Help! I can't decide! GS or keep my Max?!?
 

Hey guys, what's up? New member, but I have a '92 LS400 & a '99 ES300 in my family right now, so i'm not a stranger to Lexuses at all.
I currently own a beautiful blk/blk '02 Maxima SE 6-speed loaded w/ almost every option for myself. It only has 14K miles on it, but i've been really tempted to trade it in for a Blk Cherry (burgundy? - really rare color) '01 GS430 w/ 55K miles. I know you guys have a personal bias for the Lexus, but from a sheer numbers perspective - they're gonna let me give them my car, plus another $4K for the GS. It sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Comments/opinions?
Thanks!

let me chime in

If you are on www.maxima.org and have been on for some time, you might remember me on there


I had an 03 maxima SE slammed on JICs, with the stillen kit. At 11k, the tranny completely died on me in front of my old job. At 14k (after a completely new tranny air shipped from Japan was installed) it started to slip again :egads: :rolleyes:


I decided it was my time to depart from the regular japanese car market and enter into the luxury class. I traded the maxipad in for an 00 GS400 fully loaded with navigation and 38k on it.

Going down 3 years in age, and up 20K in mileage I do not look back. The power is much more controllable (RWD vs FWD), the car gets more looks, the fit and finish cannot be compared and the comfort level is unmatched.

Do the swap, as I did

if you need any more info, feel free to PM me, email me or add me to your b/l on AIM (just send me your name as I block everyone not on my list)

best of luck :thumbup:

Yea, i'm on maxima.org & I remember you on there. I didn't realize you bought a GS. If it came w/ a stick shift, I wouldn't think twice about it. The GS is better than my Max from every other aspect. I guess my biggest hurdle to jump is if i want to give up the 6-speed. :driving:

I have had many many nissan's maxima's never had transmission problems and all have made it over 150,000 w/o major breakdowns. But GS430 is a different breed. I have BlKCherry/Blk Leather and yes it is a rare color. Took me a year to find one with that color combination and NAV/ML. Good luck on your purchase. I sill love NISSAN though.

Re
 

im from Maxima .org also. Didnt change my screen name( maximilliyon). Get the GS it craps on the Max. I will never look back. By the way I had a 97 max, now a 99 gs 400.

Never owned a MAX but I was looking into it before I purchased my GS 4 and all I can tell you from my experience is I made the right choice. :D :thumbup:

to me, it's almost no brainer to keep the gs4. the 6 speed on the max is very nice though, and it's quick. but overall i like the gs4 more

I'd be the 6-speed i would have to keep, not the GS4. My dilemma is stick vs. auto and the extra $4K i have to pay to get the GS.

I went through that exact problem last year.

I had a 96 Max SE with the 5 spd and along with a 850 volvo 5spd... I was looking for a new car last spring and I swore that I would not get anything but a manual tranny. That was before I test drove my GS400. I was sold on the GS when I took a 90 deg corner from a stand still and slid the back end out through the intersection laying rubber the entire time (to my surprise cuz VSC was off). The maxima is a great car especially with the 255 horses but the Lexus is just in a class by itself.

I guess you will have to consider the following:

1) How much do you love shifting.... (Last Spring my response was "More than anything") That was before I was commuting with a 300hp car. Its great having an auto w manual mode.

I would be weary about the 430 cuz I must say I am not sure I could have transitioned as well into the automatic GS without the E-Shift. Even now I dont know if I could stand the car without this feature. (Just something to think about!)

2) I would say you may have more fun shifting in the max with the 6-spd, but the fringe benifits in the Lex are awsome. WAY BETTER Stock sound system, Better looking car, much more of a classy chick magnet. You get to tell people you own a lexus (its stupid yes) but it does mean somethin to everyone else trust me, people are impressed.

It just depends on what your needs are. The Lexus is a way better car than the maxima, but it does not have that engaging manual tranny aspect to it. If that is what you need than I would say pass on the lex.

Better yet go buy the lex and go get a convertible w a manual trans. Thats my plan :D


Either way good luck.

Previous owner of a 99 SE here. You will love the GS4 in comparison... one word...

TORQUE

:driving:

I don't really understand the big deal with a manual tranny on a 4 door anyway. After shifting a Vette and an Eclipse GS-T shifting large heavy cars seems such a waste of energy...

just my 2 cents.

That's funny Aliti19. My screen name is ripper at maxima.org. You and I chatted a bit ago about selling the maxes, remember? Well, I just graduated to a loaded silver on black 01 GS430 w/ nav, ML, 5spoke 17's and spoiler, 41k on the ticker. The car is completely stock vs my 6spd, hlsd loaded max with tokicos, h&r, y-pipe, b-pipe, fstb, rsb, etc.

I had the exact delima as you. Let me tell you that I've only had the car for 2.5 days and already getting over it. The power and luxury of the GS4 is the bombdiggity (always wanted to use that in writing). Miles beyond the max and the suspension can be easily tweeked for just the amount handling/drop that you want. Make the move...you will not regret it.

One more thing. Is it just me or doesn't it seem that the GS4 is the natural progression from the maxima. Hilarious. It's like starting a new job thousands of miles away and finding a bunch of your college buddies work on your floor.

yeah just like other said, the v8 is the main point :D

I would suggest you drive one. If you can keep it for a day, do so and then evaluate how you feel about the auto vs. tranny dilemma you are facing.

Hands down there is no comparison between the two cars. I have a 99 GS400 and a 97 Max SE (auto though) and the Maxima loses on all fronts compared to the Lex.

Hey what's up! Yea, i remember you too. It is amazing how many ex-maxima guys are in GS's now.

I had the car all last weekend and loved it. I think $22K for an '01 w/ 55K miles is a pretty good deal, eh?