I'm in the process of looking for a Maxima, my delema, 3rd or 4th Gen? I like the looks of the 3rd gen and hated the 4th Gens when they first came out. Now the 4th Gens are starting to grow on me. I'm not looking to to go drag racing or smoke my tires. I'm just looking for a reliable car that will last awhile and will kick @ss if i needed it to.

 

(Or so I THINK I am)

The 3rd gens are just built better. Having removed most major interior parts in both the 94 and 99, the 3rd gen kicks the 4th gens *** up and down the field when it comes to build quality. The 4th gen has one of the sweetest stock motors on a 4 door car, tough, and they warrant serious consideration as well.

Anyway, I would go 3rd gen, preferrably a 93 to 94 GXE. You probably won't find one with under 100k, but you might luck up on one with 60 or 70k. The hardest part about recommending these is that finding a good one will be difficult.

The VG engine on the 89 to 94 GXEs and the 89 to 91 GXEs probably are the most reliable engines Nissan has ever built, provided the timing belt has been changed every 60k. That, and oil/filter changes, are the most important concerns with this motor. Otherwise, the transmission is the most major concern on all Maximas really, but especially the 89 to 91 models, until Nissan strengthened them starting in either 91 or 92 (can't remember...). The VE motor on the 92 to 94SEs have a major problem that nothing short of $2k can cure, which is reason enough to stay away from it, unless you enjoy taking your motor apart. If you do then look at the SE models as well...

I like the 3rd gen seats and interior scheme better. It's just a great practical car for the money.

Enough preaching.....

 

What are you looking to spend? I have to agree w/bill about the quality issues, but if you are going to keep it for any amount of time, go 4th gen. If you are in it for the short term a 3rd gen. Personally, VQ kicks some serious butt.

 

I plan to keep it for about 3-4 years. I had my heart set on a 92-94 SE, but after reading your post Bill99 and medicsonic, maybe I'll go with the GXE with SE options. Thanks for all the info guys it really helps in the decision making process

 

what's your opinion on the 4th Gen SE, I know how you feel about the 3rd Gen SE's

 

I had an 89 SE, loved it & I thought it was the best car I had ever owned. '95's came out, hated the body style, especially the rear. Sold the 89, bought a domestic, hated it, and finally, I now drive a '95 SE. This has been the most reliable car I have owned. I enjoy the power and the ergonomics. I still did not care for the taillights, but David Lau fixed that. I have not had the O2 sensor, or the transmission troubles posted on this board (knock on wood). My advice, find the one that you'll love for the next few years, and still fits your budget.

 

My girlfriend has a 97 GXE. Granted it is a nice car and it has great pickup with a smooth engine, I will also have to go with the 3rd gen. I agree with bill on almost everything he said. Although I also think that you can get the best of both worlds with the 3rd gen if you get a 91 SE. I say this because you will have the VG engine with all the SE options and the SE look. Are you looking for an Auto or 5spd? If you go with the 5spd, you'll probably have to worry less about your tranny going. Although my girlfriend's GXE has a clean look and is much quieter inside. I DEFINITELY prefer the 4 wheel independent suspension on the 3rd gen as well as having 4 wheel discs on the SE. The 4th gen is a great car, and the 3rd gen is a work of great engineering.

Don't forget about all the mods you can do to both! I'm sure you can find a decent 3rd gen.

my .02

 

Well, I should further qualify my thoughts. The 3rd gen SEs have quite a strong following around here because it comes with the 5-speed. The problem I'm referring to with those is the premature VTC failure, which begins as a ticking and eventually results in a loss of performance. A dealer will charge you upwards of $2k to fix this design flaw, with no guarantee that it won't return in the future. Even a decent shop won't do it for less than $1200. I just think dumping that much initially on a used vehicle is difficult to justify.

Anyhoo, my comments about 4th gens apply to GXE, SE, and GLE models since they all share the same powertrain and major components. They're just not built as well. But the 4th gens have a better stock motor than 3rd gens, but that's their only real advantage.

 

Bill, any thoughts about what DaBox said in his last post about the 91 SE?

 

you know how i feel .. lol , but the best way to find out what you want is drive them.....

4th gens arent entirely bad, i mean when was the last time you heard of a 4th gen getting the worst of it, other than tiny annoyances... i havent had any yet but my car is still young 42K ..

 

Quote:

Originally posted by pjalst

Bill, any thoughts about what DaBox said in his last post about the 91 SE?

Sure, DaBox is right if you want a 5-speed. a 91 SE would give you a VG with a stick (which became unavailable on the GXEs with the VG motor from 92 to 94; hence only an auto comes on the 92 to 94 GXEs), and the best of both worlds.

In my area, I have yet to see a 'cream-puff' 89 to 91 SE Maxima with a 5-speed. All the ones I've come across have been utterly trashed. Meanwhile, most 3rd gen GXEs I have seen have been kept in good shape. Not sure why....maybe the more 'aggressive' look of the SE appeals to those who would drive these harder.

If you have to have a 5-speed, then I would have to recommend a 4th gen. I just doubt you will find a 3rd gen 5-speed VG model that you will like.....

 

HMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Must have 5-sp huh? Well the 3-gen vgs are nice. For the vg series, it much more depends on the previous owner took care of the care than the year. So just look for a good one.

For the VEs, if I had to buy one now, definately look for a 94 Se 5-sp. They are supposed to have the updated VTC assemblies. Or if you DO notice the "tick" negotiate w/ the dealer to have it fixed BEFORE you buy the car. I can give you some tips if it comes to that point.

For auto vs 5-sp. The 3-gen autos have been experiencing some failures from what I read. And not all of the rebuilds have been holding. To me that costs just as much as if you had to put new VTC assemblies in the VE. IMHO the 5-sp trannies have been pretty good but I'll tell you my bro had to replace his. But his car was beat to hell when he got it. We dropped a used one in and it's been fine ever since.

The thing is, it's getting difficult to find releatively low mile 3-gens now. That would be the only reason to steer me into a 4-gen at this point. I agree w/ Bill that the 3-gens were put together better than the 4-gens. But at the same time, the 3-gens are getting older now.

 

Based on looks, I like the 3rd gens best. I'm sure that it's much easier to get a cream-puff GXE than an SE. Lots of middle aged folks bought them to get a good quality sedan. They were pretty well maintained and never really beaten on. Having said that, a 94 SE in great shape would be my first choice. I know that Kings Infiniti (www.kingsinfinity.com) has a number of low milage used Maximas listed on their web site. The only problem with them is that the listed prices are very high.
One thing I would check on all 3rd gens are the motor mounts. A number of owners have had broken exhaust manifold studs, and these can be expensive to repair. I think rocking of the engine (with worn mounts) is a contributing factor to the problem.
Now, I managed to get my mother in law's 90 GXE, with 42K, a few months ago, and it is one nice car. New front struts and it handles better than new, with no creaks, rattles and everything working right. These cars just aren't real fast with the auto trans. Cruise all day at 90, but not a street racer.

 

I'm definitely loking for a 5 speed, so I guess the GXE is not for me. Decisions, decisions.

 

Like bill99gxe, I have one of each also (see sig). I think they are both great cars and you will not be disappointed with either one.

If you forced me to make a choice, I'd have to go with the 4th gen. I didn't like their styling at first either but like you say, it does grow on you. Plus the 4th gen has alot more pull right out of the box along with the edge toward modability. Within the 3 to 4 year timeframe you say you will be keeping the car, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw alot of guys selling off their SC's and other mods when upgrading to the new Maxima, provided they put a larger and more powerful engine in it. You will be in a perfect position to snap up these mods if you own a 4th gen.

The timing belt on my '91 is a bit of a pain but not a deal-breaker. This car, with over 127k miles on it, still purrs quietly at idle and aside from wear items, I have spent a minimum on maintenance (2 bad injectors), in the 5 years I've owned the car. When it is clean (rare) the car still looks new, inside and out.

If I had an SE with VTC problems, I would be <u>very</u> upset...so I'd recommend you avoid those cars (as bill outlined).

As others have said, it may come down to how much you want to spend. Don't take out a loan if you don't have to but if you can stretch a little to get into a 95GXE, I think you will be very happy you did.

Jim

 

Nissan has fixed the VTC problem in 94' so I hear. You just have to be informed about the situation BEFORE you buy. 30hp, direct on coil ignition, dohc heads are hard to ignore.

 

I have had my 91SE for a little over a year now. And here are the things I have done to it:

Replaced Exhaust-Y Pipe, Cat-back (this was rusted to hell since the last owner put Midas crap on it.)
Replaced rear rotors and pads(need new pads now though)
Replaced Tires
Replaced Timing belt (since i had no idea when the last owner did that) along with the tensioner and belts.
Light bulbs everywhere.
Oil change every 3k

As you can see, these are all REGULAR maintinence. I purchased the car in Dec of 99 and it had 96,765 miles on it. It now has 126k. The Body of the car is perfect, a few minor dings and scratches that can easily be fixed up. I have had no Tranny problems or anything else major wrong with this car. In fact The condition I got it in was not really bad, I just made it better. There isn't a single knock or tick in the engine, and you can barely hear the smooth purr of the engine when it is in idle. The stock suspension is still tight and the car is still strong.

I probably shouldnt tell you guys how much I paid for it because then I wouldnt be able to sell it for a good price. Let me know what you think I should have paid for this car so I can test its value.

Clark

 

and the VE30DE engine in the SE models is a BLAST to drive!! I agree with Jeff that the 94se 5spd should be the model you are looking for.

I havent heard a damn thing from my VTC's and I picked it up a year ago with 69k miles for $8200 (private party). I am so glad I didnt go with a 95se like I was considering.
You should be able to get one for about 7-8k, assuming you can find one of course!

 

I have had my VE for almost 6 years and 45,000 miles, and haven't had to fix ANYTHING. With the VTCs I have changed the opil every 2.5-3K, and no problems. Great Paint-No Rattles!

Yeah it ain't cheap to fix if you have to, but fix it and its done. The 4th gens corner cutting shows up in problems like rattles and chipping paint. But all in all the VQ is the best engine, and you can get a 5 speed in a GXE. Great base to build on. There are no 3rd Gen GXE 5 Speeds.

Bill had a great point, there are more performance mods for 4th gens, and should become increasingly available second hand.

my $0.02

 

I've decided to go with the best deal. My Max has to be a 5 speed, that rules out the 3rd Gen GXE. It has to be in good condition and have under 80k miles, that limits my choices of 3rd Gen SE's. If I can get a 94 SE in good condition, I'll buy. If it looks hopeless I'll go with a 95 SE or GXE. I'm in no rush, I have until the end of spring to search (that's when I give up my company car). I think I will be happy with either choice. Thanks all, who answered and gave me knowledge.