So im looking at buying a Maxima and I've been trying to decide between a 97-99 5 speed or a 02-03 6 speed.

Pros: 4th Gen

Cheaper
Better Shifting Transmission
VQ30DE more durable engine
Over all more reliable
More aftermarket parts available
With bolt-ons potential to be as fast as a stock 5.5 gen
Easier to work on
Better build quality ie. interior and engine

Pros: 5.5 Gen

Faster
Newer
Slightly better gas mileage (probably lower real world mileage)
A little easier to find
Larger car
Better handling

Cons 4th Gen
Older car
Coil pack problems on 99's
Less Power
Harder to find
No 6 speed
Overall slower car
Knock sensors tend to go bad

Cons: 5.5 Gen
MAF sensor tends to be bad
Can burn oil starting around 70k
Bad synchrodes in the tranny
Brakes wear quicker
Overall parts are more expensive
Bad O2 sensors (sometimes bad on the 4th gen)
Tires more expensive
Car is more expensive
Less reliable over all
Notchy shifting(i think i could get used to it)



Overall Im just looking for some opinions from anyone who has had experience with 4th gens, 5.5 gens or both. And if i forgot anything or am wrong about something please correct me.

 

All else being equal, IMO I would get the 5.5 gen

It's a newer car, looks better (maybe the best looking maxima of all?) and will give you more fun in the long run.

EDIT: Oh if you add value into the mix, then I would get the 4th gen

 

The 5.5 has a WAY better tranny.

 

5.5 gen.

.....

 

"Bad synchrodes in the tranny"

What is that? What problems does that cause? Im trying to figure out why my car can't find 5th, 6th, or reverse.

 

I love my 4th gen. I haven't had any of the problems listed. I have 94K on my 99 SE-L.....

 

The synchros sorry for the misspelling i don't know if thats a joke...but they are what allow the transmission to go into gear with out double clutching they syncronize the gears to the speed of the engine. If you can't find 5th 6th or reverse you need new syncros

This is what makes me want a 4th gen so much more then a 5.5 gen

 

Some other things. Paint on the 5.5 gens is really soft. I have an 03 and it has a bunch of scratches on it. Yes the car is 4 years old, but my front bumper / hood look like they need to be redone in places.

With that said, I'd still go with a 5.5th gen because of the power the engine delivers, lower mileage and styling (subject to opinion of course). I just don't want to deal with someone else's headaches and the older you go, the more likely you are to experience them, imo.

 

The 4th gens are pretty old now and even the most well cared for specimens are going to require maintainence. I haven't had any real problems with mine yet but I do expect it will need some help as it approaches 100k miles. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with it and plan to keep it for a while, but it is getting old and it certainly does look and feel dated.

 

If I could have done it all over again, I'd have gotten a 4th gen.