I currently drive a 2003 Maxima SE Polished Titatium with Titanium Edition package. I friggen love it, its an auto and now I wish I got a 6 speed manual.

Lately I've been falling in love with the 6.5 gen maxima especially the 2008 SE/SL just like the way it looks and it has grown on me, before I hated the look of the 6/6.5 gen.

As far as I know I still plan on keeping my 03 maxima se currently at 127k.


Few things I dislike about the 03 maxima se is that the front paint is badly blasted by rocks since the car was repainted in the front and some spots are begining to rust only few little pinhead sports.

The fenders are somewhat begining to rust & the paint is bubbling and bottom of the trunk door is rusting aswell .

My hid headlighs suck since they can't be adjusted they are aimed too low and I have a hard time seeing at night what's in the front which is bad for my safety as well as others on the road also the HIDs are Depo replacemets since the originals were stollen didn't know this till I joined the maxima forums.


The only big things I had to replace was a new radiator this past summer, valve cover gasket, got a new battery, front rotors and pads, 4 tires in the past 6 years might have to get 2 new ones for the new england winter, exhaust pipe rewelds x 2 in 6 yrs, new hid ballast and 2 fog lights.


My 03 maxma has been paid off for a year now and I am trying to hold myself back by not buying a new used car. might get one in 2013 if I find the right one at the right price, milage, color.

I like the Winter Frost (off white) but I only see they come in Cafe Latte (beige) I want charcoal interior in the Winter Frost. Is this an even possible combo?

Please leave me some feedback? Thanks in advance

 

If you like the 03' and its paid for.. Just keep it, nothing worse than having a new car payment. Little things like rust build up and the few other things you listed are minimal.

 

5.5 will probably be my last Max unless the '14 has a manual option

 

In my opinion it's a down grade, not an upgrade.

 

I own a 03 TE as well since it was new and it's an A/T as well and I get a chance to drive it after driving my 4th gen all week and man what an improvement and boost in power.....I like the 6.5th Gen Maxima not the 6th.....but I don't like that weak a$$ CVT tranny.....I'm wondering how long the existing Maxima will be produced since it seems to be growing a bit more appealing but still not IMO as Sexy as the 3rd, 4th and 5th Gen Maxima(s).....But 290 sae hp could change someone's opinion rather quickly, but in the same sentence that 3700 lbs weight and CVT tranny can turn off alot of Real Maxima(s) enthusiast to say the same! I'll hold on to my 5.5th Gen and get My wifey another vehicle whe she ready....I love that Mazda 5 but she's says it's really ugly! LOL

 

I'm guessing you don't realize the 6.5 gen is when Nissan stopped offering a manual transmission in the Maxima. It's a CVT only, boss. And a really crappy one, too. It wasn't until the 7th Gen before they started making a half-way decent CVT, such as it is, contradiction and all.

And now you're sad.

 

if i were you id just keep the 5.5, personally i think its the best looking model so far. plus its paid for. if you want a new car get it, park the 5.5 fix the problem areas. im in maine and i was thinking about rhino lining my under carriage to help with the salt and ish. just my opinion, do you.

 

what about the 2006 maxima manual transmission and how bad is it? any thougts?? are the trannies that bad in the 6th gen vs 5th

 

The 6.0 Gen 6MT had some design improvements over the 5.5 gen. For example, the infamous "3rd Gear Crunch" problem in the syncros that plagued a number of 5.5 gen owners was fixed. And the weak shifter cable armature was redesigned so it wouldn't snap. There are probably other incremental improvements, but not a mechanic.

The 6.0 Gen finally got an independent rear suspension, and its engine was rated at 265 crank HP, but it's also a heavier car, so that's a wash. The interior dash arrangement was positively awful, the front end is hideous with that tooth and the side-fogs, the back end looks like it's taking a dump, and from the side the car looks indistinguishable from the same model year Altima.

Looks aside, it's a great driving car, and damn quick for it's class of sedan.

 

I have an 03 TE with 102,000 miles and have had it since new. My daughter now drives it. She loves it as well. Had a 92 and just bought a 12 SV. Really not a fan of the 6 or 6.5. I would keep the car as long as you can. One of the best Max's they made.

 

this...

 

+1
Im moving onto infiniti, im planning on buying rochesters car in 4 years.
Looking for a g37 6spd sedan 09-11

 

Infiniti's are geared towards this crowd. The maxima seriously went away from its 4DSC roots post 5tt/5.5 gen's. A nice used G is the way to go.

 

OK, that was funny. Although I think merovi has dibs.

Stickers.

 

IIRC I'm pretty sure you can adjust our 5.5 gen headlights

 

There are some nice 6th gens out there. However, like what most have already said, I don't think it would really be much of an upgrade at all going from a 5.5 gen to one.

 

This, I wouldn't go from 5.5 to a 6th, I would probably pick up a 7th just for crusing, love my 5.5 wont let it go, on my 3rd 5th gen....

 

Unless you want to row your own gears... in which case you're only equivalent options, while staying within Nissan, are the 6.0 Gen Maxima, the Altima (through 2012) and the Infiniti G35/G37. Even the new Altima abandoned the 6MT. And good luck fining a G-Sedan 6MT.

 

Who knows, dont know what will be Next Car or Make, or if it will even get any mods...

 

You sure can!

 

This +2, that interior is just awful on the 6.0. Cheap looking and plastics galore, I saw why it was criticized so often the 1st time I laid eyes on it in person.

 

I had an 07 sedan sport for 4 years---and i recommend that or the 2008. That's because I feel the vq35hr is the best VQ made. It absolutely loves to rev and builds power all the way to redline its my opinion though

look here and see how the 2007's sedans rank with just intake/exhaust/flash. they fall right behind the supercharged earlier VQ's.
http://www.dragtimes.com/Infiniti--G35-Drag-Racing.html

My time is on the top of page 2(held the second fastest sedan time N/A for a while).

back to the OP-only upgrade to a 6th gen if your wanting to lean away from performance and need a bigger car(cheaper interior quality tho). The 5.5gen is a nice middle spot to balance performance and utility thanks to the lighter weight and healthy VQ FWD power(when uncorked some more).

 

You can adjust headlights and foglights.....

 

I'm a 2003 TE owner too and I personally do not like the 6th gens because I feel they look like Glorified Peanuts, and the interior does not look good. The 6.5gens have a CVT too which I personally do not like. If you must get a 6th gen, target the 2004-2006 models, which still had a 6-MT as an option.

There's also something that doesn't feel right about a Maxima not built in Japan, but if I were to move up to another Maxima (likely in the future as a DD), I'd spend more and take a 7th gen over a 6th gen for the extra features, nicer interior, and more modern look and feel.