I am getting a new car:) Anyone drive a Nissan?
 

Oh the joys of transportation.... I recently payed off my car, a Kia Optima. (Never will buy a Kia EVER again).

I really wanted to milk it along another year, but I am so tired of fixing it and dumping money into it. It has had 3 alternators, 2 batteries, numerous belts, motor mounts, CV axles replaced 3 times. And not to mention when my timing belt snapped and bent all the valves in my engine:( And then of course there is brakes and tires, which yes, I know are a normal wear and tear, but all I do is fix that car..Blah... the list is endless....So needless to say, I am DONE with it.

I have been shopping around with a good friend of mine who knows cars and is amazing at talking dealers down and getting a wonderful deal. I really wish I could get a Honda or Toyota but they are simply out of my price range, even buying used.

I test drove a 2006 Nissan Maxima and I fell in love with it. I can't believe the power that car had:) I am leaning toward a Nissan because they are in my budget and well I like the way they look:)

From what a hear, they are very reliable. My grandma has one and loves it. I also have a few friends that drive various models and all have been great vehicles. I just want something I can get in and drive and not stress out on what will fall apart next. That would be such a stress relief!

So cross your fingers for me I find something!

Good luck! I have a 2007 Toyota Corolla (total grandma car...), and hope to eventually find something more fun. Good luck in your search!

I like the Corolla:) I didn't think it was a grandma car at all!

My sister had a Nissan, it wasn't a Maxima though. Her car was a money pit, somewhat like your Kia, with something breaking daily it seemed. We have a Hyundai Sante Fe and although hesitant to buy one at first, now I'm so glad we did, it's been a great SUV. You might want to check out Hyundai's, most of the consumer reports I've read give them high scores.

What ever you decide...good luck and congratulations...a new car is always exciting!

I have Nissan Murano (my 2nd one) and I just love it. My DH has a Nissan Frontier which he likes too.

I have driven Hondas for years now. Before Honda I had Toyotas. Both are excellent cars. I really don't know much about Nissan to give you much information. However, I do suggest this after working at a car lot. Do you have a honest mechanic that could check the car out before you purchase it? As much as I hate to say this, sometimes the car lots are not completely honest. :( Good luck in your search. I never did enjoy looking for a car.

my family has owned probably 7 or 8 nissan's over the years. they are expensive to fix and you need to be very regular on your maintence, but they are really good solid cars.

make sure if you buy used, you buy one where the owner has kept all of the records on it, or it's been certified by nissan as a good used car.

My DH drives a '08 Altima and we both really love it. We've never had an problems at all. My Dad and I chatted when we were looking to replace our other car. He reads and watches a lot of car shows. Apparently Hyundai is really good now. That said, we were still a bit shy of getting one and ended up with a '10 Toyota Highlander which we also love...
A big part of ongoing reliability is buying a good, solid car (obviously) and then being faithful with maintenance.
Good Luck!!

Thanks for all the input everyone. That really gives me alot to think about:) I am not sure if this car is the "one" I just have been told to go either, Nissan, Toyota, Honda. I also got a loan through my bank so I could have a better interest rate and one of the stipulations to the loan is I have to buy a 2006 or newer.

That being said, I am having a harder time finding a Honda, Toyota in my price range. Nissan has a few I have looked at that are right at the tip top of my budget that with a possible strings pulled and trade in I might be able to do it.

Oh the joys of buying a car. I am nervous excited... excited to drive something newer.. but nervous it will just break the minute I drive it. So... I am just shopping until I know I find the one:)

I have always loved the body style of Altima and Maxima. The reason I am nervous to look at Hyundai is my mechanic said Kia and Hyundai are basically the same thing.. He said he gets those 2 cars in the most with issues. So after being told that I am hesitant...

However, My friend drives the EXACT same car, (KIA) that I drive right now and has no issues with it whatsoever. I think she just had to replace her power steering pump and that was it, then the obvious regular maintenance. I think I just bought a lemon:(

Well keep your fingers crossed for me for the next little while, while I shop. I just want to drive a car and actually be excited about it instead of thinking how long I might make it before I have to fix it again:)

I am glad that you have a mechanic you can use. Let him check out any car that you might be interested in. You might also check out some of the review sites such as this one 2006 Nissan Maxima. It is better to be educated on any product. As far as the Honda and Toyota goes, sometimes the used cars are priced too high. See if they will come down (if they really want a sale they will - lots of room in used cars). You might even check the papers and look for an individual selling one. With that said, any car can be a lemon. :( Even the best cars have problems at some time. I feel for you. Car shopping stinks. Lol. Again good luck!

My brother had a Nissan Sentra when we were in high school -- and that car was nothing but trouble. I don't know if he got a lemon, or if the previous owner had done something to mess it up, but that car was a headache. Other than that, I don't really have any experience with Nissan.

I have a Honda Civic and I absolutely love it. It has been so reliable and so well-behaved. Both of my brothers have Civics as well, and our dad has an Accord. None of us have ever really had any big problems out of our Hondas. Two were bought new, and two were used, one-owners -- and even the previously-owned cars have been reliable.

What kind of car are you looking for? A NEW Nissan Maxima is about $50k (taxes in, in Canada). That's a big budget. Are you wanting a luxury car, which is what I would consider a Maxima, or more of a compact car?

I suggest you get the consumer report book. I did that when purchasing my first new car and ended up getting the Mazda 3. It was the lowest price of the three imports I was looking at (Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla), came with the most options, and had the best consumer rating. I was so happy with it!! I drove it for 4 years without putting ONE cent into it other than oil changes. I traded it in last year for the MazdaSpeed 3 (same idea, but with a turbocharger - the car is FAST). I love it even more. My fiance has also driven Madas for the last 10 years and he loves them too. Neither of us has put any repair money into our cars. I have two friends with Mada 3s and they haven't put any money into them either.

My boss owns a Nissan Murano and he's had a lot of problems with it. Some sort of electrical issue that left him stranded many many times. He said he would never buy another one. However, another ex-boss of mine owned a Maxima and really liked it.

Do a lot of research. Consumer ratings should influence your decision.

Yes...there is no WAY I'm buying new:) this one is a 2006..so its already 6 years old.

I have an 05 Altima . . .never had a problem with it . . .bought it new, just regular service on it, just got new tires in the fall, had to replace the battery at age 4, gets great gas mileage (I drive mainly highway) but the only thing is I'm kinda tired of it . . .it has 42k miles on it, but I feel its too big . . .I want something smaller . . .maybe with 2 doors . . .and not so oldish . . .I am not a granny yet . . .:p

I love Altimas too:) they are slightly smaller then a Maxima but not by much. I test drove one the other day. It had a 3.5 engine in it same as the Maxima. I can believe the power that car had:)

It's hard making a decision..mostly because I just wqmt to find something i wont have to fix all the time. And the more I talk to people everyone has a different experience. Oh the joys of having cars:) Honestly, I think no matter what it is someone will have a different experience with it good or bad.