The Nissan Maxima began its life back in the 1980s as an overstuffed pseudo-luxury cruiser with a modicum of sporting pretensions. It became “The 4-Door Sports Car” in the early 1990s as Nissan searched for a way to differentiate itself from other Asian automakers, and infuse this sporting DNA into everything from the 300ZX to the range-topping Maxima. However, Nissan would change direction time and again in the intervening years, and the Maxima lost focus along with the rest of the company. The resurrection of the Z-car brought with it a renewed effort to resurrect the sport-oriented branding, but pragmatism (i.e. the quest for increased sales volumes) always meant Nissan hedged its bets. Now that the Maxima has moved to Nissan’s dynamically superior D platform for its latest iteration, does it have the tools it needs to recapture its sport sedan mantle and deliver on that promise?
Engine, Transmission, Drivetrain
A 290-hp version of Nissan’s excellent dual overhead cam 3.5 V6 sits sideways under the hood, sending power to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission. True, Audi also fits a CVT to its front drive A6 3.2, but it’s not an overtly sporting gearbox choice. Especially when the modus operandi for this transmission is to hold the engine revolutions down in order to maximize fuel efficiency. (The Maxima has an EPA mileage rating of 19 city/26 highway/22 combined.) That’s why CVT-equipped powertrains emit a very unsporting “moan” when the car is asked to accelerate from low speeds—some liken it to the mating call of a water buffalo. Because acceleration under these conditions requires a combination of a higher engine speed and a lower (numerically higher) gear ratio, the engine must travel through a period of aural discomfort. In the transmission’s defense, Nissan points out that CVTs eliminate “shift shock,” the lurch that comes when a conventional transmission shifts from one gear to another.
And CVT accomplishes that. The drivetrain is exceedingly smooth. Only by ordering the optional Sport package can you get brushed metal paddles located behind the steering wheel that are used to initiate up- and downshifts, as when driving along challenging roads, or when extra acceleration or engine braking is needed. It works by superimposing six pre-determined “steps” that act as separate gear ratios. However, shift shock is tangible when the paddles are used, making the choice of the CVT questionable.
Suspension, Steering, Brakes
The Maxima has marginal torque-steer, so the car tracks straight and true under hard acceleration. Credit the fact that the driveshafts are equal length, run at shallow angles, and the MacPherson strut front suspension is tuned to dampen ride motions without smothering them in pillowy softness. Throw in an independent multi-link rear suspension, and you can almost feel the needle begin to move closer to the sporty side of the spectrum. This is supported by the Maxima’s ability to corner crisply without the float and wallow of its immediate predecessor. The speed-sensitive power steering has the right heft and response, though it’s a bit lacking in feel, and the same can be said of the four-wheel ventilated disc brakes. (As expected, these come with ABS, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and are tied into the Maxima’s electronic stability control system.) However, while the handling is quite capable for a mid-size sedan, the optional sport-tuned suspension’s inability to seamlessly combine firmness and softness without harshness goes against the messages received by the steering and brakes.
Body, Design, Quality
Though polarizing to some, the Maxima presents a unique design with many rich and subtle details. The headlights frame a strong rectangular grille, forming a bevel that shortens the length of the front fenders, and takes away some of the heaviness without diminishing the nose’s prominence. Crisp lines flow down the hood from the A-pillar to the corners of the grille, and act as the high point for swales that run from side-to-side along the hood. Also, the brushed silver trim surrounding the windows expands along the C-pillar, forming a variation of BMW’s famed “Hoffmeister kink,” and sits flush against the body. The short rear deck stands above the taillights, but without the rigid demarcation seen in the first iteration of the “Bangle Butt” introduced on BMW’s 7 Series. Overall, the effect is at once crisp and flowing, with the added benefit of a curvaceous form over which the driver and front-seat passenger view the road. The impression of quality is reinforced by panel gaps that are tight around the fascias or used as design elements, as between the fenders and hood/trunk lids.
Ergonomics, Interior
The interior is a bit more sober and less avant-garde, favoring the full shapes and minimal styling distractions. However, instrument panel’s gauge cluster and center stack are combined into a single form that appears to have pushed through the main structure. This not only minimizes gaps, it emphasizes that this is a driver-focused car, though the center controls are easily accessed by the front seat passenger. Use of bright trim is restrained, as are wood accents, giving the interior of the Maxima an air of sporty luxury.
Entry and egress are acceptable, though rear passengers will have to watch their heads when entering and exiting if the car is parked in a tight space. Thankfully, there are no sharp edges along the door tops, so the risk of injury is low. The seats are very comfortable, though the 8-way power driver’s seat in the car tested had an annoying tendency to rock back and forth slightly under acceleration and deceleration. The rear seats have the ability to hold three passengers, but ordering the Sport package scoops the outer positions out to form an ersatz pair of bucket seats divided by a fold-down center armrest. Given Nissan’s claim about the Maxima’s sports car status, shouldn’t the three-across bench rear seat be optional instead? It would, except Nissan is not about to limit the appeal of the Maxima. If you want a sport sedan, with all that entails, you have to pay more for the restricted seating.
In fact, the $2,300 Sport package not only includes the aforementioned rear seats, sport suspension with 19-in wheels (18-in wheels are standard), rear spoiler, high-intensity discharge headlamps and paddle shifters, it includes a laundry list of items that are more luxury than sporty. These include things like premium leather seat trim, a power tilt/telescope steering column, an automatic entry/exit system with two-driver memory, and a Bluetooth hands-free phone system that, quite honestly, should be standard.
The Sport Technology package, a $2,250 option, includes a hard drive-based navigation system with voice recognition and 7-in. color touchscreen monitor, 9.3 GB Music Box hard drive, XM NavTraffic (it adds real-time traffic monitoring to the XM satellite radio that comes with the Sport package), an iPod interface, a single CD player in place of the standard 6-CD player, AUX jacks for video and audio, and high-performance summer tires. It’s a bit odd that the XM offerings are split between two separate packages, the iPod interface isn’t standard and the number of CDs you can load is less, though I suspect that it has something to do with the space taken up by the navigation/music hard drive. As for why the summer tires are part of this particular package, that’s anyone’s guess.
Unfortunately, the Nissan Maxima is a schizophrenic range topper that still tries to straddle the line between sportiness and luxury. However, if it is to make sense of its 4-Door Sports Car branding, it needs to give the buyer a more coherent package that the buyer can tailor through the addition of luxury options, and not the other way around. Especially with an as-tested price of $37,415 that invites comparison to some name brand sport sedans.
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