Hi I am new here and wondering which would be a god first car? Also which is faster and do the 02 and 03 tls come standard with xeon lights?

 

Also would buying a TL with 100,000+ be a bad idea

 

Xeon lights? First car? Did you just get your license?

 

maxima gets my vote.
both have hids,
maxima is a bit faster stock
maxima doesnt have the shitty trans problems like the 2nd gen tl
maxima has more support with aftermarket performance parts.


if it was me id get an 00-03 maxima in stick, those got some major balls.

 

well if the TL has 100,000+ go for the max, as far as looks i'd prefer the TL but maximas are pretty nice too... i almost got one back then and yes they both have xenons

 

have u looked at an 03cl-s 6spd, those hang with the maximas.

 

I have my license and it will be the first car that I am buying on my own. I currently drive my dad's 99 Mercedes E320.

 

Look for an 03 CL Type-S 6 speed if you want a good car. Sporty looks, sporty interior, 260hp with an LSD. Very fun car

 

I don't know how to drive a stick

 

i say maxima, but personally i like the 02-03 models.

the 04+ models are pretty ugly

 

thats probably a 1 day lesson

takes a couple years to become an awesome stick driver.. but it takes NO time to learn to drive

 

learn how to drive. once u get good u wont even think about changing gears, it will just happen naturally

 

I deffinatly plan on learning in the near furture. And I will check out the cl.

 

maxima...

just because of tranny problems in the TL

 

i'd save some money and go with an 03 maxima instead.

 

I think if you stay off Hollywood and Figueroa you can avoid that Mr. Murphy.

 

What is your price range?

 

2G TL-S glass tranny FTL...

 

$10,000 to $12,000

 

At that price range if you are looking for 100K+ miles you should be able to get 04 TL.. which would be better than the 04 Maxima.

 

If you're willing to learn then, it should only take a day or two to learn how to drive a manual tranny. And as mentioned, both the CL-S and 5.5G Maxima are great cars with a 6MT. However, most folks here (myself included) don't particularly like the 04-07 Maxima.

 

I am gonna have my brother teach me on his 06 GTO with 600 horses haha, but in reality I am probably gonna learn in my dads 95 ford ranger that just sits in storage because my dad is cheap and does not want to sell it haha.

 

What about a g35 sedan? My local autotrader has a few for sale in that price range with 60-70k miles

 

those are nice, but the 03-04s look very plain to me.

 

Stay away from the TL....transmission failures FTL.

Go with the Maxima...more reliable.

 

Pretty sure that the 2000-2001 Maxima had the 222 hp motor, whereas the 2002-2003 had 255 hp. My brother and mother have almost identical 2002 maximas, one is auto and one is 6 speed. Both have a lot of power, are smooth, and are overall nice cars.

 

Also are the 02-03 TL trannys that bad?

 

yes. the 00-03 trans have many failures. 99 not so much. 04' some early models had problems.

 

Yes, the 2G (99-03) TL's were affected with major transmission problems. Honda hasn't had the best luck with V6 power and automatic transmissions. Some people have lasted on their original tranny's, and some go out after 10K miles. If you can find one that has had the transmission replaced after 3/05 the chance of it failing goes down some, but the problem didn't entirely go away.

As far as which car, I would vote for the TL. The transmission problem forces you to take care of the car, and not tear it up. The TL-S was/is my first car, and I love it. It's the perfect size, gets relatively good gas mileage, and looks good. But, since your buying it yourself, with no help from the parents, I would go for something more "reliable." I wouldn't look for a 04 Maxima. Those look too big. I do like the 02 body style though. Very sporty, and good engine. My sister has a Maxima, and it has like 220,000 miles on it. And its still rolling.

 

03 CL-S 6mt, or 04-05 TL 6MT. It's your first car and you will be upset if you get an auto. If you arent an enthusiest then get an auto. Stay away from the 02-03 TL. Maxima's are very nice, but again id go with the MT.

 

I love cars always haveand I would love to get a MT, but were I live there is alot of stop and go traffic.

 

My friend has an 01 3.2 TL (I believe it's an 01, either that or a 2000). He just got his 5th tranny put in this past month.

 

By the time he got his third tranny, he should have been shopping something else.

 

probably. I believe they were all fixed under warranty. He is over the factory warranty period but he bought an extended warranty and it covered the latest failure I believe.

 

Are you serious? Five trannies? I think I'm gonna sell my car soon. I have just under 1k on my 2nd trans and they only gave me a shitty 12k/1yr warranty on it.

 

Well he does drive like an ass, so maybe you will be ok.

 

Just find 99-01 model for cheap and save yourself some money. (try to find less than 100k miles with $6k.)

and not all 04 maximas come with the hids. only some that has package.

 

i believe you are correct.

 

Asking which car would be best for a first, and which is faster, usually doesn't come out good.