Hey, I'm new to the Maximas so I have a pretty stupid question, but I kinda need to know. I just purchased a 97 Maxima after wrecking my 240 in a drift. Anyways, Its green with tan leather, sunroof, power seats, auto temp control, 5spd, white gauges, and the bose system. It came with aftermarket wheels though. How can I tell if it is an SE, GLE, or GXE? I can't really tell, since I haven't done much research on Maximas yet. Thanks for the help.

 

You have an SE

 

nice. thanks

 

White Gauges gave it away.

Other things that give it away:
Grille and Door Handles the same color as car (not chrome)
Upgraded shocks
5-spoke 16" rims (others are 15")

A hole in your pocket, because you could have bought a GXE with the same options for $2k less, upgraded the gauges, rims, and suspension with better aftermarket versions for the same $2k.

(Sorry, I'm a GXE owner, had to represent.)

 

well, if you can find a 97 gxe maxima for 3000 let me know, if not, I'll keep the 97 SE I got got 5k sorry, had to throw one back to ya.

 

Damn, that's a great deal....how many miles?

But that's definately not the norm.

IanS

 

I highly doubt a GXE is 2k less than an SE for the 97 model year. I saw a 97 high-mileaged GLE at the dealer for 8995, so the GXE is gonna be 6995? I doubt it. The GXE has the speed limiter which as far as I know nobody has bypassed. When you spend thousands on a car you don't want to cheap out and say I'll put the features in myself, it'll cost more that way. How much to put auto climate in?

 

White gauges don't give anything away.

cdogg240, the only way to be 110% positive what trim level you have is to do a VIN decode.

Read this thread to find out how to decode your VIN number:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=72447

 

I was just playing with the guy....freakin relax people. It looks like he got a great deal. 5-spd...Mmmmmmmmmm.


But Frank, to clear up your obvious misconceptions/biases:

My GXE has no speed limiter.
It was found a while ago that GXE's with the C&C package don't have it.

And Auto Climate control isn't all that good. It's very much less adjustable than manual. I know this from experience after driving around in ebmorgan's I30 for a few days in the summer. First you're too hot, then too cold, then too hot. He even admits the manual AC is better, as have quite a few people on this board who have it.

And SE's seem to hold their value the best (GLE's and GXE's appear to be about the same cost, while YES, in the used market, SE's are about 2k more on average).

Let's just say I spend alot of time at the dealership.



IanS

(clee, I didn't know that about the gauges. Can you explain?)

 

Meaning a GXE/GLE owner can swap out the gauge cluster for a SE gauge cluster and viola! White gauges.

A couple of people have done that actually. I was planning on doing that when I had my car, but the local junkyards all wanted $200+ for the gauge cluster.



And my GXE had no speed limiter either.

 

Ah, yes, I was strictly speaking "stock". I should have made that clearer.

My GXE has a body color grille and White Gauges....heh. But of course, It didn't come that way.

And this strange whining noise from under the hood.....

IanS

 

I'd like to know how you paid that much money for a car and didn't know what you got? Did you check Carfax before you bought, or ask the seller, or check the owner's manual? just wondering.

 

If i knew what i know now back when i bought my car this is exactly what i would do. Yes i'm a proud 5spd SE owner, but for the extra 1.5k or so, rims/gauges and i'd be @ the same place but cooler ****.

 

Well, I got the car when I wrecked my 240. I needed something to drive so I got the maxima for a while from a friend who happened to be a car dealer. I pretty much loved the car, so I went ahead and bought it, it has just under 100,000 miles, but it runs strong and is in very good cond/. I did do a carfax report but it called it a Maxima GLE/GXE/SE.

 

 

Since it's a 97, you should have the alternator recall performed IF it meets the production date criteria:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....or+recall+date