I agree with that, but you really do need to divide out the 00-01 models by what kind of rims are on them. The ones with the 15" steelies or 16" alloys are just as quick as if not a hair faster than all of the 4th Gen's. But the ones with the heavy 17" rims are a good bit slower. All of that extra weight at the corners makes a huge difference.

https://maxima.org/shoptalk/sub_read...ns/index.shtml

ok no doubt 4gens r sik. get em cheap and have plenty of money left over for mods. kinda almost wish i did that now that i see em on the org but i ended buying my AE and i love my ride! white with black leather. that *ish is hot. they r expensive as hell tho. and yah they do wiegh more cuz i have 17's but nuttin sum performance mods cant fix
so i guess it depends on wether ur rollin in dough or not.

Where? how many miles? no extras?

No one said they have ECU problems, the problems is that you can't GET an ecu as a mod for them.

doooooooooooooooood.. where the hell you been? you need to stop hiding

So all this talk about the 4th gens being the fastest... is that only counting the 3.0s? Can a modded 97/98 take an 02/03 6spd? Is that NA, or are you talking SC or Turbo?

I'm not challenging the statement, just curious, as I hadn't heard that the 97/98s were so fast.

^ A 97-98 5spd with all the bolt ons (still NA) + lightweight wheels/good tires, maybe a CF hood, remove the spare.. could easily take a 2k2/3 6spd. Someone on this board is running high 13s NA in their 4th gen, and I dont even think he has cams. Right now, the fastest Maxima is a 4th gen (turbocharged + nitrous to spool the turbo)

if u looking for a 4gen different get a 97-99 5sp..it's called the prettier maxima....for 5gen get 2k2-2k3 5sp with large 3.5 engine..

I took out a 00-01 by two three cars<quoted by Redrum85

What kind of race was this? Was it from a standstill or on the roll? You say a 00/01 is slow, when it has been a proven fact that an 00/01 will beat your car on the roll, so what is your definition of slow?

I would, and did, go with a '98 SE 5spd. It's the best looking model/year IMO. They're all pretty close (2k2+ being the exception) as far as performance is concerned. The 4th Gen's (well, < '99) can be modded a lot more than the later/earlier generations.

It all depends on what you're looking for. I chose the '98 SE 5spd because it was the latest modifiable good-looking Maxima that Nissan made.

BTW: If you're considering a 5spd 4th Gen., make sure you set aside a few bucks a week for a "Transmission Fund", as it's only a matter of time before you'll need a swap/rebuild.

Good Luck!

are you on drugs? 6 speed runs low 14s, it takes alot for a VE/VQ 3.0 liter to get there, mod the 6 speed and see ya later.

You are correct in saying that the 4th Gens stock are very far from the new Maximas. However, if you take a Maxima from each year, apply all the bolt-ons for that year, I think you'll find that the 4th Gens will win out in the speed contest.

I'm sure nobody will argue that a 4th Gen with FI will be faster than a stock 5th/6th Gen. It'd also be about $18k cheaper

Wow where are all these high prices coming from, here where I live you can pick up a 2000 with low mileage for 7-8k.

I just picked up a 98 GXE that needs a front bumper cover for 1800 with 118k on it.

For looks Id say go for the 2k+ thats me though I think the 2k+ looks sportier. Honestly though you can get a 95-99 for much less, and add a body kit or such to make it look just as sporty though.

95-02 Maximas had the best engine made by Nissan in means of reliability. If you look you will see several with well over 200k on them. That is not an issue.

03+ The newer 3.5 hasnt proven its reliability yet so that remains to be seen.

Depending on where you live a 95-99 would be your best bet and mod it. With 12k you should be able to do a lot to make it quite fast.

Look at the date of ALL the rest of the posts...

edit: also... The VG30e was the most reliable engine ever put in Maxima's in my opinion.

1989-1991 SE's : VG30E
1989-1994 GXE's : VG30E
1992-1994 SE's : VE30DE
1995-1999 (ALL) : VQ30DE
2000- 2001 (ALL) : VQ30DE-K (Variable Intake Mani)
2002-Current (ALL) : VQ35DE (Different applications)

Holy fricken old post batman! I wasn't paying attention to the post dates, and I was really confused why people kept saying that you could a 2000 max for $12k.

One other reason to consider a 3rd gen.....independent rear suspension.

I was thinking the same thing. I started wondering when someone said $12K should get you a 2000 SE 5sp.

haha yeah that flipped my world ... i was about to say you can get a 03 6mt for 12 if you wanted... LOL WtehF!