An SE with a 6spd costs more than a similarly equipped GLE auto. And all this time I thought that the GLE was the top 'o the line! Head over to www.Carsdirect.com and see for yourself. The demand must be higher for the 6spd. I'd bet that the resale for a 6spd won't be better than the auto though.

Jim

 

Must be the demand. But in my local dealership they're both the same price (e.g. car for car, feature for feature).

The GLE still remains the most expensive of the lot.

 

Must have to do with the fact that the 6 speed is now exclusive to the SE. Before you could get a GXE or SE with the 5 speed tranny.

DW

 

Its only more expensive in some regions on carsdirect.com because they are discounting Autos more. They are the same invoice and dealer cost though.

 

Man, gone are the days that you can get that great deal below invoice. Back in 97 when the Maxima wasn't as popular (it was on it's way up) I picked up my fairly well equiped 5-speed SE with a stick tag of $25,799. I drove off the lot after taxes, liciencing, etc paying $24,500. Sigh...I don't think that can be done anymore. BMW's, S2000's, Toyota Martix's, and now many Nissan/Infiniti's are going for well over the manufactuer's suggested retail price. Myabe at the end of the year, we'll see some possible haggling and negotiating. Besides which, I think the 6-speed is going to be released with an LSD in a few months.

 

According to the site, the helical LSD is a $350 option. I think that's money well spent. If you buy a differential separately, the labor charges of installation's gonna run a mean $600 easy.

 

I easily got a dealer to come in below invoice for a loaded 2002 GLE with everything except Nav. I had done my homework as per www.carbuyingtips.com and I was amazed at how easy it was. Too bad they didn't have the color combo we wanted.

Jim

 

Fully Loaded SE's have always been more than GLE's.

 

Wow, I have to say I'm a bit surprised and happy again. When I went to the dealership a few months ago, they weren't willing to negotiate. They kept urging that the new Maxima is already set at a lower price than the previous years and that they don't have too many 6-speeds to sell. Yeah, doing your homework really pays off. It can same you hundreds, if not thousands.

 

Got my 2k2 SE 6-speed, everything but Nav for $28k (w/3.9% for 60 months), sticker was $30,800. How does this compare? Back in 99 my loaded SE 5 speed was stickered at 28,900 and went for $23,500. Now that was a deal!

 

that's not true, I work for nissan and the prices are the same

Vinipux

 

You work for nissan... doubt it..

The GLE loaded. Auto, roof, dlx ( also known as the meridian pkg), flo, spg, wdf, srs, plus is $ 29,752 MSRP

the loaded Maxima 6 speed or Auto with the same equiptment is $ 30,650 MSRP...

Their is a true difference between the suspention plus the spoiler.

Nuff said.. The SE is the king long live the king.

 

Anyone can get the dealer costs at www.carsdirect.com weather they work for Nissan or the Pope. The prices do not come up the same.

Jim

 

'Always' eh? I'd like a copy of your research.

If so, anyone who'd pay more money for a manual than an auto with all other equipment being the same is making a mistake. The SE guages, spoiler, and springs do not add up to enough to warrant a premium over a GLE with an auto tranny, IMO. I know manuals are more popular among enthusiasts but keep in mind that Maxima 'enthusiasts' are a minority among Maxima owners.

Jim

 

That's the kind of deal I'm hoping for this summer.

Jim

 

King Nothing. The spoiler can be had on a GLE for $371 but why would you since it just adds drag and makes the car harder to wash/wax. That leaves the SE springs as the main difference. Many enthusiasts here upgrade their springs anyway so the extra money you spend for the SE will just sit in a corner of your garage doing nothing.

Also, if you pay MSRP for the car, you haven't done your homework. I'm using carsdirect.com prices since they are way below MSRP and can be purchased by anyone reading this.

Jim

 

Remember one thing: Salesmen lie.

Go to WWW.CARBUYINGTIPS.COM and wash away the bull. Go there right now!

Jim

 

Sounds plausible considering that, from the factory, you can make an SE into a GLE, but you can't make a GLE into an SE. I'd be willing to bet that the engineers at Nissan, when they built the Maxima, the SE was always what they had in mind. The GXE and GLEs were the 2ndary thoughts to maximize (excuse the pun) the audience who would buy the car. Just look at us enthusiasts, we mod our car in a similar fashion to the SE. You have the factory SE has white gages, the aftermarket offers indiglows, the SE gets a wing, several aftermarket wings are available, the SE gets a tighter suspension, need I say more?

DW

 

Generally, a fully optioned SE costs more than a GLE, however, the SE would have to be optioned with an Auto tranny as well. Here in Canada, a fully optioned SE with an Auto tranny costs $1000 more than a GLE.

 

Therein lies the irony and my original intention in starting this thread. Here, the manual SE cost MORE than the auto GLE with the same options/amenities.

Jim

 

Newer technology 6 speed manual verses the same 4 speed auto pretty much ever since 1995.

DW

 

I don't buy that. An auto trans has always been more expensive than a manual on any car since the auto trans was invented. Your 'newer technology' theory sounds like something a quick-thinking salesman tells you when he shows you the price breakdown. I'm leaning more toward the supply and demand theory. Also, Nissan is one of the few that offers their car with a manual tranny and they might be gouging the enthusiasts that come looking for these cars.

Jim

 

OK. Supply and demand would go something like this;
95% or thereabouts of any maxima sold in the US will be an auto. Economies of scale allow Nissan to price the auto for less. The remaining 5% or less get the manual, higher cost b/c of lower volume, and the new technology.

DW

 

The majority of ALL cars sold in the USA are autos. However, if you choose a manual tranny instead of the auto (if it's available) the cost will be less, not more. Nissan is doing the opposite, which I find odd.

Am I the only one who sees the problem here?

Jim

 

I think that's the way it used to be, also b/c if you got a manual tranny car, it usually lacked other features as well, like power windows, AC, etc. That was then. Now we have a fully equipped 6 speed SE verses a GLE. Leaving the trannies out of the equation, they are very similarly equipped.

DW

 

P.T. Barnum was right.

Jim

 

If you go to Nissan's website and Build an SE, auto and manual tranny's have no difference in price. Same for Edmunds.

 

Try it on Carsdirect.com. These are real market prices.

Jim

 

I just went to the Nissancanada.com website and built myself a SE and compared it to a GLE, and ITS TRUE!

Based on MSRP;

GLE costs $36,900
SE costs $38,200 (fully optioned, including auto tranny)
SE costs $37,200 (fully optioned, WITHOUT auto tranny)

Therefore, a loaded SE without auto, costs $300 more than a GLE, but I guess you have to take into account the added things, like fog lights, spoiler and alloy wheels on the SE.

 

IMO, Nissan's websites are not as useful in calculating the price you'll pay for a car because they list only MSRP. If you go to WWW.CARBUYINGTIPS.COM you can get real retail prices.

Jim

 

Yeah, good point, for one thing, the website lists lower prices!!

Personally, I think the salespeople at dealerships are morons.
I once went to a Nissan dealership, lookin for a 98 Altima GLE and the salesman was like

"Oh, that was the 5-spd, I think we sold it?"
"Ummm, no, GLE's were AUTO only, you're ad in the paper also says its AUTO"
"Oh, I'm sorry it sold, but take a look at this Maxima GLE, $23,000, one owner, 75,000 kms only."
"You ad in the paper says it's $22,000, with only 75,000 kms"
"Oh?! That, ummm, was a misprint, it's actually $23,000"
"I have to go now"
"Would you like my card?"
"Good bye"

Never went there again! That website of yours has got some good tips! Can't wait to go try it out at this dealership again

 

Yes, and it works! It takes a long time to read all the info on that site but it is worth it. I already got a dealer to come down to his invoice price on a loaded (w/o Nav) 2002 Maxima GLE. Took him down $2k right away with little hassle. They didn't have the color we wanted though. Plus I'm hoping for bigger rebates during the summer when the 2003 is introduced.

Jim

 

it seems that you're not a bluefish, you're a :STINKYFISH
because I do work for nissan, give me a call...
CREST NISSAN @ TEWKSBERRY MASSACHUSETTS 978-746-2500 AND ASK


ON THE PRICE NOTE: if you're getting an SE auto vs. SE stick, the price will be the same, if you're getting a GLE then the price will be different because it has different options, such as tires and a spoiler, and also SE might not have climate control

Vinipux

p.s. if any of you live in this area and want to buy a maxima, just send me an e-mail and I can give you a good price on it, but you have to be serious because I have to talk to the manager to actually get a good price

 

So you resort to veiled insults? This makes me think of a movie Keenan Ivory Wayans made.

DW

 

It's beyond me how someone can voluntarily justify an unwarranted expense as you have in this situation.

I truly believe that someone that would pay extra for a 5spd over an auto is a sucker.

FWIW, I'm not familiar with any of Wayans' movies.

Jim