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 51 through 60 of 311.00

• 

  Ergonomic Nightmare - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By GWindsong - August 24 - 10:00 am

  The Maxima SE is GREAT in all respects but one - cockpit layout. Whoever designed it knew NOTHING about human interface design. The seats feel like bench seats, the climate controls use mixed modes (slide AND dial), for those with long legs the steering column does not telescope resulting in arm/shoulder fatigue, and the control console is hard to reach if your seat is all the way back. A month after purchase I had such neck, shoulder, and back pain that I was going to the chiropractor as often as twice a week. It took a while to figure out that the poor seat and layout design in the car were to blame.

• 

  Best car for the money - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By BigC49 - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Great power, good ride, and lots of features for the money. The sound system is excelent, fuel economy is not bad for a car with 255 hp. It has everything that I could expect for the price.

• 

  Fourth and last new Nissan - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By PKB - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Engine pings most of the time, and sometimes feels sluggish. Dealers have been NO help in resolving these issues. All Nissan Corp is willing to do is say that they "understand my frustration." Early on, "drive by wire" throttle would abruptly shut off under full acceleration, dropping engine to idle at the worst time. Dealer was familiar with this problem and installed a new throttle stop. 6 months later, I got a recall notice for a "potentially dangerous" defect with the throttle. It took them 6 mo to notify owners of a dangerous fault! Cheap rear beam axle thumps loudly when crossing speedbumps. Windshield creaks in its frame. Bose stereo sounds muddy. Disappointing!

• 

  Great car thus far - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By lexmaxima - May 22 - 10:57 pm

  I bought my used 2002 SE in 11/10. It had 60K on it when I bought it. It now has 70K on it and has been a great car thus far. It has 255 HP which is really good for a 4 door sedan. The auto dimming rearview mirror is nice as well as the homelink system. I am 6 3 and the legroom as well as headroom is quite adequate. The basckseat however is a bit cramped for taller passengers. The body side molding and the rear spoiler are nice touches I believe. The xenon headlamps that were upgraded for this model year are great, as well as the fog lights. This car really has great acceleration. the gas mileage is fair in the high teens around town. great car thus far.

• 

  Exactly What I Expected - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Eric D - May 16 - 7:03 am

  The TV commercials are not the only good thing about the Nissan Maxima. This car is fast and fun to drive. The GLE model is loaded. The heated steering wheel with the Meridan package is a neat feature. The Xenon headlights are drastically better than convetional lights. With Nissan offering a $1000 cash back I got a great deal. I actually paid less than the TMV.

• 

  2002 Maxima GLE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By 2002maximachic - March 31 - 7:05 am

  Love this car (model/year) - bought in Dallas with 84K and it runs great with 171k now. Just recently I found that during heavy traffic it slips a little. It sort of goes with oil but got that fix. I dont know anything about buying transmissions but where do you start to figure the cost?

• 

  First Maxima - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Liu - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Just bougnt my first Maxima (GLE) w/roof and front side air bag. Got a good deal and very friendly service at the dealer. Loved it the first time drove it. Quiet and fast! Everyting is easy to control, even the audio controls are built on the steering wheel. Love the trip computer, too, but not the number on when you see your average gas milage.

• 

  Bad Transmission - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Jesse - September 2 - 3:23 pm

  My transmission died at only 76,000 miles. I bought it used so i assume it was driven hard by the previous owner. I do still love the car though, its faster than most other cars and looks good too.

• 

  A Distinctive Car Worth the Quirks and Shortcomings - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By thos - July 20 - 5:17 pm

  I have an 02 Maxima automatic with 70,000 miles bought almost 3 years ago with 45,000 miles. Mine burns oil, one to two quarts between changes every 4,000 miles. I also bought an 03 Altima V6 and it does the same thing, leading me to believe that this is a very common problem. However, the cars are cheap to buy used and a quart or two of oil between changes is less than $10, so why bother putting in new rings? I ran regular gas for the first 2 1/2 years--a mistake. The drivetrain, including the transmission, works better with premium. The solid rear axle in this car makes for inferior handling compared to the Altima, but the latter lacks the "elan" of the older Maxima in my view

• 

  Get the 02 now! - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By docdoowop - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Just pulled the trigger on a new SE 6- speed in Super Black. With Bose system, sunroof and various other minor options we paid $950 UNDER invoice ($24,300). Nail down a year-ender now. The redesigned 2004 Maxima debuts next Spring, and Nissan is going to move the car upscale to more clearly separate it from the Altima. That means youll be crossing the $30k threshold easily. Best performance sedan Ive driven since my 89 Taurus SHO. Both thumbs way up!