Been living in the city for years without a car and am thinking I need to get one (finally sold my non-running Mustang SVO that had been sitting idle too long). After a lot of research a Gen 3(SE) or 4 Maxima looks like the one I want at the moment (190HP! I... did not know that!). Talk about bang for buck.
Like a lot of people, it seems, I like the look of the gen 3's better (plus they would be cheaper), but I keep reading about that damn VTC issue. I understand that they can be disconnected electronically - but doesn't this reduce low-end performance? At that point would you be better off with the 160 HP engine in the GXE?? (At what point does the VTC stop working - when it first makes noise, or does it work even after the diesel-like sounds kick in?)
Do you think that it's better to just avoid all the potential VTC hassle and just get a gen 4, even though it will be more $?
This would be a city car so I don't need anything swanky. If it wasn't for the VTC problems a well-maintained gen 3 seems like it would be perfect.
Thanks for any help.