'03 Maxima 6spd next DD?

I just realized that I can get 255hp V6, 6spd, LSD, Xenons, Heated seats, Mirrors, and a HEATED STEERING WHEEL for about 6-7K. This seems too good to be true. Sounds like the perfect DD to make Chicago winters suck less. I'm also toying with the idea of an E46 330i, but they seem to be going for a wee bit more. Currently leaning heavily towards the Max as I've never owned anything German.

Thoughts? Opinions? Sweat through another summer with my '92 Civic?

My cousin owned one for a few years living in Chicago (in the city), it sounds like the same exact option list as this one. He really liked it, especially the heated steering wheel. It met its demise at an untimely meeting with SUV. I was talking to him about buying it briefly, and he had nothing but good things to say about it (and he would bad mouth cars if he didn't like them).

Out of curiosity, where in Chicago are you? City or burbs?

I could think of worse ways to get around...

That generation Maxima has become a popular choice for a DD for many members of another local enthusiast forum. I haven't heard much negative feedback on them. The only problem I've run into is knock sensors failing most likely due to the owners lack of maintenance or using non-premium fuel?

Are you saying the Maxima is easy to find with the manual transmission? Not in my area. Especially with the LSD.

BTW that what I would get. I loved my wife's 96 that we sold a couple of years ago.

We had a 2000. It was pretty nice. Ours was auto, but the manual versions are out there, and it's a lot of car for the segment. If you don't mind the FWD, it ticks off all the same boxes as the E36M3.

Poor man's BMW. I had a '95 with a 5 spd. Worked great. I only sold it when I bought my Mazdaspeed3.

And one of the nicest engines ever made. The Nissan V6 is really a great motor. I've got a G35 but my sister has had several generations of Maximas, and all of them have been great cars.

I've always liked those. I remember when they first came out (2003?) my sister worked for a Nissan dealer. I got a ride in the first one that came off the truck, which was to be a dealer demo. It was silver with a black interior, and was a pretty sharp car. I couldn't believe how fast that car was! If you can find one, I don't see what is wrong with picking one up, especially for a daily driver. I'd rock one of those in a heartbeat.

EDIT: The 2002's and 2003's are pretty much the same, so broaden your search.

Friend of mine has an early 2000's auto as her DD. Nice car. gets 30mpg while being not much slower than my Mustang in a straight line. And i have seen it autocrossed - not bad but frightening to watch.

Ah, I found a chink in the 5.5 gen(02-03) Maxima's armor (aside from the FWD) The early VQ35DE engines have an issue with frying piston rings and causing minimal to massive oil consumption problems. Something to look out for I guess.

In reply to mtn:

I'm in the NW burbs (about 25-30 min drive from the Loop in ideal traffic conditions), but I'm in the city at least 3 times a week.

clutchsmoke wrote: Ah, I found a chink in the 5.5 gen(02-03) Maxima's armor (aside from the FWD) The early VQ35DE engines have an issue with frying piston rings and causing minimal to massive oil consumption problems. Something to look out for I guess. In reply to mtn: I'm in the NW burbs (about 25-30 min drive from the Loop in ideal traffic conditions), but I'm in the city at least 3 times a week.

The piston ring thing is not a big deal. I don't know anyone having that issue from Maxima.org. The big problem on the 02 (and possibly 03) is the valve cover design results in oil burning. Its not a big deal.

That generation (5.5) is an awesome choice for a DD. I had a 4th generation with a 2002 VQ35DE swapped into it, and it was faster than my 06 Mustang GT (stock).

With basic intake and exhaust modifications and tune a 5.5 is faster in a straight line than an equivalently modified 350z and is capable of running high 12's all motor with slicks, 13's on street tires.

I looked into one and couldn't find any problems with the car that would keep me from buying one. The biggest problem was finding a 6-spd car that was still for sale.

In the end I wanted rear wheel drive again so I cross shopped the 02-03 maxima with a fourth generation f-body.

Motor mounts are a very common failure, and two of them are hydraulic and cost about $200 each. The front one is listed at something like a 1.8 hr job, but the back is ridiculous like 6.5 hrs going from memory. IIRC, it requires dropping the subframe, partially removing the steering rack, and lifting the engine.

Knock sensors (like has been mentioned)... expect that to be a $1400 job at most shops. That knock sensor is buried in the valley.

Otherwise, as long as you stay away from the 5 speed auto, its good. The RE5F55A transmission is quite possibly the worst transmission ever created. Many shops won't even attempt to build them, and they cost me $2700 wholesale reman from Nissan.

Yep, just get a stick one that doesnt have any glaring issues and enjoy. I dont know how more people dont know about 5spd maximas, they're great if you can get them for the right price.

I have a hard time grasping the concept of cross-shopping a maxima and a 4th gen f-body. But then again i have a fairly strong dislike for 4th gen f-bodies, maybe that's affecting me.

I bought it mainly for the engine, not the car that surrounded it. The maxima was definitely nicer inside but the camaro I found was a better deal and real wheel drive.

Friend of mine is a Tech at a Nissan dealership and warned me to stay away from the VQ35DE Maximas. Stories of eating valves, catalytic converters, said eaten cats getting sucked up into the motor... Oh well. It seemed like a great car.

E36 M3 instead??

Id be wary of any 'mechanic' who tells you the exhaust ports on a motor are known to suck bits backward into them.

...................................

Sounded weird to me, but I'll ask him to go into detail about the issue.

Maybe your friend was talking about an SE-R.

As for the Maxima, I had one and it was tons of fun---but I hated that much power in a front drive car. However, Nissan seemed to fix that by offering that very same engine in another anonymous sedan but with RWD; the G35 6 spd. Have you considered that?

If you are looking at an E36 M3, they are also awesome (I have one now) but keep a safety net for the inevitable cooling system overhaul, bushing refresh, and other typical German complications.

Vigo wrote: Id be wary of any 'mechanic' who tells you the exhaust ports on a motor are known to suck bits backward into them. ...................................

:) Exhaust ports aren't always blowing exhaust. Look at the failures on the other Nissan 4 bangers - it's relatively common for the pre-cat to break up and become injested by the motor.

I think the problem may be pre-cats in general.

A friend of mine had a pre-cat let go in his v6 mazda6 taking down the engine. That would be a ford derived duratec six that has been around for awhile now.

it's relatively common for the pre-cat to break up and become injested by the motor.

So direct exhaust injection DOES work!!!!!!

Ok, whats ACTUALLY happening makes more sense. The broken cat bounces around, generating a powder which probably gets suspended and pushed up to the ports by pressure waves and stuff in the exhaust manifold. The powdered metal causes extreme wear in the cylinder, causing an oil consumption problem that most people notice right about when the engine seizes up.

This makes a lot more sense to me than what 'eating cats' made me think, which was sizeable chunks defying gravity and swimming upstream and fitting through the .3 or .4" of valve lift to get into the cylinder. Which is pretty much impossible.

clutchsmoke wrote: Friend of mine is a Tech at a Nissan dealership and warned me to stay away from the VQ35DE Maximas. Stories of eating valves, catalytic converters, said eaten cats getting sucked up into the motor... Oh well. It seemed like a great car. E36 M3 instead??

All of those problems are linked to the Nissan 4 cylinder. Its a problem with the QR25DE motor, the Maxima has never been offered with a 4 cylinder, let alone that engine.

With regard to precatalytic converters being sucked into the engine, thats not a very common issue on the VQ35de and installing new headers and y pipe will net you about 20whp gain on these engines. Ebay headers and y pipe are about $200. You would still have the main catalytic converter and would probably pass emissions except if the car is cold and the catalyst is not warmed up.

Motor mounts are not an issue. Furthermore, I installed a set of energy suspension inserts into mine with about 3 hours total labor. This involved removing the subframe crossmember, using a 20 ton shop press to push the old bushing out and a bench vice to press the new bushing in. Easy as pie. I am sure if I was installing stock motor mounts it would be more like 1 hour.

curtis73 wrote: Motor mounts are a very common failure, and two of them are hydraulic and cost about $200 each. The front one is listed at something like a 1.8 hr job, but the back is ridiculous like 6.5 hrs going from memory. IIRC, it requires dropping the subframe, partially removing the steering rack, and lifting the engine. Knock sensors (like has been mentioned)... expect that to be a $1400 job at most shops. That knock sensor is buried in the valley. Otherwise, as long as you stay away from the 5 speed auto, its good. The RE5F55A transmission is quite possibly the worst transmission ever created. Many shops won't even attempt to build them, and they cost me $2700 wholesale reman from Nissan.

First of all, there's no subframe. Just a simple crossmember. It LOOKS like it would be easy to change both mounts. Wouldn't know for sure, my 150k mile example has never needed one.

Second of all, they didn't put the 5 speed automatic in the 5th generation maxima.

Third, I have changed a VQ knock sensor without removing the intake manifold, at all. And I am not a genius nor a spider monkey.