Tag: Nissan

1989 Nissan Maxima sedan

Familiar and comfortable with things Japanese at least partially from his time serving in the occupation forces following World War II, my grandfather purchased a couple of first Datsun and then Nissan Maximas over the years. When Nissan announced the new and much sportier third-generation version of the Maxima for the 1989 model year, I (firmly convinced of my twenty-year-old hipness) assumed that he would not purchase one. I was wrong: within a year, my grandfather was driving one of those new Maximas with the “4DSC” logo (an abbreviation for “4-Door Sports Car”) on a side window—an at least somewhat instructive lesson for this young man.

“Big enough to hold a meeting. Fast enough to keep it short.”

New for 1989, the third-generation Nissan Maxima was a significant change toward a more sporty image and reality, with attractive new styling and an independent rear suspension. I remember wondering if they had moved too far away from their previous conservative designs for their market. They hadn’t—the 1989 Maxima got good reviews and sold quite well, despite the elimination of the station wagon version.

The Maxima’s engine, a version of Nissan’s VG30E 3.0 liter/181 ci multi-port fuel-injected V6 (closely related to the standard powerplant in the Nissan 300ZX), was slightly upgraded for 1989 to 160 bhp and 182 lb.ft of torque.

As they had in previous years, Nissan sold two differentiated Maxima models for 1989: the luxury-oriented GXE and the significantly more sporty SE.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment for the $17,499 (about $47,000 in today’s dollars) GXE included rack and pinion steering, keyless entry (a GXE-only feature), and 205/65R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch alloy wheels. Inside, you got air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, and a rear window defogger. Fuel economy with the standard four-speed automatic transmission was decent at 19 mpg city/26 highway by the day’s standards on premium gasoline (17/24 by today’s measures). With an 18.5-gallon fuel tank, a GXE owner could expect a range of between 340 and 375 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Cover of the 1989 Nissan Maxima brochure
Cover of the 1989 Nissan Maxima brochure

Moving to the $18,549 SE added a five-speed manual transmission (the four-speed automatic was optional on the SE), four-wheel disc brakes, wider wheels, and a spoiler, along with stiffer springs and sway bars. Inside, a moonroof, a Bose stereo, a leather steering wheel, and white-faced gauges with black markings were all included. With the five-speed, 0-60 mph came in a little under 9 seconds, and fuel economy (also on premium gasoline) was 20 city/26 highway by the day’s standards (18/24 by 2025 measures).

Options available for the Maxima included a sonar suspension system that adjusted damping based on road conditions, a fairly primitive heads-up display, and anti-lock brakes (SE only).

The View From 2025

People seem to remember these cars with affection, and I (and others) think the exterior styling has aged rather well, but I don’t see a lot of collecting, at least not yet. Third-generation Nissan Maximas only occasionally show up in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds—you do see them a little more often on eBay Motors and Bring a Trailer.

Make mine my grandfather’s Winter Blue Metallic, please.

I have also written about the ur-Maxima—the 1981 Datsun 810 Maxima sedan.

Last updated August 2025.

1984 Nissan/Datsun 300 ZX hatchback coupe

“Every move you make, every turn that you make confirms you are in the most technologically advanced Z car ever made.”

This Nissan/Datsun 300 ZX is not the generation with most of the glamor—that 300ZX was the one that followed in the 1990s. For 1984, Nissan moved from the inline 6 of the 280-ZX to a 3.0 liter/181 ci V6 with fuel injection, available either naturally aspirated (160 bhp) or turbocharged (200 bhp). The styling was completely and controversially revised for the first time in the history of the Z car—a massive revision akin to that of the Chevrolet Corvette for the same year.

Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds in a Turbo with the four-speed automatic. Fuel economy with the same powertrain was 19 city/28 highway by the day’s standards (15/20 by 2025 measures). With an 18.5-gallon gas tank, 300 ZX Turbo owner could expect a range of 295 to 390 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

1984 Nissan 300 ZX advertisement
1984 Nissan 300 ZX advertisement

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the well-equipped $15,800 300 ZX (about $50,700 in 2025 dollars or almost what a 2026 Nissan Z Performance starts at) included blue tinted glass windows, a fully automated motorized antenna, pop-up halogen headlights, ventilated four-wheel power disc brakes, power rack-and-pinion steering, and P215/60R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch alloy wheels. Inside, an eight-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, power windows, tilt steering column with memory, air conditioning, and a 40-watt AM/FM stereo with electronic digital display, scan tuning, a cassette deck with Dolby noise reduction, and four speakers were standard.

At $18,200, the 300 ZX Turbo added three-way adjustable shock absorbers, headlight washers, an oil temperature gauge, and a turbo boost gauge—in addition to the turbo engine itself. The Turbo also had different wheels, tires, and final drive ratios.

Packages, Options, & Production Numbers

The 300 ZX to have in 1984 was undoubtedly the 50th Anniversary Edition (released to celebrate Nissan’s half-century) which was an absolutely loaded turbocharged model with a Light Pewter Metallic and Thunder Black color scheme. All Anniversary Editions came equipped with flared front and rear fenders, Bodysonic bass speakers in the seats (individually adjustable for driver and passenger from the console), a T-bar sun roof with removable mirrored glass panels and fitted storage pockets, black leather bucket seats, and Pirelli P7 225/50VR16 low-profile tires (a specific tire still available) on 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels. Other equipment included a digital dash with MPG and compass readouts and steering wheel controls for the cruise control and the radio. Nissan even included a fitted car cover.

The only option available on the Anniversary Edition was the choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission. 5,148 out of the 75,351 (!) 1984 300ZXs produced for the US market were Anniversary Editions at a non-trivial list price of $26,000 (about $83,400 in 2025 dollars).

“Normal” 300 ZX coupes had few individual options beyond a T-bar sun roof with removable glass panels and fitted storage pockets. The Leather Package included leather bucket seats (natch!), an eight-way adjustable power driver’s seat with six power functions, an electronic instrument display, a leather-wrapped two-spoke steering wheel, and an 80-watt AM/FM stereo with electronic digital display, automatic program search display, memory presets, an auto-reverse cassette deck with Dolby noise reduction and metal tape compatibility, and eight speakers.

The View From 2025

According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a base 1984 300 ZX in #1/Concours condition is $35,700, with a far more typical #3/Good car going for $9,600. Values for the Anniversary Edition are well more—about $58,600 for the very best. 300 ZXs make regular appearances in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer, though you sometimes have to be careful to check under both Datsun and Nissan. As I update this blog post in December 2025, there’s a 50th Anniversary Edition with 55,000 miles for sale in Hemmings, asking $37,000.

Make mine Wine Metallic, please. Dark Green Metallic tempted me, but it’s believed that only one 300 ZX was painted in that color.

Other Datsuns and Nissans I’ve written about include the 1980 200-SX coupe, the 1980 280-ZX hatchback coupe, the 1981 810 Maxima sedan, and the 1989 Maxima sedan.

Last updated December 2025.

Save

Save