The Bottom Line: The Maxima won't satisfy enthusiasts looking for a track-worthy sport sedan, but its brawny engine and futuristic looks make it feel unique, special, and more expensive than it is.
I test-drove a Nissan Maxima SE 6-speed at a local dealership. My test drive lasted about half an hour and covered city streets, freeways, and a huge empty parking lot that served as an impromptu autocross course.
Performance
The Maxima's engine was easily its best feature. It uses the same excellent 3.5-liter V6 that you'll find in the Infiniti G35 and Nissan 350Z, and it works fantastically in this application as well. It's detuned compared to those other cars, so getting on the gas didn't push me back in the seat quite as hard as in its stablemates. But it still delivered a mighty shove when I put my foot down--this car feels fast, every time you squeeze the throttle.
The engine's power delivery is among the sweetest I've ever experienced. It pulls strongly at the low end, which lets the car jump off the line eagerly, and if you keep pressing into the high revs, the torque just keeps coming and doesn't let up until you shift. This engine simply digs in and goes, no matter where you are on the tach. It also emits a wonderfully sonorous baritone snarl, overlaid with just a hint of gnashing whine that gives the car a raw, mechanical feeling. It's exciting and involving, and it gives the car a sporty edge--at least, in a straight line.
Transmission/Clutch
The Maxima's shifter has been widely criticized in the automotive press, but I didn't think it was all that bad on my test drive. It's certainly not one of the best-feeling units out there--in operation, it feels somewhat loose and plasticky, like the shifter in the Sentra SE-R Spec-V--but I never missed a shift because of it. Its gates felt well-defined, and the low effort made it easy to swap gears quickly.
While tactile, mechanical satisfaction was lacking in the shifter, it certainly wasn't in the clutch. Its smooth and intuitive take-up made smooth shifts easy to coordinate, and it was easy to step off the line smoothly.
Steering/Handling
The Maxima's handling was surprisingly agile for such a big, heavy, front-wheel-drive car. In brisk driving, it turned into corners eagerly, and took a firm, decisive set in turns. Body roll was noticeable, but minimal under most circumstances. In quick lane changes on the freeway, the car felt solid and unperturbed, and abrupt corners revealed high levels of grip and a surprising resistance to understeer. It felt considerably more eager and involving than I had expected, but retained all the stability and composure that's the norm for front-wheel-drive cars.
The Maxima's steering was also pretty good, but it could be better. The problem here was the weighting. The steering offered a pleasantly high resistance to turning, giving it moderately firm effort in corners, but its return-to-center motion was weak. Turning the wheel required some effort, but when I loosened my hands' grip it didn't center itself the way the resistance suggested it should. This resulted in a slightly artificial, unnatural feel. Aside from that, it was good news. The steering was quick, with good precision (except just off-center, where it tended to hunt around a bit). On-center feel was excellent, and the car tracked dead straight down the freeway. There was less torque steer than I expected, and while road feel was muted, the wheel wasn't completely numb.
Overall, the Maxima didn't feel like a sports car--it still felt big, it still felt heavy, and its front-drive layout meant that it wouldn't do anything but understeer when I really threw it around--but it was surprisingly capable given these handicaps, and this level of unexpected capability added a layer of excitement to driving the car quickly.
Ride
The Maxima's ride was very smooth and solid, with well-controlled body motions and minimal impact harshness. The suspension felt firm, and kept body movements to a minimum on bumpy roads. Ride motions were short and nicely snubbed, but unlike many firm-riding cars, there was very little jittering or nervousness on rough pavement--the Maxima is one of those cars that manages to feel firm and soft at the same time.
Adding to the comfort level was a drum-tight structure that lent the car a feeling of solidity. Noise levels were pleasantly hushed, with just enough mechanical sounds to keep the driver involved. The engine's baritone snarl dominated what cabin noise there was, with just a touch of wind and road noise on the freeway. The Maxima makes the right sounds, and they're just noticeable enough to be interesting without intruding on comfort.
Interior
The Maxima's cabin was another one of its high points, at least if you're into the futuristic look. Sliding behind the wheel, I felt like I was taking the helm of a something out a sci-fi movie. The low, sweeping dashboard allowed an expansive view out, and the strips of suede trim lining the dash's edges looked great. The console looked high-tech and its controls moved with short, precise clicks, making the car feel special and expensive. The gauge pod continued the futuristic theme, with deep-set dials in a housing reminiscent of an aircraft cockpit.
I absolutely loved this car's cabin, but I must also mention its downsides. For one thing, while I loved the styling, I'm sure there are plenty of customers who would prefer something more conventional and familiar. The Maxima's swoopy interior isn't garish--in fact, it manages to look quite understated--but its futuristic look is distinctly polarizing. Also, while the Maxima's controls felt good to the touch, they weren't particularly easy or intuitive to use. Most new cars have a pretty standardized control layout that lets you just get in and go, but the Maxima's unusual interfaces meant I had to take a couple minutes to study the workings of the climate and radio controls before I got on the road.
Despite these criticisms, the Maxima's interior was a great place to spend time. The seats were big and comfortable, there was loads of room inside to stretch out, and everything looked and felt expensive. For a long-distance cruiser, it doesn't get much better than a car that coddles you while keeping your surroundings interesting at the same time.
Practicality
The Maxima's full-size dimensions mean that there's lots of usable space inside. There was room to spare up front, the rear seat was spacious and comfortable, and the trunk was huge. One option to watch out for is the somewhat-silly Elite Package, which equips the car with two bucket seats in back, meaning that you can only hold four people in this large vehicle. Stylish, maybe, but seems like an inefficient waste of space to me--especially since it deletes the folding rear seatbacks.
Reliability
The Maxima promises to be a very dependable car, with a reliability rating of Better Than Average form Consumer Reports. Considering how low the average amount of defects is in new cars, this means the Maxima should be pretty trouble-free in operation.
Overall
Given the tepid reviews that I've read in the automotive press, I wasn't expecting much from the new Maxima. And with its hefty curb weight, massive dimensions, and front-wheel-drive layout, can you blame me? But on my test drive, I found the Maxima to be an intriguing and exciting player in the sport-luxury sedan arena. Yes, its front-drive chassis is a liability in really hard driving, and its moves aren't the sharpest out there, but the Maxima felt surprisingly composed and capable when I pushed it in corners.
More importantly, the Maxima feels special and unique, and unlike some other sport-luxury machines (the Lexus IS300 comes to mind), this car feels worth its asking price, and then some. Its engine is world-class, its performance is exhilarating, and its styling is awesome. And while at-the-limit handling is mulish compared to the class leaders, there's really not much of a difference in everyday driving--unless you're pushing it, the car feels solid, confident, and comfortable.
While I personally wouldn't choose the Maxima over its rear-drive competitors (I doubt many driving enthusiasts would), I think the Maxima makes a lot of sense as a distinctive, reliable, ultra-modern luxury sedan that you won't see dozens of in every parking lot. It's also very reasonably priced--it looks and feels like it costs more than its $30,000 sticker. If you're looking for a distinctive, sporty sedan and won't ever drive it like you're on the grid at Le Mans, the Maxima is well worth your attention.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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