Overview & Reviews

The Nissan Maxima gets a new grille, headlights, bumpers and taillights. New alloy wheels and foglights on the SE, new wheel covers on the GXE and new aluminum wheels on the GLE round out the changes.

• High levels of luxury and performance for thousands less than comparable sedans

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 123.00

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  Fun, Reliable, and Economical - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By AZShawn - December 9 - 2:00 am

  At 170,000 miles, my Maxima SE 5-speed is still running strong. Average 27mpg is great and the car is still fast and fun to drive. The reliability of this car is outstanding; however the suspension and steering are less than adequate. I cant think of a better value.

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  1997 Maxima SE - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Wesley - September 7 - 10:00 am

  Nice Car. If I had to do it again, I would opt for the Infiniti I30 and get the addl perks at the dealership and more comfort. This Maxima however, has proven to be a reliable car. With all the freeway miles on it, I expect this car to last to at least 150K without any problems. If youre considering buying a used car, you cant go wrong but look into a comparably priced I30. You may get more bang for your buck.

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  4DSC - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By mhorn325is - June 2 - 1:33 am

  I bought my 97 SE with a 5 speed manual trans in 2006 with approximately 90K miles. The car appealed to me for a variety of reasons: silky 3.0 liter V6, plush creature comforts, impressive factory Bose unit and the relative ease of finding a reasonably priced variant with a proper 3rd pedal. I certainly indulged in a bit of wrench time - Koni struts, Eibach springs, Centerforce clutch, front/rear Brembo cross drilled rotors and a few Stillen add-ons - that greatly increased the pleasure of being behind the wheel, but the car was a solid, quick-ish workhorse even with the OEM equipment. Be mindful of rust and leaks (oil, coolant, etc.), but Ill miss the old girl when I trade her in this week

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  Love it! - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By LoveMyMaxima - October 6 - 12:13 am

  I bought this car from my mechanic last year when my 95 Camry became too expensive to repair. I was leary because the car had 243K miles on it; but my mechanic said it would most likely go to 300K. Im at 254K now and have had no problems at all. The car is so quiet that I sometimes think it has stalled. It has the original stereo, which I hate, and the interior could have been better maintined (I think the last owner always drove with the sun roof open..dust and dirt caught in places I cant seem to reach). I cannot complain about this car. Mechanically and speed-wise, I love it. It has been quite reliable.

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  Great Maxi!!! - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By kevdog - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned all foreign cars and this is by far the best ofthem all. Im in sales and drive all the time. I never get tired of hearing the engine or the awesome stereo. I have never had a single problem, even with 200,000 miles. I plan on keeping it to 300,000+ and then buying another one. I love my Maxima!!!

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  Good value for the $ - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By 5speeder - April 7 - 10:00 am

  All in all a very good car. Fun to drive and reliable, except mines eaten 3 O2 sensors in 3 years, and those puppies are expensive! Gas mileage not as advertised. The power driver seat is a dumb feature (For us, anyway--Im 62, my wife is 53. Seems to take that little motor forever to move the seat when we change drivers)

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  I want my 95 back - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Sam - November 10 - 5:56 am

  I totaled a 1995 Maxima GLE, so I decided to step up to a 97 SE. Over the last 6 months I have had over $1500 in repairs, granted it has never left me stranded, but that is what I spent on my 95 over the course of 1.5 years and it had 70,000 more miles on it. Also since my 95 was much less expensive, plenty of money was left over for aftermarket performance parts. Do yourself a favor and find a higher mileage that has had all the common problems fixed and use the money saved to increase performance.

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  Durable, Reliable Maxima - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxima - August 5 - 9:36 am

  I bought this 97 Maxima SE with 27,000 miles on it in 2000. I now have over 160,000 miles on it. Repairs have been minor and this car is extremely reliable, durable and inexpensive to operate and repair. In 160,000 miles I have replaced the starter, alternator and radiator. The other basic maintenance items have been replaced (struts, brake pads, battery, oil, coolant, spark plugs, hoses, belts). It has very few squeaks and rattles after 160k miles. No oil leaks either. Tires are cheap to replace. Oil is easy to change and the engine compartment is wide open compared to most new cars. I would recommend this as a good solid used vehicle.

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  Money Well Spent - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By watermain - March 7 - 2:30 pm

  Great all around car with a sporty nature. Less expensive (on the used market) than a similarly equiped Camry or Accord. Better quality than a Taurus. Lots of room. Decent power from the silky-smooth V6. Happy with the purchase and would recomend it to friends.

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  Did anyone have this problem? - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By himileagemaxowner - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I have 135,550 miles on this 5 speed 97 SE, right now its in the shop with wheel bearing/axle problems. Mechanic said somehow the boot near CV joints broke and grease leaked out. Its going to be a $1200 plus repair. Does anyone know if maintenance is required on those parts? Owners manual sure dont state that it is. Kinda envy people on this post with 150k miles without these major headaches. Its been a great car until now...!! Wonder if this was owners neglect or manufacturer flaw. Anyone care to shed some light?