Help Fred pick his new car

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PalmerWMD
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Background:

In 2 weeks I am returning to the US from a 2+ year stint as an expat.
I currently own a wonderful 2011 Xterra PRO4X with 153,000 miles on it.
Leather, rear locker, the works.
100_1509b.jpg
But it will be on a ship for some weeks while I am in the US.
I hate to waste money on a rental and I am not exactly destitute so I want to take the money spent ona rental ( plus obviously a lot extra) and buy another vehicle.
Plus I really have not done something nice for myself in a long time.

So I really want a new vehicle for myself.
But I am not 19 ... so I will be thrifty and only consider a used vehicle and I do not have yet secured follow on employment (but again my savings are substantial I do not have to work for some time) and will chouch surf with buddies for a month or so.

......

Here is the original car I was strongly considering (and still am)

2016-2018 Nissan Altima
Pros:
-still very fresh design
- Functionally identical to much more expensive cars
The most comfortable seats of any car in its class matched only those of much more expensive cars
- 39 mpg on the highway in combination with an 18 gallon fuel tanks makes for incredible cruising range of well over 700 miles.
And my next job may take me far from family and friends.
- Takes regular fuel too. By far most economical choice for long drives of which there may be many in my future.

Cons
- CVT Transmission. They may have a reputation for great mpgs but not so much for reliability.
With a used one I may not be able to control how good the critical fluid changes where.
Still good prices can be had even on some very low mile units as rental companies have flooded the market with them.
So there is no free lunch.
A used CPO could greatly alleviate the CVT concern (warranty to 100,000 miles from Nissan) but those CPO cars do cost more than "regular" used.
Price points: 12 to 16 k (14-19 k CPO). mid trim CPOs can be had in a '17 MY for just under $15k. The loaded 2018 CPOs are overlapping in price (19-20k) with my next choice which is a noticably higher level car


Still easily nice enough to give me some pride of ownership.
Here is a friendly review of the 16-18 facelifted Altima
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCxnxR_xvc0

A deal in the area:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =284616821

...

2014-2019 Infiniti Q50.

PROs
-The 14's and 15's are as reliable as the sun, with their naturally aspirated 3.7L 328 hp V6s paired with a very mature 7 Speed auto.
And while the 16+ have turbo engines with their attendant reliability risk... going with the "basic" 300hp Twin Turbo will give you the same hardened components, (cooling, even more beefed up transmission etc etc) components as the 400hp version.
Yes when you buy the 300hp car nearly all the hardware is the same as the 400hp car, including the engine+transmission, and rest of drivetrain which I suspect will make a lot of those components bullet proof in the 300hp trim. And the 300hp trim is no slouch.. quarter mile in 13.5 seconds and a trap speed of 105 mph (those were Corvette numbers not so many years ago)
-Unlike the Altimas they all have sunroofs
-Unlike the Altimas they all have leather, etc etc
- Superior performance vs the Altima.
-Most are equipped with Infinitis excellent ATTESA AWD system. Usually am not a fan of AWD in passenger cars but these Infiniti AWDs systems are very reliable and work quite well without adding too much weight.. and i need to be able to drive up the hill to friends/family houses on a dirt road even in inclement weather..
- Just a really nice luxosport Sedan for the money that would give me tremendous pleasure.

Cons:
- Takes premium and mpgs much less than Altima. Newer lower mile Altimas can generally be had for 2/3rds (!) the price while being functionally near identical.
Price points for 14/15 16-20 k depending on miles and equipment, 16-17 model years in 300hp trim approx 19000-24000 USD..
- The 14s and 15s still seems to sell for nearly as much as the 16s/17s despite being outperformed by the newer motors.

Here is a review of this car
(2014 Sport trim)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r805qYFXKTM

Also here is an example of one of the better deals I found in the area:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =281741326

.....

Next choice is a 2011 or 2012 Pathfinder LE 4WD.

PROS
- Super robust 4WD system
- As reliable as the sun, in the all-bugs-fixed 11 and 12 model years
- good ground clearance
- Still looks good.
- A bit more comfy than my Xterra
- Similar controls
- Drives quite well for a body on frame SUV at speed on the hiway, better than my Xterra due to independent rear suspension and longer wheelbase.
- Available in a V8 version which has TONS of power to push lesser vehicles out of the way in an emergency but even the 4.0 V6 is a better performer than the model year equivalent 4runner V6s and very close to the 4 runner V8s.

Cons;
-Bad mpg while using premium fuel, not particularly good unrefuelled driving range, both will be important to me when I will work many hours driving away from friends/family.
-Only available as older used cars with the attendant potential for problems. Tho this gen in these 2 model years has a reputation for being bullet proof. (other than the early model years of this gen which, just like Xterra and Frontier had bad radiators which could damage the tranny but this is an easy fix to prevent)
- I already own a 4x4 SUV. Wouldn't it make more sense for my additional vehicle to be a long range cruising sedan?

price point ; 10-13k. Which is not low considering the age with loaded (and older) V8 LEs... going for 15k.... the market still appreciates them.
Under 10k for older models even with V8.

Here is a deal I been checking out:
Perfect color, with 4WD and V8 ,albeit higher miles. carfax looks real good:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =276542783
Lower miles but "only" the V6..
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =285717208

Still very much a vehicle where for significant lower price than even the Altima (never mind the Infiniti!) I would still feel a lot of joy of ownership.

Comments welcome.


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PalmerWMD
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Some wildcards that also intrigue me.
G35 Coupe
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =287139499

Very low mile and seemingly very good conditon I35
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =283405804

new gen Altima, loaded
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =281957095

A bit bigger than I like but I am intrigued with ownership of a Y62 Patrol (which is what the current Armada is)
Appears to be a nice deal:

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =283559237

G35 with nice Q50 wheels (a likely sign it was loved by a competent previous owner)

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =288202284

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VStar650CL
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If you're looking at Q50's and Altimas (kind of a disparate range!), why not split the difference and look at a new generation '16+ Maxima? Great looks, great accoutrements, tried-and-true 3.7 drivetrain. Aside from the radars (really more of a Bosch problem than a Nissan problem), we see very few issues with them. Really, really nice rides.

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PalmerWMD
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Thank you.
I had overlooked the Maximas a bit.

The reason for the wide range between Q50 and Altima was the long unrefueled range and very high mpgs on regular fuel intrigue me. Combine this with the wide availability of low mile low price Altimas its hard to resist.

But then the Q50s are so much sweeter.. but even an extra year used cost half again as much..

The Maximas look good.. happy to hear you give them a good grade. :)
I am checking them out right now.

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PapaSmurf2k3
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What about a Honda Accord with a manual trans?
Or a Focus ST. I like mine a good bit. I regularly get over 30mpg, but the tank is a little on the small side. You'll only get about 350 miles between fill ups.

If range and fuel economy is your game, you could also look at the old Jetta and Passat TDIs that are re-flooding the used market. They can be had with manuals or autos, and generally low miles.

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PalmerWMD
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PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 5:54 pm
If range and fuel economy is your game, you could also look at the old Jetta and Passat TDIs that are re-flooding the used market. They can be had with manuals or autos, and generally low miles.
I was toying with the idea Jettas and Passats.

But I dont know those lines well enough to be a smart shopper with them.

For example which years got the VW ECU reflash for less performance but more fuel consumption to humor the EPAs suit over "emissions cheating"?
Also arent the auto trannies in the VWs pretty weak also?
But which years?
SInce i dont know them well I would have to get a CPO.. but dont want to spend money on a CPO VW Passat that costs as much as a same year Infiniti Q50.

The Altimas get genuine real world 40 mpg on the hiway (I used to own one).. I dont know how the EPA numbers align with the VWs... (or HOnda... but Honda is so well respected in the used market it overcompensates the price.. same as Toyota IMHO)

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AZhitman
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I stopped caring about MPGs about the same time I stopped eating cup ramen. It's a false economy, for the most part. You're a grown man with a solid resume and lots of options. Saving $3-4 per fill up is insufficient compensation for a boring, miserable car.

I'm no fan of eurocars, so I can't comment fairly on the VW stuff, but I swear I'll ban you if you buy something with a 4-cylinder and a CVT. :)

The Maxima and Altima are tough to beat, but then again, I've been loath to suggest one over a comparable Toyota for quite some time now. I just don't think they're as good, or as reliable, and there's simply no reason to own a CVT unless you're a left-leg amputee. ;)

You have a perfectly capable and desirable truck, so getting another one would seem redundant. Dealerships can't GIVE away Y62s, they're pretty low on the "best SUV" list.

Q50 is certainly attractive, but I'm not sold on their value for the money. I suspect brand loyalty has its place, but until Nissan / Infiniti pays me to drive thir cars, I'll pick the most bang for the buck (and a Corvette hasn't been THAT slow since the 90's - You're getting old, my friend.)

BTW, I could see you owning a clean, low-mileage C5/C6. Same money, tons of swagger, not much can outrun it, comfortable, fuel efficient, and TONS of great mod opportunities. My C5 Z06 ($16k car, mind you) ran 11 flat stock, pulled over a G on the skidpad, got 30mpg, and would actually make long stints at 140mph seem boring. Probably not on your radar, but worth a test drive - and both of my C5s sold for more than I paid originally.

My suggestion, if you're leaning towards a sedan: A recent Mazda 6 (2016-2020) absolutely slaughters the Alty / Max in several categories - FUN to drive, available with a 6MT, reliable, roomy (huge back seat), loads of goodies for the money, great ratings, very luxurious interior, good dealership support, AND they fly under the radar with resale value - Plus the styling is far superior to anything Nissan has done lately.

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Bubba1
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I agree with most of what Greg said. Not sure I'd agree with a Vette, They're wonderful sports cars, but not if you plan to do long trips in them especially in bad weather, or during winters. They're best in warm, dry climates. But I also suggest looking at Mazda Either a 6 if you want a sedan, or a CX5 if you're looking at a crossover. They tend to fly under most folk's radars, but are pleasant, solid cars and you can get a manual in the 6. Given your previous posts, you seem to enjoy "spirited" driving. Even with wrong wheel drive, the 6 will entertain you (moreso than the CX5), though the CX5 will hold more.

As far as Altimas go. I use a 2016 4 cyl Altima company car in which I've logged thousands of miles, and a good friend has a 2017 model that I drove from Iowa to NJ (after he broke his leg). The CVT does indeed sap most of the fun out of it and is annoying, but it's a surprisingly good vehicle for long highway trips, roomy, reasonably comfortable, runs on regular, and gets very good mpg. I routinely get about 40mpg on the highway, (closer to 600 miles per tank than 700 ) as long as you keep the speeds reasonable. That said, difficult to say how long the newer Alti CVT's will last. My friends car has about 40K on it, and has been problem free. The company car has almost 70K and has been fine thus far. Of course, not owning a CVT Nissan probably alters my perspective a bit. The only issues with the company car have been minor annoying electronic gremlins like the TPMS sensors going bad occasionally, the gas cap sensor triggering the CEL , but overall a solid transportation appliance. I'm obviously no fan of Nissan CVT's but if you went with a late CPO Alti, refrain from beating on it, and sell it before 100K you'll probably fare fine.

IF you're looking for roomy, comfortable and relatively simple, and not pre-occupied by sportiness, I'd look at a bland Toyota Avalon. Earlier this year I went from eastern PA to Chicago and back in an old one. Zero drama. Total stealth, bigger than an Alti or Max. better made, more reliable and more comfortable, plus I averaged 28-30 mpg at about 75mph. Downside? Premium gas and is very bland looking. But if you're on a road trip, it's an energizer bunny like solid car. gobbles the miles. I don't care that it sucks as an canyon carver. I have a sports car in the garage for that. I believe you do too. Food for thought

I'm also not a fan of the Euro marks like VW. I enjoy driving them, but better to lease them than buy, despite attractive acquisition prices. It's the post warranty repair costs and long term reliability that warrant concern.

As far as a Q50, not a bad car. Sure, it's a tossable reasonably comfortable, nice looking car, and you may like the engine, but it's overall reliability track record is just not that good, especially when compared to an old G35, which were quite good. I suggest looking for a garage queen old G35 long before a Q50. If I were looking for a "funner to drive" modern sedan for a long term commitment and had no sports car in the garage, I'd probably pay more and consider a Kia Stinger. But that's me.

Good luck

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PalmerWMD
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Great input.
Keep it coming guys.

My XTerra BTW will remain and will not be sold/traded.. its way too good and books too little to be worth selling it.
No sports car/sporty car in my possession otherwise.

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AZhitman
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Someone posted a pearl white early G Coupe 6MT for sale here on the forums - Low miles, Wheat interior, located in Miami. Interesting for sure.

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PalmerWMD
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AZhitman wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:41 am
Someone posted a pearl white early G Coupe 6MT for sale here on the forums - Low miles, Wheat interior, located in Miami. Interesting for sure.
Its nice I always wanted to pick up a good condition classic G35 Coupe.
Though its not a great winter car it will be sure to be a nice hiway car.

I'd pick it up in a heartbeat if I was in Florida right now.
If its still FS in 2 weeks......
Last edited by PalmerWMD on Thu Dec 03, 2020 9:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PalmerWMD
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Bubba1 wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:12 am

As far as Altimas go. I use a 2016 4 cyl Altima company car in which I've logged thousands of miles, and a good friend has a 2017 model that I drove from Iowa to NJ (after he broke his leg). The CVT does indeed sap most of the fun out of it and is annoying, but it's a surprisingly good vehicle for long highway trips, roomy, reasonably comfortable, runs on regular, and gets very good mpg. I routinely get about 40mpg on the highway, (closer to 600 miles per tank than 700 ) as long as you keep the speeds reasonable. That said, difficult to say how long the newer Alti CVT's will last. My friends car has about 40K on it, and has been problem free. The company car has almost 70K and has been fine thus far. Of course, not owning a CVT Nissan probably alters my perspective a bit. The only issues with the company car have been minor annoying electronic gremlins like the TPMS sensors going bad occasionally, the gas cap sensor triggering the CEL , but overall a solid transportation appliance. I'm obviously no fan of Nissan CVT's but if you went with a late CPO Alti, refrain from beating on it, and sell it before 100K you'll probably fare fine.
Thanks for the good feedback on the Alti.
I owned a '14 (still essentially the same car all the way until '18) and I got 40 mpg all the time.
Sure I never did go to the theoretical maximum of 700+ miles... but it was good to know it was there.

There is a high chance I will do a lot of long range hiway driving back in the US.
Also I believe our very own transmission expert when the says the CVTs are good as long as you change the fluids more frequent than normal. :)

When I had my '14 Altima "S" I added the Stillen rear sway bar to it and to totally cleaned up the handling at speed.
Car felt much more buttoned down and suddenly was a joy to drive.
Most effect for a single Mod I had ever had.

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PalmerWMD
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I just got offered a well paying job before I even got back to the US.
Its about what I been making before I went expat.

That expat thing was a better gig because of the Foreign income tax exclusion...

Even so .... I been depressed about the end of contract and the end of this gig,...it sucked all energy out of me and so I have not been pounding the pavement at all.
Got a email today about someone found my resume on linked-in sent me their number, we took it to phone and from how the conversation went I know am in, if I want it.

I guess it's back to being a suit wearing drone.. (shrug)

This expat job, I was in "contractor tactical roughs" all day every day, which was nice.
Got to shoot on employer time and dime too.

But even so I am still quite pleased that once again a job is are falling into my lap w/o me having to pound the pavement.

Effect:I feel valued again. Depression over. :)

Also my car budget just increased

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AZhitman
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Always good news! Glad you're back stateside, amigo.

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PapaSmurf2k3
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I take it the new gig is back in the States?
Congrats.

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PalmerWMD
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PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:
Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:04 pm
I take it the new gig is back in the States?
Congrats.
Yes it is.
I am of two minds on that.

The negative is its basically impossible for my gf to get a visa to visit me in the US even before COVID, never mind now, and we are both not getting any younger (even though as usual, she is younger than I am, but she is not a teenager either)
The other negative is the foreign income tax exclusion (which of course I will now, no longer get) really turbocharges your take home pay and i will miss spending only a fraction of my paychecks and saving the rest.

The positive is, I really enjoy living in the old USA and going to shoot my firearms every weekend or just hopping into the car for a yomp on the Appalachian trail or a swim at the beach.
And I will also enjoy the (for now at least) greater sense of personal freedom that the USA offers over stifling oppressive western European society's such as Germany and the UK.
They are a picture of where the left wants to take us in the US and its a horror.

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PalmerWMD
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really starting to warm up to the newer Pathfinders too.
Its so easy to find them with sunroof (which I really want) as opposed to the R51..
Also better mpg and being newer vehicles are comfortable for long trips.

The R52 may split the middle between my urge for a bit of newness and luxury that is pushing me to a 2017 ish Q50 AWD and the want for AWD/4WD and room and ground clearance that is pushing me to a R51 Pathfinder.

Here is a deal I really like:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =274592845

And this one:

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =277441331

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PapaSmurf2k3
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Dude... no. NO! BAD DERF! BAD!

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PalmerWMD wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 6:02 pm
really starting to warm up to the newer Pathfinders too.
Its so easy to find them with sunroof (which I really want) as opposed to the R51..
Also better mpg and being newer vehicles are comfortable for long trips.

The R52 may split the middle between my urge for a bit of newness and luxury that is pushing me to a 2017 ish Q50 AWD and the want for AWD/4WD and room and ground clearance that is pushing me to a R51 Pathfinder.

Here is a deal I really like:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =274592845

And this one:

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventory ... =277441331
Don't! I know a member over at the MDX forum who traded in his pos newer Pathfinder for an MDX. Transmission replaced at 31k miles. Heck, it had soo many problems. Just stick with the 2011-2012 Pathfinders, if you want a Pathfinder. V6 w/ CVT is a huge no-no imo, especially if its a crappy one from Jatco.

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VStar650CL
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datechboss101 wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 7:06 pm
Don't! I know a member over at the MDX forum who traded in his pos newer Pathfinder for an MDX. Transmission replaced at 31k miles. Heck, it had soo many problems. Just stick with the 2011-2012 Pathfinders, if you want a Pathfinder. V6 w/ CVT is a huge no-no imo, especially if its a crappy one from Jatco.
I bet your MDX bud had a '13~'14, they had a lot of bugs until the TCM firmware was straightened out. The new Pathy CVT's are ironclad, we almost never see one. Built like a brick, too, you could pull a tank with the CVT chain.

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PalmerWMD
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VStar650CL wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 7:15 pm
datechboss101 wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 7:06 pm
Don't! I know a member over at the MDX forum who traded in his pos newer Pathfinder for an MDX. Transmission replaced at 31k miles. Heck, it had soo many problems. Just stick with the 2011-2012 Pathfinders, if you want a Pathfinder. V6 w/ CVT is a huge no-no imo, especially if its a crappy one from Jatco.
I bet your MDX bud had a '13~'14, they had a lot of bugs until the TCM firmware was straightened out. The new Pathy CVT's are ironclad, we almost never see one. Built like a brick, too, you could pull a tank with the CVT chain.
Thanks for stepping up with these clarifications! :yesnod

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PapaSmurf2k3
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I dunno if I'd call any CVT "ironclad".
I've also seen a few pathys go through multiple transmissions after that '14 clean point.

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VStar650CL
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PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:25 am
I've also seen a few pathys go through multiple transmissions after that '14 clean point.
Only if they believed Nissan about "lifetime" fluid, Papa. I've said it plenty times, a CVT is metal-on-metal. If ya don't keep it clean, chit happens guaranteed.

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PapaSmurf2k3
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So you're betting on the general populous to not believe the OEM and spend more money preventative maintenance and thus make it ok to believe used vehicles are perfectly safe and will go the distance?
You have a lot more faith in humanity than I have.

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VStar650CL
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PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:08 am
So you're betting on the general populous to not believe the OEM and spend more money preventative maintenance and thus make it ok to believe used vehicles are perfectly safe and will go the distance?
You have a lot more faith in humanity than I have.
Yah, Mark Twain had that right. No argument on that count (sigh). :frown:

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PapaSmurf2k3
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BUT, its good to know that if they can provide evidence that the services have been done well ahead of schedule, that they should be ok.

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PalmerWMD
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Aaargh so many choices! :naughty:

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AZhitman
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PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 6:47 pm
Dude... no. NO! BAD DERF! BAD!
I'm no doctor, but I'm betting one of two things: Head injury or exposure to a nerve agent.

We're gonna miss ol' Derf. ;)

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VStar650CL
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AZhitman wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:17 pm
PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 6:47 pm
Dude... no. NO! BAD DERF! BAD!
I'm no doctor, but I'm betting one of two things: Head injury or exposure to a nerve agent.

We're gonna miss ol' Derf. ;)
ROF-f'ing-L! :rotfl

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Kompresshun
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I’d highly suggest a G35/G37 and that’s coming from someone with a 2014 Q50. I wish I would’ve saved the cash and bought a used G instead. I like my car, but G’s are darn good value if you can find a decent one.

The Mazda 6 is another hard to beat value too, but I also agree with James on the Focus ST as well.

I love my R51 Pathfinder, but since you already have an Xterra it’s pretty pointless to have both. I’d stick to the sedan/coupe market for sure and stay away from anything backed by a CVT.


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