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.

[Aleks Ristic, Toronto on December 20, 2009 at 04:08 PM]

It's not stoggy, it's just simple, understated elegance, timeless symetry, a fine example of the clean geometric Japanese look.

Too bad the corosion resistance was not up to later standards, but there are still many happy owners driving this superb quality vehicle today.

[william on May 21, 2010 at 06:13 AM]

yeah i just bought a 1990 maxima for 500 and it run great new tires and clutch runs like a champ anyone know how i could up the hp and torqe

[Tony on January 03, 2011 at 04:21 PM]

Dad had one of these. Black on black leather, with the 5-speed. It felt rocket-powered at the time, and if memory serves correctly, it was even passably quick by today's standards -- sub 7 second 0 - 60 and mid 15-sec quarters. It also had the white-faced gauges back when that was still special. Really nice car and his first in a line of 3 Maxima SEs, though I think the first was still the best.