Hey,

Ive been looking for a max for about 2 and half weeks now. Yesterday a used car place got in a black 1996 GLE with 80k miles, and they are selling it for 11.9k . That seems like a damn good price to me. My biggest question is how well do Maxs hold up. Ill put around 20-25k miles a year on the car and I want to keep this car for a while. Granted this car is in good shape, what will go wrong with a Max at high millage.
My budget is around 12k dollars, so its either a high millage GLE or a lower millage GXE. Personaly i want a GLE because of the options. What do you all think?

Thanks.


-Nick

 

The price sounds decent and the maxima will hold up for a long time. But don't over look the SE. Because the GLE has lots of options, that is just more stuff that can go wrong. You should be able to save lots of money and get a car with less miles if you went with a GXE, but it's your decision.

 

I'm not sure what stuff is going to "go wrong" with the GLE that isn't going to go wrong with any other Maxima, but I would look at the SE because you can get all of the same options AND a 5-speed. And in my opinion, you can get a lot better deal than $11.9k on a 96 with 80,000 miles. I'll sell you my modded 95 with 120k for that . Seriously though, if you take care of it, a Maxima will treat you well for a long time. Mine has cost me maybe $300 in repairs besides regular maintenance, and still feels really tight and strong.

 

Welcome Nick, you came to the right place. 95-96 Maxima's have a few weakness's.

1. O2 sensor's have been recalled.
2. They have weak bumpers.
3. They have weak starters (they seem to last 60,000 miles).

The o2 and starters really isn't a big deal imho.. but number 2 is. If I were to buy over again I'd shoot for a 97+.

As for GXE SE GLE they really are one big mesh. They all have the VQ30DE, all have power windows, Power door locks, Power antenna, and A.C.. The GXE and SE are available with a 5 speed. The GXE is generally considered the base model followed by the SE (sporty model) followed by the GLE. However my SE is as loaded as the GLE, only with the white gauges, body colored handles, just general SE stuff. So I would look at all the maxima's you see. Perhaps they have the options your looking for?

Any how that's my 0.2 cents

Wizeguy

 

Sounds like a good deal. Go with the GLE if you want more luxury with a little softer ride. Go SE if you want a stiffer suspension and better handling. I have a GLE with 72,000 miles that was purchased a month ago. So far I love it. If you take care of it you should get a couple hundred thousand miles out of the engine. Of course you will have to replace the tranny in there sometime or the clutch if you get the 5 speed. Also if you go with GLE you get the Bose stereo and the sunroof and power driver's seat. You'll be satisified with what ever Max you get.

 

That's a lot of money for 80k miles.

96SE's here in the Bay Area, California are going for $12500 with 60k or fewer miles.

A fellow owner here just bought a 97SE with 33k miles (or was it 38k) for $15k, loaded.

So for 80k miles that's a bit high, IMHO. I don't know pricing in your area though, so maybe that is a good price.

 

my car is 12 years old, yes an 88 and it has 138k on it. Still runnin like its brand new. These cars and engines were built to last. Go for it.

 

Whatever you decide be assured you will have little to NO maintenance. But listen to these guys -go for the SE. A little firmer suspension but really not that much and it's and excellent handling / ride compromise. - And you'll be able to get most if not all the same options a GLE has.
I've had both models and am in the process of converting the 95 GLE into a SE -Tires and springs and it still rides like a dream. NO problems and running 95,000+. Good Luck.

 

well my friend,

i would start out by saying that (having been in the car biz in a former life) your best value is always a 1 or 2 year old low-mileage "creampuff'. which is what i did with my 98 se that i bought in 99. it was a 1 year lease return with 16K miles. i did my homework and was able to pick it up for $ 17800. it took me 3 months though to find the right car and a dealer who was willing to deal.

obviously your budget is well below that (not a putdown) but the same principle applies. take your time, be patient, look for a "creampuff" and the right deal. you can always gather your information and go to the kelley blue book website and document what high, mid and low book are, considering the options, condition, extras, mileage, etc.

at that point, you can determine if the asking price is inline or not. typically anything below mid book is a decent deal, considering the vehicle is in good condition, mechanically and from an apperance standpoint, etc. the lower you can go under mid-book, the better the deal. make sure the vehicle is "clean" as well, meaning it hasn't been in a big wreck, or otherwise damaged, and has a salvage title. make sure it has a "clean" title.

i agree with many of the other folks who have responded. the se is more performance oriented than the other two models, including but not limited to the 5 speed and suspension. in my opinion, the gle and gxe are more old folks and princess wanna-be cars. you're a guy, go for the se. you'll enjoy it far more in the long run. and that is the bottom line truth.

last point...buy from a dealer where you have legal recourse in case you have problems. and since you're way past the warranty phase, make sure they throw in a 90 day bumper to bumper warranty.

it's a buyer's market today, so if anyone jerks you around, tell them politely that you're a knowledgeable buyer and if you continue to insult my intelligence, i'm going to walk out of here. that comment will level the playing field and let the vulture know, you mean business. don't buy anything until you done your kelley blue book research though.

good luck!

* official disclaimer - if i've offended a granny or grandpa or two...sorry. if i've offended a princess wanna-be...too bad. you needed your balloon popped anyway.

 

SE vs gle/gxe

Se have different rear struts and I beleve rear springs, that's the only difference suspension "wize". Odd's are at 60,000 miles the struts are toast anyway. Other then that the diffences are cosmetic. Until you add options - Auto climate control, heated seats, etc... In my opinion find what options you want and go for it. If you must have white gauges, body matching door handles, black window trim then get an SE.

The SE,GLE,GXE all have the same engine. Any how I'm not a firm believer that you 'must' have an SE.

Btw... I love my SE.

Just go buy one!

Wizeguy

 

I don't think anybody that drives an automatic has any business calling anybody on this board a "princess wanna-be." And be careful with creampuffs, a lot of times that weren't broken in properly and have never been bast 3000 rpm. The engine needs to rev once in a while.

p.s. You'll never get 275 hp from an NA 4th Gen

 

Whats a cream puff?

 

 

My '97SE has 33k miles. It has dual power seats, sunroof, Bose, automatic climate control, ABS, leather.

Overall, it is in top condition. Some dents and minor scratch under the bumpers so no big deal.

Take your time to shop, it took me 3 tries (many dealership visits and 2 failed long negotiations) to get this one.

 

I have a 95 GXE and a 99 SE both 5 speeds. The GXE has a limiter at 117 mph. The SE corners much better but the GXE rides nicer on the highway. Depends what you are looking for. I bought both my cars new so I can't help you with my used car story. You can pick up a 95/6 GXE 5 speed for 8-11,000 in Iowa with 50-90K. I have 97K on my 95 with no problems other than an O2 sensor going out. She still pulls as strong as the day she left the dealership. I'd stick with the 5 speed b/c it's a lot more fun to drive, much faster, and much cheaper when you buy.

 

Well I must admit Maximas are overall pretty good cars. Their bodies, engines and some options have exceptional performance and durability. Fuel economy is great considering this is a V6 that outruns many other V6's and some 8's. Acceleration, smoothness, comfort and luxury, along with sporty performance run very high (even on the firmer suspencioned SE). The shifting on the Gen IV 5spd is fairly smooth, though the clutch is a bit light and feels like it is slipping a little. The automatic is pretty smooth, but you will definitely experience a major decline in all out performance. Launches are quicker than the stick, but you will lose over a second in 0-60 and 1/4 miles. Mileage suffers one point with an automatic, but if you live in Los Angeles or other heavy traffic areas, an automatic is most welcome.

There are some caveats with buying a Maxima. I've owned a Gen III and currently own a Gen IV. I've had to replace the transmission (both 5spds) on both Maximas. Also, there will definitely be a bunch of little nuisances that will break or go wrong with the car. Nissan took care in doing details like the engine and the Bose audio system, but they lacked concentration on other parts such as cooling, minor switches, starters, etc. (Most problems seem to occur around the 60,000 to 70,000 mile marks).

Also, if you are worried about safety, the car is fairly safe in comparison to most other vehicles, but crash testing has shown the Maxima to be slightly deficient in some frontal impacts. Head Injury is average. Chest protects is good. But leg and lower thorasic protection is slightly lacking. You can run the risk of massive leg punctures, broken ankles and leg bones. But in those events it would have to be a sport utility hitting you hard or a Hyundai hitting you at full speed.

Overall, the car still is a pretty decent buy if you are after a higher-end and higher-quality automobile. Considering the overall price compared to American V6's and Honda and Toyota's offerings, it does add up more in the performance and feature's category, but if reliability is an issue, an Accord V6, Camry V6, or BMW may be better bets.

Good luck on your decision