I bought a Neptune Blue 1998 Nissan Maxima SE with the manual transmission about a year and a half ago from the original owner. It was garage kept with only 94k miles. It still looks showroom new inside and out.
@@elizabethmiller7918 I got extremely lucky. I put a note on the windshield saying that I'd be interested in buying it if they ever wanted to sell. About a year later, the owner called and said she was going to stop driving due to her age and she was ready to pass the car on to its next owner. If you ever see a nice one, it's worth putting a polite note on the windshield offering to buy it if they decide to sell.
Nearly 30 years later, and 19 after trading my 95 GLE in, I’m scouring Cargurus for another one. My other cars are newer Infinitis and BMWs which, while they drive better, have marginally nicer interior materials, and have more gizmos, are missing some of the simplicity, practicality, light weight, plushness, and insane, Lexus-level quality and reliability. The Bose system in these Maximas has a more balanced sound than that of most 00s Nissan/Infinitis. Then there’s priceless nostalgic value of the smooth, sublime engine sound and leather smell. 🥰
@@jaymum23 I have a 99 GLE that I bought a few months back with over 180k miles. It has really impressed me! Still decent get up and go for a 23 year old car, comfy seats, the Bose audio is still very good. It does have a few leaks underneath, but nothing I can't just watch and top off. I bought it to merely commute in and keep miles off a newer Volvo I have. I didn't expect to grab the keys to it as frequently as I do!
@@05Forenza Yes your impressions are spot-on for how this car makes most people feel. You simply can do no wrong buying one as long as you don’t spring for a neglected rust bucket! Sadly rust is the Achilles heel of these masterpieces, much like the E39 BMW 5-Series I had (not so much with newer gens!). I recall thinking rust issues were a thing of the past driving this car, as it had shown none at 9 years old. Our 70s and 80s cars would start to disintegrate by then. But, it turns out, that 90s rust proofing merely delayed the process another 5-10 years. I see so many northeastern examples with holes in the wheel arches and rocker panels. The radiator support I hear is very prone to dangerous amounts of rust that jeopardize its structural integrity. This is not really a problem in southern or west coast states. I believe rust is the reason that so few are left- less than a dozen on Cargurus and I can’t remember the last time I saw one in NJ. They were ubiquitous here up until around 2010. Now their 4DSC cousin, the Infiniti G35, has taken their place as being easy to find. Both are amazing cars and as I said, I’d like to find a low-mileage garage Queen that isn’t insanely priced. Easier said than done in the current market.
@@soundofwinter I owned a 2000 Maxima. Trust me the quality went down starting that generation. The engines were already going down but the transmissions were good, just slow lazy shifts. 0-60 was 8.3 sec because of that. The suspension was horrible, within one week of purchasing my car, my wheel bearings failed and my power windows stopped working. By 2004 my cars heating sensor and brake sensor went out and shocks were shot. Couldn't shift my car without using the override. 2006 the starter went out and when 2 of my 6 cylinders failed, I sold the car for $2,000. That was the first and last Nissan product I ever bought. My sister had a 1999 Nissan Altima and that car was solid. I had no complaints with that vehicle but again once the 2000's hit, the problems started. My coworker has a newer Altima and told me it runs horrible and dies on her. Had times where she can't even get it to start and let's not talk about than current CVT's. I don't have to make these things up, it's just the truth. I am hoping they'd come back to the quality standards they used to have but it's been over 20 years and they are way behind.
@@vj5225that definitely wasn't running right, 0-60 should be quicker auto or not. My 03 with the VQ35 is a tank and the vq30 was a more reliable engine. After A33 it went downhill, 04-06 can be okay but I still wouldn't buy one.
My family had a 97-it was excellent. Great materials and build quality; excellent road feel through the wheel; amazing powertrain; quiet with firm seats. It understeered too much but that was the only real weak link. Also it was $27 k sans ABS, Bose, leather-but that is a reflection of material and build quality.
My first car was a 1997 Maxima GLE and I loved it and miss it deeply. My sister has it now so I can always ask to take it for a joy ride every now and then. Even after almost 26 years of continuous use the engine and transmission runs smoother and pulls stronger than many much newer cars and the steering is still tight and level. If you have a 4th gen Maxima do not let it go!
I miss my 97gxe 5sp. I believe they were sandbagging a bit. My car initially got 14.6@97mph at Atco Raceway. After I refined my driving and did some breathing mods I had it down to 14.0@98mph. That was seriously moving for a grocery getting body like that!! I miss that! Oh and it got no less than 25mpg
Best part about these are they can be the budget gt-r only fwd. They can be supercharged or turbocharged without any other mods. A nice body kit and you have yourself nice looking import which is old enough to not even be recognized that easy if you remove every badge. Aftermarket gt-r looking tail lights and headlights look clean on this car.
These 90's Maximas were really well built/screwed together IMO. Compare it to a 2004 Maxima and that newer car feels like a flimsey bucket of bolts with a really shite CVT transmission. They were not nearly as reliable, nor solid/squeak free as the older Maximas.
How could anyone in their right mind think of a 4th gen as an improvement? I was 14 or 15 when the next door neighbor bought one, while my family had a 91 SE since it was new. I knew immediately the new Maxima was a downgrade. And here's Motorweek talking about it like it's some sort of upgrade. If anyone wants to discuss specifics let's hear it. But don't go pointing out marginal performance differences. I couldn't care less. It was a cheaper car because they made it cheaper. It was the lesser car. 95 was the beginning of Nissan's downfall.
I have A 1996 Runs Like A Top . It Has 150 Thousand Miles on it. Everything Has Held Up On It Pretty Well . Only A Few Replacements Have Been Made … 6:56 radiator, Battery, Water Pump Tires . Pretty Good For A 27 Year Old Car That Looks Excellent Still
I added an Addco rear sway bar to mine back in the day. That alone was a game changer. When I added Eibach prokit lowering springs and KYB AGX adjustable struts it made it quite the road carving warrior. I wanna say it kept a WRX honest in those days because my dad had a stock WRX bugeye..
@@vqdriverit still will with the right build. I've kept up with newer sti's in my lightly modded 03. No idea what their mods were but we did a few runs and I was at their backdoor each time. Tbh if I had a stick or a shift kit in my auto, I probably would've beat him lol
@@MrSirGiuseppe you’d do ok because from a dig, the best I could do with dad’s bugeye was 14.6 @97ish mph. Heat soaked I was at 15-15.2. Straight line anything isn’t a Subaru strength. I remember I missed 2 gears I still hit a 14.5 in my 5sp Maxima. You are close because the Subarus have a lot of parasitic drivetrain losses. Plus I found it difficult to race from a dig or a roll because you needed to match revs perfectly otherwise you get a loud rear diff banging noise. Didn’t like it very much! Turbos were laggy back in the day as well. On the Maxima even with a slushy automatic once it kicked down you had torque and speed coming! A Subaru manual driver needs to be a master at heel and toe AND also master it specific to Subaru 👍🏽
3rd gen signifies the absolute peak of Nissan research and development. The 4th gen signifies the beginning of their downfall. Motorweek was apparently oblivious. Praising a downgrade.
Thats like saying a 3rd gen was a downgrade from a 1st gen cefiro...if you don't know the 3rd gen maxima is the same as 1st gen cefiro, except the cefiro is rwd lmao
@@MrSirGiuseppe There's not a single meaningful mechanical, body or interior part that is compatible between a J30 and A31. They are completely different cars. All they have in common other than looking relatively similar, is that they were presented on the same promotional platform in Japan, along with the R32. The 3rd gen was an entirely new chassis, with endless thought being put into the design and practicality. Cefiro could be the product of them doing the same for Japan, however it is nowhere near as appealing either inside or out. I do like the Cefiro because it _looks_ kind of like a 3rd gen, but it looks _more_ like a Ford Thunderbird. If you think badging decisions have anything to do with chassis codes, you're a noob. In that case, I'd be rolling a U12 and calling it a Maxima, because the previous U11 was a second gen maxima. The 4th gen did not have an entirely new chassis built for it. 3rd gen did. Just because the A32 was badged a Cefiro in Japan doesn't mean anything, other than they started being lazy. Hence "the downfall".
@@pearlmax all im saying is just because a certain car isn't to your personal tastes, doesn't mean the company or model is going in the shitter. The 6th gen was the start of their downfall, and the CVT in general. Plenty of people absolutely adored the 4th and 5th gens, that doesn't sound like a downfall sort of scenario. Besides both of those generations are capable of hitting 300k miles without much work if treated right, while also putting a smile on the owners face every time they drive (especially at the time they were released).
@@MrSirGiuseppe I didn't say anything about my personal preference. I said it was the peak of R&D, which it was. They didn't put nearly the thought into the 4th gen, or anything for 95+. They just tried to make an updated version of the 3rd gen and it was a downgrade. Doesn't matter if people like it or not, or if it was more popular, my sister likes her 2015 Rogue. Most people are foolish, which is why carmakers can get away with making crappy cars these days, yet are seen as superior to older cars, even though they aren't. They're also foolish for overpaying for older trendy ass cars. Goes both ways.
@@MrSirGiuseppe The 4th gen was a "downgrade" as opposed to 3rd gen because of this cost cutting specifically the fact that 3rd gen had independent rear suspension whearas the 4th gen had a live rear axle. We had a 1995 5sp SE and it was fantastic but the rear suspension was a bit wiggly on the bumps. It also rode a bit rough and didn't feel as well damped as the 3rd gen. Once I was driving spiritedly with ours on an off ramp but nothing crazy and lost control spinning it out when I hit an unexpected pothole and lifted off the throttle (stupid, I know) because it became squirmy. Thankfully I ended up on the grass with the only damage being to my ego. But the same maneuver at similar speeds in our Camry which had independent rear suspension didn't cause any issues.
I bought a Neptune Blue 1998 Nissan Maxima SE with the manual transmission about a year and a half ago from the original owner. It was garage kept with only 94k miles. It still looks showroom new inside and out.
You are so lucky. That is my dream purchase! If I could find such a thing I would buy it on the spot.
@@elizabethmiller7918 I got extremely lucky. I put a note on the windshield saying that I'd be interested in buying it if they ever wanted to sell. About a year later, the owner called and said she was going to stop driving due to her age and she was ready to pass the car on to its next owner. If you ever see a nice one, it's worth putting a polite note on the windshield offering to buy it if they decide to sell.
That’s a great find. I have 295k miles on my 97 5-speed and use it every day. Runs perfectly.
@@AmitPatel_. That's awesome! I hope mine lasts that long as well
@@AmitPatel_. ever need transmission bearing work?
Always loved the 4th generation MAXIMA.
Nearly 30 years later, and 19 after trading my 95 GLE in, I’m scouring Cargurus for another one. My other cars are newer Infinitis and BMWs which, while they drive better, have marginally nicer interior materials, and have more gizmos, are missing some of the simplicity, practicality, light weight, plushness, and insane, Lexus-level quality and reliability. The Bose system in these Maximas has a more balanced sound than that of most 00s Nissan/Infinitis. Then there’s priceless nostalgic value of the smooth, sublime engine sound and leather smell. 🥰
@@jaymum23 I have a 99 GLE that I bought a few months back with over 180k miles. It has really impressed me! Still decent get up and go for a 23 year old car, comfy seats, the Bose audio is still very good. It does have a few leaks underneath, but nothing I can't just watch and top off. I bought it to merely commute in and keep miles off a newer Volvo I have. I didn't expect to grab the keys to it as frequently as I do!
@@05Forenza Yes your impressions are spot-on for how this car makes most people feel. You simply can do no wrong buying one as long as you don’t spring for a neglected rust bucket! Sadly rust is the Achilles heel of these masterpieces, much like the E39 BMW 5-Series I had (not so much with newer gens!). I recall thinking rust issues were a thing of the past driving this car, as it had shown none at 9 years old. Our 70s and 80s cars would start to disintegrate by then. But, it turns out, that 90s rust proofing merely delayed the process another 5-10 years. I see so many northeastern examples with holes in the wheel arches and rocker panels. The radiator support I hear is very prone to dangerous amounts of rust that jeopardize its structural integrity. This is not really a problem in southern or west coast states. I believe rust is the reason that so few are left- less than a dozen on Cargurus and I can’t remember the last time I saw one in NJ. They were ubiquitous here up until around 2010. Now their 4DSC cousin, the Infiniti G35, has taken their place as being easy to find. Both are amazing cars and as I said, I’d like to find a low-mileage garage Queen that isn’t insanely priced. Easier said than done in the current market.
@@jaymum23 Beautiful this generation of Nissan Maxima, he is sold here in Brazil from 90s
The 5th Generation is the best looking of all Maximas!!!! I also owned a 95 and 92 but I liked the styling of my 2000 Maxima the best!!!!
I own a 99 Maxima SE Manual. I have a newer car but prefer driving my Max. I'm convinced that this is one of the best cars ever made.
I have a 99 se manual too.
Absolutely love it
I have a 98 GLE, with 169,000 still runs amazing, and a lot of power!!!!
The last generation of the Nissan Maxima being a quality reliable vehicle.
The 5th gens (2000-2003) were quality reliable vehicles as well. After that it went downhill.
I like the lighter weight of A32 gen 4 Maxima.
@@soundofwinter I owned a 2000 Maxima. Trust me the quality went down starting that generation. The engines were already going down but the transmissions were good, just slow lazy shifts. 0-60 was 8.3 sec because of that. The suspension was horrible, within one week of purchasing my car, my wheel bearings failed and my power windows stopped working. By 2004 my cars heating sensor and brake sensor went out and shocks were shot. Couldn't shift my car without using the override. 2006 the starter went out and when 2 of my 6 cylinders failed, I sold the car for $2,000. That was the first and last Nissan product I ever bought. My sister had a 1999 Nissan Altima and that car was solid. I had no complaints with that vehicle but again once the 2000's hit, the problems started. My coworker has a newer Altima and told me it runs horrible and dies on her. Had times where she can't even get it to start and let's not talk about than current CVT's. I don't have to make these things up, it's just the truth. I am hoping they'd come back to the quality standards they used to have but it's been over 20 years and they are way behind.
@@vj5225that definitely wasn't running right, 0-60 should be quicker auto or not. My 03 with the VQ35 is a tank and the vq30 was a more reliable engine. After A33 it went downhill, 04-06 can be okay but I still wouldn't buy one.
@@MrSirGiuseppe pull the stats, 0-60 in an auto was around 8 sec. Only untill you pulled a manual could you get below 7 sec
Amazing car, bulletproof and lots of fun. Got it during high school and still 10 years later still running..
My family had a 97-it was excellent. Great materials and build quality; excellent road feel through the wheel; amazing powertrain; quiet with firm seats. It understeered too much but that was the only real weak link. Also it was $27 k sans ABS, Bose, leather-but that is a reflection of material and build quality.
My first car was a 1997 Maxima GLE and I loved it and miss it deeply. My sister has it now so I can always ask to take it for a joy ride every now and then. Even after almost 26 years of continuous use the engine and transmission runs smoother and pulls stronger than many much newer cars and the steering is still tight and level. If you have a 4th gen Maxima do not let it go!
Before the Renault cancer.
Finally!!!! I was searching for a motor week vid of this max ♥️♥️♥️
Bought my 99 brand new! Pearl white SE 5 speed with beige leather!Wish I still had it!
My parents brought 1995 Nissan Maxima GXE in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
I miss my 97gxe 5sp. I believe they were sandbagging a bit. My car initially got 14.6@97mph at Atco Raceway. After I refined my driving and did some breathing mods I had it down to 14.0@98mph. That was seriously moving for a grocery getting body like that!! I miss that! Oh and it got no less than 25mpg
Best part about these are they can be the budget gt-r only fwd. They can be supercharged or turbocharged without any other mods. A nice body kit and you have yourself nice looking import which is old enough to not even be recognized that easy if you remove every badge. Aftermarket gt-r looking tail lights and headlights look clean on this car.
These 90's Maximas were really well built/screwed together IMO. Compare it to a 2004 Maxima and that newer car feels like a flimsey bucket of bolts with a really shite CVT transmission. They were not nearly as reliable, nor solid/squeak free as the older Maximas.
Consequence of Renault
Prior to 2004, all Maximas were manufactured in Japan. Since then, they've been made in Smyrna, TN, hence the drop in quality control.
2004 was not CVT, CVT came in 2007.
My dad bought a 95 GLE brand new in green over tan. Ran to over 300k miles. I really miss that thing.
This was probably the peak of the Maxima, it maxed out
2003 was peak Maxima
97-98 was peak Maxima before the added emission controls on the 99.
3.0 VQ is a gem of a motor. Less oil leaks than the later 3.5.
134 ft stopping?? Everyone has been killed! However......this was my favorite body style .
GREAT CAR.
Older maxima s were actually better toyotas with much more Driver appeal.
The tach reminds me of an S14.
0:13 "Twelve thousand miles in three months?" That's ... rental car treatment :)
How could anyone in their right mind think of a 4th gen as an improvement? I was 14 or 15 when the next door neighbor bought one, while my family had a 91 SE since it was new. I knew immediately the new Maxima was a downgrade. And here's Motorweek talking about it like it's some sort of upgrade. If anyone wants to discuss specifics let's hear it. But don't go pointing out marginal performance differences. I couldn't care less. It was a cheaper car because they made it cheaper. It was the lesser car. 95 was the beginning of Nissan's downfall.
Love John Davis! 🤩
I have A 1996 Runs Like A Top . It Has 150 Thousand Miles on it. Everything Has Held Up On It Pretty Well . Only A Few Replacements Have Been Made … 6:56 radiator, Battery, Water Pump Tires . Pretty Good For A 27 Year Old Car That Looks Excellent Still
Airdate: August 5, 1995.
When Nissan made good stuff not today
Wonder what this ride would be like with modern tires and better front roll bars
I added an Addco rear sway bar to mine back in the day. That alone was a game changer. When I added Eibach prokit lowering springs and KYB AGX adjustable struts it made it quite the road carving warrior. I wanna say it kept a WRX honest in those days because my dad had a stock WRX bugeye..
@@vqdriverit still will with the right build. I've kept up with newer sti's in my lightly modded 03. No idea what their mods were but we did a few runs and I was at their backdoor each time. Tbh if I had a stick or a shift kit in my auto, I probably would've beat him lol
@@MrSirGiuseppe you’d do ok because from a dig, the best I could do with dad’s bugeye was 14.6 @97ish mph. Heat soaked I was at 15-15.2. Straight line anything isn’t a Subaru strength. I remember I missed 2 gears I still hit a 14.5 in my 5sp Maxima. You are close because the Subarus have a lot of parasitic drivetrain losses. Plus I found it difficult to race from a dig or a roll because you needed to match revs perfectly otherwise you get a loud rear diff banging noise. Didn’t like it very much! Turbos were laggy back in the day as well. On the Maxima even with a slushy automatic once it kicked down you had torque and speed coming! A Subaru manual driver needs to be a master at heel and toe AND also master it specific to Subaru 👍🏽
3rd gen signifies the absolute peak of Nissan research and development. The 4th gen signifies the beginning of their downfall.
Motorweek was apparently oblivious. Praising a downgrade.
Thats like saying a 3rd gen was a downgrade from a 1st gen cefiro...if you don't know the 3rd gen maxima is the same as 1st gen cefiro, except the cefiro is rwd lmao
@@MrSirGiuseppe There's not a single meaningful mechanical, body or interior part that is compatible between a J30 and A31. They are completely different cars. All they have in common other than looking relatively similar, is that they were presented on the same promotional platform in Japan, along with the R32. The 3rd gen was an entirely new chassis, with endless thought being put into the design and practicality. Cefiro could be the product of them doing the same for Japan, however it is nowhere near as appealing either inside or out. I do like the Cefiro because it _looks_ kind of like a 3rd gen, but it looks _more_ like a Ford Thunderbird. If you think badging decisions have anything to do with chassis codes, you're a noob. In that case, I'd be rolling a U12 and calling it a Maxima, because the previous U11 was a second gen maxima. The 4th gen did not have an entirely new chassis built for it. 3rd gen did. Just because the A32 was badged a Cefiro in Japan doesn't mean anything, other than they started being lazy. Hence "the downfall".
@@pearlmax all im saying is just because a certain car isn't to your personal tastes, doesn't mean the company or model is going in the shitter. The 6th gen was the start of their downfall, and the CVT in general. Plenty of people absolutely adored the 4th and 5th gens, that doesn't sound like a downfall sort of scenario. Besides both of those generations are capable of hitting 300k miles without much work if treated right, while also putting a smile on the owners face every time they drive (especially at the time they were released).
@@MrSirGiuseppe I didn't say anything about my personal preference. I said it was the peak of R&D, which it was. They didn't put nearly the thought into the 4th gen, or anything for 95+. They just tried to make an updated version of the 3rd gen and it was a downgrade. Doesn't matter if people like it or not, or if it was more popular, my sister likes her 2015 Rogue. Most people are foolish, which is why carmakers can get away with making crappy cars these days, yet are seen as superior to older cars, even though they aren't. They're also foolish for overpaying for older trendy ass cars. Goes both ways.
@@MrSirGiuseppe The 4th gen was a "downgrade" as opposed to 3rd gen because of this cost cutting specifically the fact that 3rd gen had independent rear suspension whearas the 4th gen had a live rear axle. We had a 1995 5sp SE and it was fantastic but the rear suspension was a bit wiggly on the bumps. It also rode a bit rough and didn't feel as well damped as the 3rd gen. Once I was driving spiritedly with ours on an off ramp but nothing crazy and lost control spinning it out when I hit an unexpected pothole and lifted off the throttle (stupid, I know) because it became squirmy. Thankfully I ended up on the grass with the only damage being to my ego. But the same maneuver at similar speeds in our Camry which had independent rear suspension didn't cause any issues.
Awesome thanks