Might be saying goodbye to the Frs :(
 

Well guys i think it might be time to give up my beauty. She has been fun, but has also gave me bad luck and headaches. I had a set of wheels stolen, they were stock but i did not have wheel locks on. I learned my lesson When i first got the car my ecu went bad, luckily that was replaced. Went through almost 3 sets of taillights due to condensation. i just dont feel its worth making the monthly payments anymore when this is my dd and its size has caused inconvience while also having some crappy luck along the way. The winters are also crappy, but maybe thats cause i havent bought snow tires yet. But anyways i was wondering how much do you think i can get for the car at a dealership or some place like carmax which i hear gives you a bit more money. The car is a '13, automatic, 34k miles, and does have an accident. I hit a railing and it damaged my fender along with needing to replace the axle. The wheels have curb radh and the exterior is about a 7 out of 10. The interior is about the same. I was thinking of buying a 2000-2003 maxima because it is quick rommy, and looks nice. I know i will be suffering with thr handling aspect. But it will be practical. Thanks for your advice guys

Buying winter tires would certainly alleviate those headaches during this time of the year..


Going with a 2000 model is a huge downgrade from you're current vehicle, so unless you're really strapped for cash, I would at least aim for a much newer vehicle

Good luck. Coming from I30 and Maxima they are great all around cars. The early 3.5 L (starting I believe 2001) had some engine issues and oil burning. The 2000 is 3L and great ...easy to get 300K miles out of them. Common issues were bad ignition coils, leaking power steering hose, O2 sensors going bad. Otherwise great ride! Never read about engine rod knock that you read about on here almost daily!

I have a chance to get a 5spd 3.0L maxima. Its lowered on springs so i would need to buy oem springs for the winter but i can get it for 2000$, whcih i thinknis a good deal considering it only has 110k miles. Since you have the expierence what were your biggest gripes of the maxima. how do you compare it to the frs for a daily car? Here in Nyc it is hard to find nice roads to really enjoy the frs on, although i do admit i have had a good amount of fun in the car.

Check underneath the driver and passenger floorboards to see if the rusted threw. Ther know for altimas and maximas. Just an fyi on yur part! And if yu need a car fax pulled pm me the bin number and I'll get it for yu. I work a car dealership and ran into those a lot. Good luck!

Thanks so much. If i do end up trading in the Frs I am definitley going to miss this forum

I would strongly advise against buying a used car that has been lowered. It's indicative of the kind of life it's had. Literally find a dead stock car driven by an old lady w low mileage. Then you can F it up as you wish.

I totally agr.... hey wait a second, my car is lowered and I haven't beat it up!

Look at the financial aspects. Do some calculations, and then make your call. Talk of luck only clouds things. Superstition has no place in a logical decision. Understand that the chance things that have happened are not tied to the car or your life in some metaphysical or supernatural way. That will help you make the most well reasoned choice.

I've never been a fan of used vehicles, let alone one that has been modified (unless I knew the owner personally). My friends bought used cars, and each has had some type of issue, be it minor to major.

One thing to think about is warranty. Your FR-S still has its powertrain warranty. What are you going to do if you buy that older Maxima, and the next day the engine gives out?

If anything, I would spend a little more and find a V6 Camry.

Yeah right. Doesn't usage as a snow plow count as abuse...???

I do it gently!

Since I saw snow listed in the OP, I would check the following when looking at buying a used car, (@Tcoat could elaborate if he wishes, I speak for Pennsylvania's winters):

-underneath the vehicle; salt wreaks havoc on pipes and any metal, especially if it's a long winter
-suspension springs/wheels; corrosion from the salt can effect the efficiency of these
-under the hood; check for stripped wires, excessive corrosion on metal, battery connectors, belt tightness, the basics (fluids)

Personally, these are a few things mostly overlooked when purchasing a used vehicle, especially in areas involving snow for long amounts of time.

hey guys thanks for the input. I forgot to mention that i know the owner. The owner of the 5 speed maxima is my uncle. So i know how the car has been treated.

not indicative of much actually cas. Lots of responsible people have lowered their vehicles. I would agree with you had you said, "buying a car that looks to be rushed/poorly upgraded/poorly maintained" lol

The owner behind that lowered car is much more telling... which of course is harder and harder to discern if the person you're buying from isn't the original modder/owner.

I catch your drift. But I'm just saying it's indicative of it's life. You don't know if the work was done properly. And I'm willing to bet that the majority of the time a car that has been lowered or modded has been in all likelihood been driven harder than the Proverbial "little old lady's" car. IMHO

How is your financial condition right now or do you need the space for kids or hauling your work?
If not then suck it up and keep your car until it's paid off. In 4-5 years the depreciation will reach it's lowest point I think.
It has been in accident and if it still not fixed properly then it will reduce the value.
You can return the car to the best condition possible overtime.

Finance wise, I am in no dire need to get rid of the car. But i am finding it silly to continue payments on a car that has been of some inconvience hauling wise, while being fair and not considefing the winter headaches since i have not put winter tires on it

If you do get the Maxima, you'll remember all the great things you've forgotten about owning a normal car. Low end torque for streets, comfort, most importantly passenger space. Seriously, they're sometimes underrated.
Since the twin is only only car, ski trips really are not as fun. I miss having 4 people in one car going up to the mountains and the whole interior full of shouting profanities. Seriously miss that.

I like this point a lot. The space is fun itself with the right company. Sadly where I live where arent much roads to enjoy the frs like it was intended

I used to run into this when I was selling motorcycles. People would buy touring bikes thinking that, that's what they want to do at some point. The problem is that actually they end up doing short hops and ride around town while almost never doing a proper tour trip. As a result they have to deal with an oversized/overweight bike all of the time, in traffic. Not fun!!!

Always buy for what you are going to do 75-90% of the time. Then you only have to suck it up 10-25% of the time.

To give you a comparison, I almost bought a silver 2013 FRS from a Nissan dealership. It had about 15,000 miles on it and was flawless. Not a scratch. They were asking $17,000. It was an automatic, but I'd have bought it on the spot if it weren't. In hindsight, I'm glad I got the BRZ, but I thought that was a great deal for a dealership price.

Considering trade in is already substantially lower, and yours sounds like it's in poor to fair condition, I'd not expect too much. You are better off fixing it up a little and selling privately. Make cost effective repairs, get it buffed and detailed, post on cars.com and autotrader.

Take it to carmax anyway to get your minimum value, and they will also tell you what specifically is reducing the value. I traded my banged up Jeep to carmax with several defects and got private party value for excellent condition, so you never know. Might get lucky.

KBB for fair condition

Take a close look at the paint job because Nissan paint jobs suck suck suck (this goes for Nissans and Infinitis; they just don't know how to make paint a car in a durable fashion).

I know because I have a 2000 Maxima (that I'm looking to sell btw). Paint on the hood has sun damage like you wouldn't believe. Hopefully I can sell the Maxima for $2000 but I will probably have to settle for around $1500. It has 148k miles on it btw and I have to fix a power steering leak.

how do you like the drive of the maxima?

I like the deal i will be getting with the maxima. My uncle has agreed to give me the car just as long as i fix it. It has been in the driveway for about 2 years because the clutch and flywheel havent been replaced. so i figured with a heavy tune up, along with the clutch and the flywheel should only run me about 2 grand. Im getting a lot more for my money then i normally would for $2k. It could also function as a bigger daily driver that can deal with the winter conditions. I would just need to purchase a set of oem springs for the winter so the car wont plow through all the snow.

I wish the best to you. I will say this, since I have worked in auto finance; if you sell the car back to a carmax, be prepared to pay off the remaining balance of the loan. If not, your other solutions are either voluntary surrender or finding someone to assume the loan and refinance under their own name. You may already have this planned, but I figure I would say this in case any other people get the same idea.

It actually drives really well because its lowered (Eibach Pro Springs), handles really good for a FWD car. Good power also, torque peaks early around 4000 rpm I think.

But the car is old as shit so you will be replacing parts left and right. I have to fix the power steering leak (could be a bad power steering pump), I think the CV joints are going bad because when I turn it makes a creaking noise. And my catalytic converter is totally wasted. I can actually start to smell the exhaust fumes..... that's why I want to sell it asap. Its a safety hazard. But I only have been using it as my backup car because I'm installing a turbo on my FR-S. As soon as the turbo on my FR-S is up and running and stable, my Maxima is gone. Actually can't wait to get rid of this POS. Don't mean to say all 5th gen Maxima's are pieces of s**t (its a great generation of Maxima in fact) but my car is not worth the trouble anymore.... and I never, ever drive it (had it over a year as my 2nd car intending to sell it but haven't yet).

No offense but I absolutely love my AT Garage Queen on the Road Coarse. You passed on a great summer DD / RC car and for that money, I'd have two Queens.


To Dad&sonFRS, if finance isn't the issue. Maybe you buy a second and have a Garage Queen, just saying.

I don't have the space, the money, nor the need for two of these cars, and I absolutely wanted manual. If I'm shopping for a sedan or an SUV, I'll get automatic, but my sports cars have to be manual. I feel like you're not getting the full experience with an automatic sports car, but to each their own.

Edit: Also, winters where I live are irrelevant. No such thing as a summer car here.

sorry to say, but i feel you made a completely uninformed decision buying this car in the first place.

You should have known the size of this car before hand and known that it obviously lacks space.

it's a low, rwd, light sports car.....you need snow tires...

Good luck in your search, I would stay far away from an Old maxima.

That's quite a sakes pitch! You should have no problems selling it!

I had a 2000 I30 (3L) which is the same as the maxima. The I30 had a much smoother ride than my BRZ, but poor low end torque and sloppy handling. Much better in the snow. The 3L VQ engine in those cars can last over 300K without any major engine work. But all the parts around it...ign coils/ exhaust/ O2 sensors/ power steering hose/struts etc will need to be replaced, but not the engine! More room in the I30 was always handy too.