1990s Nissan Maxima SE

           

    

As you've no doubt noticed, I don't reserve my automotive lust for the exotic or the unattainable. I've always believed that even ordinary cars can be lust-worthy, and in fact some of the sweetest gems are those right under one's nose.

Such is the case with the early 1990s Nissan Maxima SE--these cars are everywhere and, on the outside, completely unremarkable. However, get to know one, and you'll be impressed.

In the marketplace, the Nissan Maxima has historically competed against Honda's Accord and Toyota's Camry, but in the early and mid-1990s, the SE edition of the Maxima, with its 190-horsepower V-6, precise 5-speed gearbox, and taut suspension, made it legitimate competition for the BMWs of the world. Nissan called it the "4 Door Sports Car," and that moniker wasn't far off.

I advised a friend to buy a used SE, and during the process, the salesman, in a heroic lapse of judgment, allowed the two of us to leave for an unaccompanied test drive. Halfway through the test, my buddy allowed me to drive so that I could give him feedback.

A Nissan Maxima may look prosaic, but after getting lots of rubber through first gear and second, and another big chirp in third, I'll never again judge it by its stodgy looks. Strong torque, good power, and agile handling--the Maxima SE was a hidden jewel.

These cars are available everywhere, and often for not much money, but they are getting a little long in the tooth. One problem with cars that aren't outwardly very special is that generally little care has been taken of them, and that's certainly a worry here. Still, if I were in the market for an inexpensive family sedan with the ability to prompt a big smile on command, I'd strongly consider a used Maxima SE.

This pretty example is listed at www.dragtimes.com as having run a 14.85-second quarter-mile run.

--Chris H.

Comments

[Partrick on July 08, 2008 at 07:39 PM]

yea man i have a 1993 maxima se in pearl.. it has 149000 miles and is running great!!!! I bought it for 3,000.