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The Maxima once held the title of the fastest and greatest-driving sports sedan. Even the little "4DSC" (4-Door Sports Car) stickers plastered onto their windows didn't seem so silly when considering their high truth content. This would be the third-generation Maxima of 1989-1994 vintage.
Whether this counts as the fifth or sixth Maxima, it's here to reclaim the glory. Starting with the Altima's platform is an obvious leap up from the cost-cutting philosophy that guided the design of the 1995-2003 models. Because there are few things more embarrassing than a near-$30,000 car running around with a torsion beam axle suspending its wheels, the Maxima has regained its independence. In fact, it did one better: instead of four struts, the Maxima gets an elaborate four-link setup on the rear wheels for the first time ever.
Having lived with a beam axle-suspended Nissan for three years, the benefits struck me right away. The Maxima's ride is now less clompity, and bumps hitting one wheel no longer upset the other. Bumps in the middle of turns don't make the back wheels react like a set of pogo sticks. The Maxima just tracks like a pro.
Some have complained of bone-jarring ride characteristics on the 3.5SE version of the Altima. Our Maxima was also a 3.5SE, with the same firmer shocks and front springs coupled to tires more extreme than those on any Altima: P245/45VR18. All Maximas also have stiffer rear ends thanks to an extra-thick 26.5 mm rear stabilizer bar for more neutral handling. You'd think this would ruin the ride, but I found it agreeable, maybe even on the high side of average. Overall, it's an obviously better ride-and-handling balance than the last Maxima. Even on front-drive cars, don't underestimate the importance of a good rear suspension.
With relatively quick and steering and fairly strong grip from the wide Goodyears, handling's pretty good, though I didn't much care to investigate. While the vagueness of the 1995 Maxima's steering is gone, it's still too heavy on assist and light on feel to bring back any speed racer feeling. This car has also become a bit of a giant with its 40-foot turning circle; there are certain U-turns where you swear you're not gonna make it. Call it the 111-inch-wheelbase-and-245-mm-wide-tire blues.
These days, a new Nissan prompts the question "which of the pedals has been over-tuned?" In the Maxima, the answer is "all of the above." The throttle's touchy - tap into it and you lunge forward - and the brakes are a little grabby. Suddenness has also crept into the steering, which is a little too quick just off-center - a trait shared with the Altima and G35. I'm guessing these tricks were taken to make the Maxima feel sportier. They don't work.
What will make you want to drive like they do in Nissan's commercials is the engine. Remember the award-winning "VQ30DE" V6 that debuted with the 1995 Maxima? Now on duty in ten other Nissans, it's still the heart of this one as well. Its 190 horses may have been lightning back then, but the power war of recent years (which Nissan started, by the way) inspired a displacement increase, variable valve timing and a variable induction system that collectively raised the ante to 265. That's 120% more the original Maxima and enough to make it king when it came out in 2004.
A year later, Toyota's 280-horsepower Avalon stole the crown, but boy is this thing ever fast. With that many horses, flying by other cars is effortless. It becomes kind of addicting, actually. As far as straight-line acceleration goes, nothing feels like work for the Maxima - well, except for getting all that power through the front tires. On this automatic model, the problem isn't so much torque steer (as I'd heard), but flooring the pedal smokes the front tires altogether. Not even low-profile 18-inch rubber can totally handle 255 pounds-feet of twist.
Honestly, I liked this engine better back when it was 3.0 liters large. It sounded sportier when revved and the ample 222 horses that stormed away in the 2000 Maxima seemed like all a front-drive sedan can handle. I also have a question for Nissan: doesn't a super-powered Maxima make the 350Z and G35 less special?
It also got a couple more MPG, though our low-20s average wasn't bad. The fuel meter was paranoid, though, setting off the warning light with over five gallons remaining, prompting a refill at 330 miles. Perhaps Nissan is protecting itself from the type of customer who measures gas mileage by "how much does it cost to fill the tank?" Ignoring the warning could surely help you realize the range promised by the Maxima's, which 20 gallons large. This car could do 400 miles in its sleep.
The transmission shifts through its five gears (the 4-speed was dropped midway through 2004) smartly almost all the time and offers a manumatic mode that's pleasantly free of computer meddling. Fun fact: the top gear has a ratio of 1.018 to 1, meaning this car has no overdrive gear! It sure has been a long time since we've seen a non-overdrive automatic transmission, eh? But thanks to a low 2.44 final-drive ratio, the engine spins at a quite-normal 2,500 RPM at 70 MPH on the freeway, helping to uphold the Maxima tradition of a quiet atmosphere.
This can't be called a revival of the 4-Door Sports Car, but it can be called another competent, comfortable, well-engineered sedan built to get you from point A to B. It just gets there a lot faster.
Aside from the fanny lift and the cheese-grater face, the Maxima's body differences are in the numbers. With length, width, height, and wheelbase now up at 193.5, 71.7, 58.3, and 111.2 inches, the Maxima is just asking for tax penalties in its home land (oh wait, they're built in Tennessee now). Compared to last year's car, those are increases of 2, 1.4, 1.8, and 2.9. The Maxima was born as a compact sedan, but with total interior volume up to 119.1 cubic feet, it looks mighty eager to graduate right out of the mid-size category. (Just 0.9 to go!)
Two straight years of hate mail regarding the Altima's interior apparently gave the stylists enough time to get things right for the Maxima, which sports a fair number of differences. Addressing the biggest complaint, reasonably high-quality plastics cover the surfaces. Nothing looks suspiciously shiny or feels brittle. There isn't much to say about the main ergonomics, which are pretty standard - just the usual Nissan goodness. One difference is the Maxima's standard dual-zone automatic climate control and the array of buttons that comes with it. It has an annoying habit of defaulting to recirculated air when you turn it on, but works fine otherwise. Like Volkswagen, Nissan lets you roll down the front windows with the key, and goes one step further by putting the same function on the remote key fob. In terms of quality and ergonomics, the Maxima passes.
Beauty, while subjective, rarely gets a lot of disagreement when it comes to interior design. The center stack wears a bold shield of metallic trim (SL models get wood accents) to keep things interesting, but that's about it. Neither the big triple-barreled instrument panel nor the orange-on-gray markings found many fans within these walls. The steering wheel controls need night lighting and the four-spoke steering wheel on last year's Altima not only looked better but had a smarter button design. The dual SkyView sunroofs run like an interrupted Mohawk down the center of the roof, bringing light (but not air) to everyone's life. Optionally, you can order a traditional one-panel sunroof that does open.
No complaints about driver comfort. The tilt-telescoping steering wheel (electrically powered on the Driver Preferred Package) and power seat adjustments make finding your sweet spot easy; our version even lets you heat the steering wheel. And while the Altima had the roomiest back seat in any Nissan to date, Nissan sculpted out a little extra for the Maxima. Both space and comfort rank highly: there's plenty of room from head to toe and the bench mounting seems to have been restored to its more comfortable pre-1995 height. Also, outboard riders get adjustable head restraints for the first time and the back windows go all the way down. If the floor were completely flat like on the new Avalon, it would be pretty much perfect, but even as it is, five slim passengers could ride in a Maxima and be on speaking terms after hours.
Optionally, you could take one out and have four live like kings. Capitalizing on the insight that people rarely stuff their sedans with a full load of five, the Maxima has an optional Elite Package to replace the back bench with contoured twin bucket seats with a center console and cupholders. They also get a 12-volt power outlet, one-touch windows, heated seats, and a power rear sunshade. This package replaces the seat's full foldability with a mere center-rear portal.
Like the cabin, the trunk is pretty big now too at 15.5 cubic feet, further blessed with strut suspenders, three cargo nets, an interior release handle for not-so-bright children, and straps to fold down the seat from either side of the wall. A funny effect of the big trunk is that it reduces rear visibility to a coupe-like slot, though it really isn't a problem.
All passengers get entertained by Nissan's stereo, which optionally benefits from Bose's partnership as always. Eight speakers (the normal six plus two back deck subs), 320 watts, sounds great, what else is new? Here's what's isn't new: MP3 playback. Instead, we get... a cassette player. Our Maxima also had the $2,000 navigation system - now DVD instead of CD-based and with a 7-inch screen - which doesn't have some of features found in Infinitis but serves a Nissan well enough, and the Maxima's new MPG/MPH-measuring trip computer should amuse the video gamer in everyone.
As Nissan's flagship, the Maxima is now devoid of base models and starts at $28,080 for the sportier 3.5SE. Important stuff like antilock brakes and side/curtain air bags are standard on all. Strangely, and unlike the Altima, there's no price difference between the stick and the automatic, making the latter the better deal.
The softer-riding, 17-inch-wheeled $30,330 3.5SL costs an extra $2,250 for a reason: it includes as standard the Premium Audio Package (Bose stereo, 6-disc CD, RDS, speed-sensitive volume control) and Sensory Package (heated leather seats, heated mirrors, 4-way passenger's seat, digital compass). On the 3.5SE, the latter costs $2,350 and includes the Audio Package (valued at $1,000).
Once you have all those items, you can then add the Driver Preferred Package: heated steering wheel, driver's seat lumbar and memory, power tilt/telescope steering wheel with memory, auto-dimming folding mirrors with memory, and a mechanism that moves your seat and steering wheel out of the way when you open the door. This package also adds HID lights and a rear spoiler to the 3.5SE, which is why it costs an extra $1,300 there instead of $800. (The lights are deletable for $150 credit.)
The last package, which requires all previous ones, is the four-passenger-pampering Elite Package already mentioned, costing a final $950. Navigation runs $2,000, satellite radio (XM or Sirius) $400, and stability control plus a full-size spare tire (automatic models only) $600, but you have to get some of the packages first.
The Maxima's closest rival would be the Avalon. In a nutshell, it's a little faster and roomier, though a little less sporty or satisfying. Starts at 27 grand, though 29 for the sporty Touring model. Close in every respect.
Another is the local challenger, the Pontiac Grand Prix. While its base price starts far below, it needs the supercharged GTP model to match the Maxima's performance. With its low-mileage pushrod engine, 4-speed automatic, less comfortable seats, way-out-there ergonomics and no price advantage ($27,390), I'd stick with the Maxima. The Ford Five Hundred, generally a good car, will appeal to those looking for more space and don't mind a performance penalty. The Kia Amanti isn't much of a competitor, but Hyundai's about to volley a fresh Sonata into Nissan's court.
There's also the question of sibling rivalry. For those of you asking what the Maxima has that the Altima doesn't, here's the rundown as far as the editorial eye can see: The option of two sunroofs that don't open. The option of four seats instead of five. A cassette player. 15 extra horsepower, and slightly bigger wheels and stabilizer bar. A stretch in length, width, height, and wheelbase of 1.2, 1.3, 0.4, and 1 inches. From the Altima's 118.4 cubic feet of total interior space, the Maxima manages a jump of half a percent, all the way to 119.1. Lastly, Maxima costs an extra $2,000 or so.
I don't see what's so "Maxima" about it, but when you copy a good car, you end up with a good car, right?
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