We have an Iroc-Z and an Expedition so this will be our "nice car"...and a 30th birthday present for my wife. She likes the Maxima,I like performance and luxury. I've owned a 5 series before and know they exhibit some great characteristics like good smooth power, great 50/50 balance and reliability. I just thought I'd post to see what some of your opinions are considering the knowledgable posts I've read here on Maxima.org. You guys already know the Maxima,here is a link for the exact BMW with less miles(34k)...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2443781478

How does a Maxima stack up and are there many things to watch out for when looking at one?

Thanks in advance for the input-
Nikotek

 

That BMW is a 2001 in that link. Personally I would choose the BMW over the maxima as it has hardly any miles and is a bueatiful machine.

 

You got to be kidding me. This kind of question doesn't need our input, its very clear.

 

it's not clear-which is obviously why I asked. If you have no personal experience with the 5 series or have no actual opinion you want to share with me--then don't reply. I'm guessing you feel that the Maxima is not even comparable.

I do appreciate the reply but I've read nothing but rave reviews over the 2004 Max on this forum and in many car magazines and am under the impression that it's an outstanding car and value. After owning and working extensively on every car I've owned, Nissan is one brand I'm not familiar with and could use some actual advise or opinions.

 

Nissan is very reliable, a good strong car. I've had the opportunity to work on many Maxima's and many BMW's. Well a friend of mine bought a 2003 Maxima and it has 10,000 miles and you can hear all this plastic stuff going on inside. Then I have my cousin's 99 528i with 40,000 miles on it and you can barely hear anything. Build quality the BMW is superior. Speed wise the 3.5 Nissan Motor is very strong at 260 but the 4.4 BMW V8 @ 282 is also a performer with lots of torque. Bottom line BMW is much better oh yeah and nothing compares to its handling. Uhh just expect a lot of good things for maxima's here since this is WWW.MAXIMA.ORG. If I was in your shoes, BMW all the way.

 

I'd say get the BMW. If you get a good deal on it and keep it nice you will lose 1-2k on it. On the other hand if you buy a 2k4 Maxima, turn around 2 years later your lucky if its worth 20k. Plus the BMW is just an all around better car.

 

540 although be prepared to spend money once the warranty goes out soon, that is the only thing that I hate about BMW's. The maintenance cost and questionable reliability, I think the Japenese have the Germans beat on the reliability side and the Germans on the quality side. Remember the Max according to one of the car mags its the "poor mans" 5 series which has been since the 95 model which is a compliment!

 

Just from my brief encounters I have had with Nissan service, I would recommend the Bimmer, but speaking of service, the BMW is going to cost you more. I'm sure you already knew that from being a previous owner. If I had a choice, I would go BMW, it's a drivers car, IMO nothing drives like a BMW.

 

Going to the dealer for repairs for any car is costly. In a case such as mines where I can posssibly do all the repairs myself and save money on labor and just purchase parts I would go for the BMW and even if I had to bring either car to service I deal with the bill because at the end of the day I am driving a BMW As a side note my friend who the 2003 likes his car but at times gives me the idea that he regrets buying the car in a way and should of bought a used 5-series. Hope our responses help and that you get that BMW.

 

Rave reviews for the 2k4? I don't know what mags you're reading, but the reviews I've read have been luke warm at best concerning the 2k4 Maxima. Things like torque steer, FWD, overweight, okay handling, odd shape and questionable styling, and a slightly harsh ride quickly come to mind.

I'd take the BMW 540 over any Maxima, any day. The only thing I'd worry about is repairs and many of which you won't be able to fix unless you have expensive dianogistic equipment. BMWs are notorious for having lots of electrical gremlins and those are some of the hardest repairs to make. If you can afford a $32K car, why aren't you looking at G35 sedans since they're in the same size class as the 540. The G35 has received rave reviews.

Dave

 

I think the 540i is one of the best looking sedans on the road. I haven't driven one but in terms of performance, it'll beat the maxima in every category.. rwd and a v8 in a luxury car... doesn't get much better.

 

my only question is are you sure she would like the bmw? It's bigger and she might not like that. She should drive a 540 (or at least sit in one) before buying that.

if she's said she wants a maxima get her that... if she said she wants a "nice car" push for the bmw but let her decide. $35k is a lot of mistake if she's not going to be happy with it.

 

Actually, the 2k4 Maxima is both higher, longer and wider than the E39.

 

At least check out the G35. It would be a pretty good middle ground; more athletic and BMWish than the max, but smaller and more reliable than the BMW.

 

2k4 max=ugly IMO
bmw=costly repairs

 

I never would have believed it... you're right... my bad

 

German cars have a feel to them that I cant put into words.
Nobody does sedan suspensions better than BMW. Great handling and yet very supple and solid. Huge HUGE maint costs.
I'd go G35.

 

I agree, I would compare the G35 with the BMW and leave the max out of the equation.

 

Iroc-Z





if youre considering a new max, then id definitely scope out the G35 too especially since a BMW is one of your options

 

As everyone else has stated, 5-series and Maxima are like apples & oranges....
If you want to compare similar cars, the G35 and 540 are the ones you should be looking at.. They're still not much of a comparison overall, but money for money, a 2k BMW is going to be closer to the G35...

In any case, there will always be things you're glad you got, but things you wish you didn't.

Also note that the 2k4 Max is another 1st model year. there's going to be a lot of strange gremlins popping up on the car that weren't on other ones. The 540 is an established car, so any problems on it will be 'expected'-- at least by the mechanics.

 

My pick:
1)G35 Sedan
2)540i (depends on condition)
3)New TL(270hp)

2K4 is NOT a Maxima anymore even though it wears the badge.
2K4 is a FUGLY bloated overweight POS overpriced Altima IMO and I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole. The 2K3 TE w/6spd is the last REAL Maxima.

 

g35.. and new tl are nice.. i agree with icey.. those would be my two choices first before i ever considered a used car... i'm not sure about getting a used car considering all the potential money u might have to put into fixing things......... especially since its' a bimmer ($$$$$)

 

I know a guy who has a 540 I beleive it is a 98 and he loves it. The only thing that he complains about is the poor gas mileage from it. They are beautiful cars. I would love to have a M3 or M5 but could not afford one. So... go for the best deal and remember the Max is NEW so that is a +

 

Actually, with BMW or Lexus or pretty much ANY upper-end models...I'd go with a pre-owned/leased CERTIFIED vehicle. You pay a premium for it, but it generally includes a 100K warranty and someones already taken the BIG hit on depreciation. However, finding a rare car like a 540i w/6spd that's super clean is difficult, but I do see them occasionally at my local dealer and most of them are X-preppy weiner owners who didn't know how to abuse it. He just wanted to drive something that was anti-dork.

My opinion on BMW or Lexus is that if it's a lemon(rare), it's going to happen within the first 50K miles, but at least by 100K. BMWs are WAY overengineered and you pay for what you get. Yes, parts cost more, but honestly they need them less often. As long as you service them properly, you'll have a pretty trouble free experience. I'd just make sure you have a GOOD local mechanic EXPERIENCED with BMWs, because you do NOT want to be going to the dealer once the warranty wears off.

Luckily, I have both. A good mechanic experienced with BMWs and a friend of a friend who's the local BMW parts manager who knows me well. Now I just need the $$$$$ to buy my dream 540i 6spd.

 

My dad's friend got two pretty new beemers (one is two years old, second one year old). Both of them had some major repair work done to them. I think the tranny failed on the automatic one.

I think german quality is starting to go down, sucks

 

wtf, of course the bmw. u crazy?

 

I know:
2-'02-'03 330is no problems(1-autocrossed regularly)
1-90's 325i w/200K+ replaced exhaust manifolds/system due to rusted out and re-leathered interior.
1-'02(maybe '01) X5 0-problems
1-90's 318ti 0-problems
1-80's M6 200K+ some little stuff, but nothing major IIRC
1-80's TD 635i(??) 100K+ belts/water pump replaced

 

Personally I like the BMW more, but then again there is something special about a new car.. you never know what has happened to a car with 30k+ miles... despite who you think drove it and how it looks. I would still go with the BMW, but only because you're getting a good deal on it. If it were more, I would say Maxima.
-Cyrus

 

if you are deciding car for car, hands down BMW with no second, third or 4th thought. Only thing Maxima has over a 540 is PROBABLY space.

The only reason i would even think of getting the 04 maxima is for the simple fact that you have a new car to start with, not owned by anyone or touched or abused, u know its new. Just like Vyrus said, u will be losing this if u go for BMW. All other reasons go towards BMW.

 

Good point...I doubt even the BMW's cost of maintenance could offset/even out the depreciation on a new Max.

G35 sedan is a good bet...and at least you can get it in AWD.

 

Ok, take this from a BMW wannabee......

I have a 98 SE 5-spd, top-of-the-line, every option except sunroof deflector. The car listed for 29.3k, and I got it brand-new for under 22.5. It is now worth about 8500 with 85k miles. That poor resale has upped my cost/mi significantly.

To get into the BMW world, you could go used E46, namely 323i from 99. If you don't have $20,000 forget it. That's how strong the resale is on BMW.

Flip-side is you get ra*** by the BMW dealer on maint., but you know what? They aim to satisfy you as a customer, which Nissan does not.

That's the financial analysis. The driving comparison? Either fuggetiboudit, or read the Automobile magazine that reviewed the 2k4 Maxima. it came in 12th of 12 sedans, very poor showing. Rest assured, the resale on the 2k4 is the same as the 4th and 5th gens. Good luck, and do what you feel makes you happy. Drive both cars, that's what's important.

 

just remember that the second you drive A CAR off the lot you loose a couple thousand. Cars are not investments unless you have a very rare exotic car, old muscle car (vette, GTO, etc.) If you want an investment buy a house, if you want a car buy a car.

 

Very good advice. I bought my house in Sept 02, in Main Line Philly, and it has appreciated by 21% already based on the appraisal that took place when I applied for a line of credit. If I wanted to be a chump, I could buy a new 530, borrowing the entire 55k, on the line of credit which is 4%. Monthly payment? It would be $183/mo. if I borrowed the full amount. Know why? Because the line of credit is amortized over 10 years, but they only require the interest payment--upon the 120th month, the loan would be due. Wouldn't be smart on my part, it would be like a balloon payment.

Long story short, car is a luxury. The main factor, at least for me, is to make sure you make at least 2-3X gross salary-wise to the vehicle you want to buy. Obviously the new 530 would be minimum 6 figures, preferably a buck and a half.

 

How long will the wife keep that car? If you just want something for a few years, go with BMW. It will still be fresh to require major work done, and will retain its value well. If you want a car for more than 3 years, Maxima is a very good car to have. For 30 grand you can buy a really nice car. When considering BMW540, also think about G35, GS400, Q45, A6 4.2, these are also nice cars.

 

I can't believe all the BMW marks' on the Maxima boards. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves.





































Of couse the 540i!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

The 540i is not comparable to the Max... It's like asking what would you buy: a) Kia Sportage or b) Mc Laren F1 LM... Used or new should be the real Q... Do you want to spend the 35K+ on a used BMW or a NEW Maxima... I'd still take the 540i... I'd probably take the 540i over or really near the G35C as well... Now that would be one hard decision...

LEMAR

 

Out of these two, BMW - no questions. But before you go for it, test drive G35 first. And then see what you like more. Reason not to go with a Max, as Icey said, it's not a max anymore and you'll lose a lot of money on it in a couple of years (yup, depreciation is awefull for new nissans)

 

540= higher maintainence costs when you need a repair but good service.
2k4 Maxima= 1st year car with glitches and POOR nissan service.

If I could choose? the 540 no doubt. Better build quality and great handling.
MY $.02

 

Looks like this guy will be buying the BMW for his wife.

 

Your analogy doesn't make any sense, because it sounds to me like it's a real-life decision the dude is trying to make. With the steep price of the 2k4, you can buy a 5 yr old BMW if you really want. But the key is one's income, buying used is another way of overextending when you really think about it. When you go for service, they will treat you like you make more than six figures. The flip-side to that is the bill you get will do the same. You think the $400+ service on the maxima is expensive? Multiply it by 3 for BMW service. You wanna play, you gotta pay. Typical 5-series owners got coyne and doesn't read forums like this one.




I'd recommend the new 530