Jared -- you've gotten good advice so far. Repairs are, by and large, pretty easy because you can get your arms and wrenches 'in there'. The systems are pretty straightforward. Parts aren't all that expensive. Web-vendors and mail order vendors sell parts pretty reasonably -- we aren't talking MB or BMW prices here... You might want to visit some web sites such as FCP of Groton, or The Parts Bin, and price consumeables like water pumps, spark plugs, exhaust systems, and so forth, and compare these prices with those of your Maxima.

Finally, the RWD/FWD thing on slippery roads is, in my judgement, all out of focus these days. Auto makers have been pushing the 'safety thing' for many years now as a way to getting consumers to buy their FWD cars. They aren't intrinsically safer. They're cheaper to construct, that's all -- you can assemble the complete drivetrain on a stand and then insert it into the car, make a couple of connections, and drive it off the line. *That's* why automakers have gone to FWD, not because it's safer. Think about it -- the problem with sliding, whether it's on rain or snow (and I live with snow), isn't getting started, it's getting stopped. A RWD car has better front-to-rear weight distribution, and during braking, its front wheels are therefore less likely to break loose. I drive my 245s in snow with four snow tires, and I can get that thing through roads without effort which have swallowed up Hondas, VWs, and some SUVs. One more thing to think about -- if FWD is all it's cracked up to be, then why aren't F1, CART, Indycars, etc., all FWD. And F1, for one, races in the rain. (Disclaimer -- I came to Volvos from 30 years of VW and Audi drivership.)

Best of luck in your search -- hope you get a great one!

Rob Kuhlman