1990 Nissan Maxima Review
Price Estimate: $2,624 - $4,099
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What’s new
The radio is upgraded and there are a few more colors available for the 1990 Maxima.
For sale near Columbus, OH
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$185/mo for Maxima GXE
Maxima GXE
vs
$161/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
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Nissan Maxima Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
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Best car I ever bought
4.25 out of 5 starsjapanesecarfan, 02/19/2013
1990 Nissan Maxima GXE 4dr Sedan
I bought this car back in 2001 for $1500. It had 123000 miles in it. The interior and exterior were both in excellent condition. I had to do minimal maintenance to get the car up to par.
Throughout the 12 years I owned it I did just regular maintenance. Tires tune up brakes fluid changes ect. Not until I got to around 200,000 miles did major repairs needed I replaced the automatic … transmission with a used one and then replaced all the fuel injectors (only needed 2). This car has been a godsend
It still drives just as good as the day I bought it even better with the new injectors. Has plenty of power handles well and it's still easy on the eyes.
Great Max !
4.63 out of 5 starsMr Fender, 09/08/2002
1990 Nissan Maxima GXE 4dr Sedan
I bought my 1990 Max in '96 with 102k
on it for $3000 - best car I've ever
owned. The V6 is possibly one of the
best ever - plenty of power. The only
things I replaced are an alternator (4
hrs of hell), tires and oil. My only
major gripe was that the transmission
is very slow to shift into overdrive
below 40 degrees - have to drive a
couple of miles before it will. I … would
buy another one in a heartbeat.
Great engine!
3.75 out of 5 starsPureCode, 12/06/2002
1990 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr Sedan
I must say, the engine is fantastic..
after 12 years, everything around it is
dying but the engine still works.
Right now, the major problems i am
having is with the rear windows no
longer closing after being opened, temp
gauge is dead ($400 to fix!), clutch
goes every 10,000 miles (ever since the
original died at 119,000 miles),
alternator died recently, shift
stick … "arm" (under the car) is worn out
and rattles under the car, speakers are
dying one by one and it drinks a HELL
of a lot of gas (but that could just be
me driving ;) )
We're replacing the car with a 1999
Acura TL tho :)
Will Never Sell
4.63 out of 5 starsGeorge, 05/24/2010
1990 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr Sedan
Bought in 98 with 123,00 miles. Drove it (and LOVED it) for 30,000 more with just routine maintenance. Had to get a more "mainstream" looking car for work (boss said the window tint made it look too "gangster" for my position, heh). Anyway, this car sat unused in my yard for 5 years: I just could not bring myself to sell it despite numerous offers. Also, could not afford to keep … multiple cars tagged and insured, so it just sat, neglected. I have just spent $900 to bring it back to life (battery, filters, sparks,tires etc.) and now remember why I could not part with it. This car is just so much fun to drive! Everything working great except stereo, clock and windows. 21 year old engine! LOVE IT!
1990 Maxima Highlights
GXE
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 19 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $185/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 14.5 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original0
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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