Yes, they were hugely reliable, as most Nissans of that period were, and perfectly capable of racking up intergalactic mileages, not that many in the UK did. They were just very pleasant to drive, very comfortable but not so boring as to almost send you to sleep on a long motorway slog. Sadly, they were pretty much totally ignored in the UK and most that were around have taken their final trip to the scrap yard after being owned by people that wanted cheap luxury but weren't prepared to pay for the maintenance. I was lucky enough to drive a couple of year old example from Devon to Birmingham, via London, usually a horrid journey, but that car made it almost pleasant. The fuel economy was very reasonable for a 3.0 litre too, it averaged in the high-30s on cruise at 70-75mph...
@@droge192 Yes. They were just eminently sensible transport. And, although a lot of Japanese cars from that period may have looked bland, they actually drove really well. The Nissans certainly did because they were just really good at their suspension set-ups then. I had a Primera Si from the same period as this QX and, other than on really poor surfaces, it was extremely composed but still handled really well. Unfortunately, that one was from a dodgy batch of timing chains and it never got the chain replaced, so it snapped on the motorway and totalled the engine...
I had 98 version of european Nissan Maxima QX, 2 litre v6 with manual gearbox and cruise. No ac. Super car, very smooth to drive and never had technicaö problems. Finnish winter and salt was end of these. Quite easy to rust.
Company I used to work for had one of these as a company car for a Director - she'd previously had beemers and after having this car for a short while said she'd never go back to beemer - she did high mileage and her QX( black) never missed a beat. Very underrated and understated car indeed.
100% correct. These turned to S**t starting I think the next model year. I have a 1997, 70,000 km, previously owned by a farmer. It's truly in very new/mint condition. It spends 6 months/year in storage away from the elements. I can afford just about anything but this one is best. Not for sale. Mine is also automatic 3.0. Incredible ride.
I love these cars. I previously had this body style A32 1998 Maxima QX with 2.0 V6 and manual. Very reliable car and relaxed driving experience. I even imported Infiniti I30 front grill for it (from the US) No complaints about the performance with manual. Sadly rust killed it from the chassis. Then I had Opel Omega 2000 2.5 V6 automatic. That car was constantly broken despite its very good service record. It would be a novel to write about those problems. Finally it died and it was clear what I wanted: It got to be the Maxima. I bought my current 2001 QX 2.0 V6 (A33) automatic and yes it's a bit slow, but not slow as you might think. Very smooth V6 with the automatic just goes effortlessly. A33 is definitely step up from A32. It feels more premium and bigger. Not so bland. I now have had it over a year and it's going strong. It now has 279 000 km (173362 miles) and very little trouble so far. Yes 3.0 V6 would be nicer, but I am still very pleased to this. Quite rare car in Finland.
Nissan was on the verge of bankruptcy before the 'red marriage' to Renault, and will likely revert to that particular mean now Ghosn is gone. The 2019 results are horrific.
Merger is not an accurate description. And the notion all current Nissan Vehicles are terrible is nonsense, in fact most people I've come across moaning about them or their transmissions have never owned one, generally peruse Scotty Kilmer videos. Nissan is still rated higher than Honda in consumer reports and well above anything Euro. And now Ghosn has gone expect full Japanese ownership to return and some more interesting cars to hit the road.
@@joelwebster8227 not a chance they will go under, they are still Japan's second largest manufacturer and it's one of Japan's most iconic brands. Its not going anywhere.
@@Flying_GC Not a chance? No. There is a good chance Nissan would be allowed to fail, in which case the best bits would likely be offered to domestic competitors. And without Renault it simply doesn't have the muscle to compete in future technologies or at scale.
@@Flying_GC The GTR shows that Nissan is capable of building quality products. I look up used Nissans and always manage to find a few with bad or replaced transmission or engine, plus the mechanics I know also call them unreliable. I know one girl with a Cube that had a failed CVT at 60K, and another with a new Rogue with quality issues like clunky suspension and window that would get stuck in the door. She misses her Mitsubishi trade in.
This brings back a lot of memories for me. My grandad had this as his last car before he gave up driving and sadly passed away (and sorely sorely missed), his was typical old man dark red with the 2.0 V6 Auto. Made a great noise and went surprisingly well for something with circa 150bhp. It was the first car I ever drove when I was about 13. Loved watching the video , wierdly I have that exact lock knife it was my dad's from the 70s. Wierd
Matt G While Ian is living the dream; for the rest of us, I am still thinking about that Z3... Remember?! ...Y’see, This is what HubNutage harbinges... weeks after various vids, one is thinking about and enjoying comparing the cars reviewed by our Master of The Knees.
. . Excellent road test. Drove a Cefiro 3.0V6 in Malaysia in 1996; this review reminded me of all of the nuances so eloquently described in this review.. A lovely start to my day. Thanks Ian. .
I wouldn’t be too disappointed to be driving that! I agree it isn’t particularly inspiring but it is inoffensive and probably extremely reliable!! In fact, I’d as far as to say I quite like it! 👍👍👍
Love the way you looked for the boot release and we are suddenly in a garage/ shed then you move to the rear to open the boot and we are back outside nice one Ian Rob
I had a QX for 12 years; magic car and when in the end someone rearended us doing 100kmh more than we were, it saved our lives. Ideal car for Irish roads, fast, quiet, utterly reliable, unbelieveably comfortable and you can do most of the servicing yourself (carefully follow the boring and detailed procedure in the manual). The spark plugs are long life and only need to be changed every 60k miles, although, when you do, it's a long job.
I'm a fan of Nissan; love the functionality, love the reliability, love the lack of pretentiousness, love the lack of "look at me everybody, I'm very important" styling. No prestige, no "presence on the road" (and what a load of marketing"b*llocks that is), just a car that will do the job and get you to your destination in comfort. It would seem many people agree with me, considering that Nissans sell all over the world these days and that doesn't look like changing. Huzzah for Nissan, the friend of the pragmatic.
My dad used to drive one when I was a kid, so I do feel nostalgia for it. Like this car a lot. That's why I am looking forward to buy one in the future.
My friend had two of these in the UK. Fabulous and underrated cars, best bit was noone had a clue what it was and the V6 in both was sublime and quick. Great video
A criminally underrated car. My Dad owned an early 1995 N registered one in 'Poverty Spec', the only difference from this model was that it got a sunroof and it had slidey controls for the heating/cold air (no air con) and was a 2 litre S with auto 'box. Trim levels in the UK were S (nobody bothered buying that trim level, it got discontinued), SE (same as this), and SVE (leather and heated seats). The 2 litre wasn't as weedy as you'd assume it to be, to be honest and could be ordered with a manual 5 speed 'box (not many were sold like this, 3 litre was auto 'box only). Worked for an engineering firm that had a fleet of these for management and directors, all with sequential number plates; oldest being a P reg and the newest on a T reg (they facelifted the A32 slightly and dropped the 'S' trim level) in silver, "Dr Pepper" red, black, dark emerald green, and a weird olive green/silver metallic. Much loved cars in the work place, almost boringly reliable. Director traded one in for a frog eye E Class Merc and he got rather attached to his QX and missed it. Fond memories of my Dad's car, and what I used to see in an old job I was at. When you come back to the UK, track one down to own for a bit. Made my evening watching this. Nice work.
@@Flying_GC Yep, America had a 3 litre manual too. It was marketed as a sort of sports saloon to give the Taurus SHO a run for its money. Sadly, in the UK it was a niche interest executive saloon car to compete with BMW 5 Series, Merc E Class and Audi A6 that "had the wrong badge" as far as most people were concerned. However, as an upgrade for people trading up from a Primera or Bluebird, or wanted something different to a Senator or Granada it made more sense.
Nice review as always...I noted not a squeak or rattle in that car, even w/ 300K kilometers on the clock--just that road/tire noise. Indeed, this was about the fourth gen. Maxima here in the States; the first was introduced as a 1981 model, F/R layout, in sedan and wagon, w/ a fuel-injected L24 six; in 1985, we got the second gen., which I rather liked; very square, but somehow rakish styling. That one had FWD, and used a slightly-detuned VG30 3 liter; 156 BHP, I think, vs. the 160 in the 300ZX. Looks lovely on The South Island!
I used to regularly try to re-start them when they were on the forecourt v quiet engine, I think the engine won awards. (Used to work in a Nissan garage in the 90's).
Love the QX. Want one. I think you need a high spec one with black leather as it’s almost a totally different place to be which really is quite plush I think.
Unassuming I think is the description! It just (very) quietly gets on with what it's supposed to be doing, something that other cars can't quite manage! :-) Good vid Ian, thank you! :-)
A car that's Good at being a car. Our old Carina II was just like that. Did what it should more than well enough without shouting about it. It covered 170,000 miles with nothing breaking. Perfect. All the car you really need.
Im in NZ, I've got a 1995 Nissan cefiro the same as this with the 2L v6 and a manual transmission, it has more than enough power, great economy, and is fun to drive. I decided to give it a full refresh after spending money on a new radiator support (common weak point in these cars for rust, even if the rest of the car is fine). I put in the cefiro station wagon headlights and mesh front grill (looks more sporty) got some better alloy wheels, factory lip spoiler, replaced worn interior parts etc and the car now draws quite a bit of attention even though they are all stock parts. There is something about this mid 90s styling that ages well. I wouldn't say it is bland, more functional and minimalist which is actually ideal for an aging car. I think this car represents the peak of Nissans refinement and is close to the perfect balance of comfort, reliability, and practicality. Later Nissans were not anywhere near as good as these cars and they will not age as well, though they are safer with more airbags etc. I'd say there is still 100,000km left in mine after the modest cost of the refresh I've done, the engines in these things are magnificent. Cheap reliable motoring and a great project which I've enjoyed.
They are excellent value for money today. Comfortable, reliable and generally competent. If you want to drive a somewhat ugly but good all rounder J31 Maxima, I have one in Melbourne you can borrow. Not pretty, especially in gold, but a smooth 240odd HP on tap!
Had a 96 P reg some years ago. Had the lesser 2 litre V6 auto, found it a very pleasant car, did nothing brilliant but neither did anything badly. Pretty good on fuel for an auto 6 pot, replaced it with a 98 honda legend which was a temptation I couldn't resist. if I could find a decent one i'd have another like a shot
Being front wheel drive what examples remain in the UK stand a better chance of not ending up on the banger tracks, unlike comparable Lexus 300's and frogs & E-Class. Superb scenery again, thanks for brightening up the long winter nights here in Blighty.
Never mind about the looks, these things go like the clappers! I remember when you could purchase mid-1990s Nissan Skylines dirt cheap because they were so ugly, until the boy racers cottoned on to how fast they were, particularly the turbocharged ones. I watched a Top Gear special (may have been a JC special now come to think of it) where someone had modified his Nissan Skyline to do 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds. That is really sick, in boy racer speak. Cost the guy £50 large to do the mods, and that was over 15 years ago. Thanks for sharing Ian, pleasure as always 😀
The body front and rear are similar to an i30 Infiniti. The fourth generation of the Maxima was very reliable. The standard transmission version is a blast to drive. Very easy to work on, Overall, the best car I've owned.
I had one of these from new [in 1998] to 2006. It was comfortable, refined and supremely reliable - and never had any faults whatever. But it was quite thirsty and - as HubNut identifies - a tad boring. When I sold it, with only about 40,000 miles on the clock, I had buyers squabbling over who got there first!
Bland but surprisingly good. I'm a big fan of this era of Nissan. I loved my P11 Primera for its reliability, great handling and anonymity.. this seems the same but with V6 goodness.
Here in the US, Maximas bore a window label reading “4DSC”, standing for “4-Door Sports Car,” and they were marketed as a sports sedan, albeit a bland-looking one. Thanks for another report from Down Under!
Just love your show dude... I'm a young female who regretted not doing mechanics at college, drove around UK, Australia, UK for 10 years in old Merc Vans, where all those times i would have converted it into a home to travel. NZ is where i went 2005 and stayed for 2years... lived work, and got pregant there, sadly had to leave, gutted though. Please keep us updated on where you are. Have you found MOTUEKA yet.. a fruit pick town near Nelson. There is a mechanic there on the main road in the town who was a life saver to me, he looks like elvis, and has a sexy collection of old restored classic cars up on ramps in his shop... you have to ask him as he keeps it kinda tucked away, but when he heard i was interested he showed me round for 2 hours... brilliant i forget him name now too long ago. My Kiwi son and my family and i live in Europe the closest place i could find that resembles NZ.. mss that place.... keep up the good work... check out my blog if you like... trying to raise some cash for xmas for my kids... i have things i make and sell... portugalmountains.blogspot.com one love hippy hub nut
Agree with Grenville, bland(ish) but a very competent motor car. Certainly looks and goes very well for a high mileage car. And that scenery really makes it. Many thanks Mr HubNut.
Being like a 90s Primera is no bad thing at all. Bloody good cars, managed to combine reliability with solid handling in a car that still sold for buttons second-hand.
They use a lot of volcanic chip rock on the roads. Makes for great wet weather grip but doesn't half wear out tyres quickly. When I was there they had slip test machines what would be used to check if the road needed resurfacing. It was a big truck that would drive slowly while spraying water in front of a set of wheels.
We also had these in Belgium as the Maxima QX. As a kid I always wondered how it was positioned in the Nissan range. You didn’t happen to see them too often on the road! Wondering what the price was like when new. Indeed looks great in this color! One of my neighbors used to have one in exactly the same tint of the blue of this featured car, but greenish. A bit like British Racing Green but more lively like the blue one.
Used to see a bunch of these here in Malaysia (Here we got it as the Cefiro), I don't see much of them these days. I assume because the V6 engine could get rather expensive to maintain as they age. The Camry and Accord from the same time period are still somewhat common, albeit only 4 cylinders. Nothing beats the sound and the relative smoothness of the V6 though. The Cefiro seems to be a rebadged Infiniti i30 which they got alongside with the Maxima in the US market.
Yup, the infinity i30, the cefiro, the qx, and maxima that was sold in NZ are all effectively the same car. The maxima sold in the USA had slightly different panels in the boot area and front end bumper etc, but was otherwise the same. The USA maxima was also offered in a 5speed manual trans with the 3.0 v6 which was rare elsewhere. The cefiro had the option of a 5speed manual with the 2L v6, this is the car I own in NZ as a used Japanese import.
I personally love the design of these Maximas. It's just a simple, pleasant looking vehicle. Nothing too exciting, nothing that draws attention. Same for early 2000's Toyota Avalon.
One of the best & reliable engines Nissan ever made. Don’t worry about those spark plugs, you will probably only have to change them once every 200K miles. These V6 engines do 400K easy with routine oil changes.
We had a New Zealand spec model called the SMX, also available on the primera with a 5 speed, SMX body kit, high flow exhaust, vented slotted brakes and sports suspension. They were really cool cars. The VG30 won engine of the year many times for a reason.
Lovely Jubbly, one thing I have noticed of cars in N Z, is they don't seem to rust, but do have a colour of dirt which is brown, where in the UK it is grey/black dirt.
Very nice car, always liked the look of these Maximas, and those taillights with that panel between lights looks just so cool in my opinion. Really like the grille of this version, much more classy than what we have in europe.
Unfortunately there was a certain snobbery against these Japanese Executives. The weren't Jags or BMWs but they were filled with equipment, they were comfortable, spacious and most importantly, they were absolutely Bulletproof. I bought a 9 year old JDM Toyota Camry from my dad and drove it daily for 4 years. In that time all it required was servicing, tyres, brake pads, a brake vacuum pump and diesel. Never let me down. Didn't rust either, it was a 1993 model 2074cc diesel turbo. It's probably still going somewhere in the Republic of Ireland. Good Ship.
@@SquidgyPickle It hurts how they have fallen. They were so good in the 90s , but not profitable. The renault partnership and gohsn keadership saved the company , but the cars are now crap except the GTR.
Looks a really comfortable car capable of long journeys without leaving you tired and in good condition for its age and mileage, looks to have plenty of life left in it still.
Don't be put off by the looks! It makes a great daily driver for petrolheads as well. The VQ30 is powerful, smooth and loves to rev. You can pair it to a sweet shifting 5 speed, though the 4 speed auto is plenty responsive and allows redline shifts. It uses a torsion beam rear suspension which ultimately means it's not as sharp as it could be in tight corners, Nissan did a great job at making them handle sportingly with minimal lean. I have fun driving my 96 Maxima, it's pleasant at both cruising and brisk back road driving.
@Give me some Chupa! I don't have personal experience with those, but from what I hear they are robust engines. I did try a turbo 300ZX and while the lag was plenty, the sudden hit of turbo rush was crazy fun.
The Nissan Laurel was a Europe car whilst the Nissan Cedric was a North America car. The Maxima name was introduced and finally applied to what we know in the UK as the MK1 Maxima which was to be a world car.
I'm looking forward to a future video with the intro ..... "In this video, I drive the Ford Falcon Fairmont all the way back to Blighty". That would be epic.
I bought one of these in 2004. I still have it. Getting to 450k miles. 2023 Maintenance is key Is the best maxima of all.. Last prior of Nissan to merge to Renault..
I'm sure I've pointed out before the advantage of no external boot release. When you're stuck at traffic lights it prevents villains getting in and making off with your Louis Vuitton luggage!
I had one with the 2.0L engine, contrary to popular belief it was adequate for everyday driving, since this generation Maxima is pretty light for its size, (only around 1400kgs), by no means quick but it gets out of its own way. Unfortunately I wrapped it around a tree in a fast corner with a dirty surface. This I think was partially due to its very simple rear suspension that does like to induce oversteer fairly quickly. I do lust for another one, but with the fairly rare 3.0L and 5-speed manual combo please.
“Fresh tyre bobbles” - they’re actually called “spill pips” and are much longer when the product comes off the moulds. A cutter like a large beard trimmer cuts them back.
I think the earlier J30 model was better looking. This model is indeed extremely bland. I believe the engine in this one is the VQ30DE and not a VG engine. Spark plugs are under the V6 3000 cover.
Steering to the left slightly when driving straight on a straight stretch of road and steering to the left when you brake in a straight line again. Tell the owner tracking could be out. Very nice car though with superb plush seats.
I changed from Holden Commodore to Nissan Maxima around 2000. First one was a Mark one in NZ, sun roof, push-button keyless entry etc and leather seats. Loved it! That started me on a progression with Nissan maxima - great cars. Didn't like the new shape that came out and the ride was more like siting in an armchair than driving a car, so I changed to Lexus. Still think the Maxima was a great car [early models at least] - extremely reliable and very good fuel economy - better than Holden.
I agree with Paolo G's comment, 'it will spend it's entire live in an unbroken down state.' Whilst a touch bland, this is where Japanese cars have trumped the once 'reliable' Euro makes... for all their great looks and once great reliability, they just don't last sadly. Run a Merc/BMW etc of this era and you will be visiting the garage more than you will in this Nissan or equivalent etc. I have personal experience in this regard. I now run an even earlier 1991 Honda Legend 3.2 litre and its been bullet proof for all these years.
I think it's beautiful and soothing on the eyes in it's simple shape and just the right amount of detail like chrome grille and flush door handles. Isn't it so refreshing when compared the the grotesquely abused body works of modern cars?
Quite like the QX. Many years ago I drove one 300 miles or so. I thought it would be naff but was pleasantly surprised by it. The v6 helped my opinion though :)
Hi Ian, Have you driven a Maxima A33? I think they are even more rare than the A32 you drive in this video.😏 Feel free to contact me if you would like to know more. Great videos. Well done 👍
Seems like a damn good motorcar. Quiet, fast, reliable. Indeed, who cares about looks? Beware modern engines with timing chains. Almost all have troubles with elongation.
@@3rdworldgarage450 Exactly. Just lazy maintenance. Most chains outlive the rest of the engine if looked after. I've had plenty of high mileage vehicles which I service on time every time. No T/chain issues.
I feel there's a touch of Rover 600 at the rear. "Scorchio!" Love it!! But you forgot to say "Buono estente" at the beginning of your video! 8:22 "And now we come to a key annoyance...." I see what you did there...
I had the previous (3rd) generation Maxima in the early/mid-90’s. G556CLV 3.0i but with a single cam per bank and only 12 valves; in a fetching gunmetal grey grey colour. A most agreeable car and very different to the 2.8i Capri which it replaced.
Not inspiring as a car but very functional and pound for pound I bet they are more reliable and outlast their european and us equivalants hands down. Thanks Ian, great review and similar to our qx version.
"You're better off having torque and not using all of it than having no torque and having to wring the neck of the engine all of the time." Not words I would have expected from a 2CV man...:)
Coarse road noise is largely due to the coarse road surface, i notice a lot when driving, as soon as you are on smooth asphalt road noise drops quite a lot! I do not think the car itself was too bad, reasonable looks, early 90,s Nissan build quality ( unlike in more recent years ) the car will be comfy, plenty quick enough and very reliable plus last many many years even with 300 000kms providing it has been properly serviced.
Each to their own, but in a classic sort of way I think its quite a handsome car.
Why would anyone dislike one of Ian's videos? The mind boggles! All videos produced by him are superb
👍+++++++++=👍
I just made the 500 likes. I feel proud and supportive :D
@@Ingens_Scherz Nice one mate makes the ratio roughly 100 likes to 1 dislike. Many more lovers than haters.
Ignore the haters. Just try to enjoy your life. It isn’t that bad you know.
Aussie Pom but for what reason? What possible benefit can people get for disliking videos? Especially Ian’s? Unbelievable
There is something about the Maxima's blandness which inspires a sense of solidity and confidence.
Yes, they were hugely reliable, as most Nissans of that period were, and perfectly capable of racking up intergalactic mileages, not that many in the UK did. They were just very pleasant to drive, very comfortable but not so boring as to almost send you to sleep on a long motorway slog. Sadly, they were pretty much totally ignored in the UK and most that were around have taken their final trip to the scrap yard after being owned by people that wanted cheap luxury but weren't prepared to pay for the maintenance. I was lucky enough to drive a couple of year old example from Devon to Birmingham, via London, usually a horrid journey, but that car made it almost pleasant. The fuel economy was very reasonable for a 3.0 litre too, it averaged in the high-30s on cruise at 70-75mph...
@@droge192 Yes. They were just eminently sensible transport. And, although a lot of Japanese cars from that period may have looked bland, they actually drove really well. The Nissans certainly did because they were just really good at their suspension set-ups then. I had a Primera Si from the same period as this QX and, other than on really poor surfaces, it was extremely composed but still handled really well. Unfortunately, that one was from a dodgy batch of timing chains and it never got the chain replaced, so it snapped on the motorway and totalled the engine...
Almost Teutonic in their boxiness and stance.
Yes, similar to a Lexus in styling.
I had 98 version of european Nissan Maxima QX, 2 litre v6 with manual gearbox and cruise. No ac. Super car, very smooth to drive and never had technicaö problems. Finnish winter and salt was end of these. Quite easy to rust.
Company I used to work for had one of these as a company car for a Director - she'd previously had beemers and after having this car for a short while said she'd never go back to beemer - she did high mileage and her QX( black) never missed a beat. Very underrated and understated car indeed.
for a 20 something-year-old girl she looks bloody good to me
You would expect a 20 year old girl to look good ,it's when they get to forty that things go down hill
Very underrated car.
Best car i ever had, loved it 1999 A32 3.0V6 SEL smooth as f**k and autobox too, never wanted a German car after this. THE most underrated car ever.
100% correct. These turned to S**t starting I think the next model year. I have a 1997, 70,000 km, previously owned by a farmer. It's truly in very new/mint condition. It spends 6 months/year in storage away from the elements. I can afford just about anything but this one is best. Not for sale. Mine is also automatic 3.0. Incredible ride.
I love these cars. I previously had this body style A32 1998 Maxima QX with 2.0 V6 and manual. Very reliable car and relaxed driving experience. I even imported Infiniti I30 front grill for it (from the US) No complaints about the performance with manual. Sadly rust killed it from the chassis. Then I had Opel Omega 2000 2.5 V6 automatic. That car was constantly broken despite its very good service record. It would be a novel to write about those problems. Finally it died and it was clear what I wanted: It got to be the Maxima. I bought my current 2001 QX 2.0 V6 (A33) automatic and yes it's a bit slow, but not slow as you might think. Very smooth V6 with the automatic just goes effortlessly. A33 is definitely step up from A32. It feels more premium and bigger. Not so bland. I now have had it over a year and it's going strong. It now has 279 000 km (173362 miles) and very little trouble so far. Yes 3.0 V6 would be nicer, but I am still very pleased to this. Quite rare car in Finland.
That one is actually assembled in NZ at the Nissan factory in Manukau.
Before the disastrous merger with Renault, and the downward spiral.
Nissan was on the verge of bankruptcy before the 'red marriage' to Renault, and will likely revert to that particular mean now Ghosn is gone. The 2019 results are horrific.
Merger is not an accurate description. And the notion all current Nissan Vehicles are terrible is nonsense, in fact most people I've come across moaning about them or their transmissions have never owned one, generally peruse Scotty Kilmer videos. Nissan is still rated higher than Honda in consumer reports and well above anything Euro. And now Ghosn has gone expect full Japanese ownership to return and some more interesting cars to hit the road.
@@joelwebster8227 not a chance they will go under, they are still Japan's second largest manufacturer and it's one of Japan's most iconic brands. Its not going anywhere.
@@Flying_GC Not a chance? No.
There is a good chance Nissan would be allowed to fail, in which case the best bits would likely be offered to domestic competitors. And without Renault it simply doesn't have the muscle to compete in future technologies or at scale.
@@Flying_GC The GTR shows that Nissan is capable of building quality products. I look up used Nissans and always manage to find a few with bad or replaced transmission or engine, plus the mechanics I know also call them unreliable. I know one girl with a Cube that had a failed CVT at 60K, and another with a new Rogue with quality issues like clunky suspension and window that would get stuck in the door. She misses her Mitsubishi trade in.
I love older Nissans . Thanks for showing us this lovely example 👍
I had one of those. I loved it as it was incredibly smooth, comfy, roomy, pretty quick and reliable.
This brings back a lot of memories for me. My grandad had this as his last car before he gave up driving and sadly passed away (and sorely sorely missed), his was typical old man dark red with the 2.0 V6 Auto. Made a great noise and went surprisingly well for something with circa 150bhp. It was the first car I ever drove when I was about 13. Loved watching the video , wierdly I have that exact lock knife it was my dad's from the 70s. Wierd
What a sweet motor 👍 But then again; Im a sucker for anything with 6 cylinders....
The engine was on WARDs 10 top engines list for years.
Ian truly living the dream!
Matt G While Ian is living the dream; for the rest of us, I am still thinking about that Z3... Remember?! ...Y’see, This is what HubNutage harbinges... weeks after various vids, one is thinking about and enjoying comparing the cars reviewed by our Master of The Knees.
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Excellent road test.
Drove a Cefiro 3.0V6 in Malaysia in 1996; this review reminded me of all of the nuances so eloquently described in this review..
A lovely start to my day.
Thanks Ian.
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I drove one of these around Australia, a very comfy cruiser.
I wouldn’t be too disappointed to be driving that! I agree it isn’t particularly inspiring but it is inoffensive and probably extremely reliable!!
In fact, I’d as far as to say I quite like it!
👍👍👍
Love the way you looked for the boot release and we are suddenly in a garage/ shed then you move to the rear to open the boot and we are back outside nice one Ian Rob
Ian in a real HubNut car driving through a very beautiful landscape. A person does not need more.
I like the look and the smooth V6 engine!
Not boring at all Ian, as always great fun to watch, thank you
I had a QX for 12 years; magic car and when in the end someone rearended us doing 100kmh more than we were, it saved our lives. Ideal car for Irish roads, fast, quiet, utterly reliable, unbelieveably comfortable and you can do most of the servicing yourself (carefully follow the boring and detailed procedure in the manual). The spark plugs are long life and only need to be changed every 60k miles, although, when you do, it's a long job.
I'm a fan of Nissan; love the functionality, love the reliability, love the lack of pretentiousness, love the lack of "look at me everybody, I'm very important" styling. No prestige, no "presence on the road" (and what a load of marketing"b*llocks that is), just a car that will do the job and get you to your destination in comfort. It would seem many people agree with me, considering that Nissans sell all over the world these days and that doesn't look like changing. Huzzah for Nissan, the friend of the pragmatic.
My dad used to drive one when I was a kid, so I do feel nostalgia for it. Like this car a lot. That's why I am looking forward to buy one in the future.
My friend had two of these in the UK. Fabulous and underrated cars, best bit was noone had a clue what it was and the V6 in both was sublime and quick. Great video
A criminally underrated car. My Dad owned an early 1995 N registered one in 'Poverty Spec', the only difference from this model was that it got a sunroof and it had slidey controls for the heating/cold air (no air con) and was a 2 litre S with auto 'box. Trim levels in the UK were S (nobody bothered buying that trim level, it got discontinued), SE (same as this), and SVE (leather and heated seats). The 2 litre wasn't as weedy as you'd assume it to be, to be honest and could be ordered with a manual 5 speed 'box (not many were sold like this, 3 litre was auto 'box only).
Worked for an engineering firm that had a fleet of these for management and directors, all with sequential number plates; oldest being a P reg and the newest on a T reg (they facelifted the A32 slightly and dropped the 'S' trim level) in silver, "Dr Pepper" red, black, dark emerald green, and a weird olive green/silver metallic. Much loved cars in the work place, almost boringly reliable. Director traded one in for a frog eye E Class Merc and he got rather attached to his QX and missed it. Fond memories of my Dad's car, and what I used to see in an old job I was at. When you come back to the UK, track one down to own for a bit.
Made my evening watching this. Nice work.
In new Zealand the 3litre came in manual as well. They really hauled.
@@Flying_GC Yep, America had a 3 litre manual too. It was marketed as a sort of sports saloon to give the Taurus SHO a run for its money. Sadly, in the UK it was a niche interest executive saloon car to compete with BMW 5 Series, Merc E Class and Audi A6 that "had the wrong badge" as far as most people were concerned. However, as an upgrade for people trading up from a Primera or Bluebird, or wanted something different to a Senator or Granada it made more sense.
Nice review as always...I noted not a squeak or rattle in that car, even w/ 300K kilometers on the clock--just that road/tire noise. Indeed, this was about the fourth gen. Maxima here in the States; the first was introduced as a 1981 model, F/R layout, in sedan and wagon, w/ a fuel-injected L24 six; in 1985, we got the second gen., which I rather liked; very square, but somehow rakish styling. That one had FWD, and used a slightly-detuned VG30 3 liter; 156 BHP, I think, vs. the 160 in the 300ZX. Looks lovely on The South Island!
I used to regularly try to re-start them when they were on the forecourt v quiet engine, I think the engine won awards. (Used to work in a Nissan garage in the 90's).
Love the QX. Want one. I think you need a high spec one with black leather as it’s almost a totally different place to be which really is quite plush I think.
I owned a 94 cefiro excimo 2.5 when I lived in NZ was so comfy 9hr drives no issues at all
Unassuming I think is the description! It just (very) quietly gets on with what it's supposed to be doing, something that other cars can't quite manage! :-)
Good vid Ian, thank you! :-)
Good video. This car takes blandness to a new level - I've never noticed them before. Well done to Nissan! Amazing dashboard reflection from 10.58!
A car that's Good at being a car. Our old Carina II was just like that. Did what it should more than well enough without shouting about it. It covered 170,000 miles with nothing breaking. Perfect. All the car you really need.
Im in NZ, I've got a 1995 Nissan cefiro the same as this with the 2L v6 and a manual transmission, it has more than enough power, great economy, and is fun to drive. I decided to give it a full refresh after spending money on a new radiator support (common weak point in these cars for rust, even if the rest of the car is fine). I put in the cefiro station wagon headlights and mesh front grill (looks more sporty) got some better alloy wheels, factory lip spoiler, replaced worn interior parts etc and the car now draws quite a bit of attention even though they are all stock parts. There is something about this mid 90s styling that ages well. I wouldn't say it is bland, more functional and minimalist which is actually ideal for an aging car. I think this car represents the peak of Nissans refinement and is close to the perfect balance of comfort, reliability, and practicality. Later Nissans were not anywhere near as good as these cars and they will not age as well, though they are safer with more airbags etc. I'd say there is still 100,000km left in mine after the modest cost of the refresh I've done, the engines in these things are magnificent. Cheap reliable motoring and a great project which I've enjoyed.
They are excellent value for money today. Comfortable, reliable and generally competent. If you want to drive a somewhat ugly but good all rounder J31 Maxima, I have one in Melbourne you can borrow. Not pretty, especially in gold, but a smooth 240odd HP on tap!
Had a 96 P reg some years ago. Had the lesser 2 litre V6 auto, found it a very pleasant car, did nothing brilliant but neither did anything badly. Pretty good on fuel for an auto 6 pot, replaced it with a 98 honda legend which was a temptation I couldn't resist. if I could find a decent one i'd have another like a shot
What if Hub Nut gets a puncture mid way through filming a video - ppssstttcchhooooo! Would that be the end?
Being front wheel drive what examples remain in the UK stand a better chance of not ending up on the banger tracks, unlike comparable Lexus 300's and frogs & E-Class. Superb scenery again, thanks for brightening up the long winter nights here in Blighty.
Never mind about the looks, these things go like the clappers! I remember when you could purchase mid-1990s Nissan Skylines dirt cheap because they were so ugly, until the boy racers cottoned on to how fast they were, particularly the turbocharged ones. I watched a Top Gear special (may have been a JC special now come to think of it) where someone had modified his Nissan Skyline to do 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds. That is really sick, in boy racer speak. Cost the guy £50 large to do the mods, and that was over 15 years ago. Thanks for sharing Ian, pleasure as always 😀
Great videos Ian.. I often watch them on a packed train heading out of London after work. Good luck in NZ, look forward to the next vid.
The body front and rear are similar to an i30 Infiniti. The fourth generation of the Maxima was very reliable. The standard transmission version is a blast to drive. Very easy to work on, Overall, the best car I've owned.
I had one of these from new [in 1998] to 2006. It was comfortable, refined and supremely reliable - and never had any faults whatever. But it was quite thirsty and - as HubNut identifies - a tad boring. When I sold it, with only about 40,000 miles on the clock, I had buyers squabbling over who got there first!
Bland but surprisingly good.
I'm a big fan of this era of Nissan. I loved my P11 Primera for its reliability, great handling and anonymity.. this seems the same but with V6 goodness.
"Panned for being Bland".. love it !
Here in the US, Maximas bore a window label reading “4DSC”, standing for “4-Door Sports Car,” and they were marketed as a sports sedan, albeit a bland-looking one. Thanks for another report from Down Under!
Just love your show dude... I'm a young female who regretted not doing mechanics at college, drove around UK, Australia, UK for 10 years in old Merc Vans, where all those times i would have converted it into a home to travel. NZ is where i went 2005 and stayed for 2years... lived work, and got pregant there, sadly had to leave, gutted though. Please keep us updated on where you are. Have you found MOTUEKA yet.. a fruit pick town near Nelson. There is a mechanic there on the main road in the town who was a life saver to me, he looks like elvis, and has a sexy collection of old restored classic cars up on ramps in his shop... you have to ask him as he keeps it kinda tucked away, but when he heard i was interested he showed me round for 2 hours... brilliant i forget him name now too long ago. My Kiwi son and my family and i live in Europe the closest place i could find that resembles NZ.. mss that place.... keep up the good work... check out my blog if you like... trying to raise some cash for xmas for my kids... i have things i make and sell... portugalmountains.blogspot.com one love hippy hub nut
Agree with Grenville, bland(ish) but a very competent motor car. Certainly looks and goes very well for a high mileage car. And that scenery really makes it. Many thanks Mr HubNut.
As interesting as a blamonge and reliable so your stuck with it ha
Being like a 90s Primera is no bad thing at all. Bloody good cars, managed to combine reliability with solid handling in a car that still sold for buttons second-hand.
This is a beautiful engine. Bullet proof.
They use a lot of volcanic chip rock on the roads. Makes for great wet weather grip but doesn't half wear out tyres quickly. When I was there they had slip test machines what would be used to check if the road needed resurfacing. It was a big truck that would drive slowly while spraying water in front of a set of wheels.
Would definitely have her sitting on my drive. Well done Mr Hubnut and I can't wait to see you back home ;-)
We also had these in Belgium as the Maxima QX. As a kid I always wondered how it was positioned in the Nissan range. You didn’t happen to see them too often on the road! Wondering what the price was like when new.
Indeed looks great in this color!
One of my neighbors used to have one in exactly the same tint of the blue of this featured car, but greenish. A bit like British Racing Green but more lively like the blue one.
Used to see a bunch of these here in Malaysia (Here we got it as the Cefiro), I don't see much of them these days.
I assume because the V6 engine could get rather expensive to maintain as they age. The Camry and Accord from the same time period are still somewhat common, albeit only 4 cylinders. Nothing beats the sound and the relative smoothness of the V6 though.
The Cefiro seems to be a rebadged Infiniti i30 which they got alongside with the Maxima in the US market.
Yup, the infinity i30, the cefiro, the qx, and maxima that was sold in NZ are all effectively the same car. The maxima sold in the USA had slightly different panels in the boot area and front end bumper etc, but was otherwise the same. The USA maxima was also offered in a 5speed manual trans with the 3.0 v6 which was rare elsewhere. The cefiro had the option of a 5speed manual with the 2L v6, this is the car I own in NZ as a used Japanese import.
Had one of these as a hire car in America in 1999. Gold with Teddy bear trim and brown dash. Did 2000 miles in 2 weeks never missed a beat, comfy too.
Thank you for the good road test. Nice car. I will watch your channel. Commenting from Kazakhstan. :)
I personally love the design of these Maximas. It's just a simple, pleasant looking vehicle. Nothing too exciting, nothing that draws attention. Same for early 2000's Toyota Avalon.
One of the best & reliable engines Nissan ever made. Don’t worry about those spark plugs, you will probably only have to change them once every 200K miles. These V6 engines do 400K easy with routine oil changes.
We had a New Zealand spec model called the SMX, also available on the primera with a 5 speed, SMX body kit, high flow exhaust, vented slotted brakes and sports suspension. They were really cool cars. The VG30 won engine of the year many times for a reason.
Lovely Jubbly, one thing I have noticed of cars in N Z, is they don't seem to rust, but do have a colour of dirt which is brown, where in the UK it is grey/black dirt.
The New Zealand badged Maxima was also New Zealand assembled. Only the very limited manual version was bought in fully assembled.
Very nice car, always liked the look of these Maximas, and those taillights with that panel between lights looks just so cool in my opinion.
Really like the grille of this version, much more classy than what we have in europe.
Seen a few QX local to me, just a big nissan very nice 😊
Thanks Ian 😊👍
Methinks indeed Mr HubNut sir you did slippeth in "arsepect" when referencing the most redeeming rear end view? Very good times!
Unfortunately there was a certain snobbery against these Japanese Executives. The weren't Jags or BMWs but they were filled with equipment, they were comfortable, spacious and most importantly, they were absolutely Bulletproof. I bought a 9 year old JDM Toyota Camry from my dad and drove it daily for 4 years. In that time all it required was servicing, tyres, brake pads, a brake vacuum pump and diesel. Never let me down. Didn't rust either, it was a 1993 model 2074cc diesel turbo. It's probably still going somewhere in the Republic of Ireland. Good Ship.
Lovely looking car, and it's a Nissan, so will run forever...👍
An old nissan yes, the new ones are awful.
@@SquidgyPickle It hurts how they have fallen. They were so good in the 90s , but not profitable. The renault partnership and gohsn keadership saved the company , but the cars are now crap except the GTR.
@@boundish1 Ghosn cut costs to make them profitable but also made them horrible. Qashqais are absolutely horrible.
@@Perkelenaattori Yup they feel flimsy. Aside from corrosion 90s and older nissan are really solid.
@@SquidgyPickle Oh yeah, I was referring to the old ones.
Looks a really comfortable car capable of long journeys without leaving you tired and in good condition for its age and mileage, looks to have plenty of life left in it still.
Don't be put off by the looks! It makes a great daily driver for petrolheads as well. The VQ30 is powerful, smooth and loves to rev. You can pair it to a sweet shifting 5 speed, though the 4 speed auto is plenty responsive and allows redline shifts. It uses a torsion beam rear suspension which ultimately means it's not as sharp as it could be in tight corners, Nissan did a great job at making them handle sportingly with minimal lean. I have fun driving my 96 Maxima, it's pleasant at both cruising and brisk back road driving.
@Give me some Chupa! Ahhh yes, correct! *edit*
@Give me some Chupa! I don't have personal experience with those, but from what I hear they are robust engines. I did try a turbo 300ZX and while the lag was plenty, the sudden hit of turbo rush was crazy fun.
The Nissan Laurel was a Europe car whilst the Nissan Cedric was a North America car. The Maxima name was introduced and finally applied to what we know in the UK as the MK1 Maxima which was to be a world car.
I'm looking forward to a future video with the intro ..... "In this video, I drive the Ford Falcon Fairmont all the way back to Blighty". That would be epic.
I have a Cefiro 2.5 in blue, just like that one I just love mine and think it's a very handsome car.
I bought one of these in 2004.
I still have it.
Getting to 450k miles. 2023
Maintenance is key
Is the best maxima of all.. Last prior of Nissan to merge to Renault..
Also sold here in Canada and probably the US as Infiniti I30t. Ours were built in Oppama, Japan.
you should see these in gold or white (maybe even both) maybe even beige, they are beautiful and look very elegant (or atleast in my opinion)
Yeah, the gold suits these Maximas.
I'm sure I've pointed out before the advantage of no external boot release. When you're stuck at traffic lights it prevents villains getting in and making off with your Louis Vuitton luggage!
cheers for the vid..sparks plugs under the nissan v6 rocker cover, i think...super holiday your having by the way...
I had one with the 2.0L engine, contrary to popular belief it was adequate for everyday driving, since this generation Maxima is pretty light for its size, (only around 1400kgs), by no means quick but it gets out of its own way. Unfortunately I wrapped it around a tree in a fast corner with a dirty surface. This I think was partially due to its very simple rear suspension that does like to induce oversteer fairly quickly.
I do lust for another one, but with the fairly rare 3.0L and 5-speed manual combo please.
“Fresh tyre bobbles” - they’re actually called “spill pips” and are much longer when the product comes off the moulds. A cutter like a large beard trimmer cuts them back.
I think the earlier J30 model was better looking. This model is indeed extremely bland.
I believe the engine in this one is the VQ30DE and not a VG engine.
Spark plugs are under the V6 3000 cover.
I have a gold/beige 98 infiniti I30, which is the a32 platform and man I love these cars especially the blue, such a classic car
Australasia love their Japanese saloons. I've only just remembered what the Maxima QX looked like as it's been years since i last saw one.
Steering to the left slightly when driving straight on a straight stretch of road and steering to the left when you brake in a straight line again.
Tell the owner tracking could be out.
Very nice car though with superb plush seats.
I changed from Holden Commodore to Nissan Maxima around 2000. First one was a Mark one in NZ, sun roof, push-button keyless entry etc and leather seats. Loved it! That started me on a progression with Nissan maxima - great cars. Didn't like the new shape that came out and the ride was more like siting in an armchair than driving a car, so I changed to Lexus. Still think the Maxima was a great car [early models at least] - extremely reliable and very good fuel economy - better than Holden.
I agree with Paolo G's comment, 'it will spend it's entire live in an unbroken down state.' Whilst a touch bland, this is where Japanese cars have trumped the once 'reliable' Euro makes... for all their great looks and once great reliability, they just don't last sadly. Run a Merc/BMW etc of this era and you will be visiting the garage more than you will in this Nissan or equivalent etc. I have personal experience in this regard. I now run an even earlier 1991 Honda Legend 3.2 litre and its been bullet proof for all these years.
Bland cars grow on me, and take on a sort of beauty the more I live with them.
I think it's beautiful and soothing on the eyes in it's simple shape and just the right amount of detail like chrome grille and flush door handles. Isn't it so refreshing when compared the the grotesquely abused body works of modern cars?
Quite like the QX. Many years ago I drove one 300 miles or so. I thought it would be naff but was pleasantly surprised by it. The v6 helped my opinion though :)
Hi Ian,
Have you driven a Maxima A33? I think they are even more rare than the A32 you drive in this video.😏
Feel free to contact me if you would like to know more.
Great videos.
Well done 👍
That model was sold as S, SL and up spec SEL here in NZ. As boring as unbuttered toast but ridiculously reliable.
Seems like a damn good motorcar. Quiet, fast, reliable. Indeed, who cares about looks? Beware modern engines with timing chains. Almost all have troubles with elongation.
@@3rdworldgarage450 Exactly. Just lazy maintenance. Most chains outlive the rest of the engine if looked after. I've had plenty of high mileage vehicles which I service on time every time. No T/chain issues.
I feel there's a touch of Rover 600 at the rear.
"Scorchio!" Love it!! But you forgot to say "Buono estente" at the beginning of your video!
8:22 "And now we come to a key annoyance...." I see what you did there...
Fast Show. I'm wondering how many Rovers found their way to New Zealand in the 1990's. I know their is the odd 75 driving around.
Here in the US, this was known as the Infiniti I30. Our Maxima of the era was similar, but a bit more rounded.
I think that engine won several global engine awards ??
I had the previous (3rd) generation Maxima in the early/mid-90’s. G556CLV 3.0i but with a single cam per bank and only 12 valves; in a fetching gunmetal grey grey colour. A most agreeable car and very different to the 2.8i Capri which it replaced.
Not inspiring as a car but very functional and pound for pound I bet they are more reliable and outlast their european and us equivalants hands down.
Thanks Ian, great review and similar to our qx version.
Wonderfull views of NZ
Nice, keep up the good work 😁👍
I had a 98 Nissan Primera in that shade of blue. It also had the same rear spoiler
Seems a decent all rounder. I have a 1998 Primera 2.0 se manual. Good performance and good economy. Maxima with be a better torque drive.
"You're better off having torque and not using all of it than having no torque and having to wring the neck of the engine all of the time."
Not words I would have expected from a 2CV man...:)
There are times when even a 2CV driver dreams of torque. Hence the engine upgrade...
Coarse road noise is largely due to the coarse road surface, i notice a lot when driving, as soon as you are on smooth asphalt road noise drops quite a lot!
I do not think the car itself was too bad, reasonable looks, early 90,s Nissan build quality ( unlike in more recent years ) the car will be comfy, plenty quick enough and very reliable plus last many many years even with 300 000kms providing it has been properly serviced.
Yes, Kiwis love a bit of surface dressing. Lots of road noise!