If there is a genuine article among Japanese sedans, it is the Maxima. So many Japanese sedans are either striving hard to be middle-of-the-road bland (Accord, Camry, 626, etc.) or to be just like someone else’s car. Even the new Lexus LS 400, the most expensive Japanese sedan sold in this country, blatantly flatters the late unlamented 㣾s Mercedes S-Class in its styling and features. It strikes me as extremely strange that Toyota would make its flagship a knock-off of someone else’s car. It’s this lack of authenticity that sends many people into German car showrooms.

Historical Background

In this context, the Nissan Maxima stands out. Nissan has a long heritage of creating sedans the enthusiast can appreciate. They first made their name in this country, when that name was Datsun, with the late 㣠s 510. OK, that was something of a BMW 2002 knock-off, but it was a good one, and began a fine heritage.

Datsun through the 㣪s numbered all of its cars, including the legendary 240Z. The sedans, if my memory is correct, were the 210, 510, and 810. These cars were dowdy, frumpy, tinny things, and failed to follow through on the achievements of the original 510. Then, in the early 㣴s, Datsun made two momentous decisions. They decided to change their name here to Nissan, because that was what the name of the company was. And they decided to junk all of the numbers in favor of real names. The 810 became the Maxima in 1981 (to be precise, it was called the 810 Maxima for a year or two to ease the transition).

The first Maxima was a popular car. Though conservatively styled, its lines had an honest solidity to them. The 2.4 liter inline 6 and overdrive automatic, which drove the rear wheels, were fantastic. This 120 horsepower powertrain felt and sounded much like one in the mid-sized Mercedes of the time. It was good enough to more than compensate for a "loose pillow" styled interior, complete with an overly busy dash that always had a few misaligned trim pieces. Think Buick on the inside, but Mercedes under the hood.

The second generation Maxima, which appeared in 1985, was a bit of a let-down to me because it was styled like a badly proportioned box. All straight lines and fussy detailing. The inline six was tossed in favor of Nissan’s first V6 (which debuted the year before in the first 300ZX) in order to permit front-wheel-drive. This 152 horsepower engine displaced 3.0 liters, as has every Maxima engine since. The performance SE first appeared with this car. My opinion of the car was not shared by too many people; this one sold even better than the first.

Someone in Nissan realized that its late 㣴s cars were all ugly, and decided to do something about it. Partly because the company was having more trouble selling such dowdy designs with each passing year. The third generation Maxima (1989) was the best-looking Japanese sedan up to that time, with excellent proportions and nicely flowing lines. In my opinion, this was the car that told the world that the Japanese were capable of creating sedans with leading edge, attractive, non-derivative styling. My wife drove one of these, the GXE luxury version, for a few years. She hated it, but that was a rare opinion. Most people loved this car. The performance SE broke new ground by having white-faced gauges that became black-faced at night. In the years since dozens of cars have copied this feature, but the 1989 Maxima SE had it first. Nissan advertised this Maxima as a "four door sports car," and no one laughed. Sales returned to their previous levels, and then some. Nissan was flying high once again. Halfway through this car’s run the SE’s engine received an extra pair of cams and twelve more valves, which boosted output from 160 to 190.

For some reasons, car companies seem drawn to repeating the mistakes of their past. The fourth generation Maxima, which appeared in 1995, was very awkwardly styled. Though fixes appeared halfway through its run, this was never a pretty car. Sales slumped once again, and Nissan as a whole nearly went under. Aside from the styling, the most noteworthy features of this car were its engine and rear suspension. For the engine, Nissan scrapped an excellent V6 and replaced it with an even better V6. The new engine had an aluminum block for lighter weight and was much smoother and more efficient. Power output remained the same, but all Maxima’s got the DOHC engine this time. Many think this engine ranks among the best V6’s in the world. On the downside, Nissan tossed the independent rear suspension in favor of a cheaper, lighter beam axle. As a result, the new car did not ride as well as the old one.

Which brings us to the current car (2000). Based on the fourth generation Maxima, the current car is a bit larger. Though not a knock-out, it is certainly better looking. Especially on the large 17" wheels, the new car has an honest, purposeful look to it. In line with the current Japanese idiom, the homely headlights and taillights of the fourth gen car were replaced with unusually shaped units. The new front (which includes a large, open grille) has a suitably aggressive look to it, and the rear, if a bit Dodge Neon in appearance, possesses a satisfyingly organic cohesiveness. Some people dislike the smoky sea in which the SE’s taillights float, but I prefer these lights to the more conventional units on vanilla Maximas.

The interior has been similarly improved. The hulking, plainly styled dash of the old car has been replaced by a more flowing design, the centerpiece of which is a gently sloping center stack. A tremendous improvement. Mechanical improvements include additional refinements to the rear suspension (though it still uses a beam axle) and a more powerful engine. Through various refinements, power output was boosted to 222. Unfortunately, the new car was also heavier, so acceleration remained about the same.

This Year’s Special Edition

For whatever reason, I haven’t driven any Maxima more recent than the 1990 SE. This is a bit strange. After all, I like sedans with responsive V6s, slick manual transmissions, and nimble handling, and the Maxima for the past decade has been a top choice of those with similar tastes. Then I noticed the 20th Anniversary Edition at a dealer the other day. Somehow it seemed the right way to reacquaint myself with this car.

This special edition of the SE commemorates the 20th anniversary of the year the 810 got a real name. In addition to the usual SE content, this car has the Infiniti I30’s engine (good for another five horsepower), special deeper skirting all around the perimeter, and a few special touches to the interior. The last include drilled metal pedals, a “brushed metallic” shifter, and stainless steel door sill plates. The optional leather is perforated, unlike that in the regular SE. Finally, the "SE Comfort and Convenience Package" (which includes a sunroof, 17" wheels, and a few other things and normally costs $1.799) is standard.

Overall, the unique touches to the exterior and interior are very tasteful and further enhance the appearance of the car. The only downside is they may be so subtle most people won’t notice. This is not bad thing in my book. I remember the 50th Anniversary Edition 300ZX of 1984, which was by a wide margin the most garish, most tasteless car of the 㣴s. And that was when you could still get a big chicken on the hood of your TA. Think of this special edition as the body kit and interior accessories you would buy if you wanted a car with a different appearance than other Maxima’s but also had a sense of taste, and you would not be far off.

A notable omission from the equipment list is traction control, which is only available with the automatic. Strange. And stability control is not available on any Maxima. On the other hand, the 20th Anniversary Edition does have one feature no one but Nissan offers in front-wheel-drive cars: a viscous limited slip differential (also available on the I30, but no longer available on regular Maximas). This can help put the power down when giving the car a lot of gas on slick surfaces.

Since the 20th Anniversary Edition lists for $27, 149, which is $3,300 more than the regular SE, you’re paying $1,500 for the unique content. Is it worth it? After all, once leather and a few other things are added, this car cracks the $30,000 barrier. This is the territory of serious machinery. Does the 20th Anniversary Edition have what it takes to both celebrate this car’s heritage and carry it across this important threshold?

My Impressions from the Inside

While I’m waiting for the saleman to get a plate, I check out the Maxima’s interior. Photographs cannot communicate how roomy this car is. If you’re tall, you’ll like this car. It has about 3" more legroom than most (and about 6" more than someone my height needs). When the front seat is set where my 5ֽ" frame likes it, there is an amazing amount of rear legroom. Given the Maxima’s length, this amount of total legroom is amazing. Both the front and rear seats are nicely supportive and comfortable. That said, I would like larger bolsters on the front seats and a slightly higher cushion (for more thigh support) in the rear. The trunk is roomy and nicely shaped. The rear seat folds down to expand the trunk, though the pass through is somewhat small.

The view out from the driver’s seat is excellent. Even in the lowest position, you sit high, and the cowl and beltline are low. This provides the kind of expansive view out I prefer. The view inside could use just a little more work. The appearance of the interior once you are in the car is not quite as good as the photos suggest. The plastic trim on the doors and the general feel of many pieces reminds me of the 1989 Maxima my wife used to have. Fine quality, but not quite luxury class. Somewhere underneath the fancy styling the old Datsun still resides. I have noticed that the armrest on the I30 replaces the plastic trim on the driver’s door armrest with a soft pad. I would have preferred such a softer surface in the Maxima, since that’s where the elbow of my steering arm goes while driving a manual car such as this.

This is really nitpicking. Overall, the styling and materials of the interior successfully communicate that this is a sedan for the serious driver. It might not seem luxurious, but all that graphite-colored plastic says "this is a serious machine." I drove a Passat at the same dealership, and the contrast was remarkable. Compared to the interior of this Nissan, that in the Passat screamed "staid boulevard cruiser."

On the Road

When I test drive mundane vehicles like the Dodge Stratus, the salesman usually comes along. Then I go to check out the Maxima, and I’m simply handed the keys. It doesn’t make sense, but I certainly wouldn’t want the reverse to be true. I was able to take this car up onto the highway and along a variety of roads. I also lucked onto a lightly traveled industrial park full of nice curvy roads. This allowed me to push this car to the limit and see what it was made of. Needless to say, I did a few laps.

The engine is as magnificent as everyone says. It’s not just the power. I doubt anyone can tell the difference between this engine and the one that normally come sin the SE. This engine is very smooth. It starts out a bit low on torque (especially compared to the VW’s six), but once past 3000 RPM or so screams without a surge or dip to the redline. The sound is all refined machinery, not boomy exhaust, at least to my ear. It’s a quick car, though it does not feel as quick as it is due to the smoothness and refined sounds of the engine.

The shifter could be better. It’s a very long stick, with a long travel. The center armrest pops up to a higher level just so you can rest your arm while using this shifter. I’d like it shorter on both counts. At least it’s light in effort and fairly easy to find the gear you’re looking for. The clutch grabs very near the bottom of its travel but is not hard to modulate. If anything, the clutch’s take-up is too fluid, making the powertrain feel a touch weak immediately after each shift. While this pair could be better, quick shifts are not difficult. While the engine does not turn too fast on the highway, a sixth cog might also be nice to allow the other ratios to be a little closer together and to further improve highway fuel economy.

Handling is a mixed bag, but a very fun mixed bag. I especially enjoyed how dramatically the chassis responds to throttle inputs. No, I don’t mean torque steer, which sometimes rears it’s ugly head, but moderately. What I do mean is that you can easily adjust the car’s attitude through a turn with the gas. Too many chassis these days maintain a touch of understeer irrespective of what you do with the throttle. Not this one. Stabbing the accelerator brings on a useful and enjoyable touch of oversteer. It’s almost like a rear-wheel-drive car in this respect.
In hard turns the car leans a bit more than I expected, but the wide (225 mm cross-section) tires stick very well. The steering is light in effort, but provides very good feedback, especially considering this is a front-wheel-drive car. The wheel dances in your hands, communicating what is going on where the rubber hits the road. Unfortunately, the car does a bit of unintended dancing. Like many front-wheel-drive sedans, this one bobs and weaves, if just a bit, in aggressive driving. It is not nearly as buttoned down as a BMW 3-Series, for example. Frankly, I’m not sure this lack of refinement is a bad thing. For me, it makes the car a bit more enjoyable to drive, especially at legal speeds on normal roads. It makes the car feel frisky in your hands, as if it wants to play. The downside is that the ride falls short of luxury car smoothness. On some surfaces it can be quite busy. If you see this as a four door sports car, though, you’ll have no problems with it. In a way it fits with the character of the rest of the car.

Conclusion

The 20th Anniversary Edition Maxima successfully represents the best of this line, at least if you are a driving enthusiast. It’s hardly the most refined, most luxurious sedan out there, even in this price range. The look and feel of some of the plastics, and the light feel of the car as a whole, hint at this car’s Datsun heritage. This is not a bad thing. It’s just not how $30,000 mid-sized cars usually feel. Overcome this, though, and you’ll find that the smooth, powerful engine, sprightly chassis, and subtly aggressive styling come together with a roomy, driver-oriented interior to form a unique, fun-to-drive package. The Maxima stands in a class of its own, a Japanese sedan that has earned an independent identity. A Maxima is not a poor man’s something else. A Maxima is a Maxima—which I now realize it what all those ads have been trying to say. Given the way the 20th Anniversary Edition extends and rounds out this package, it seems well worth the extra cost.

P.S. If this edition does not appeal to you, but you do want a Maxima, buy one before the next generation comes out. If the last twenty years are any guide, the sixth generation Maxima (2005?) will have, well, “questionable” styling.

Reliability

People often email me asking about the reliability of the cars and trucks they are considering. Existing sources of reliability information just aren't helpful enough.

In response, my website, truedelta.com, will more clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Maxima rather than something else by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). Those who help provide the data--which will require just a few minutes a year--will earn free access to the site's reliability information. To encourage participation, this access will otherwise cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.