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DRIVEN: Maxima Moves Toward Sport Territory
Seventh-generation Nissan flagship sedan gets tightened up for performance drivability.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted March 09, 2010   Phoenix, AZ
Nissan stylists call Maxima's sculpted budy contours 'liquid motion.' Photo: Nissan)
Nissan’s flagship Maxima was getting crowded out, with the family-sedan Altima growing into its space and competing for the same buyers.

So Nissan set out to differentiate Maxima. But instead of making it bigger and plusher, the Japanese automaker tightened the focus of what it calls a “four-door sports car.”

The revamped, seventh-generation Maxima came back slightly smaller than before with crisper steering and handling, a body shape that is sharply sculpted and an interior that emulates the cockpit style of classic two-seater sports cars.

Nissan stylists call the new exterior look “liquid motion,” and it does flow nicely in wavelike contours over the broad hood, falling off at a well-defined crease below the beltline. Sporty and classy and not too extreme, Maxima winds up with a sophisticated form appropriate for a premium sport sedan.

Maxima's shorter dimensions are found mostly in reduced trunk space. (Photo: Nissan)
Powered by Nissan’s strong and supple 3.5-liter V6, Maxima gets a stout 290 horsepower that’s delivered through a gas-saving continuously variable automatic transmission. That’s the only available transmission, and here is where Maxima loses the way on its performance mission.

The CVT dulls the snap of the engine, which drones obnoxiously in a wavering pitch. Under hard acceleration, the engine slides up to a bellowing roar where it hangs without relation to the increasing speed. It feels more like a fast power boat than an automobile.

There are few of these CVT applications that I find acceptable, mainly on fuel-miser compacts and hybrids. This is not one of them, and the CVT seems like a poor choice for a car with sporty intentions. Better to provide a six-speed automatic, which may not be as fuel efficient but would do a better job in this context.

The CVT does have a manual-shift feature, which simulates individual gears by holding onto a succession of ratios, but it’s still not as sharp as actual gears. A sport setting is also on board, which helps somewhat though not entirely. Either of these choices takes its toll on fuel mileage.

Unlike Maximas of the past, there is no stickshift option, which again seems to go against the sport-sedan mission.

Maxima's overall length is four inches less than its predecessor's. (Photo: Nissan)
The engine has grown in horsepower from 255, and Maxima jumps off the line at the slightest touch of the throttle. But that too is problematic. It takes a very light foot to glide away from a stoplight without that initial, jolting rush ahead. The way the pedal response is set up now: great for drag racing but a bit too aggressive for normal driving.

Despite the abrupt throttle and the beefy engine, Maxima shows zero tendency toward torque steer, often the bane of front-drive performance cars.

Other than those foibles, the latest Maxima feels more sharply honed for drivability than past versions. The steering is crisp and precise, though somewhat remote on the highway. The firm suspension and stiff chassis provide flat, stable cornering. The ride can get buffeting at times, but always feels well controlled.

Maxima comes in two flavors, the well-equipped 3.5 S and the upmarket 3.5 SV, which is appropriately loaded and luxurious. I drove an SV, enhanced with a Premium package of optional features and a Technology package of upgraded audio and navigation.

The businesslike dashboard is conservative yet modern with a quality feel. (Photo: Nissan)
The Premium package includes one of Maxima’s signature features, a panoramic sunroof in two sections over each row of seats. The front section glides open.

Maxima had four inches lopped off its overall length, now 190.6 inches, with is most evident in reduced trunk space. The back seat remains roomy despite the shortened profile.

The dashboard remains fairly traditional but with up-to-date forms and features. Surfaces feel soft and high-quality. The Premium package adds leather seating and wood accents. Overall, a good-looking cabin with a high-end feel throughout.

A Sports package is also available, which supplants the Premium, with tighter suspension tuning, and bigger wheels and brakes, along with the other upgrades.

Pricing starts at just over $30,000 for the base 3.5 S, with the test SV taking off at $33,180 and topping out at $39,160. That includes $3,230 for the Premium package, which is kind of a deal considering the high level of equipment it adds, and $1,850 for the Technology package.

Maxima may feel a bit too raw-boned to those accustomed to the softer comparable sedans from Acura or Lexus, and Nissan products do tend to have a slightly keener edge. But Maxima has moved from cushy cruiser to genuine sports sedan with its latest makeover.

It’s just too bad they don’t offer more transmission choices.

Details

What it is: Five-passenger, four-door sedan, front-wheel drive.
Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 290 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, 261 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
Transmission: Continuously variable with manual shifting.
Wheelbase: 109.3 inches.
Overall length: 190.6 inches.
Curb weight: 3,565 pounds.
EPA fuel mileage: 19 city, 26 highway.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEEDtv.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, who has driven and evaluated essentially every new vehicle sold in the United States. A lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle, he annually attends and writes about Arizona's famous January collector-car auctions, focusing on Scottsdale’s monumental Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event. SPEEDtv.com fans email veteran Automotive Editor Bob Golfen at

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

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