The True Cost of Owning a Used Nissan Maxima

Cost example updated October 24, 2026

Start with the price you will actually pay

There is no new Maxima to price: 2023 was the last model year, so this example is a used buy, a 2023 Nissan Maxima SV at $22,500, Kelley Blue Book’s Fair Purchase Price (the national average of what buyers are paying at dealerships for a used 2023 SV in typical condition, updated weekly). That figure has moved between weekly updates, an earlier KBB crawl showed $21,700 for the same trim, and real listings back it up: Edmunds listings for 2023 SV sedans show $22,533, $23,097 and $23,300, so $22,500 sits at the low end of the live market rather than below it. The SV was the base trim when new (starting MSRP $39,435); the SR and Platinum run higher used (KBB: $30,500 and $29,400), so replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact car you are considering, and check its mileage and history, used prices swing with both.

The down payment does not make the Maxima cheaper; it changes how much you finance (borrow). With 10% down ($2,250), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months, and the 7% sales tax ($1,575) and $900 in title and dealer fees rolled into the loan, this example finances $22,725 at $461 a month, and the loan costs about $4,922 in interest over five years. One note on that financing: used-car loans often carry a higher rate than new-car loans, so 8% here is an example rate, not a promise, if your rate is higher, the payment and the interest bucket both rise.

Fuel: a V6 that still sips reasonably

Every 2023 Maxima, SV, SR and Platinum alike, has the same 3.5-liter V6 with 300 horsepower and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), rated 24 mpg combined (20 city, 30 highway). At 12,000 miles a year that is 500 gallons annually, roughly $2,145 a year, $10,725 over five years at $4.29 a gallon, the AAA national average for regular gasoline on October 23, 2026 (AAA put it at $4.27 the day before, so the two readings agree within two cents). The method behind that math is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years. Premium fuel is not required to hit that rating, and real-world results move with driving style and traffic.

Depreciation: the used buyer’s smaller hill

Depreciation is the value a vehicle loses over time. Buying used means the steepest drop already happened: the 2023 Maxima’s KBB resale value fell from $27,665 when new to $20,100 today, a $7,565 (27%) drop in about three years. From here, this example assumes the car is worth $11,100 after five more years, that is Kelley Blue Book’s current resale value for a 2018 Maxima, which is the same age (about eight years old) this 2023 will be in five years. The glide path supports it: KBB puts today’s 2020 Maxima at $14,250 and the 2019 at $12,350, stepping down toward that $11,100 mark. That gives $11,400 of depreciation ($22,500 minus $11,100) over the five years.

Two warnings, stated rather than settled. First, that $11,100 is a same-age proxy, not a forecast for this exact car, condition, mileage and the used market will move it. If resale lands 10% lower ($9,990), depreciation rises to $12,510 and the five-year total rises by $1,110. Second, the Maxima’s longer record is rough: a 2021 Maxima lost about 58% of its value over five years from new (the Platinum trim only 46%), and an older CarEdge table put the Maxima’s five-year loss near 75%, both measured from new prices, not from a used purchase, so neither changes this example’s math, but both are a reason to run a second scenario with lower resale before deciding.

Insurance runs above average for a sedan

Published full-coverage averages for a Maxima range from about $159 to $215 a month depending on the source (MoneyGeek and InsuredBetter at the low end at $159, Compare.com at $202–$206, Insurify at $215). This example uses $190 a month, or $11,400 over five years, inside that published range. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact car with matching deductibles (what you pay first on a claim) and limits before treating any average as yours.

Maxima maintenance costs: average, with a used-car watch list

RepairPal puts Maxima repair and maintenance costs near $540 a year on average, with an above-average reliability rating (3.5 out of 5), and notes that repairs tend to be more severe than average but less frequent. This example allows $850 a year, or $4,250 all-in for maintenance and repairs, the RepairPal average plus routine upkeep (oil, brakes, fluids) and a tire allowance spread across the five years, since this is a used car starting its second half of life rather than a new one under warranty. On a used Maxima, the pre-purchase inspection matters more than the average: check the CVT’s service history and the car’s accident and maintenance records before buying, because one neglected item can swallow a year’s allowance.

The full five-year example

Every figure below comes from the site’s own calculator math. The stated inputs are: used 2023 Nissan Maxima SV, $22,500 price, 10% down ($2,250), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 24 mpg, $4.29 per gallon, $190 per month insurance, $850 per year maintenance, $11,100 resale value after five years. The sales tax and fees are rolled into the loan, so the amount financed is $22,725.

• Depreciation: $11,400 ($22,500 minus $11,100 resale)
• Insurance: $11,400 ($190 x 60 months)
• Fuel: $10,725 (12,000 / 24 x $4.29 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $4,250 ($850 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $7,397 ($1,575 sales tax, $900 fees, $4,922 loan interest)

That totals roughly $45,172, or about $753 a month. Notice what that says about the $461 payment: on this used Maxima the payment is only about 61% of the average month’s true cost, during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep, and depreciation is the value the car loses rather than cash out the door.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $22,500 price minus the $11,100 resale value after five years, which is $11,400. Insurance is $190 a month times 60 months, which is $11,400. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 24 miles per gallon, times $4.29 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $10,725. Maintenance is $850 a year times 5 years, which is $4,250. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $22,500, which is $1,575, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $4,922 of loan interest, which is $7,397.

Added together, $11,400 plus $11,400 plus $10,725 plus $4,250 plus $7,397 equals $45,172, or about $753 a month. The amount financed is the $22,500 price plus $1,575 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $2,250 down payment, which is $22,725. The tax and fees are rolled into the loan. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $22,725 is $461 a month, and the loan costs about $4,922 in interest over five years. One note on that financing, carried over from this page: used-car loans often carry a higher rate than new-car loans, so 8% here is an example rate, not a promise, and if your rate is higher, the payment and the interest bucket both rise.

Why used-Maxima buyers should think past year five

A 2023 Maxima bought in 2026 is already three years old, so five more years takes it to about eight years and roughly 100,000 miles if it started near average mileage, the point where the wear-and-repair years arrive. The loan ends at year five and the depreciation curve flattens, but tires, suspension work and out-of-warranty items do not stop. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly, and the new vs. used guide walks through what changes when the car is not new.

Shopping the Maxima against other sedans? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side. Its closest comparisons on this site are the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, and its smaller Nissan sibling is the Nissan Sentra, run each car’s real numbers rather than assuming they match.

Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.29 a gallon (AAA national average, October 23, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.

Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Price for a used 2023 Maxima SV has moved since this page was built: the current figure is $21,500, against the $22,500 used here, and the page already discloses that the figure moves between weekly updates, so the $22,500 figure is kept as printed. The Maxima's longer record is rougher, a 2021 Maxima lost about 58 percent of its value over five years from new, and an older CarEdge table put the loss near 75 percent, but both are measured from new prices, not from a used purchase, so neither changes this example's math.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Kelley Blue Book used 2023 Maxima SV Fair Purchase Price, $22,500 at page build; EPA combined fuel economy, 24 mpg; MoneyGeek Maxima full-coverage average, $159 a month; Compare.com Maxima full-coverage average, $202 a month; RepairPal Maxima average annual repair cost, $540, reliability 3.5 out of 5; AAA national average regular gas, $4.29 a gallon (October 23, 2026).

Primary sources: Kelley Blue Book, Nissan Maxima; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; MoneyGeek, Nissan Maxima car insurance; Compare.com, Nissan Maxima car insurance; RepairPal, Nissan Maxima reliability. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Depreciation. The value a vehicle loses over time. On this page, the $22,500 price minus the $11,100 resale value after five years, which is $11,400.

Resale value. What the Maxima is worth after five more years in this example, $11,100. That is Kelley Blue Book's current resale value for a 2018 Maxima, the same age this 2023 will be in five years, a same-age proxy, not a forecast for this exact car.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.

Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $2,250.

Fair Purchase Price. The national average of what buyers are paying at dealerships for a used 2023 SV in typical condition, updated weekly. The example price of $22,500 is Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Price.

Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 24 for every 2023 Maxima, 20 in the city and 30 on the highway. Premium fuel is not required to hit that rating.

Deductible. What you pay first on a claim.

CVT. A continuously variable transmission. Every 2023 Maxima has the same 3.5-liter V6 with 300 horsepower and a CVT.

Questions people actually ask

How much does a used Nissan Maxima cost per month?

About $753 a month over five years in the example above. The loan payment alone is $461 a month, insurance, fuel and upkeep sit on top of that during the loan years, and depreciation is the value the car loses rather than cash out the door.

How much does a used Nissan Maxima cost to own for 5 years?

About $45,172 over five years for a used 2023 SV at $22,500, using the assumptions on this page: 10% down, 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, 12,000 miles a year and $4.29-a-gallon gas.

What is the gas mileage of a Nissan Maxima?

The 2023 Maxima is rated 24 mpg combined (20 city, 30 highway) on every trim, SV, SR and Platinum, from its 3.5-liter V6.

How much does insurance cost for a Nissan Maxima?

Published full-coverage averages range from about $159 to $215 a month depending on the source. This example uses $190 a month, or $11,400 over five years. Your own quote depends on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer.

Does a Nissan Maxima hold its value?

From new, no, a 2021 Maxima lost about 58% of its value over five years (the Platinum trim only 46%). Bought used, the picture is gentler: this example assumes a 2023 SV falls from $22,500 to $11,100 over five more years, an $11,400 loss, but that resale figure is a same-age proxy, not a promise.

Related: See the Chevrolet Impala, another full size sedan with the same honest math

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