2000 Infiniti I 30t vs 2001 Acura EL

[DevilzAdvikit]

Whatever the choice it will have 140000 clicks. I know alot about the EL but i'm hard pressed to find reviews and the like on the infiniti - does anyone have an idea of what the maintenace is like on it? and in personal opinions whats the better car

thx in advance

[TenzoR]

I30t is based on the Nissan Maxima. I think the t is for slightly better suspension.

[notanexpert]

You could even say it is mechanically identical to the Maxima. So whatever you can find about maintenance expenses, common problem areas, etc., for the Maxima, it will apply equally to the Infiniti I30.

[ar_ken]

If you're picking a car.. the I30 is a much better car.. more features, better looking, and of course much faster! comfy and classy... not even the same class as the EL..

[Empz]

Well the EL is just a 'fancy' Civic, and to be fair the I30 is just a 'fancy' 5th Generation Maxima.

Personally I've owned a 5th Gen. Maxima (2001) and it was a great car. The Nissan VQ3.0 V6 engine is a fantastic piece of work, it was because of this engine that got me hooked on Nissan / Infiniti. I drive a G35 now.

The I30 had nicer interior compared to my Maxima, the quality and the materials used were a notch higher.

For a FWD car with it's size and weight, it handled quite well.

Also if you hit up www.maxima.org you'll see that there is a fairly large following for the Maxima / I30. You have information about EVERYTHING regarding the vehicle. Having owned a 5th gen myself, the forums proved invaluable!

As for the EL, you always have the Honda reliablility, and the fuel economy. Can't compare a i4 engine to a V6 in terms of fuel consumption, so if that is a major concern then you have to consider a i4 vs a V6. But there is NO power comparison at all. The I30 will me much much smoother and more powerful!

-E

[sixer]

infiniti will be much pricier to repair and parts will be more, not to mention worse fuel mileage and premium gas

[wisdom_kid]

Two of my uncles own a I30 (1996 and 1999). This generation of I30s is really good for its time, and maintenance is pretty cheap compared to other entry level luxury cars.

[nolimtzel]

i4

plz dont disrepect the true Inline 4 engines with comparing them to this.
its a 4cylinder engine not an INLINE 4.

[TenzoR]

plz dont disrepect the true Inline 4 engines with comparing them to this.
its a 4cylinder engine not an INLINE 4.

The EL uses an inline 4 engine D16/D17 pending on what year the car is. I don't know how "true" of an inline 4 do you want ...

[chrome_dout]

Just a comment, I was looking at an 04 EL but everyone I spoke to couldn't get past that it was a fancier civic. Also the 01 EL had 3 recalls against it FYI.

[TenzoR]

Just a comment, I was looking at an 04 EL but everyone I spoke to couldn't get past that it was a fancier civic. Also the 01 EL had 3 recalls against it FYI.

and the infiniti is just a dressed up Maxima, what's your point?

[mau108]

The EL is an economical luxary car, yes its a dressed up civic but it did have some minute differences under the hood. And its also a unique car built only for Canada

Maxima or the I30 is a very nice car, (I love the nissan v6's! beautys) .

You have a few questions to ask

Is the EL big enough for me and my family?
Is fuel efficiency a big concern?
Which has better insurances rates (I'd bet the I30 is cheaper on insurance then the EL so I would consider the costs that can be saved on insurance can be put towards the extra fuel consumption lol)

Why not just go for a fully tricked out Maxima? I think the Maxima looks nicer then the I30

[DevilzAdvikit]

hmm... well i'm a "struggling student" so fuel consumption is important to me. I also want to buy a G35 in a year or so - so I want to make sure I'll get back the money in resale so again the acura wins there

Does anyonr have an idea how much maintenace costs on the I 30 t? Is the maxima really a better car than the EL - if so in what aspects?

[Asad_A203]

hmm... well i'm a "struggling student" so fuel consumption is important to me. I also want to buy a G35 in a year or so - so I want to make sure I'll get back the money in resale so again the acura wins there

Does anyonr have an idea how much maintenace costs on the I 30 t? Is the maxima really a better car than the EL - if so in what aspects?

I30 is just as reliable as the EL, little to no maintenence required. Car uses a timing chain, only issue would be the battery. I35s are coming down in price, have you considered those? I personally like I35s more. I was set to get one last year, the sunshade really sold me on it lol. But when we sat down to talk price, I couldn't stop staring at the G35 Coupe in the showroom, and I am glad to say now I own a G35 Coupe haha. The I35 is a great car, definately looks higer class than a Maxima.

I would choose an I30/I35, but if fuel consumption is an issue, best to go with an EL. I pull 17 MPG (premium) on good days, and essentially the I35 uses the same engine. If my work and Uni was further away, I would have been broke by now. Also little things really add up. Take for example the tires on the I35 I believe are 17s. I was looking at a good set of winter tires for my G35C (18s) and they are totalling above $1200 bucks just for the rubber. EL's on the other hand are cheaper to maintain, which I believe is a seperate category then reliability. Sure an I35 is rock solid, but what about the things that wear off in every car? Thats when they add up and before you know it the fund you had for a supercharger are now being diverted to buy winter tires and brakes....

Hope you get your G, is a damn fine car minus the interior, haha.

[Empz]

plz dont disrepect the true Inline 4 engines with comparing them to this.
its a 4cylinder engine not an INLINE 4.

Please educate me regarding the the configuration of the engine then?

-E