Thanks for the input from my last post regarding the differences between 00 and 01s. Now I am looking at a 00 SE, but it has red tails, and GXE looking wheels, not the 6 spokes. Is there a way to tell from the VIN? The VIN is JN1CA31D0YT536084. From a carfax it also shows a duplicate title issued by the DMV. Thanks again, caz I don't want to get burned!

 

if there is a doubt in your mind dont get it there are plenty of 2k SE on the market to get....
PS
SE 00 = smoked tail light
= 16 alloy rims

 

check for white/titanium gauges
leather covered steering wheel/shift ****
fog lights in the front
take off the rear carpeting (in the trunk)and check for welding marks, or any repair marks

 

Door handles should be body colored, not chromed. Most of the differences that have been brought up so far can be easily changed, but the doorhandles are a b!tch to change.

 

=17" alloy rims, too. (This was an option later offered late for the '00 model, depending on the built date=VIN #)

 

if it doesn't have black tails, it's not an SE

altho....if it has GXE looking wheels, it still may be a GLE...then u gotta check out the interior

 

check my post further down the page on the 5th gen forum
or go here:
http://wwwcsif.cs.ucdavis.edu/~leem/readingVIN.jpg

 

My SE came with red tails on it when I bought it used - never really gave it any thought as it had all of the other SE options, as well as all other options period, and I changed the tail-lights out almost immediately.

 

As far as I remember...stock SE vs stock GXE...

'00/'01 stock SE:
- Smoked tail lights
- Rear 'Maxima' and 'SE' badges are black
- Titanium gauge faces
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel & shifter
- Body-colored door handles
- No chrome trim around front grille
- 16" five-spoke alloy wheels
- Fog lights
- Chrome finisher around exhaust pipe
- Higher-quality cloth seats and door trim
- Rear spoiler on trunk deck
- Sports-tuned suspension


'00/'01 stock GXE:
- Red tail lights
- Rear 'Maxima' badge is chrome; usually no 'GXE' badge
- Black gauge faces
- No leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Chrome door handles
- Chrome trim around front grille
- 15" wheels
- No fog lights
- No chrome finisher around exhaust pipes
- Quality cloth seats and door trim
- No rear spoiler
- 'Floatier' suspension; same as GLE

Note:
- 17" six-spoke alloy wheels were always part of the Comfort & Convenience option package for the '00/'01 SE

Hope this helps.

Peace.

 

drive another SE and a GLE or GXE. The difference in ride quality should be a dead giveaway - SE suspension is much tighter.

 

Another one: If the interior color isn't black...the SE has a black steering wheel (leather wrapped perforated) and a black steering wheel column no matter what interior color.

You can always check on ebaymotors as well for detailed pics of SE's.

 

...the car was a GXE, had to give them a little lesson on what car they were selling.