My 2000 SE vs. Rental 2001 GXE
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 109
I was in Denver, CO last week. Picked up a car from Hertz. The Navigation system didn't work. So, two cars later and an hour and a half wasted, I ended up with a White 2001 Maxima GXE (Blancus Maximus!) with Auto Trans and 3800 miles on it. Just my luck!
First Impression:
Naturally, I became immediately familiar with the car! I noticed the Auto Dim mirror upon making the necessary seating adjustments. Believe me, with a little time and creativity, I would have removed it from the car to put in my own!
Also, I didn't know that the wheels on the GXE are actually rims. I swore those things were hub caps. Very nice on Nissan's part.
Audio:
I was surprised that the radio looked just like the one in my SE. Only difference, on the tape door my SE says Bose on it. Cranked up the stereo... didn't sound bad. It seemed louder than my stereo. But, there is a distinct difference in overall separation of sound because of the Bose audio. I also had a greater appreciation for the rear-mounted subwoofer in my SE.
Handling:
The GXE is a very smooth car. In my opinion, I believe the car is far more forgiving on rough surfaces and bumps than my SE. The difference is obviously in the suspension and wheel set up on the cars. I have to give the edge to the GXE's suspension for just crusing around. It's smoother. I didn't have a chance to evaluate the GXE's performance handling.
I did find the GXE to be a bit noisy at times when I was on the highway. I've never had this problem in my SE. I was on my cell phone a couple of times with an ear piece in my hear and I had a difficult time hearing the people I was talking to. I've never had this problem in my SE.
Engine/Transmission:
The car is fast. I'll admit, the GXE made me question whether getting my SE in a a manual trans. was a good decision. After all, there's another pedal to push, gear shifting, then horrid traffic in this area.
But, my decision was further reinforced after experiencing a couple of mediocre accelerations in the GXE. But for every mediocre one there were some really incredible ones.
The Auto trans. in the GXE is very smooth. Gear shifts were flawless. Even when accelerating like a maniac!
One thing I did notice is that at 75 mph the GXE runs in the 2500 RPM range. I can't remember exactly. My SE runs slightly over 3000 at 75 MPH. My 2001 Taurus runs around 2200 RPM at that speed. Can someone explain this to me?
Interior:
The GXE had a very unappealing brown/tan interior. The steering wheel made me have a greater appreciation for the leather-wrapped steering wheel in my SE.
I was also surprised that the GXE didn't have white/titanum face gauges. The instrument cluster was still very clean. Just took a little getting used to. I still like the white/titanium gauges better.
I also noticed that the GXE had audio controls mounted on the left side of the steering wheel. I was in the car 20 mins. before I noticed. I played with it a little bit. I didn't find it to be all that useful. I found myself using the dash to control the audio functions. Maybe because the audio console is so high up and easy to reach. Who knows, if this was in my car I might have found it a little more useful.
The Auto Dim mirror took a little getting used to. I turned it off for a few minutes on one occasion because everything in rear view had a greenish tint to it. I found it annoying. I also wanted to see the difference between non-dim and auto dim.
I turned it back on and it grew on me. I would really like to have that in my Maxima. Again, with a little time and creativity I would have removed it and put a Pep Boys mirror in it!
Gas Mileage:
This GXE got way better gas mileage than my SE. I have 12,000 miles on my SE and I think I get pretty poor gas mileage. I also ran the GXE pretty hard at times and still got 400 miles out of one fill up. My SE... damn thing burns a ton of gas if I go around the corner. I wonder if it has something to do with the probability of the GXE having 87 octane fuel in it. I'm pretty sure with it being a rental that no one put 93 octane in it.
Speed:
I found a stretch of open highway and took the GXE up to 110. Pretty impressive. I backed off because I got a little nervous and I was approaching an exit ramp. I haven't tried going that fast in my SE. I don't know, it seems like it would take a lot more effort to get my SE to do this. It feels like it lumbers sometimes.
Conclusion:
The Maxima is a great car. You can't go wrong no matter which trim you get. I would seriously contemplate getting a GLE after my experience with the GXE. Reason, GLE comes with a sunroof. I like the SE tail lights, however. But I like GXLE tails too.
The GXE definitely made me have second thoughts about my SE. But, upon returning home... there sits my black SE looking ready to whip some ***!
First Impression:
Naturally, I became immediately familiar with the car! I noticed the Auto Dim mirror upon making the necessary seating adjustments. Believe me, with a little time and creativity, I would have removed it from the car to put in my own!
Also, I didn't know that the wheels on the GXE are actually rims. I swore those things were hub caps. Very nice on Nissan's part.
Audio:
I was surprised that the radio looked just like the one in my SE. Only difference, on the tape door my SE says Bose on it. Cranked up the stereo... didn't sound bad. It seemed louder than my stereo. But, there is a distinct difference in overall separation of sound because of the Bose audio. I also had a greater appreciation for the rear-mounted subwoofer in my SE.
Handling:
The GXE is a very smooth car. In my opinion, I believe the car is far more forgiving on rough surfaces and bumps than my SE. The difference is obviously in the suspension and wheel set up on the cars. I have to give the edge to the GXE's suspension for just crusing around. It's smoother. I didn't have a chance to evaluate the GXE's performance handling.
I did find the GXE to be a bit noisy at times when I was on the highway. I've never had this problem in my SE. I was on my cell phone a couple of times with an ear piece in my hear and I had a difficult time hearing the people I was talking to. I've never had this problem in my SE.
Engine/Transmission:
The car is fast. I'll admit, the GXE made me question whether getting my SE in a a manual trans. was a good decision. After all, there's another pedal to push, gear shifting, then horrid traffic in this area.
But, my decision was further reinforced after experiencing a couple of mediocre accelerations in the GXE. But for every mediocre one there were some really incredible ones.
The Auto trans. in the GXE is very smooth. Gear shifts were flawless. Even when accelerating like a maniac!
One thing I did notice is that at 75 mph the GXE runs in the 2500 RPM range. I can't remember exactly. My SE runs slightly over 3000 at 75 MPH. My 2001 Taurus runs around 2200 RPM at that speed. Can someone explain this to me?
Interior:
The GXE had a very unappealing brown/tan interior. The steering wheel made me have a greater appreciation for the leather-wrapped steering wheel in my SE.
I was also surprised that the GXE didn't have white/titanum face gauges. The instrument cluster was still very clean. Just took a little getting used to. I still like the white/titanium gauges better.
I also noticed that the GXE had audio controls mounted on the left side of the steering wheel. I was in the car 20 mins. before I noticed. I played with it a little bit. I didn't find it to be all that useful. I found myself using the dash to control the audio functions. Maybe because the audio console is so high up and easy to reach. Who knows, if this was in my car I might have found it a little more useful.
The Auto Dim mirror took a little getting used to. I turned it off for a few minutes on one occasion because everything in rear view had a greenish tint to it. I found it annoying. I also wanted to see the difference between non-dim and auto dim.
I turned it back on and it grew on me. I would really like to have that in my Maxima. Again, with a little time and creativity I would have removed it and put a Pep Boys mirror in it!
Gas Mileage:
This GXE got way better gas mileage than my SE. I have 12,000 miles on my SE and I think I get pretty poor gas mileage. I also ran the GXE pretty hard at times and still got 400 miles out of one fill up. My SE... damn thing burns a ton of gas if I go around the corner. I wonder if it has something to do with the probability of the GXE having 87 octane fuel in it. I'm pretty sure with it being a rental that no one put 93 octane in it.
Speed:
I found a stretch of open highway and took the GXE up to 110. Pretty impressive. I backed off because I got a little nervous and I was approaching an exit ramp. I haven't tried going that fast in my SE. I don't know, it seems like it would take a lot more effort to get my SE to do this. It feels like it lumbers sometimes.
Conclusion:
The Maxima is a great car. You can't go wrong no matter which trim you get. I would seriously contemplate getting a GLE after my experience with the GXE. Reason, GLE comes with a sunroof. I like the SE tail lights, however. But I like GXLE tails too.
The GXE definitely made me have second thoughts about my SE. But, upon returning home... there sits my black SE looking ready to whip some ***!
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,142
Originally posted by OnyxMaximus
One thing I did notice is that at 75 mph the GXE runs in the 2500 RPM range. I can't remember exactly. My SE runs slightly over 3000 at 75 MPH. My 2001 Taurus runs around 2200 RPM at that speed. Can someone explain this to me?
One thing I did notice is that at 75 mph the GXE runs in the 2500 RPM range. I can't remember exactly. My SE runs slightly over 3000 at 75 MPH. My 2001 Taurus runs around 2200 RPM at that speed. Can someone explain this to me?
Ummm, because the torque and hp of the Maxima is optimized at a higher rpm than the taurus. Or let say the Maxima is optimized for high rpm.
Transmission ratios, final drive gearing and tire size are some of the things that contribute to the different engine speed while cruising. 5speed Maxima models have short overall ratio's than the 4speed automatics. The Taurus, like most family/luxury oriented vehicles, put an emphasis on fuel economy and lower engine noise at cruising speed putting taller gear ratios and final drive which makes the Taurus, along with other family/luxury oriented vehicles, have a lower engine speed when cruising.
Example: You notice how most GM 3.8L V6 engines have a rating of 30mpg on the highway even though they have bigger engines? It's not that their engines are more efficient, there not, it's because they have tall gearing which makes them have a slower engine speed when cruising.
More tranmission ratios do NOT guarentee better acceleration or fuel economy. Here are some examples of some. BMW 540i sport/manual. The reason why the sport package along with the manual transmission cost more than a 540iA sport is because you have to pay a gas guzzler fee. The 6-speed ratio's are shorter which allows the engine to cruise at a higher speed to optimize performance. Mercedes SLK Kompressor manual would be an example of no guarentee of better acceleration. This car accelerates to 60mph in the same time as its automatic stablemate. This is because with the shorter gearing, you are required to make more shifts, slowing down your acceleration. Remember though, that is only 0-60mph times.
Example: You notice how most GM 3.8L V6 engines have a rating of 30mpg on the highway even though they have bigger engines? It's not that their engines are more efficient, there not, it's because they have tall gearing which makes them have a slower engine speed when cruising.
More tranmission ratios do NOT guarentee better acceleration or fuel economy. Here are some examples of some. BMW 540i sport/manual. The reason why the sport package along with the manual transmission cost more than a 540iA sport is because you have to pay a gas guzzler fee. The 6-speed ratio's are shorter which allows the engine to cruise at a higher speed to optimize performance. Mercedes SLK Kompressor manual would be an example of no guarentee of better acceleration. This car accelerates to 60mph in the same time as its automatic stablemate. This is because with the shorter gearing, you are required to make more shifts, slowing down your acceleration. Remember though, that is only 0-60mph times.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 20
Originally posted by OnyxMaximus
[BThe Maxima is a great car. You can't go wrong no matter which trim you get. I would seriously contemplate getting a GLE after my experience with the GXE. Reason, GLE comes with a sunroof. I like the SE tail lights, however. But I like GXLE tails too.
The GXE definitely made me have second thoughts about my SE. But, upon returning home... there sits my black SE looking ready to whip some ***! [/B]
[BThe Maxima is a great car. You can't go wrong no matter which trim you get. I would seriously contemplate getting a GLE after my experience with the GXE. Reason, GLE comes with a sunroof. I like the SE tail lights, however. But I like GXLE tails too.
The GXE definitely made me have second thoughts about my SE. But, upon returning home... there sits my black SE looking ready to whip some ***! [/B]
Just an FYI...a sunroof is optional on three trim levels...GXE, GLE, and SE. Standard on AE.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,915
The 5th gen GXE has closed the gap. In the previous generation there was a bigger difference between the GXE and SE.
Originally posted by DansMax
Just an FYI...a sunroof is optional on three trim levels...GXE, GLE, and SE. Standard on AE.
Just an FYI...a sunroof is optional on three trim levels...GXE, GLE, and SE. Standard on AE.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 122
Originally posted by OnyxMaximus
I was surprised that the radio looked just like the one in my SE. Only difference, on the tape door my SE says Bose on it.
I was surprised that the radio looked just like the one in my SE. Only difference, on the tape door my SE says Bose on it.
Guest
Posts: n/a
So far I'm very please with my '00 GXE w/auto. However, I have been noticing the moonroofs in alot other maximas. Anyone know how much to have a moon roof installed? Is it even worth having an aftermarket moon roof installed? Do they leak or look funny?
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 773
whats the difference?.....
what is a moon roof, and what is a sunroof? i have noticed that some cars have a glass roof, so you can still look out without opening the roof, and some have a body colored roof that has to be opened to look out. which is which?
A sunroof is a part of the roof that opens and is metal so you can not see through it. A moonroof is one with glass so that you can see through it and open it like a sunroof. We have a moonroof on our maximas.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 170
Re: whats the difference?.....
Originally posted by slick
what is a moon roof, and what is a sunroof? i have noticed that some cars have a glass roof, so you can still look out without opening the roof, and some have a body colored roof that has to be opened to look out. which is which?
what is a moon roof, and what is a sunroof? i have noticed that some cars have a glass roof, so you can still look out without opening the roof, and some have a body colored roof that has to be opened to look out. which is which?
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 122
Sunroof info
Originally posted by jwletourneau
So far I'm very please with my '00 GXE w/auto. However, I have been noticing the moonroofs in alot other maximas. Anyone know how much to have a moon roof installed? Is it even worth having an aftermarket moon roof installed? Do they leak or look funny?
So far I'm very please with my '00 GXE w/auto. However, I have been noticing the moonroofs in alot other maximas. Anyone know how much to have a moon roof installed? Is it even worth having an aftermarket moon roof installed? Do they leak or look funny?
http://216.122.219.59/forums/showthr...threadid=31962
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 681
>> One thing I did notice is that at 75 mph the GXE runs in the 2500 RPM range. I can't remember exactly. My SE runs slightly over 3000 at 75 MPH. My 2001 Taurus runs around 2200 RPM at that speed. Can someone explain this to
me? <<
Cause you had the car in neutral and it has a very high idle.
me? <<
Cause you had the car in neutral and it has a very high idle.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,361
It's a simple gearing issue. The automagic is geared at something like .695 in 4th (last) while the manual is .795.
It's a common gripe among manual owners for two basic reasons: 1) It would provide better (much better?) fuel efficiency turning @ 2000 RPM (even 2500 RPM!). 2) It would save me from trying to pass too often. Even in 5th, @3000 RPM the is way enough get-up-and-go to get-up-and-go. Next thing you know you are doing 100 miles an hour and figuring how much you will make from being on 'The World's Worst Driver's' show.
Well, maybe we can all wish for the 6sp. Anyone know the ratios that are supposed to be in the new 6sp Sentra?
It's a common gripe among manual owners for two basic reasons: 1) It would provide better (much better?) fuel efficiency turning @ 2000 RPM (even 2500 RPM!). 2) It would save me from trying to pass too often. Even in 5th, @3000 RPM the is way enough get-up-and-go to get-up-and-go. Next thing you know you are doing 100 miles an hour and figuring how much you will make from being on 'The World's Worst Driver's' show.
Well, maybe we can all wish for the 6sp. Anyone know the ratios that are supposed to be in the new 6sp Sentra?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
tarun900
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
19
Dec 20, 2021 06:57 PM
AaronL
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
15
Aug 8, 2020 10:31 AM
TKHanson
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
6
Nov 24, 2018 01:39 AM