Overview & Reviews

The Maxima receives updates this year that make it less of a family sedan and more of an entry-level luxury sport sedan. Headlining this year's upgrades is a 3.5-liter V6 that produces a stunning 255 horsepower. For maximum performance, sport-tuned SE models now combine this engine with a standard six-speed manual transmission. Other changes include revised exterior styling, additional feature content and an optional GPS navigation system.

• Impressively powerful V6 engine, sports car moves, plenty of room for five adults.

• Odd styling details, high price, rough ride quality with SE suspension.

User Reviews:

Showing 111 through 120 of 311.00

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  02 Maxima SE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By stp1 - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Just bought my wife her third Max. Have owned a 96 and 99 and this one is the best by far. The new 255 hp is just what this car needed, the old 3.0s just didnt seem to hall the mail in an automatic. The new body design is excellent and the road and wind noise has decreased dramatically. ABS is finally standard equipment and the power up/down feature for the front windows is awesome. The Camry and Honda have nothing on this vehicle.

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  Love it! - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By SFKid - May 9 - 7:03 pm

  I love this car which I bought with 29,000 miles on it. I now have 50,000 on it. Pluses: Handles great, great power. Minuses: Slightly lower gas economy than I expected, Bose system playback skips. I also feel a slight jerk when the drivers window rolls down. I expect that Ill need a repair sooner or later.

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  02Maxima Rocks - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By PVA - May 9 - 10:00 am

  After test driving many of the more expensive 4-door sedans on the market, I knew that the Maxima was definitely my pick. Who wants to spend more money to look like an old man when youre 25? This car is very functional, sporty and fun to drive. Nissans 3.5L 6cyl engine begs you to give it gas and the suspension does not mind hard cornering. The engine can withstand a serious amount of punishment and so can the transmission! SE suspensions are tuned to provide a busy, sportscar type of ride and you feel just that. It is so fun to embarrass VWs, Audis, BMWs, Acuras & Mustangs without making one upgrade!

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  A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By MarZai - April 19 - 10:00 am

  A Great Car With Plenty Of Punch Even Into The Triple Digits. Ride Could Be A Bit Smoother. Nothing In Its Price Range Can Even Come Close. I Would Call It The Poor Mans BMW.

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  Just great - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By dfsgfdfsdrgr3er - March 27 - 10:00 am

  It is a great car. You have to love the VQ35DE. Its smooth, and if you squint, you can hear a V12!

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  Sexy and sleek, but a little noisy - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Mike - March 16 - 3:13 am

  Overall this is my favorite car out of 12 that I have owned. I was immediately drawn to the power that comes from the amazing 3.5V6 in this car. My car has over 125K miles on it and the engine still purrs. My gripes have been with the build quality of the exhaust system. The flanges between the midpipe and the muffler have rusted and snapped TWICE. Ive lowered the car and redone the suspension and although its a little stiffer, this car is connected to the road better than ever before. Fuel economy is GREATLY improved now, I average about 50/50 highway city and get 25+ mpg most of the time on 87 octane.

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  3 Week Rental Car - 2002 Maxima SE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By admasters - March 13 - 10:00 am

  We had the pleasure of driving a 2002 Maxima SE for 3 weeks as a rental car while we were waiting on our car to be repaired after an accident.My wife and I both really liked this car.The car had a lot of room and could easily and very comfortably seat 3 adults across the backseat.The V6 was strong and fun to drive.It had a lot of power and was not sluggish when you needed the acceleration.The suspension seemed a little stiff and did not give as smooth a ride as we would have thought, but it was a SE suspension therefore more geared toward performance I think.

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  Dont buy this car - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By jfriar52 - March 7 - 10:00 am

  Seats are uncomfortable to sit in for over ten minutes, poor paint quality cause more chips than I can count, poor quality glass scratches and chips easy, interior materials scratch easily, two recalls already and only had the car 6 months, service is terrible (takes twice as long to perform service as they say, no dealer will schedule recall service on weekend because they dont want to lose money (inconvenience for those who have jobs), engine is strong but at times the engine and transmission tend to buck, terrible aerodynamics(at highway speeds any wind gusts make the car lift and make it difficult to control) Save your money and buy something else.

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  Everything Else Is A Minima - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By bent - February 24 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned many cars. Hondas. Nissans. Volkwagens. Compared to the Maxima (this is my second)they are all Minimas.

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  still a little cheap - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By TwistedPixel - February 18 - 2:00 am

  The car is great but when you hit a bump, it doesnt feel much different than my Camaro. It handles exceptionally well, accelerates well, but the bumps get ya. Also, the transmission feels "weak" and seems to stall when shifting.