normal let’s get it repainted no cost to you” I would most likely just finance it. How much is your lease on your 2019 Platinum if you don’t mind me asking? On mine, I put down my first payment (420.94) and that was all. I got the additional extended warranty to cover for up to 45k miles and 15k miles per year. If I end up leasing again, I would need 20k per year and I don’t think it would be worth it or doable. I’m looking to lower my monthly payment and that’s why I figured I would finance it. Maybe there is a special rate I can get and then trade it in for a different car when I’m ready. I’m just so up in the air about it all.

robtroxel

$450 down, then $450x35 months with 15,000 miles per year. The Platinum sticker with every option was $46,500 . That was back in Feb of 2019 so I would think lower interest rates would pull these monthly numbers down.

Certainly, it is reasonable to expect at least 2 more years of service life from your 2016.

mattislinx

I'll be in the same position within the first few months next year. I leased my 2018 Maxima for 3 years. I'm almost certainly not going to finance it once the lease is up. I thought about it and just decided I didn't want to. I like the car a lot but I'm not sure whether I want to lease again or finance a car that's 1-2 years old. I'm not ruling out Maxima's all together, but I'd get a platinum this time around if I stick with the Maxima.

Mikey319

oh wow that’s a great deal! Now when you say 450
down is that 450 plus taxes/fees or was it just 450 sign and drive? Yes I could probably get 2 more years out of it but who knows how much the trade value of it would be by then which is why I’m not sure what to do. Maybe I’ll keep The lease until the 2021 comes out and see if it’s a redesign of some sort or not.

Mikey319

yeah I didn’t want the car unless it was the platinum trim line myself so I completely understand.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Ditch the Maxima and starting looking at 2014 to 2017 Lexus GS350's and see what you can afford. You'll be glad you made the switch. RWD, 8 speed auto transmission (no CVT). Standard trim or F-sport. Available AWD with 6 speed auto transmission if that's your thing.

Mikey319

I’m not too fond of Lexus. Their design is boring and the infotainment system is horrendous. I would prefer AWD if it was available in my next car.

mattislinx

They're pretty nice but I couldn't justify spending $30,000+ on a car with over 30-40k miles for a 2017.

robtroxel

I figured the all-knowing Wizard would chime in about his Lexus! Follow his advice and you lock in a big loss, then go buy a competent boring Lexus used car that has no complete warranty coverage.

robtroxel

Mikey,

In addition to the numbers I posted earlier, regretfully I failed to point out the total out of pocket at lease signing was $2500 (450 1st payment+2050 for taxes plates fees, etc) back in Fed 2019.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Design is a matter of opinion, I get that. With a few tasteful mods, I think the GS350 is sexy as hell. I absolutely love the infotainment system. Easy to use and huge screen tucked back in the dash.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Look at the 2015's. I searched last night and found many nice examples in the 18k to 25k range. Besides, 30-40k miles on a 3 year old car is normal, and it's going to last forever since it's a Toyota. Not that Nissan's aren't reliable, just saying that Toyotas are about as reliable as they come.

Mikey319

does it have apple car play, LED headlights and a surround view monitor for backing up?

robtroxel

The Lexus is no treat when it comes to using the infotainment system. No touch screen here! And cumbersome if not impossible to use easily without TS..
Actually though herein lies the dilemma. The Maxima is always getting compared to higher-end cars. Then some complain about this and that if the Maxima does not have it. Nissan screws themselves by posting high retail sticker prices - that the market, in reality, does not support! I will say the 360 view/curbside camera view was present long before Toyota or Lexus had it. I use this real-world feature everyday!

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

OP, you should also consider an Infiniti Q50. Say a 2017 Q50 or Q50 red sport. RWD or AWD available. It's loaded with a ton of features, RWD and mod friendly (very mod friendly I must say). Not sure why Nissans/Infiniti's have such a poor resale value/depreciation hit compared to Honda and Toyota. You sure do get a lot of car for the money.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Triple Beam LED headlights started on the 2016 GS350. LED foglights too I believe.
No apple car play, but it can be added by a third party product sold by BeatSonic
No surround view monitor, but it does have an excellent back up camera.

Note that the Q50 has excellent front and rear cameras and surround view monitor as well. No more hitting your front lip for those of us who are lowered. :biggrin: