hey guys...i got sort of a weird issue i was wondering about. i hope no one gets offended by it, but i'm just asking for curiosity's sake. how many people on the forum drive 3rd gens, or have them, because they just love the body style and look of 3rd gen maximas? my dad, who is an attorney, got the one i am driving now in 1993 and didn't get a new car until 2002. for a while (about a year and a half ago), i could never understand why my dad continued to drive that car for so long. a completely bone-stock '93 maxima is not a status symbol (obviously, i love our cars, so no offense) and people may have to swallow their pride to admit it. last year he got a new passat (5-speed 1.8T) which i like a lot too and now i drive the max. cutting to the chase, 16 year olds and 49 year old attorneys look equally normal in 3rd gens, so why do you guys think that is? anyone here a member of the white-collared working world who uses their 3rd gen as a daily drive? why do we love them so much, and why couldn't my dad (who's not even a car person) hand it down in favor of something a wee-bit newer? sorry that was so long, i tend to get nostalgic and long-winded about 3rd gens. thanks a lot for reading to get this far, please don't hesitate to reply negatively or positively.

 

Nissan got it right when they built the third generation. From the body style that even after 14 years still looks fresh and modern, to a power train that has a smooth reving V6 and in the 92 to 94 versions a solid tranny. The cars that have popped up on this board with 500k miles is proof enough in the build quality.

 

I love my 3rd gen. Check my homepage for pics. 3rd gens look the best

 

Same reason why they have the commerical for Apple Jack....

".. Cuz We Drive what we like" subsituted eat with drive..

 

my pop bought the car new, in 91...had it up until 99 when i got it. since then he hasnt found a car he liked as much as the maxima. since 99' he's gotten a 00' SE max, 01' lexus RX300, and currently a 2003' 4Runner. asked him one day why he keeps jumping around with car, he said none of these new cars, quite feel as good as driving my maxima. even now, every once in a while he will "borrow" my car and take it work leaving me with that behemoth suv of his

 

How many cars in 1990 looked like a 3rd gen maxima? Hardly any. Who wrote the book on entry level sports sedan? Maxima. How old do 3rd gens look? at most since 1994.

The max marked a symbol in the automotive and its a great car. Yes it isnt a very prestigious car but prestige doesn't make a great car.

 

agreed.

 

I think people like 3rd Gens so much because because they're the only inexpensive sport sedan that TRULY drives like a sports sedan. My mom had a '95 GXE auto Max, it while it was definitley a little quicker than my '91 SE 5-speed, it was nowhere near as sporty feeling. My moms Max drove like V6 Camrys and V6 Accords do, like soft family cars with alot of engine. The 3rd Gen does something that, IMO, no other Max since has done--- be a big, practical car that drives like a much smaller and much sporter car. People can wax poetic all day long about how smooth the VQ motor is, how 4th and 5th Gens are more refined. For me, these cars only carry on the IDEA of the Maxima, the 3rd Gen is the one that actually has the SOUL. 4th and 5th Gens drive soft compared to 3rd Gens, and no impressive 0-60 times can make up for the difference. Take car of your Max well, unfortunately they won't be making any more like ours

 

that's a very good summary...the 4th 5th and 6ths are more refined and carry an idea...the true 4dsc is the 3rd.

 

My uncle owns a real estate development company- mostly dealing with Homeland and Lowes hardware stores.. not a small operation, especially when the zillion dollar execs fly into town to see what he has to show them.. But what does he drive? He owns a '93 Max, a '98 Toyota 4-Runner, and a brand new Taurus..

no big deal, right? but what car odes he drive when the big dogs come to town? that's riiiight.. the old, clunker Maxima.

why? because it's got leather, sunroof, a decent amount of power, and feels more luxurious than the other two cars that are still worth 5 times what the Max is.
the ford and Toyota both have squeaks and rattles and other funny noises.. The Max has none.

Me? I drive mine because it's a bit different. it's a decent-sized 4 door car that will haul 5 people + luggage comfortably, but it's still fast enough to send a Mustang driver home crying if he's not ready, AND it'll handle right up there with a modded WRX on the auto X track.

It looks good.
It's fast..
It sounds good
It's fast..
it's a 4 door.
It's fast..
It handles good..
It's fast..
It's PAID FOR..
It's fast..

 

i like matts summery i drive mine because i wanted to be different all my friends drive very fast but boring hondas and dsms (only faster because of massive aftermarket support) but all respect my max because they know what it can do and they can all fit in it confortably and none of them can say that about there crx's and gsx's

 

I still pee my pants every time I hear my maxima roar to life (when I plant the pedal to the metal)...

Also my neck hurts (due to whiplash).

What cars from the early 90's could still do that to ya!!

 

i started lookin for a car in september and i was going for the small sport car/really fast deal and i found stuff, but there was always something i didn't like until one fateful day in mid october when i walked onto the lot and BAM, it's been with me ever since. i'm not quite sure what made me want it so bad. i think one thing is deff. the body style, and i might be nuts sayin this but i don't think any other gen looks as good as third. i've driven my friends cars, quite a variety and i've found that mine was the nicest ride and looks pretty nice. my friends make fun of it from time to time for drivin a non-compact car but i don't hear em complain when we are going somewhere cuz the max. is the only one that fits us...or when they want to drive it. that's another thing, with my old car, i didn't care who drove it, but this car...it's practically over my dead body. but yea...i deff. agree with all of you

 

I'm older than most on this board, for me I can remember cruising the
streets in a 2nd gens and when the 3rd gens came out forget it was freaking over. I also remember driving the I-6 RWD Max where the a.s.s end always sat low for some reason. The Max has always been 6 cyl since day one, even in the 80's and leading into the early 90's
where most other cars where 4 cyl. That's why you have to give props to the VG. When the VG was created no other cars in it's class and price range could touch it. In the 80's the Mustang 5.0 was also the big s.h.i.t and there's been many of times when I've left a impression on the 5.0 drivers face like "Why is this car still behind me, I've tried everything and he's still there" For me I'm coming out a 2dr, 5spd, turbo/intercool, RWD, 4 banger car into the Max. It was a fun car but I knew I needed a change. At that point (1996) the 3rd gens were starting to become a "used" car the 4th gens was getting all the hype so I searched for a good deal with mine and her I am.

 

I work in tech support in my office and I put off buying a 2K3 for several years until I could afford to get one without having to get rid of my '94. Too much done to it to get out of it anyway. I sank over $3K into it just last year. So yes, I leave the office in my golf shirt and Dockers with my day planner under my arm and get into my fully modded, loud, big winged and stickered, 9 year old Maxima and go home to my brand new loaded 2K3 that I save for occasions requiring greater refinement.

 

3rd Gens are sexy. 'nuff said. My dad bought a 3rd gen the first year they came out, 1989. He drove it until 2002. He then bought an '02 Impala, but he still sneaks rides in the Max. He's even honestly said that the Impala doesnt handle nearly as good as the max does.I agree, nissan got it right with the 3rd gen. Great body style, handling and engine. I've been driving this car for almost 2 years and simply love it.

 

that's why the VEs were better.. they can whoop up on the old GTs.. "why's that Max still behind me?!" turns into "What the hell just passed me?!?!"

 

I love my 3rd gen. I've only had it for two weeks but I get alot of looks with it. Best looking rear for the max.

 

i used to have a honda accord for 4 years then i macked it. then just to drive a car i bought a 90 se. the first thing was the hp yet i was not satisfied. i tried to sell the max 3 times. on one of those times, i was goin to buy a honda wagon. never happend. then one day comin home from the mall i saw a car show, now that i come to know as a meet. that event changed my mind and changed the way i feel about these cars. the things that you can do, the mods, the looks "nice" and from that day last year i was hooked. now i've been to my first meet and up to now i'm not goin to get rid of my max. i'll tell you one thing if i would have sold my max i would have regreted it. thats how i feel about my ride.

 

I've always had a lot of respect for 3rd gen Maximas in fact I almost bought one way back in '96. It was a black 1990 SE 5 speed with only 36K miles. My mechanic said that it had been in a severe crash and told me not to bother with it. I bought a 1990 Mazda MX-6 instead.It looked sportier, yada yada yada..... I know slow 4 banger but it was cheap.
I still really wanted a Max though. I drove the Mazda for many years and liked it enough but it was not what I wanted. The Maxima kept popping into my head. Just a few months ago I came across my current ride, a 1993 SE automatic with 88K miles. Let me just say that I'm hooked.
When I walk outside every morning and see its 10 year old Pearl white paint still shine like new, I smile. When I study the anguler yet sexy and timeless bodystyle, I smile. When I sit in the comfy driver's seat, I smile. When the VE30DE roars to life, I smile. When I hear the subtle ding-dong noise before I fasten my lap belt, I smile. When I step on the gas and feel the VE power, I smile. When I turn the steering wheel and enjoy the SE's nice firm steering and superior handling, yup you guessed it, I smile.
There so many other things about my car that make me smile. That is the general appeal of the 3rd gen Maxima. Its a real sports sedan, solidly built, fun to drive, great looking and comfortable. It gets into your soal. 3rd gen Maximas may not be status symbols to your average Joe but to Maxima people they are. Even owners of newer Maximas respect the 3rd gen for what it is, the first true Maxima as we know it today and in my opinion still by far the best.

 

You smile a lot. You must be one happy dude

 

looks like this is starting to get poetic. heheh


I do agree with all of you on the 3rd gen thing,

 

What Can I say? Life is good when you drive a Maxima!

 

 

I always liked the 3rd gen body style and when I got my 90 I fell in love. Now I need to get rid of that car since I got the others. I will miss here even though she isnt perfect.

Of course the main reason I got them is because I didnt want a car payment and I got each and everyone of mine cheap because they all needed some work.

 

I also remember driving the I-6 RWD Max where the a.s.s end always sat low for some reason.

--- what the hell is an I-6 RWD? huh?

 

Inline 6 I belive. Am I right??

 

Sometimes I just think about all the options NOT carried over into the 4th gens...

IRS w/ Rear Stabilizer Bar
LSD
VIM
VTC
Anti-Skid (whatever the hell that was)
Available Digital Controls and HUD / Sonar Suspension (some 89-91 GXEs)
Touchpad Keyless Entry (3rd gen GXE's)
Automatic Transmission Comfort Switch (never had one, but it would be neat in an auto)
Standard Bose on SE's (Sunroof standard on 89-92 SE's)
Dimming Dome light (love that thing!)
Standard Cornering Light
Rear Step lights
Door lock light (so you can see where to stick your key in)
Heated Mirrors (93-94s)
Tinted Taillights (3rd Gen SE's)
Dual tipped exhaust
Key Chime (ding dong in third gens turned into an annoying beep beep in 4th gens)
Low Washer Fluid Light became an option in the 4th Gens. (are you kiddin me??)

These are things that were NOT available in 1995 but some WERE available in 1989! Another example that the 3rd gen was WAY ahead of its time in styling, performance, comfort and convenience. I dont recall many more "advancements" in the 4th gens other than the great VQ engine. I've loved the 3rd gen since it arrived on the scene and I will be sure to have one in my driveway as long as I can.
|C

 

did you see my sig.lol.. added you on.. anyways.. 3rd gen aways be the best gen..

 

i'm still not up on this. when was a RWD maxima made? first generation? that would be the only time it would have been present. back when it was the Datsun Maxima. first gen. yes? is this what you mean? that is going back some time. i don't think anyone cares about those. imagine a 1st gen. maxima slammed!

 

See that's the problem, if you don't see terms like VTEC, FMIC, CAI, HID, etc. you guys (sorry to generalize everyone, refering more to the younger crowds, but not all) have no idea what these basic abreviations means. Abreviations that's been around since the first Model-T (or should that be explained also)

May be so, are you sure? You gotta respect and understand what it started with.


OMG I'm starting to get dizzy and light headed, is it time to face the fact. One of two things, either I'm starting to show my age or you're showing yours

 

 

The 1st generation Maxima had a choice of 2.4L inline 6, or diesel inline six; also available w/ 5spd or auto in both. I had an '83 Max w/ the 2.4 and 5spd. The car was built upon the ZX chassis of the same year, and had all the same motor mount points, in fact I thought long and hard about swapping in an '83 ZX turbo motor before I sold the old grey ghost..in the end too much money needed to make the brakes (4 whl disc thank you! ) and suspension keep up. It was a fun rear wheel driver in the wet to play with All 130 hp of it! It had a lame 85 mph speedo that I loved to peg out and then check the tach, with 3k more to go.. love my 93SE much more though.. still wish Maximas were RWD however

 

rear wheel drive would be a dream

 

the closest thing you're gonna get to a 3rd gen RWD Maxima is the A-31 Cefiro of Japan. that car is basically a maxima, with a bit more slenderized of a shape, and it has an inline RB25DET (i think). drifters are known to use it, but it is a bit big for that. the only hitch with that car is that it only comes an with automatic tranny, and, of course, is illegal in the USA unless you black-market import it. or have thousands of dollars to legalize it, like MotoRex has to import the Skylines. i suppose you could black-market import it and then swap all the badges and VIN from a maxima. it is so similar looking to the max that it may work. i have seen these cars in person in japan. they're neat looking.

and for the record, for the guy who spoke of abbreviations, i think we all know what RWD means! it was the I-6 that threw me off.

 

great car, I just wish I had more money to throw at it. I used to have an altima, and i miss it, but i believe the maxima is far superior.

 

my 2 cents:

my dad bought our max in 1994 completely brand new gxe vg... i hate it. i thought it was ugly and ugly and ugly... (don't kill me yet! read on...) but finally i turned old enough to drive it... work on it.. and enjoy it.

my how things have changed... of all maximas i have seen in my life the 3rd generation is by far most beautiful. from the independent rear suspension to every other little thing that makes this car what it is i just love it...

i think i am going to keep mine until i turn 80... (i am 20 right now)

 

Ah no. Closest is the Infiniti M30 coupe sold in the usa. V6, rwd, uses Z engine/tranny/suspension. But only 2-door.

 

well. yes. that is true. but the chassis/size of the M30 is not comparable to the Maxima. Cefiro is. the I30 is the Cefiro is the Maxima, bodywise, not internally/mechanically.

 

I bought my 3rd Gen in '97 for one reason, had to stop flushing money down the toilet modifying old school rotaries and needed a car that was the complete opposite. Sold a modded '69 R100 and looked for something quiet, smooth, quiet, reliable, quiet, 4dr, quiet, slower/undriftable (had license trouble at the time). Still had to look good and be something different though. Most importantly, it had to have NO AFTERMARKET MOD SUPPORT!

I'd previously considered the Maxima a nice but not exciting car so it fitted the bill perfectly. Purchased one and it was great for the first 18 months, didn't spend a cent.

The plan all went to **** when I bought a computer and out of curiosity punched 'maxima' into Yahoo.

Damn Matt York! Damn SkyMax! Damn Matt93GXE! I was hooked.