Advice on purchase ($) - '02 Maxima

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$5400? That's about 2x too much IMO. It looks super clean, but was just super cleaned. As much as I love the VQ35 engine, who knows how long that 5spd will last. I had no idea they still offered a stick in 2000+ Maximas. In my area, the VQ35 will outlive the body.
 
Best bet would be an Accord with the K24 4cyl and a manual trans. I'd only trust Toyota Camry with an automatic. My Mom had a '93 Camry that she sold last year for $5K, it was immaculate. Before purchasing, have a mechanic check over the suspension, brake lines, and every rubber/plastic part - they tend to fail more in hot weather.
 
It looks good, but looks can be deceiving. Before you buy ANY vehicle that is that old with that many miles on it, you need to take it to your own experienced independent mechanic (preferably one who is very familiar with the vehicle you are looking at) and pay for a thorough comprehensive inspection. This is a MUST! You should expect to pay about $150 to get a good mechanic to do it, and it is WELL worth the money. If the dealer won't let you do it, pass on the vehicle and go somewhere else. Also, ask the dealer to "show you the CarFax", and if he doesn't have one (I would be skeptical of any used car dealer who doesn't have a CarFax account) pay for one yourself. Having said that, Maximas from this era are very good cars and it should last you a good long while if the previous owner(s) have taken good care of it (something that a good mechanic should be able to determine). As for the price, it is a bit high, but it might be worth as much as $4900 if it turns out to be a cream puff with no issues.
 
Originally Posted by NO2
My Mom had a '93 Camry that she sold last year for $5K, it was immaculate.


Your Mom is one heck of a sales person!
 
Originally Posted by WylieCoyote

The car below is listed at $5400. High KBB is $3300. The seller has put a new clutch in it, and obviously cleaned it within an inch of its life. 154,000 miles.

What would your opening bid be? There are several more of these around, but none quite in this condition, and none with 5-speeds which is what I want for reliability's sake.

I can negotiate the heck out of a new car, but shopping used, I have less experience.

What say you?



VERY few people buy sedans with manual transmissions. They are hard to sell. For every 20 automatic buyers, there might be 1 standard buyer. If you want one, great, but use this to your advantage ...

Go in excited, but show huge disappointment when you see the manual tranny. Go for a test drive, and buck and lurch and stall a couple times ... if the car checks out, and you think you want to make an offer, use the manual as leverage, saying things like " NOBODY I KNOW DRIVES STICK " and " I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ... "

Then make an offer ... and start low !
 
Positive thing I see about that car. The leather seats,leather steering wheel,shifter knob,and pedals look to be in near mint condition,meaning the car was pampered and driven easy. Probably a lot of highway commuting,since DFW is such a huge area.

Go there with cash and KBB printout in hand. But you have to be realistic,you won't get it for what he paid for it,he has to make a profit or else he can't stay in business.
 
That's the $65,000 question. How much cash should I take with me?

I'm not trying to deprive anyone of a living, but I've seen NOTHING to substantiate his price. Naturally, there'll be a sucker who'll plunk down a couple hundred less than his list price, and clearly he knows those idiots are all around us. I have been hedging a little on DFWs extremely weak manual transmission market.

To SirTanon's point, it does have some weirdness in its history in the last year or two, and it makes me wonder if it wasn't traded in somewhere, and sat for a while before he snapped it up.

Current mileage is 164,188. Where's it been?

Sales.JPG
 
I don't know what planet these negative posters live on... $2500-3000.....??? This is a fast and competent car that looks to be in great shape, inside and out and has a reasonable number of miles. I'd be thinking mid-4's is a good price.

Not sure where the VQ fear is coming from, either. I had a 98 Maxima from 63k to 220k and it was a great and problem-free engine.
 
Originally Posted by brages
I don't know what planet these negative posters live on... $2500-3000.....??? This is a fast and competent car that looks to be in great shape, inside and out and has a reasonable number of miles. I'd be thinking mid-4's is a good price.

So you're saying you want to pay more than you have to for things? This car would have traded in for $1250 or less, and likely wholesaled for around $1500-1600. Considering how it has bounced around between used car dealerships, been driven VERY little miles in nearly 2 years, I'd say this car has basically been sitting in 'inventory [censored]' and perhaps doubling as a dealer driver. Odds are good the dealer is into it for less than $1800, and so an offer of $2800 is still a profit for the dealer. You'd rather just put an extra $1200-1700 worth of your own cash into the dealer's pockets?

I certainly wouldn't. $2800 - $3000 out the door is a fair offer and the dealer would be stupid to not consider it.
 
Run far away from it. Neighbor has an '03 Maxima and it's been nothing but problems. They also have a major issue with oil burning due to the pre cat breaking up and getting sucked back into the cylinders.
 
Got the whole story from him. He bought it from CarMax a while back and has been driving it as his personal car. I looked it over underneath backwards and sideways and in the end, said he's a little high. He asked me where I wanted to be, and I said low fours (lie). He can't do it, and claimed he'll have no issues selling it. So I'm pulling out of his parking lot to leave it behind sitting out here baking in the sun until just the right idiot comes along. Sigh.
 
He will call you and try to negotiate. Re-iterate that by low 4's you actually meant $3k tops. Take it or leave it. That is all the money it is worth. He may get a sucker to put $500 down and $150 a month for five years.
 
When I walk out on a car I tell the dealer I'm on the way to such and such a competitor to buy a similar car. I've got cash in my pocket and ready to buy today. If it won't be your car it will he somebody else's. Leave them my phone number and walk. I've had dealers call me back before I made the next red light after leaving and say "OK" to my offer.
 
Originally Posted by brages


Not sure where the VQ fear is coming from, either. I had a 98 Maxima from 63k to 220k and it was a great and problem-free engine.


Maybe you missed this picture provided in the OP
smirk2.gif


[Linked Image]


The 4th gen has cutouts in the intake to access the rear spark plugs and ignition coils, but the 5th gen does not. The 4th gen VQ is one of the less-awful transverse V6's, but the 5th gen is actually a step backward. Harder to work on and has more problems.
 
An added note is that this guy must have one helluva camera, and knows what time of day to take pictures of a car. It's not quite stunning in person as it is in these pictures. Glamour shots, for sure.
 
Was looking at this Mazda tonight....some interesting things going on in the world of car sales.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...&sortDirection=ASC#listing=237623085

A VIN check reveals that it was sold by a local dealership in 2017, with 68,000 miles on it.

Serious road warrior (eyeroll). I don't even want to know what's gone on with this car.

Looking a little more seriously at this one, but certainly not at this price: https://www.leandertrucksncars.com/...l-transmission-used-car-leander-tx.shtml
 
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He's on some good crack is he thinks anyone who's halfway educated will pay above retail bluebook for a common family sedan. Like you said,it will sit there and rot in the sun until it's worth nothing.
 
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