Is a 4th gen Maxima the answer?

I keep thinking my F350 Crewcab isn't the best daily driver. I've toyed with the idea of an early 90s civic (too old), or an Escort or Saturn wagon (too practical). What I want now is an LTD LX with a 5 speed swap. I'd either have to build it or pay handsomely for a nice one, so that's out. I like the idea of a newer Panther, but what I really think I want is a 4th gen Maxima with leather and a 5 speed.

Craigslist tells me one can be found clean with 150 - 200k miles for around $2000. Is there something else in that price range I should be looking at. Needs: 4 doors, 20+ mpg, presentable. Wants: Standard transmission, fun, Japanese or American.

Look at the 5th gen maxima. Better rear swaybar arrangement than the 4th gen, and 30-100 extra HP (depending on which 4th gen and which 5th gen you're looking at), stiffer chassis (still not "stiff" but stiffER than the 4th gen). Later 5th gen (02-03) can be had with a 6MT and factory LSD as well.

00-01 Maxima is a superior car to the 4th gen in all respects, and is just slightly heavier. But still can be found pretty cheap. I've seen high-mileage 2000's going for around $3k here and there.

If you do go 4th gen, go for the later models with the VQ30DE engine, it's much livelier than the early cars, smooth and bulletproof as well.

Also look around maxima.org, you'd be surprised how much enthusiast talk there is on these cars. Also alot of good ones for sale with some of the "mods" that really wake these cars up. You can't go wrong with either generation, but I would lean toward the 5th gen.

Josh (former Maxima.org moderator)

oh, and Maximas can be fun, for sure (my 2000 in the next 2 pics)

and look sexy (an hour after the previous photo, lol)

also, my buddy Nick has an i30 (comparable to late 4th gen) that he's been very successful autocrossing and is running about 25 events this season in, in EP class.

Also, I sold my 2000 almost 3 years ago for $4500. It had 180k miles, ran perfectly, was good cosmetically and interior, and had a crapload of high-quality "mods" on it (like Wilwood calipers and 2-piece rotors, 3 sets of wheels, etc).

So you can definitely find a high-mileage 2000-2001 now for less than that in stock form.

Go for the I30t w/ 5-speed (but not available in 5th gen).

my generation 5.5 continues to be a gem. Hopefully I'll have time to install my transgo kit soon.

I liked my 1997 Maxima very much. Always wanted an 03 six speed, but are very difficult to find that haven't been pounded to death.

IMO the 5speed is a smoother transmission than the 6speed anyhow. So don't feel too bad.

The five-speed manuals are prone to a problems with the differential carrier bearing. The bearing gets worn and the result is eccentric movement in one of the halfshafts, trashing the output seal on that side of the transmission. The result is a pretty bad constant trans fluid leak.

If the car has been driven with care it will probably be ok. Cars that have been driven hard are more likely to have this problem. Look for CAIs, aftermarket exhaust, wheels, and "performance" clutches. These cars probably have leaky transmissions.

I like the 5th gen, but There is a pretty decent price gap from the perspective of a broke guy. I think I could haggle my way into a 1300 4th gen. I don't think a decent 5th is a possibility at that price point. The I30 is on the radar as well. I've had good luck with the forgotten twins. Our Vibe and Mountaineer were great cars.

If you get a later 4th gen (98-99) you can swap in the 00VI or MEVI manifold and gain about 30hp up top, btw.....00VI is off of the 5th gen. MEVI is (IIRC) off of some foreign-market 4th gens and is a direct fit. The 00VI is generally accepted to be superior, but a few modifications need to be made to use it.

Any mods are going to be a red flag. Too many fast and furious types have hacked their way through Maxima ownership. I'd like a stock, non enthusiast car to make the best use of the "I really don't want a standard transmission, but if the price is right..." negotiating tactic.

What year 4th gens should be sought after? Why are they better?

I sold my 1997 SE with every option but 2 (missing the CD changer and heated seats) for $1250 last year with 190K on it.

I bought it for $2000 with 97K on it.

I got good deal!

If you do go 4th gen, go for the later models with the VQ30DE engine, it's much livelier than the early cars, smooth and bulletproof as well.

wut. 4th gens ONLY got the vq30de regardless of year or trim level..

like the 5th gen, but There is a pretty decent price gap from the perspective of a broke guy.

That's my feeling too. Honestly i prefer the 4th gen styling and dont like the visual and real bulk the 5th gen added anyway. IMO if you're looking for a cheap car you'd be better off with a 4th gen (maybe with the 00vi added by you..) because per the same price, a 5th gen will be a complete POS while finding a decent 4th below 2k is still easy.

btp76 wrote: Any mods are going to be a red flag. Too many fast and furious types have hacked their way through Maxima ownership. I'd like a stock, non enthusiast car to make the best use of the "I really don't want a standard transmission, but if the price is right..." negotiating tactic.

It's your money, but IDK that I'd agree with that. The aftermarket for the Maxima isn't huge, so the great majority of the parts actually available are generally pretty good. Yeah, I wouldn't buy one with nitrous lines or a shift light on it, but I can't say that most of the owners who mod are "hacking their way" through anything. Just like any other car, you need to do your reasearch on what mods are good, and which ones aren't.

Most of the modded maximas around here just go to meets in parking lots and have never seen a race or track, lol.

Alot of the guys who like drag use automatics anyhow, so your tactic may not work. ;)

Vigo wrote: wut. 4th gens ONLY got the vq30de regardless of year or trim level..

touche'

that's what happens when I've been out of the "community" for 3 years playing with subarus and BMWs, and spent all day on my back underneath an e30

I was remembering the 3rd gen with the VG30 vs. VE30 in early and late models, respectively.

which brings me to my favorite maxima of all time: A 3rd gen with a VQ30 or VQ35 swap. Lighter, IRS, and better looking. But with the best part of the 4th/5th gens: the engine.

btp76 wrote: What year 4th gens should be sought after? Why are they better?

mechanically there wasn't much in the way of changes during the 4th gen run. '98+ cars got side-impact airbags and Immobilizer chips in the key (IIRC), and some interior and exterior changes.

'97+ cars got alot of cosmetic changes that I think make them look sportier than the 95-96 cars. Also plastic headlights vs. glass on the earlier ones (and Nissan glass headlights like to break).

So I'd say '98+ is the most sought after in terms of years. The '99 SE-L is the one most people look for, but it's pretty much just a cosmetics package.

I'd also suggest looking for an SE vice GLE. First, more SE's had a manual tranny. Second, IIRC the suspension is slightly stiffer (springs + bigger sways) - though I'm not 100% sure about that.

Id look for SE as well, mostly for aesthetic reasons.. The SE had slightly cooler looking gauges, less chrome (like on the door handles.. ugh) and probably less 'ew' interior colors.

I'd look for a 97-98. the 95-96s were lighter but look more dated and have less safety features. IIRC the 99s came with the immobilizer (I had a 98 which I was able to use cheap home-depot keys for) and the 99s also had different emissions equipment (an extra precat that wasn't removable).

Like irish44j said I would go with an SE, it had stiffer springs in the back but all 4th gen maximas had a twist beam in the back with no sway bar.

As far as mods go theres a decent amount of cost-effective aftermarket. y-pipe is an awesome bang for your buck it removes 2 precats and for 150-300 bucks will net you ~10whp peak and more in other places. A rear sway bar will help a lot as well. The mevi and 00vi are also great mods but are more involved requiring some tuning and therefore more $$.

a 5spd with a y-pipe should be a consistent low-low 15 car, may break 14s on street tires. Add the variable intake and make sure it's in tune and i wouldnt be surprised to see 14.5. They are quick cars and torquey.

irish44j wrote:

Vigo wrote: wut. 4th gens ONLY got the vq30de regardless of year or trim level..

touche' that's what happens when I've been out of the "community" for 3 years playing with subarus and BMWs, and spent all day on my back underneath an e30 I was remembering the 3rd gen with the VG30 vs. VE30 in early and late models, respectively. which brings me to my favorite maxima of all time: A 3rd gen with a VQ30 or VQ35 swap. Lighter, IRS, and better looking. But with the best part of the 4th/5th gens: the engine.

3rd gens from 89 - 91 all were VG, 92- 94 GXEs were still VG (160hp) 92- 94 SEs were VE (190hp)

4th gens didn't come stock in the US with an LSD. The I30t did

Gents, long time lurker here. I finally decided to register so I could add to this discussion. I own a '98 SE 5-speed with 145k miles. I'd like to comment on a few topics here.

If shopping for a 4th gen Maxima with a manual transmission, your only options will be in the GXE or SE trims. GLE was not available with a five-speed. As well, I doubt that GXE was available with leather interior, so that might narrow things down to SE trims only. The SE included slightly stiffer spring rates, fatter sway bar, nicer 16" alloy rims and some aesthetic changes (i.e. chrome delete, body-color trim, white-face gauges, et al.) For the range of model years, Nissan made a mid-cycle update in 1997. Agreed with above, they were mostly cosmetic upgrades. Generally the '97, '98 & '99 cars more desirable, with a couple of caveats for the ‘99’s.

There aren't too many instances of systemic failure points. There seems to have been some occasional transmission issues although I'd say the odds are no better or worse than other 15-year-old cars with MT’s. A notable failure of the '99 SE-L, however, is its coil packs. They eat them like no other 4th gen model, even after replacement, and they aren't cheap. For that reason alone I would avoid '99s unless you're tolerant of occasionally being stranded. Finally, '99 is also when the immobilizer key debuted.

My Max is almost totally stock with the exception of a few mods (CAI, front strut tower brace, Addco rear sway bar.) The MEVI intake upgrade was a popular one and does net approx. 30 HP for not too much effort. Y-pipe replacement is another although there were quality control issues with some of the vendors. Replacement shocks / struts / springs were always hot topics, lots of discussions about Tokico Blues vs KYB GR-2’s vs KYB AGX’s. All variety of lowering springs are available, some pretty drastic. There are also turbo & supercharger kits for those with money to burn.

Generally the car has held up well but is starting to show its age. Interior has held up really well, very few squeaks & rattles. Exterior is in decline, with rust starting behind both rear wheels and at the spoiler mounts on the rear deck. Mechanically I have made a lot of repairs... both front lower control arms / ball joints (which can't be pressed in for replacements), wheel bearings, sway bar bushings & end links, three of four tie-rod ends, front & rear calipers (on my third set of rears now), o2 sensors, knock sensor, exhaust & evap system. Amazingly I'm still on stock suspension although it's getting a bit bouncy/rough. Stock clutch as well with no signs of slipping yet.

I was semi-active on www.maxima.org for a long time, the forums are an excellent resource and one reason why I bought the car.

If I was in the market now for a Maxima, I would definitely look for an ’02 or ’03 with the 6-speed. A close second would be an ‘03+ Altima with the 3.5L and manual transmission, there seem to be more of them available on Autotrader / elsewhere. Good luck!

one note on the coil issues noted above, since the VQ30DE-K 5th gens also had this problem extensively.

When people have a coil go bad, they tend to just buy a full set of six since the codes didn't always pinpoint which coil was bad and/or they were too lazy to figure it out.. I used to just buy the entire old set from these people. There's a how-to on maxima.org (which a few of use tested extentively) to determine if a coil is good or bad. So I'd buy the six old ones, determine which one or two were junk and trash them. Then I'd have a bunch of used spares that cost pretty much nothing. I also would sell used spares for like $20 each on occasion, once they were verified as "good."

Anyhow, just an easy (and cheap) coil fix, since the full sets new run a couple hundred bucks.

Also, at least for the 5th gens Nissan had an "updated" coilpack that they would replace old ones with on warranty claims, etc. These had (IIRC) a pink dot on the top of them (the originals did not have this dot).

Not sure if it's the same with the 4th gens, but I would think they probably use the same coils anyhow...

In reply to btp76:

I have been lookin on local CL for one too congrats

I bought it with a bad miss, a howling throwout bearing, bad front struts, and two bad tires for $600.

Sooo jealous.