If everything goes smoothly I will be getting a 1997 SE. Though, there's one downfall; it's an automatic. After talking with different people it seems that manual is better than an automatic.

After searching around on the Internet for information on this, I'd rather talk to the people who actually drive. Is it possible to put performance parts in an automatic, and have it still be as agile and fast as a manual tranny?

Thanks in advanced. If information has been posted, I apologize.

 

You can put performance parts on an automatic.

It will still be slower than a manual. Noticably slower.

If you spend money on a bulletproof transmission, it can match if not exceed manual tranny performance. Probably still not as fun though..This option is mucho dinero..

 

There is something called the VB mod for an autotragic.

What is so special about the 97 you are looking at? How many miles are on it and what options does it have, eg. sunroof, leather interior, climate control AC, Bose etc.

If it doesn't have less than say 110K on it, I suggest you keep on looking.

 

1997 SE automatics pwn!

 

I agree with what Bonka has said but here’s something else that I think makes manual transmissions much better. Imagine, you are traveling at a normal speed around the city, but suddenly you need to accelerate very fast. So, what you do with auto is floor the gas pedal. Since the computer is not ready for a sudden acceleration the car will be accelerating very slowly because of your transmission being in a higher gear. By the time your computer figures out that you want to accelerate and shifts to a lower gear somewhere near the redline, first the gap has probably already closed and it is too late to accelerate. Second, even if it is not too late, computer shifts in to the lowest possible gear with means your RPMs are VERY close to redline. Therefore, your tranny will be forced to shift to the next gear again very soon.

With manual, you shift to the optimal gear and when you floor your pedal you start accelerating instantly and you don’t need to shift while you are accelerating.

 

for reliability especially in these trannies i would take an automatic over a manual any day of the week. with all the bearing issues and what not, if ur auto goes bullet proof it if you plan on keeping the car for a long period of time

 

This car is very cheap, and I'm getting it from my uncle. I'm only 17 years old, and I have a car, but absolutely despise it. I've searched around for manual Max's, but none like the price I'm getting it at.

 

get it, mod it, love it!

 

It depends where you live and drive really. I used to have an 00 manual but it was a love/hate relationship as I would spend up to 2 hours in traffic when commuting to school 4 days a week. Now I travel the same route in my 02 auto and don't get nearly as frustrated.

EDIT:

As for times when you need to accelerate quickly, just step on the gas and unless you have dubs and fat chicks in the back seat the Maxima will move just fine

 

It's going to be mostly local driving, until I go to college next year and will be commuting on a busy stretch of highway.

 

I think overall a manual is more fun than an AT, but there are some good benefits to an AT, especially if you have to drive in traffic.

The fastest N/A 3rd gen (Aaron92SE) is an AT, so it's not like they can't be made to run fast. Stock for stock, the manual is definitely faster. Manuals also tend to get better mpg and don't weigh as much as an AT.

If the deal is good and you like the car, buy it. Later you can always sell it and buy something else if you aren't happy.

 

My main focus from the start, providing I get this car, is to make it more show than performance. My initial thoughts were if there was performance parts that would make this things sick, performance wise.

 

Have you driven stick before? The reason I chose auto was because I don't know how to drive stick but know I wish I had been able to learn, just to see if I like it or not. If I get a different Maxima when I go back to school I might try learning to drive standard first so I know if I would personally be happier with that over an auto.

 

I've driven my friend's dads 20th anniversary Max a few time around my neighborhood. That's as far as my skill ranges to. However, I did really well the first time I got in (I told him I knew what I was doing), but I learn fast.

 

Lucky! I don't know how to learn! I don't know anybody who would be willing to teach me so I might see if any local driving schools offer lessons.

 

You could train a monkey to drive a manual transmission Maxima. However, the monkey might have to practice a little from a stop on a hill.

 

i didnt know how to drive one b4 i bought my max like 2 months ago...i said f*uck it i need a 6speed, found a good deal and went for it...i have no regrets...u learn fast and its actually alotta fun enless your in trafic. the extra power u can sqeeze outta the car is plenty worth it.

 

How much does he want for it? If the deal is good, you should probably get it…
It’s one thing to be able choose manual or auto. Your case is different; you can either get a good car or not get one at all.

 

For some reason I don’t see any problem driving a stick in traffic. I live in NYC and drive my car every day on ever road and in every traffic condition.


There’s one thing I noticed what truck drivers do to save their clutch in a have traffic. They keep longer distance. They won’t accelerate when the cars in front are accelerating and therefore don’t have to stop when the cars in front are stopping.

 

you can always put a 5spd in there

 

In the long run, that's a costly method.

 

meh
10 chsrso

 

If you like the car and are getting a good deal, go for it.

My personal choice on transmission types, currently owning one of each, leans heavily to the auto. The convenience easily outweighs any small speed difference; for me. There are those on here that think the Maxima is an all-out race car, and/or the fastest thing on the road. If they want to bang gears, good for them. I simply enjoy a "refined" car that has ample power for what I want it to do. And it never misses a shift, shifts too slow, or is too busy to shift.

I have also never had my auto Maxima shift "wrong" or shift slower than I can. In fact, the reason autos are slightly slower is not because of shifting speed, but because of fewer gears. This means they stay in the same gear longer. Has nothing to do with how fast it shifts. And an auto going "near redline" is not dangerous at all. The VQ can safely go above its 6500 rpm redline with no problems (look at people installing MEVI's and doing ECU upgrades to increase their upper end). And DrKlop, in your scenario of having to accelerate quickly, not only can my auto decide what gear to shift to, but it will actually shift into it before you can even decide what gear you need, let alone execute the shift.

Maybe I've just gotten too old to worry about impressing other people by dumping my clutch, spinning out by slipping the clutch, or just acting like a driving stud because I know how drive a stick. Back in the 70's, an auto was something everyone dreamed of because of convenience and it was an "extra"; not everyone had one. Nowadays, since most vehicles are sold as autos, the 5 speed has become in vogue again. Kinda like bell-bottoms my teenage daughter wants to wear. I wore them in the 70's 'cause they were "cool". Wouldn't touch them now, regardless of what the younger crowd thinks.

What it comes down to is your personal preference. If you want convenient, refined transportation, get an auto . If you want to try to impress people with your mastery of such complicated things as driving a stick (status symbol thing), get a 5 speed. Or if you just like to have to shift gears over and over and over, get the 5 speed. If you want a 5 speed for "speed", get a real sports car.

The speed difference between an auto and 5 speed is insignificant enough that I can easily make up for it by driving technique on a road course. I don't straight line my car, so that's a moot point.

Not trying to belittle you or anything, but my opinion comes from more years of driving than you've been alive. And a graduate of a police tactical driving course. Which brings up another thing. Cop cars are autos. If 5 speeds were so much faster, wouldn't cop cars be sticks? Just goes to prove that the convenience easily off-sets any small speed advantage.

Remember, if you're getting a good deal on it, go for it. You won't regret it.

Dave

 

As far as the comment about leaving a bigger gap to keep from shifting, I've never had that work anywhere near a city from DC to NYC. If you leave a big enough gap for a car to fit in front of you, someone will squeeze into that space.

If you drive for a living (sales, real estate), then an auto makes all the sense in the world. Reading a map or directions is hard enough to do when driving without having to shift every 5 seconds. Yesterday it was a feat for me to drive down a road with stoplights every 1/4 mile and eat my White Castle!

 

i have one 5spd "fdsc" and one auto , the auto has more mods more power and handles a million times better, but the 5spd is still more fun to drive. either way ull be happy, dont try to please us, cause that wont happen just enjoy ur car.

also if its auto drive it auto. no 1-2-D'ing it

 

Dude, all I can say is if you dont want that 97se auto, I'll take it! whats the price? I've always wanted a 4th gen although I'm happy with my 3rd.

I havent had problems with the car's reaction time on passing up someone with a small gap..even at highway speed I was able to do it, and to let you know I might be needing an injector or two so theres some hesitation to that but not that bad

Dave Holmes:
I agree with you, although I think the police uses auto for other reasons such as the cops having their hands free for other things instead of shifting.

 

i guess not having to deal with clutches would be a big plus, hate those friggin things.

 

nicely put....

 

bulletproof tranny?????why is it good where can i get one and are they available for an 01 max???

 

i got a standerd car and is much much faster then a auto.

I was riding my maxima you know normal and i stop at the red light. out of no where all black handa civic pulls up next to me real fast. so i dcided to keep up with him.

so when the light turn green i piled off and we where neck and neck till i got to my 3rd gear.

 

Dave, there are a couple of things I don’t agree with:

You can't always buy a sports car for "speed" because some people need a four door sedan and at the same time can't afford two cars.

There’s just no way your transmission can predict what you are about to do, while the driver can, and with manual the downshift can be done while you are not accelerating.

- was about to say the same thing.

98maximagle:

True someone will squeeze in, but will it make any difference, let him get in front of you. In a really slow traffic which actually stops very often I leave a gap of at least 10 -15 cars sometimes more and it doesn’t make me slower than everyone else in that traffic jam. Surprisingly, not many people are willing to get in from of me. It is counter intuitive but it does work.

 

Newbie here.... about to sell my '97 SE. I'm the original owner and it has 50k original miles and looks brand new. No mods whatsoever. Automatic. Champagne color.
I am thinking about an '06 SE.

 

My point is that in an emergency situation, gear selection is one less thing to worry about with an auto. Floor it, and the auto will shift to the proper gear before someone driving a stick can select their gear and execute the shift. Too many thoughts/movements that can go wrong in a panic situation. An intentional drag race is different where there is pre-planning. In panic situations, fine motor skills and deliberate thought go out the window. Adding another task such as mentally selecting the proper gear for conditions and then physically shifting gears adds time-consuming steps to a process that needs to be as simple as possible for safety's sake. I've worked many accidents where the driver, in a panic situation, hit the gas instead of the brake (or vice-versa) out of confusion because of the speed with which things were ocurring. Add another pedal, and a fine right arm movement, and it increases the odds of things going horribly wrong.

My point about cop cars being autos is based on their convenience. And yes, I had more to do with my hands than shift gears (use lights/siren, radio, laptap, spotlight, PA mike, and even camera. Oh, plus steer the car at triple digit speeds). This is on top of going over scenarios in your head of your actions when you stop and the real fun begins. If 5 speeds had that much of a speed advantage, it may off-set some of the convenience. But since the speed advantage is insignificant in real world driving, the added convenience of an auto easily wins out when choosing a car for police service. My old department even used the old Mustang 5.0's as traffic/chase cars until they realized the automatic Crown Vics and Caprice's could keep up in pursuits, and the autos made the cop's all ready complicated job easier. Even though the 5.0 was faster by the numbers, in the real world that difference was insignificant when considering the added convenience of an auto. I think we pretty much agree on this point; I think my original post may have been mis-interpreted from its intended meaning.

But back to the original post. If the guy likes the '97 automatic and is getting a deal, he should get it. There are pros and cons to both transmissions, but at my age/experience level, the auto is much more appealing to me. It's just hard to beat the convenience for a daily driver.

Dave

 

speaking from expericne of a 17 year old, it would be better to get a manual. My car started out automatic, and the tranny failed after about 2 months (bad job on my part, didnt know what to looks for in a car)...then i got it rebuilt...2200 bucks...another bad job on my part, but i couldnt take it anymore, I didnt like how my car felt unresponsive, and downright slow. I converted my car to manual, and i haven't looked back since. I've learned alot about my car, and driving manual also keeps you alert. I agree with Dave that when you get older, convenience outweighs speed (my parents as examples), but at my age, i would definitely take a manual than an automatic.

 

lol civic is either 1.6, 1.8, or 2.0 and I'm sure they dont have more than 127 hp stock at least thats what the 05 EX has.. yes I know its light but Maxima should take on it like nothing. They lack torque too

 

'06 civic SI has 197hp.

 

that's a different kind of civic j/k