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Used 1997 Nissan Maxima Consumer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
127 reviews
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4.5 out of 5 stars

What a vehicle

It just won't die!, 10/13/2010
1997 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr Sedan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I bought my Max with 42k miles in 2001 off a lease from a single previous owner. Almost 10 yr later it is still going strong with 234k miles on it! Yes it has issues with the sunroof leaking, and things that just go wrong with a car with its age but overall I am in awe at how good the engine still is. I bought this after a short stint with a 1989 maxima (my first car) which I loved and have no regrets. Every time I go looking at a newer ride I just cant justify the payments and contently crank up my trusty maxima and go about my business. This thing moved with me from Atl to TX (2 trips back to ATL and back) been to FL, DC, AL, MS, NC, SC and the states in between with no issues!

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4.25 out of 5 stars

4DSC

mhorn325is, 12/16/2014
1997 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr Sedan
2 of 4 people found this review helpful

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 I'll miss the old girl when I trade her in this week

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5 out of 5 stars

My 'forever' car

BevMaxima, 09/29/2008
1997 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

She's had an alternator, a starter, CV joints, & McPherson Struts replaced... lots cheaper than making car payments for 10 years. She still merges effortlessly onto interstates, paint job looks great, just love this car! I'm only at 146,000 miles, plan on driving my maroon beauty another 10 years. And 26 around town, 34 on cruise control at 64 mph on vacation this summer. Can't beat a Maxima.

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5 out of 5 stars

Great car!

bemmoftn, 09/01/2010
1997 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I loved this car from day 1, and I still love this car on day 4,655. It has always been a reliable car, never let us down. Nissan may not have built the most beautifully designed Maxima in 1997, but it sure built a fun to drive, sturdy one. We finally decided to buy a new one, and let this one go to someone else. We couldn't buy any other car. We bought a 2010 Maxima.

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4.5 out of 5 stars

Love it!

LoveMyMaxima, 02/23/2010
1997 Nissan Maxima GLE 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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. I'm 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 can't 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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