(Still) looking for 3gen SE --> VG vs. VE difference in daily driving?
Thread Starter
Donating Maxima.org Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,940
Hey all, I've been looking for a 3rd gen SE 5 speed in my area for a while now, and damn, are they rare here! ....except for the PURPLE one someone was selling, but I didn't want that. Silver, yes. Superwhite, yes. Superblack (drools) hell yeah! BREAK OUT THE VASELINE!! But purple? C'mon...
Umm, anyway my point is, since they seem to be so rare I was wondering if I should settle for a 89-91 VG-engined SE instead of my preferred 92-94 VE. I've seen 0-60 and 1/4 mile times for both and the VG still seems fairly fast. What I'm really wondering about though is how it feels to drive in the real world. Since I don't race and mostly drive in the city, I guess what I'm asking (for those of you lucky enough to have driven both) is how the VG and VE drive in the low to mid RPMs, and how well they pull off the line. Is there a big or instantly noticable difference?
I always thought the VEs VTCs just let it breath better at the top end, and the power curves down lower were similar to the VG (hence the magic of variable valve timing). But then again I could be wrong and the VE is a typical peaky, multivalve engine with no low-end grunt....
Anyhoo, thanks and let me know what you think!
PS: anyone in the Vancouver area want to sell their SE 5sp?
Umm, anyway my point is, since they seem to be so rare I was wondering if I should settle for a 89-91 VG-engined SE instead of my preferred 92-94 VE. I've seen 0-60 and 1/4 mile times for both and the VG still seems fairly fast. What I'm really wondering about though is how it feels to drive in the real world. Since I don't race and mostly drive in the city, I guess what I'm asking (for those of you lucky enough to have driven both) is how the VG and VE drive in the low to mid RPMs, and how well they pull off the line. Is there a big or instantly noticable difference?
I always thought the VEs VTCs just let it breath better at the top end, and the power curves down lower were similar to the VG (hence the magic of variable valve timing). But then again I could be wrong and the VE is a typical peaky, multivalve engine with no low-end grunt....
Anyhoo, thanks and let me know what you think!
PS: anyone in the Vancouver area want to sell their SE 5sp?
the VE really does fly when you open it up.. my VG auto still had some get-up at highway speeds, but when you drop a VE 5 spd into 3rd at 80 and floor it, hold on to your butt! 
just some basic wristwatch timing I did last week shows the VE to be quite a bit faster on the highway. a 75-100mph pull (with a 3-4 shift in the middle) took 8 seconds in my VE.
it would take 10sec for the same thing in my auto VG.
As for city driving, I loved the auto. sitting at a light and floor it, you could pretty much melt a set of stock-sized tires even with the auto. I'm sure a 5 spd would be even better.
the VE is still a rocket once you get the car moving. if you don't mind replacing clutches that often, you can burn the clutch at 2500-3500rpm, then when you're about 10mph let go of the clutch and mash the gas.. it'll keep the tires right onthe edge of breaking loose all the way through first. if the concrete is cold, the tires will slip all the way through 1st. grab second and be ready to be planted. 25-65mph in second gear is one of the best feelings I've had in my Max (wellll, except for that one night in the back sea....
)..
only thing I've driven that you could afford to compare it to is a 95 Prelude VTEC. the 'lude will stomp the max flat, but it's still twice the price.
my whole point though.. if you REALLY want a screamer and you REALLY want a max, the VE (or VQ) 5 spd is the only way to go. if you want something quick that can still rip aparta civic with 6" exhaust, then the VG 5 spd will do very nicely.
you won't be upset with either purchase though.
Keep looking for a VE, and you'll find one! it took me 3months to get one, and I still had to drive 120 miles to get it!
just some basic wristwatch timing I did last week shows the VE to be quite a bit faster on the highway. a 75-100mph pull (with a 3-4 shift in the middle) took 8 seconds in my VE.
it would take 10sec for the same thing in my auto VG.
As for city driving, I loved the auto. sitting at a light and floor it, you could pretty much melt a set of stock-sized tires even with the auto. I'm sure a 5 spd would be even better.
the VE is still a rocket once you get the car moving. if you don't mind replacing clutches that often, you can burn the clutch at 2500-3500rpm, then when you're about 10mph let go of the clutch and mash the gas.. it'll keep the tires right onthe edge of breaking loose all the way through first. if the concrete is cold, the tires will slip all the way through 1st. grab second and be ready to be planted. 25-65mph in second gear is one of the best feelings I've had in my Max (wellll, except for that one night in the back sea....
)..only thing I've driven that you could afford to compare it to is a 95 Prelude VTEC. the 'lude will stomp the max flat, but it's still twice the price.
my whole point though.. if you REALLY want a screamer and you REALLY want a max, the VE (or VQ) 5 spd is the only way to go. if you want something quick that can still rip aparta civic with 6" exhaust, then the VG 5 spd will do very nicely.
you won't be upset with either purchase though.
Keep looking for a VE, and you'll find one! it took me 3months to get one, and I still had to drive 120 miles to get it!
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,117
Originally posted by Matt93SE
the VE really does fly when you open it up.. my VG auto still had some get-up at highway speeds, but when you drop a VE 5 spd into 3rd at 80 and floor it, hold on to your butt!
just some basic wristwatch timing I did last week shows the VE to be quite a bit faster on the highway. a 75-100mph pull (with a 3-4 shift in the middle) took 8 seconds in my VE.
it would take 10sec for the same thing in my auto VG.
As for city driving, I loved the auto. sitting at a light and floor it, you could pretty much melt a set of stock-sized tires even with the auto. I'm sure a 5 spd would be even better.
the VE is still a rocket once you get the car moving. if you don't mind replacing clutches that often, you can burn the clutch at 2500-3500rpm, then when you're about 10mph let go of the clutch and mash the gas.. it'll keep the tires right onthe edge of breaking loose all the way through first. if the concrete is cold, the tires will slip all the way through 1st. grab second and be ready to be planted. 25-65mph in second gear is one of the best feelings I've had in my Max (wellll, except for that one night in the back sea.... )..
only thing I've driven that you could afford to compare it to is a 95 Prelude VTEC. the 'lude will stomp the max flat, but it's still twice the price.
my whole point though.. if you REALLY want a screamer and you REALLY want a max, the VE (or VQ) 5 spd is the only way to go. if you want something quick that can still rip aparta civic with 6" exhaust, then the VG 5 spd will do very nicely.
you won't be upset with either purchase though.
Keep looking for a VE, and you'll find one! it took me 3months to get one, and I still had to drive 120 miles to get it!
the VE really does fly when you open it up.. my VG auto still had some get-up at highway speeds, but when you drop a VE 5 spd into 3rd at 80 and floor it, hold on to your butt!
just some basic wristwatch timing I did last week shows the VE to be quite a bit faster on the highway. a 75-100mph pull (with a 3-4 shift in the middle) took 8 seconds in my VE.
it would take 10sec for the same thing in my auto VG.
As for city driving, I loved the auto. sitting at a light and floor it, you could pretty much melt a set of stock-sized tires even with the auto. I'm sure a 5 spd would be even better.
the VE is still a rocket once you get the car moving. if you don't mind replacing clutches that often, you can burn the clutch at 2500-3500rpm, then when you're about 10mph let go of the clutch and mash the gas.. it'll keep the tires right onthe edge of breaking loose all the way through first. if the concrete is cold, the tires will slip all the way through 1st. grab second and be ready to be planted. 25-65mph in second gear is one of the best feelings I've had in my Max (wellll, except for that one night in the back sea....
)..only thing I've driven that you could afford to compare it to is a 95 Prelude VTEC. the 'lude will stomp the max flat, but it's still twice the price.
my whole point though.. if you REALLY want a screamer and you REALLY want a max, the VE (or VQ) 5 spd is the only way to go. if you want something quick that can still rip aparta civic with 6" exhaust, then the VG 5 spd will do very nicely.
you won't be upset with either purchase though.
Keep looking for a VE, and you'll find one! it took me 3months to get one, and I still had to drive 120 miles to get it!
Weird somehow matt's blue Max is suddenly red?
.As far as VE driveability/reliability.Ummm...I have 208K+ and I still get pushed into my seat.Like Matt said the VE really shines once you get it movin.My auto is a beast at 65mph it snaps back and screams loud all the way too 100mph.
.As far as VE driveability/reliability.Ummm...I have 208K+ and I still get pushed into my seat.Like Matt said the VE really shines once you get it movin.My auto is a beast at 65mph it snaps back and screams loud all the way too 100mph.
I have a VE 5-sp and my bro has a vg 5-sp. Down low it's about the same but up high, it's no contest. The ve is still pulling after the vg runs out of breath.
BUT! I bet a VG w/ the usual mods(In. Ex. Y-pipe) PLUS a set of JWT cams/JWT ecu, would kick some azz.
What the VG really needs is better breathing in the higher rpm ranges. The cams will really help this.
You would probably need the cams to try to match a VE w/ the same mods.
It's hard to beat the stock VE dohc heads and VTC though. Nice power from just a stock engine.
BUT! I bet a VG w/ the usual mods(In. Ex. Y-pipe) PLUS a set of JWT cams/JWT ecu, would kick some azz.
What the VG really needs is better breathing in the higher rpm ranges. The cams will really help this.
You would probably need the cams to try to match a VE w/ the same mods.
It's hard to beat the stock VE dohc heads and VTC though. Nice power from just a stock engine.
Originally posted by Bman
Hey all, I've been looking for a 3rd gen SE 5 speed in my area for a while now, and damn, are they rare here! ....except for the PURPLE one someone was selling, but I didn't want that. Silver, yes. Superwhite, yes. Superblack (drools) hell yeah! BREAK OUT THE VASELINE!! But purple? C'mon...
Umm, anyway my point is, since they seem to be so rare I was wondering if I should settle for a 89-91 VG-engined SE instead of my preferred 92-94 VE. I've seen 0-60 and 1/4 mile times for both and the VG still seems fairly fast. What I'm really wondering about though is how it feels to drive in the real world. Since I don't race and mostly drive in the city, I guess what I'm asking (for those of you lucky enough to have driven both) is how the VG and VE drive in the low to mid RPMs, and how well they pull off the line. Is there a big or instantly noticable difference?
I always thought the VEs VTCs just let it breath better at the top end, and the power curves down lower were similar to the VG (hence the magic of variable valve timing). But then again I could be wrong and the VE is a typical peaky, multivalve engine with no low-end grunt....
Anyhoo, thanks and let me know what you think!
PS: anyone in the Vancouver area want to sell their SE 5sp?
Hey all, I've been looking for a 3rd gen SE 5 speed in my area for a while now, and damn, are they rare here! ....except for the PURPLE one someone was selling, but I didn't want that. Silver, yes. Superwhite, yes. Superblack (drools) hell yeah! BREAK OUT THE VASELINE!! But purple? C'mon...
Umm, anyway my point is, since they seem to be so rare I was wondering if I should settle for a 89-91 VG-engined SE instead of my preferred 92-94 VE. I've seen 0-60 and 1/4 mile times for both and the VG still seems fairly fast. What I'm really wondering about though is how it feels to drive in the real world. Since I don't race and mostly drive in the city, I guess what I'm asking (for those of you lucky enough to have driven both) is how the VG and VE drive in the low to mid RPMs, and how well they pull off the line. Is there a big or instantly noticable difference?
I always thought the VEs VTCs just let it breath better at the top end, and the power curves down lower were similar to the VG (hence the magic of variable valve timing). But then again I could be wrong and the VE is a typical peaky, multivalve engine with no low-end grunt....
Anyhoo, thanks and let me know what you think!
PS: anyone in the Vancouver area want to sell their SE 5sp?
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,016
From: Hoover, AL
I agree with the rest, i have a vg auto and i do alittle racing but mostly street driving and once i drove my friends ve its all the difference, i wish i had done my research and found maxima.org to see how much info i wish i had. i would wait for that ve
Thread Starter
Donating Maxima.org Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,940
Wow, thanks for all the responses!
After hearing what an ***-kicker the VE is (although I already KNOW it's an ***-kicker
) I think I should take Matt and SEguy's advice and keep looking. Why? Just because then I can show off it's tire-shredding power to my friends
Both of them have "kinda fast" cars (new Alero, early 90s Civic Si) but wait till they see (feel?) the "really fast" Max! What am I getting by with now? Well, it's my dad's old (whispers) 80-something Accord. A good, if unexciting car. It taught me several things:
1)Cornering fast is fun
2)Accelerating fast is fun
3)5 speeds are fun
4)Hauling friends around in comfort is fun
5)Cornering fast and accelerating fast with my 5 speed while hauling friends in comfort is fun
6)I drive WAAAAY too aggressively for a rusty Accord...
7)Time for a Maxima!
There shall be much *****-making very soon I hope...
After hearing what an ***-kicker the VE is (although I already KNOW it's an ***-kicker
) I think I should take Matt and SEguy's advice and keep looking. Why? Just because then I can show off it's tire-shredding power to my friends Both of them have "kinda fast" cars (new Alero, early 90s Civic Si) but wait till they see (feel?) the "really fast" Max! What am I getting by with now? Well, it's my dad's old (whispers) 80-something Accord. A good, if unexciting car. It taught me several things:
1)Cornering fast is fun
2)Accelerating fast is fun
3)5 speeds are fun
4)Hauling friends around in comfort is fun
5)Cornering fast and accelerating fast with my 5 speed while hauling friends in comfort is fun
6)I drive WAAAAY too aggressively for a rusty Accord...
7)Time for a Maxima!
There shall be much *****-making very soon I hope...
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 129
Why O Why! Didn't we get the VE
Why O Why is the question that is in my mind as the Australian 3rd generation Nissan Maxima's only came with the VG30E. 1990-1995. All VG30E. Then in 1995 they changed the engine to the VQ30DE. But that was the 4th Gen Maxima's.
My Max is Auto and I find that my Maxima has heaps of power and grunt from the VG30E...But then again I have never driven a VE to see what there like.
I have driven the 4th gen Max and it has heaps of power from that VQ30DE.... Now thats power!
My Max is Auto and I find that my Maxima has heaps of power and grunt from the VG30E...But then again I have never driven a VE to see what there like.
I have driven the 4th gen Max and it has heaps of power from that VQ30DE.... Now thats power!
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