ericdwong

I come from the land of Camry, to be quite honest, I didnt know any better when I first got this car. My parents were never into cars. So all I had experience with was my first car a 90 Camry, and then my mom's car a 98 Camry v6 automatic. My aunt drives a 98 Maxima SE auto, but she's no enthusiast either. My dad drives a 94 quest. So as you can see, I'm used to driving around family sedans. I'm sure this contributed in my decision last year to buy a Maxima. Now abit about myself, I'm 19, this is my second car. This is my first car that I've actually "owned". The car is paid for and parents provide insurance.

Now when I was once upon a time in the land of Camry, it was a hand me down. I really had no choice in this one. But when it was new car time, I chose the Maxima. Why might I ask, for the amount of money I spent I could have easily bought something else.

Since most of us here are enthusiasts, and are performance oriented was this really your car of choice? If so, why? If not, why not?

mtrai760

iTrader: (19)

My first car was a 90 Integra that I bought used from a Nissan dealership. While waiting for the paperwork to be signed I sat inside a 95 SE on the showroom floor. I was hooked after that. One day in Dec 99 I just got sick of the go kart, drove down to the Nissan dealership, and traded it in. Haven't missed it since.

clee130

I didn't want the Maxima. I really wanted to get a Jetta GLX or a GTI.

I mean, it's a grocery getter and a hand-me-down from my parents. I was driving around in the Max for about a year not knowing it's potential and I hadn't found the Org yet.

Then I found the Org and the realize what a gem of a car I had.

ngthing

I hated the Maxima when I got it. I got jipped out of getting our 5.9l Grand Cherokee, but my parents duped me and gave me their 92 GXE, which we have owned sinec it was new.

I didn't have many plans for the max, but, after I found the .org a few months later, I love the max.

Llfe

iTrader: (5)

lol...i have a 98 maxima which was sort of a hand-me-down...my mom liked the maxima and bought it but then i started using it once i got my license and then 6-8 months later, she goes out and buys a 2000 camry...When the hell is it my turn to pick a car?

but yea...i didn't find maxima.org till like a year later...but dude...i love this car now...i wouldn't get ne thing else unless it was a Z3 or Z8

Jeff91SE

I was actually looking for a '92+ 626 ES. My mom had a '97 626 for a while. I was pretty immpressed with it, even though it was a 4cyl with not a whole lot of options. I figured if I could have gotten an ES, with leather and 2.5 V6 5 speed would have been a great car. I was a few days late finding a '93 626 ES loaded with like 60,000mi for like $4000. Im really happy with my Max though. Given the chance, Id pick a Max over any other car right now. (There are exceptions though)

nodoubt711

did not want my maxima at all. it grew it on me

Pervis Anathema

iTrader: (8)

My first car was a Japanese spec 1988 Honda Prelude Si 4ws. I loved that car! That is, until I got into a head on collision with it.

I started to like Maximas after I dated a girl that drove one. It seemed peppy and fairly comfortable. I was also impressed with the fact that it had 175k miles on it and drove like a champ! Also, I got the chance to drive a 95 SE. Very nice. I started researching them and decided they were a good value.

I bought my Maxima from the original owner who had done all of the required maintenance, kept it very clean, and stored it in the garage. The car had 111k miles on it and she only wanted 4 grand for it. So yes, I definetely wanted her! (the car)

ArcticMax

that began when I was 15.

Rembember when the 92 SEs came out? I was 15 then, and I was like, Holy Crap! this car is AWEWSOME!!

I screamed:
I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it!!

But I was only 15 and still in junior high.

That's when I first started liking Maximas. Those 3rd gen. SEs on black simply look gorgeous. I was just dying to get a Maxima, but it would be 6 years before I got one. Meanwhile, through the high school years, I was hooked on Maximas. I read about it in magazines, ordered brochures and hung them on the walls, I mean, I was just obsessed! All through high school, I DREAMED of going to college and getting my own car, which would be a Maxima.

In the summer between my 2nd and 3rd year in college, my dad decided that I deserve a brand new car. He asked my what car I wanted, and guess what I said?

Yup, that's right.

So I get my first Maxima in the summer of 98, man, those rebates were awesome.

A few years later, my brother takes the Maxima. So I needed my own car, and my dad askes me again, what car do you want?
Guess what I said again?

Yup Yup, that's right.!!

I like Maximas so much I made the choice twice.

Back then in high school when I was riding the school bus for 4 years, it felt like this day would never come, but it sure did.

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

Wow I'm the minority here. 4 years ago I needed to replace my '89 Ford Probe GT. I needed a sedan for work but WANTED 5sp for fun.
Except for a $35K BMW, the only choice I found was the Maxima. There might've been a Galant or Jetta I looked at but in the end I only wanted to by my Maxima.
Got the car I wanted but maybe not the color.

kierandill

The only problem with this thread is that the originator said in the subject line that it was a "rhetorical question", which, of course, means that none of you were supposed to reply....

DFWmax

i was a young-un too when i first started liking the maxima. i was in highschool, probably 16 years old, when i saw in a car magazine the maxima se ad -- the "4DSC - four-door sports car" and i thought, wow, a sports car in a sedan shaped body, something my parents would allow me to get. so when the 1979 pontiac bonneville (the orange (rusty) tank) died, i convinced my parents to get a maxima. first japanese car in the family. my parents didnt like it --- seats too hard, steering too hard, cant find the fuel filler door release, etc.

off to college it went with me, and after college too, 9.5 years later (not college, but life of car), my bro drives it into the curb and totals it.

by now, i was a "uh-dult" with a career, and i wanted to go into the near-luxury market, so i discovered the audi a4 (very nice car). however, the maxima was a better deal, and i didnt want $500 month payments, so i ended up with a 99 maxima se. now i just have to mod it until i get it where i want it...

dfwmax

the only bad thing about a maxima is that they last nearly forever; so you dont get the chance to "have to" buy another car to replace it.... that means i will probably be with this maxima for another 10 years....

bert

I have always like the look of the Maxima, back to the Gen 3 days. It always looked like a bad-a$$ car that you shouldn't mess with.

It took about 20 minutes to get my sale done but I had already bought the car before walking in to the dealer. I was just going from dealer to dealer looking for stock and price.

nodoubt711

wow, that is the first time i heard a negative remark regarding how the car can last forever...lol

but i know what you mean, the only way i was gonna get my max if my old 84 honda accord died (dam car was very realiable) and one day my tranny died. i was very happy cause i know my dad was going to get me something better...along came my max (yay!)

MAX99SE

I had always wanted a Z myself. But when it came time to buy a new car in 1999, there were no new Z's being made. I definitely wanted the heart of the Z (same engine) and hence the maxima.

Green 2kSE

I would have got another I30t if they still offered it with 5 speed tranny, but I'm happy with my choice.

DaBoxSE

iTrader: (5)

1979 Bonneville, huh?? Your parents had one of those too?? Ours was multicolor grey. I was going to have that car, but my cousin ran it ot the ground.

I actually wanted a maxima for a while, but it wasnt my only desire when my 89 VW Fox was on its way out. I looked at 92+ Camry 5spds, 92+ 626 ES 5 spds, Passats, Audi 90's, as well as the 89-92 Maxima SE's. My budget was only around 5K, so I needed to find something that was reliable and sporty. Last June, my girlfriend's dad bought her a 97 GXE. I was still in love with my max and decided that I didnt like 4th gens. Now, with 135K miles on my 91, I am beginning my search on a 4th gen SE 5spd that I can afford. I still love my car, but I also think that keeping a newer car would be a good way to keep the value of the car. (I guess I had a change of heart) Long live the Maximas!!

bluefish

I had a 89 Acura Interga GS 5 speed till 1994 with all the work done by auto trik, loved that car, but 98k on the Speedo and it was time to sell, then a New 94 Lincoln Mark VIII. Loved the power but hated the automatic. also ran like sh*t in the snow... But i could smoke the tires from a standstill..Very stealthy car.. too bad they do not make it anymore...

I really wanted a 1997 BMW 540i Six Speed. i found one with all the DINAN work done for 38,000. But the week i was going to get it a friend called and told me about the 99 se limited in Red with all the options. i went to drive it, and fell in love with the color. It was a 5 speed so i was satisfied about the sporty nature, and with a few thousand over this year in upgrades i could have a performance auto with not all the $$ out of pocket.

I saw this car on the showroom floor when my wife returned here 96 Pathfinder in 99 and could not pass up the chance to own this unique auto...

loving the car since December 2000...

Still want the 540i, but i am glad to have the money in the bank, not on the driveway...PS i also have a 98 Lincoln Navigator that eats gas like nothing you have ever seen... 9 mpg city 12 mpg highway...30 gal fillup once a week yuk...

SCCA Solo2

...i bought my maxima cause i wanted my brother's and he would never let me drive it. So, i bought my own faster one .

Plus, i've been seeing A LOT of red 4th gen maximas lately.

I drove my CRX to work today, it's sooooo fun!

mbcp_tdogg

My story sounds almost like a carbon copy of ArcticMax's (nice car by the way ). Been wanting the Max since I got my driver's license in high school and am glad that I finally got mine.

utahmax

I first rode in a max when I was in highschool going to a dance with some friends. It was a 92 SE and I very impressed with how it drove. I never really thought of it again until I saw the new commercials for the 2k max last summer. I was hooked, I had to get a max. So I started looking at the 2k's, but when I pulled into one lot I saw my car and I was sold on it before I even talked to a salesperson. I've been happy with it since the day I bought it last August.

Shep

Up until last month, I was driving a hand-me-down Plymouth Reliant K... what a pos. I was hoping that one day it would die, but it never seemed to. Finally, we went to get the gas line fixed, and it was so rusted out, that they wouldn't fix it. Finally, I got to get rid of it. It had 280k miles on it, and it was ugly as hell. Anyways, started looking at Infiniti G20's, Sentra SE-Rs, and Acura legends. Wasn't until someone pointed out the Maxima that I really got into them. Well, a few weeks later I got my 93 SE 5-speed Max and I've never looked back since. I'm still 17, but in a few years I'm going to be looking at getting a 4th gen, but not until I get some good years into my 93!

utahmax

I first rode in a max when I was in highschool going to a dance with some friends. It was a 92 SE and I very impressed with how it drove. I never really thought of it again until I saw the new commercials for the 2k max last summer. I was hooked, I had to get a max. So I started looking at the 2k's, but when I pulled into one lot I saw my car and I was sold on it before I even talked to a salesperson. I've been happy with it since the day I bought it last August.

brandonj

iTrader: (1)

I had been trying to talk my dad into a Maxima since the 3rd gen came out, but I never saw myself as the sedan type. Then he convinced me to look at a G20 for my freshman year of college. It was so fun to drive that I overlooked the "old man" image, and besides, maybe with it I wouldn't be such a target for police. Since only a few of my friends had cars that year, I came to really appreciate the utility of a sedan, and we put that car to good use. My dad liked my G so much that he decided to really consider a Nissan, and bought a 95 when they first came out. The day after I go home for the summer he went on a 10 day business trip, and decided to take my car to the airport and let me use his to see what I thought. I put close to 2000 miles on it. I was hooked. Whenever I was home I would grab it as much as I could. Four years later, when he decided it was time for a change, he asked if I wanted to buy it (at a steep discount) instead of him trading it in. I jumped at the chance. I'll probably drive it until it dies.

David

Hired a 98 Max on holiday in the US and went looking for one when I got home. Then found a 94 3rd Gen. I like the shape more than the later ones, and it's a beezer car.

(Of course, a 5-speed manual would have been nice, but that's just not possible.)

diesel9119

i've had a few cars... '85 Bronco II, '92 Grand Prix, '92 240sx... and then I realized that I needed something a little more roomy yet smooth looking... in that category falls the MAX... in fact I remember the first time that I drove one... mmm... had a penny jar started the moment I got home! j/k The MAX is by far the best.. fun yet practical... a nice sleeper...

GTRBlkMax97

iTrader: (1)

I started out with a 91 Audi 100 aka the tank, that thing was huge and road great at it's top speed of 110mph, it had its fair share of problems, but then my mom decided to get a new car, a 97 Infiniti Q45, so I got her Exploder, that thing f@cking sucked, I drove a rental car more than that thing because it was in the shop all the time, thats a Ford for you. then my dad said what kind of car do you want? I said 96 Nissan Maxima 5-speed black on black, leather, bose, sunroof, and that is exactly what I got (I am a lucky ****) course I was 17 and really stupid, so I wrecked it three times. the third time was the last which I so happend to rear end a damn exploder which is exactly what I started driving again because my dad drove the max for 3 months before he sold it, he likes Maximas just as much as I do, so after he sold it I got a 92 GXE, loaded but an Auto, drunk and stupid wrecked that one, not alot of damage just ran off the road, well after having that car for about two years, and putting a new tranny in I decided to try and get a new Max I wanted my old car back, I looked around for about a month or two and found a 97 Nissam Maxima SE black on black with leather bose sunroof and so I got it and love it I will allways love maximas and I hope i drive this one 1,000,000 miles.

brandonj

iTrader: (1)

LOL, anybody here not get a Maxima from their parents? Not that I have any room to talk, but it seems funny.

Swipe79

My first car at 16 was a 69 Mercury Cougar XR-7 that was race modified, I loved that car so much...and then I had to sell it. Second car was a 95 Intrepid (don't laugh it was free), it died around 150K Miles. So I went car hunting...drove a lot of cars, and found a Maxima with good mileage...after the test drive, nothing else will do...I'm probably going to trade mine in next year for a brand new Max.

AndyXXL

I got my first car, 87 Saab 5-speed, 3 months after I came to the US. I loved it, never had any major problems with it. Then, a year and a half later my mom and I bought a 97 Altima. I used my Saab only to get to college and back home. I was actually against buying an Altima, cuz by that time I was already "in love" with 4th gen Maximas.
I graduated from college last may, got a job and finally bought my baby max I'm making my last payment this month...woohoo

SWEETSOUND2001

iTrader: (30)

actually, i was in the process of looking for a 91/92 lexus ls400 but then my friend who own's a 97 se talked me into a maxima. were both salesmen, so he did a good job selling me the car..lol
but now i'm selling the max and buying a 95 lexus ls400 or possible a 95 bmw740i????
what do you guys think

GarthG

iTrader: (1)

Actually I wanted a Maxima, but a 3rd Gen. . . I was looking for a 92-94 SE with a 5-spd. . . All the ones I found were in really poor condition, and after about a year of looking my mom asked me how much would I give her for her 95. . . While I thought that the car seemed too wide at first and the steering wheel was too big, I got real used to it real quick and I am extremely happy with my car.

ajaffee

Okay. For those of you as bored as I, here goes.

In high school, I drove a 1976 Buick Estate Wagon. The biggest damn car I've ever been in. It was yellow with wood panneling - what a beaty.
My first year in college I bought a 1979 Z28. 5 years and one engine later I decided on a 92 240sx. That car ran great, but it had no A/C and it just wasn't fast enough for me. So, I then purchased a 94 Z28. The car was plenty fast stock, put still not fast enough. So my girlfriends brother (who built corvette engine) bored it .30 over. Now I had a 383 that was damn fast, and a s-load of fun to drive. However, things change, and a few years later I decided I wanted another change, so I got a 1987 Jeep Cherokee my parents had had for 13 years. I gave it a lift, new tires, new suspension etc, but it just had too many interior problems I didn't have the time to fix.
So I sold the Jeep and got the Max. I wanted a reasonably quick, well built car that got decent mileage.
No, it's not as fast as I would like, and it never will be. But it's decently quick and fun to drive.
So until I have enough saved up to buy a Z06 as a second car, the max will do the job well.

ThurzNite

iTrader: (13)

How about "why don't you have a maxima yet?"
My story: bro got a 90 GXE (dunno why). Tranny sucked. Sold it, got a 93 SE 5sp. That's when I actually liked the Max. Before that, I was thinking of a 4door Integ, G20, or 5sp Legend sedan. Bro took me out for a spin and everything was perfect. My requirements for a car: 4door, 6cyl, 5sp. I also looked at the 92-93 Camry SE 5sp (slow...) and early 90's 626. Found that 5sp v6's were hard to come by so I looked for auto's...really loved GrandPrix GTP but they fall apart easily.
Anyways...I bro moved on to a 2k SE 5sp and I was going to buy the 93 off of him but he still loves that car (sometimes more than the 2k!) Dad didn't have money (dad bought 90 and 93 for bro) I'm stuck without a car. Dad's client buys Q45 and gives 85 Volvo to me...so all the $ I saved up to buy a 92-94 SE 5sp I spent on a computer for my ex gf (nice computer!)
Now I'm screwed...crap car and no $. Bro says he'll lend me the 93 for a while, after he overhauls the tranny. My plan: save up $5000 by summer of 2003 and ask bro to help with another $5000 to get 97 SE 5sp.
Oh yeah, I'm 21 and got the Volvo Jan '01.
Jay

brianw

iTrader: (3)

heh...

I want one. I still haven't bought one.

Realistically for $10,000~$15,000 *used* it's best value out there for a car of this size, engine, and manual transmission. Maintainence (sp?) isn't going to ream me up the butt and neither is insurance (well more like I can actually get insurance, whereas for a Prelude or S2000 the insurance companies will just laugh at me).

After seeing the new Altima 3.5SE and stuff though, I WANT ONE!

However I can be patient. Buy the `97 Maxima first... then when I've graduated from college buy a new car...

MaxedOut

iTrader: (4)

I didnt really want a max... well i did, it was my second choice.... first choice was a 3000GT VR4... but the tranny sucked a**...so i turned my attention towards the max.... it nice.... big... 4th gen styling appealed to me... it would drive well in the snow... i just didnt like the idea of 4 doors.. but i grew to like it....so i was on the lot... there was a 94 SE blue with cloth interior and all the goodies.... and then right next to it was an Emerald green 95 GLE... yummy.. Although i wanted the 5sp, which was the 94.... the 95's stylin was just right.. i could deal with the automatic... hahaha how wrong i was... i shoulda looked for a 5sp 4th gen!!!


but i luv the maxima.... but i think i might need a new car soon.... almost 96k miles

pmar

I wanted a Maxima for a long time. Until 1998, I drove a 1979 car. When my salary crossed the 50K mark (it ain't much but 3 years ago it was to me) I decided if I can get a fully loaded Maxima for only 22,800 then that would be ok. I simply do not understand how a 16-19 year-old can earn the money for a 20K car. Either they are helped by their parents or they are serious achievers.

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

I can't speak for everyone, but I was able to afford the $14k for my car during high school because I worked a lot and had zero overhead expenses. I lived with my parents, so I didn't have rent, utilities, and tuition payments like I do now. My original car cost next to nothing, and all the money I earned went towards a new(-er) car. I could never afford to buy my car again now, so I'm glad I worked hard in high school.

Lyt97SC

as a Grad Gift my parents told me i could find a car i wanted, but it couldnt be a 2-door, so i had no choice but to find a 4-door heh. If it werent for my parents ruling, id probably be driving some rice honda right now.

focker2889

I didn't want to get a Maxima at first. I wanted to buy the blue Solara SLE. Went to a dealership and the people pissed me off. Come on, I am the one with the cash, MORON!

found a dealership ad later and emailed the guy. I was supposed to show up on Saturday to test drive the puppy. All of a sudden I saw another ad. A 99 SE-L with significant incentive. Went there tested a 00 first. They wouldn't sell the 00 to me at 500/1000 over invoice. I said fine.

Tested the 99 SE-L. It felt harsh and not as good as the 00, but it's CHEAP!! In fact, the car is terrible. Underpowered, poor handling, cheap leather, crappy plastic...... oh yes.. bland interior. (that's why I am here trying to convince myself into spending more $$ on mods)

So me, being Mr. El Cheapo, bought the car that night for the same price as the Solara.

Darn, I still want to get my Solara. Especially that now they have a good SC.

Anyhow, I am going to trade it in for the M5 eventually once everything around my life is settled.