I am considering buying an used Maxima. 2000 Maxima, which will be out of warranty soon or 1999 Maxima. Which one is less prone to have problems?

 

Similar mileage, transmission, etc? Are they cali or fed spec?

They are pretty similar in terms of performance, problems and so on. I say it comes down to which you flat out like better. Personally, I don't like 5th gens, so I got a 99. I'm sure others don't like 4th gens, and so on.

 

99

 

2k2 or 2k3


If not.....get the 99.

 

 

[russ]You're such an assshole [/russ]

 

 

Two words..

Plastic Manifold

 

 

Careful.....you're gonna p!ss Kev off. He's REAL defensive about that plastic manifold.

 

Composite manifold.

 

Cheapass Manifold, like the rest of the car.

 

Hater...

 

Plastic/Composite/Whatever Manifold = lower intake charge temps = more power.





I'd still take a 99 though. 200 lb lighter, less unsprung weight, plus more modding potential = still faster than 00

 

2k2-3

 

Get the manual!

 

Hater...

 

92-94

 

*****

 

well it depends what trim r u talking about? GXE/SE/GLE? r they auto or 5sp? if both are SE i would go with 5gen cause it comes with stock 17' rims and 32 more hp engine...it's kinda of weird but i have 98 SE but will upgrade to 5gen within 2yrs or so..

 

what the hell does trim level have to do with anything and despite the 32 more hp.. its slower than the 99

 

cause i like SE the best...i never said 5gen was faster...plus that's just my opinion...

 

so why would you mention the increase in horsepower if you were not trying to show that there is some form of performance gain

its like me telling someone the 4th Gen is bigger inside .. but then not wanting them to think it has more room inside?

so what if you like the SE better.. what does that have to do with any model being better? why would it depend on trim level when he is asking which one is better? are you trying to say the SE is better than the other trim levels?

 

first off i'm just giving my opinion which is what his asking...trim level doesn't have to do with anything but SE trim is what i prefer in terms of looks...his asking how reliable are both models and i would good for both...

 

As ugly as the 4th gen is, it's better lookin than the 5th gen. Whatever you get, make sure it's a 5-speed.

 

 

Read his question carefully, he is trying to decide between a 99 and a 00. He never mentioned a 02 or 03.

 

I think what the dude is saying is no to 2000-2001, and he's basically saying get the '99.

In my opinion it's totally subjective and up to the poster. Just drive both potential cars and get the one that feels better. I don't know the repair history on the 5th gen, but there seem to be a lot of little things that need attn with the 4th gen which hopefully the previous owner took care of. Otherwise unless you DIY it's expensive going to the dealership.

I am hoping I'm leak-free once again because I've blown through 3300 miles and the oil has just come off the high mark. There are a lot of fluid leaks plus repairs (though minor) with the 4th gen--manual gearbox through the reverse switch, crankcase via pressure sending unit or other (rear, main seal??), power steering rack, starter motor, fuel sending unit, power brake check valve, alternator, parking brake, these are all attn items that hopefully the previous owner would have had addressed while under warranty. If you have to pay the dealer to do any of the repairs suddenly that $8000 price tag doesn't seem so cheap anymore.

 

And let's not forget about the issues on the 5th gen's...

- bad coil packs
- bad tranny solenoid (which if not replaced, could have serverely cut the tranny's life short by now)
- occasionally broken variable intake which kills all power and Nissan tries to wiggle out of fixing, saying there's no problem
- prematurely warping rotors which are replaced with more bad rotors.
- crappy paint


Every car is going to have its own fair share of problems.

 

Get the '99

You can roll the front windows down with the key FOB

 

Did not know you couldn't with 5th gen. It is a cool feature--can't tell you how many times people say upon coming back to the Max with the windows down, you didn't lock the car?

 

If you plan on heavy modding then get the 99, there are much more mods for the 4th gen. If you want to leave it stock id get the 2000.

 

I personally like the looks of the '97-'99 Maximas a lot better than the 5th Gen. Maximas. If I were you, I'd buy the '99. Of course, it'll be your car, so whichever you like best!

-Nick