I have had a '95 GXE (auto, stock) for the past 4 years and I love it. It's paid off and it runs like a champ. :-) I always had manual transmission cars in the past and the only reason I bought auto was that for 6 months I could not find a 5-speed I wanted. Of course I was disappointed with the auto, but I got used to it.
Well...the other day I found a '02 SE 5-speed with 63K miles on it for about 12K and now I don't know what to do. I don't want to get rid of my current car but I want the 5 speed. And, no, I can't keep both.
Anyways, I am going to look at the '02 SE tomorrow. What should I look out for? Is there anything in particular that I should pay attention to?
Any input is appreciated.
Thanks

 

I was under the impression that 02 - 06 Maximas were 6-Speed manual transmissions? Perhaps it is an 01?

Anyway... I also went from a nearly stock 96' GXE Auto to a 2003 6-Speed SE TE. I absolutly love it. The power difference is great. I find that it handles quite a bit better than my stock GXE. I certainly think it looks better too.

THe HIDs are nice to have. Although, now you have to worry where you park your car so your lights don't get jacked. (Depending on location). The interior is much more to my liking in the 2003 Maxima then it was in my 96. The Bose is nothing to write home about. Some people have had issues, I personally never have. My CDs skip when the unit is cold, but after 10 min of driving it is fine.

This is the first manual transmission car I have owned, so I can't really compare but people say it is "notchy". Personally I love the way the car shifts.

In terms of stuff to look for? Well, the MAFs on the 2002 and 2003 Maximas are notoriously weak. Paint isn't so great on any Maxima, so, take a look at te hood and see if there is a lot of chipping. (Not really something to be worried about, unless it's really bad, but could help you get a better price.) I already mentioned the HID Theft issue.

Third Gear on the 5.5 Gen tranny is also notorious for having it's snycros going bad. So you get a grind on some or all aggressive shifts. I have that problem right now. But, my 5 year / 60,000 mile powertrain waranty is going to hopefully take care of that for me.

Good luck!

 

It is a 6-speed. My bad.
Thanks.

 

You will see better at night and have a greater chance with meeting some cops.

 

Dunno where you live, but if you get the 5.5th expect headlights "dissappearing" on you....


On my condo complex there are 3 maximas: my is 5th and the other twos 5.5s. They have stolen their headlights like 4 times EACH so far... The girl is returning the lease and the guy (parks right next to me) gave up fixing it, it is running on the foggies and is trying to sell the car. He had worse than her: he tried the Nissan kit to avoid theft and they bent his hood few times.


good luck!

 

I also went from a 4th gen auto to a 5.5 gen manual. I can't say much for the notchiness, I think it shifts great. I kind of wonder if those that complain about it being notchy are coming from sports cars made for aggressive shifts . Anyway, some key differences and/or problem spots to be aware of:

1.) HID theft (mentioned)
2.) oil burning (seems to be a problem in some of these cars, though not mine)
3.) Handling --> I personally think my 02 handles worse than my 99 did. I'm still trying to investigate the reason for this, although it is extremely floaty while cruising at 80 around slight highway turns, makes me a little . I think it could be the cruddy tires they put on at the dealer.

4.) Weak MAF (not personally a problem, but a lot of threads about it)
5.) Turning Radius (I'll bet airplanes park easier than these things)
6.) Might just be me, as I haven't seen a whole lot about it, but I think the Bose in the 4th gen was better than the one I have now. Definitely does skip when it's cold.

7.) (but officer, do YOU own a maxima? I'll bet if you did, you'd do 70 in a 40 too.)

Pros:
1.) POWAH-- I love getting thrown back in my seat.
2.) Interior (definitely an improvement over the already classy 4th gen)
3.) 17 inch wheels (looks a lot better with less wheel gap)
4.) DEFINITELY feels like a much more solid car.


Hope this helps.

 

Sounds like people in your area need to invest in a garage...

 

Maybe I'm the only one, but I liked my 4th gen better. It handled better, had a better turning radius, and just felt more sporty the the 5th gen. My daughter still drives it ('97 SE, 168k) and everytime I drive it again I think how much nicer it is to drive. My 5th is a fine car (another SE), just not as much fun to toss around as the old one.

 

Thanks to all for the info. This is 10 times more useful than reviews I found on the 'net.

Some of you expressed exactly my concerns - the newer Maximas are leaning more towards luxury segment and therefore the sedated behavior (handling etc.). My only hope would be the fact that I would be going from a GXE to SE (stiffer suspension) and from auto to manual. That might make up for whatever else I would lose.

Would 2000-2001 Maximas be a closer match to 4th gen. as far as handling and "sportiness" than 2002-2003? Or, is that all the same?

 

Aside from everything else mentioned, if the car has Bose, expect the cd player to cut in and out if it already hasn't been fixed or replaced, the hood might rattle, might lose oil, crappy paint on the front of the car, and probably more but that's all I can think of right now.

 

Nice write-up overall, but I gotta disagree on the wheel gap thing, particularly with the ostensibly lighter (and assumed equally-sprung as the auto) 6-speed SE. I have the 17's on my 2003 SE 6-speed and the fender is so much higher than my front tires it looks like I could go off-roading. I already have plans to install the H&R springs in the front only in order to offset this while also hopefully mitigating some of the the clumsy handling of the stock suspension.

On the plus side, the HLSD combined with the acceleration of the 6-speed make me temporarily forget all my concerns about the Mack Truck turning radius...

 

I completely forgot about hood flutter. I had that when I first bought the car but, that was easily fixed with a few turns of the rubber stoppers under the hood.

 

Here are some things to check:

1) Shove your finger in the tailpipe (make sure the engine/exhaust is cold) and wipe the inside of the exhaust to check for the oil burning problem. If it comes out oily, you've found an oil burner...RUN!

2) Brakes - do a highway run and give the brakes a firm test from highway speed...if you feel pulsing or wheel shimmy, the front and/or rear rotors probably need replacing. Once brakes are warm, a light foot on the brake from 20-0mph will reveal pulsing as well.

3) Wheel bearings/suspension - drive it with the windows down, all accessories off near a building/down an alleyway/around in circles in a parking lot with your head half out the window and listen for noises. Any noises could be indicative of problems.

4) Look at body panel seams for consistency and make sure they are even on both sides. Also look for differences in paint color on panels at different angles. Any uneven panels or differences in paint could mean car has been wrecked and repaired. Pull a Carfax as well to see where car has "lived" (also see #9).

5) Transmission - feel for grind going into 3rd (typical) and / or other gears. Could be indicative of bad syncros or clutch wear.

6) If Bose stereo, use balance and fader to listen to each speaker individually...some channels / speakers may be bad or cut out occasionally.

7) Look at fog lights closely for cracks in lens (typical). Also, try to move the entire fog light housing...plastic housing may be cracked (not visible) and entire light may be loose.

8) Service records are key...oil changes are key to engine health, other fluids are due at 63K if they haven't already been done, other stuff is nice to know.

9) I see you are in FL...pull back the carpet in the trunk/open the fusebox panel inside the car and pull a fuse/look under the dash and look for signs of rust. There are alot of cars in the SE that have been flooded and are for sale. Might not show up on Carfax but will not look clean in places indicated and will have major electrical issues later.

I drove 4th through 5.5 gen when looking for mine and I decided on the 5.5 gen...same body size as the 5th gen but more HP so in stock form, it will be more sporty than a 5th gen (handling should be almost identical - 5.5 gen is slightly heavier I think). It is bigger with more power, although the motor on all of them are nice. You will definitely regain the fun factor with the 6spd (it is a little bit notchy but not too bad) so no comparison there and the SE suspension is tighter relative to a GXE. One thing someone else mentioned is the turning radius does suck.

I'm sure others will have add'l things to add but this should be a good start.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the detailed instructions. I was wondering how I could check if it burns oil or not, but now I know.

 

On an engine that is running well, the inside of tailpipe should be dry & relatively clean, maybe a light coating of rust/rough to the touch with 63K on the clock (assuming original exhaust). The tip of your finger should come out with a light greyish/brownish deposit...

As a benchmark, do the tailpipe check your '95 GXE...

Good luck!

 

Now that you mention the hood flutter, I just noticed it while on the highway yesterday...thought I had not latched my hood all the way and it was going to fly off the car. Got to fix that tonight!

Most of the things I have found "wrong" with my '03 6spd are little things that can be fixed relatively easily (like adjusting the sunroof to eliminate wind noise when closed) with the help of fellow org'ers!

Thanks owais and infiniteecho.

 

If the catalytic converter is working, oil will never get to the tail pipe.

 

dont be crazy ! kiss the old maxima a few times, shed a few tears and sit yo butt in a VQ35DE powered manual tranny maxima and get on down the road ! i would do it !!! good luck !

 

like they said look out for oil burners and expect hid theft depending on your area.

 

I want to thank everyone that replied here for the great advice. I purchased an '02 SE last night. 13.5K out the door. Pics here:

http://www.netlook.com/jump/gpvt.cfm...&c_id=11986417

 

Hey whiggy,

I recently bought a used car and had some extra time left on my carfax reports. I don't know if the dealership told you or if it makes a difference to you, but I ran a carfax report on the vehicle you purchased and came up with some interesting information...

11/10/2003 25,631 Collision Repair Facility
Florida Vehicle inspected after an
accident or other incident.
A vehicle inspection completed
by your dealer or professional
inspector is recommended

CARFAX began reporting information from this source on 05/06/2005.

Good luck man.

 

Strange. If you go to the NetLook link I posted and click on the AutoCheck link it does not show that...
The car does have a small scuff mark on the front fender. That might have been reported.
Have you saved the report by any chance?

 

Another thing is that all the windows are tinted but the RR one. It might have been broken into.