I am looking to buy 1 or 2 maximas. 1989+
I live in Los Angeles.

What problems should I look for esp in a 4th gen. I am somewhat familiar with 3rd as I drive one, but I am not mechanically inclined.

Am I better of with 3rd or 4th gen. Why.
Which one is more reliable?

Any opinions on Earlier model with low mileage vs. later model with higher mileage.
e.g. 1989 with 60k vs. a 1995 with 120k?

I am interested in reliability and bang for the buck more than performance.

this being LA, I find myself sitting in stop and go on freeway so I'd probably want an automatic. I noticed threads discussing ve and vg but there was too much disagreement. What years/trims are best for auto.

 

Is it just me or is it nearly impossible to buy a 4th gen for $4,000?

 

I've seen ONE fourth gen for sale around $4,000 near me in about 2 years.

 

Impossible? My 95 with 141K on it goes close to $4K. $4,300, but close enough.

Back to the topic though. Any Max that is well taken care, will run forever. The 3rd Gens have better styling IMO than the 4th Gens. The only down side to the 3rd Gen that I see, is having to change the belt. 4th Gen has a chain so you don't have to change it.

3rd Gen has an indepent rear suspension though, which is a plus. When it comes down to it, just make sure it's a 5-spd .

 

You are right, they are not very common but they are beginning to trickle in esp in big cities.
I should probably increase range to 5k. The bottom one sold in its first day, of course. Weird mileage (it said minor accident on back).

1995 Nissan Maxima GXE $3,999 -- Classified Ad 4 mi.
1995 Nissan Maxima SE $2,995 2,000 Classified Ad GREEN 4 mi.

 

you want the sportier one ? then u want 3rd gen VE 5spd. the bigger more family like one then the 4th gen is your slice of pie.....

 

if you want an 3rd gen auto i would suggest getting a lower mileage max, or one that has had its auto rebiult recently because almost 90% of them go out before 150k im not sure about the 4th gens best bet is to get a 5spd because the falure rate is proboly like 1 out of 10 at 200k, although you will have to replace the clutch before 150k and if you cant do it yourself it could cost considerable amount but still be half of what a auto tranny rebiuld goes for

 

I think I like the 3rd's looks better esp the older grill on early 3rd. I like the sportiness. On the other hand I like reliability, too.

What about this with the auto (does it have to be 5 speed in order to benefit from the new engine).
1992-1994 SE specific
VE30DE DOHC engine generating 190 hp and 190 ft lbs of torque

 

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I don't know how the 4th Gen transmissions are, but if you want automatic the 4th Gen might be better because all models have 190hp and the 3rd Gen automatics aren't known to be very durable. VE autos can be slow off the line too IIRC... also you don't have to worry about VTC or exhaust stud issues with 4th Gens.

If you wanted a stick then I'd lean towards 3rd Gen, but for heavy stop and go driving you would want an auto or you'd go batty!


EDIT: Us 3rd Gen guys will keep beating you over the head with "Get a VE 5-speed!!!!" because that is what we all want and love, but sometimes practical considerations get in the way. I know if my commute was as hot and heavy as LA commutes I would have been forced to go auto or 4th Gen auto...

 

i accualy like driving in stop and go with a stick. on the highway i dont get to do much shifting, but in the city i get to dash from light to light and blow everybody else away + i love how my tires just rip loose in first at about 3 grand it turns some heads and i dont even have to drop the clutch. most of us that drive 5spds are very biased towards them because we are different than the other 99% of the drivers in the world that drive autos. i find it to be very very boring to drive an auto i dont care if its a geo or a minivan i would still not even consider an auto

 

if you want dirt cheap, go with a VG version of the 3rd gen. you get the classic 3rd gen styling, GXE has an auto, and you can get one for about 2k or less --nobody wants those. no matter what you do, you must put money it after you buy it. c'mon, the car is almost 15 years old.

imo, the trim on the VG 3rd gen SEs is better looking than the VE versions.

 

I'd say whichever one has the least miles, best condition inside/out...

Other than that, both cars should be reliable (won't leave you stranded)

 

This reminds me that I actually like standards, too. Since I was going to buy 2, maybe 1 should be standard and one auto.
I am procrastinating because I really don't know enough about cars, have not even purchased one before while being too obsessive and wanting to make sure everything goes smoothly. I really need some group support in Los Angeles to motivate myself. The maxima I have now has been totaled by an insurance company and is almost dead, yet I can't bring myself to go and get them. AAAAARGGGGh

 

sorry to break it to you but you should get a 4th gen cause i think they are more reliable but for 4k it will either need some body werk or motor werk. Unless your lucky so be pationat when looking around and dont be to pickey.

 

a 99 GLE with 90K on it went for $4300 at Maihem 2 weeks ago I believe. A 98 SE 5 sp with 80K went for $5300. Just to show all of you who are saying that it's impossible to get a 4th gen, let alone a late 4th gen for ~5 Gs

 

this statement is completely wrong

the only times my max has left me straded was either do to running out of gas "my fault" or when the motor blew up "my fault" or when the engine control fuse blew do to me shorting out the injector harness on the new motor "my fault"

 

i agree with subs.....my car has started everyday for the last 3 years. 211k miles original motor. Be prepared for tranny replacements though...I'm on my second and preparing for my third...

 

how did you get that they are more reliable? my 92 SE has 278+k original miles and has less problems than my 97 SE doesn and it only has 160k.

 

HERE is a statement we should all be proud to hear!!! Thanks, ScreamingVQ!

 

and for the love of god people, please stop assuming that all 3rd gens have timing belts.

VE's having double roller timing chains. arrrrggggg.

Go VE. Drive Happy now (VG's are still really good though, still bundles of fun to drive )

 

oh sure, vgs are fun...UNTIL it gets BLOWN away by a ve or vq....especially a female driven one at that (recalls very very bad experience)

 

they are still faster than alot of the 4 cylinders out there and can keep up very well. cmon now

 

vg is more fun if you put the CAI and y-pipe on it and is 5spd. you can still roll down the street with pride as you leave the honda in the rear-view mirror. i have 2 vg powered maximas.

 

Even though it's common knowledge that Maximas have Zero resale value, any 4th gen that's selling for under 3 grand is unlikely to be a reliable vehicle. Just use common sense. With that being said, we original owners would be smart to simply keep our cars when it's time to get a new one, because I'd rather take another 7 grand out of the bank and keep my 98 SE than hand it over for 6. If there's a family member in need of a 6 yr. old Nissan though then just give it to them for free--point is the trade value is so low, why give it to a stranger?

 

Im not sayin 3rd gen are less reliable but a fourth gen with lower miles is more common. Anyways you got to be luck to find eaitehr in good condition and low milles.

 

I bought my car for $1400, I think I have less than $3000 invested, but it wouldnt surprise me if I had more. I have some mods, but overall its a very good car and I am expecting to get many years of good, reliable service and fun out of it.

 

another way you can look at is this: what kind of miles are on the car? if the car has 6000 miles only, but every mile of it had the owner flooring the gas pedal at every stop light; driving it through waist-high mud and water during a rally race with one quart of oil, then the car is toasted.

or it can have 160thousand miles of easy, highway pampering and care driven by a grandma once a week to go shopping for bread and milk.

or, you can have a car that is half-way the above example. at any rate, you are going to end up replacing a large amount of the bolted-on parts of the engine anyway during your ownership of it. your aim is to stave this inevitability off as much as possible. there are books on this topic, actually. i bought such a book when i was looking for my maxima. the book took me through steps and gave practical advice on how to "see" the invisible killers: like, if you find water on the dipstick (bad), or oil in the radiator/antifreeze (really bad) -i encountered both conditions during my quest. i am confindent that with help of org advice and your own saavy, you will find a nice example of the maxima, no matter what gen you prefer .

 

with 4th gens, watchout for tranny tranny tranny tranny...the seals, bearings whatever u want to call the issue that is located between tranny and axle.