The sleeper agent
Maxima is a usable, versatile, mid-size car
My very first encounter with a Nissan Maxima was nearly 30 years ago. I remember vividly my grandfather showing up with his shiny new — and very beige — Maxima.
He was coming out of a 1983 Sapporo and this new car was the ultimate achievement — he had just bought his dream car. I was still too young to care very much about anything that didn’t look like a Mustang, but there’s one very particular feature of the Maxima that left a lasting impression on me: there was a number pad under the door handle with numbers that could be used to unlock the doors.
The original keyless entry! And boy did I love pushing buttons at the time — what kid doesn’t. To me, that was the most beautiful and fascinating thing I had ever seen. A car that could unlock without a key. My 90s mind was blown.
Twenty-five-plus years later and my appreciation of the Maxima has changed — mainly because there is no keypad to unlock the doors anymore. As an adult, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation of the Maxima. What’s so special about it, you may wonder. It’s extremely underrated.
When I shared with the people around me that I was driving the newly refreshed Maxima for the week, I was the only one excited about. For a lot of people, aside from the monstrous GT-R, the name Nissan doesn’t exactly rhyme with excitement.
I don’t think they understand that the Maxima is part of a sleeper agent elite club — the V6s. The brand might seem a little safe and beige, but this mid-size sedan doesn’t play by the rules.
For 2019, the model received a few upgrades including a modernized new look that integrates more sculpturesque and dramatic features. The shoulders curve up a little higher, the v of the nose dips a bit lower on the grille, and the shape of the fog lights casing has been modified. This gives the car a slightly rounder, curvaceous appearance — at least in person.
On the inside, the car is pretty standard, clad in an allblack colour scheme with a few silver accents. The version I drove was the top-of-the-line Platinum. While the Alcantara leather seats look nice and luxe with their elegant diamond stitching, the other surfaces are covered in cold, hard, reflective plastic which contrasts the quality of the seats. The treatment is less than special and not even the faux wood inserts help elevate the look. If it looks like plastic and feels like plastic, chances are it’s plastic. Despite the use of lower quality materials, the cabin feels cushy and impeccably quiet — thanks among other things to the active noise cancellation system, offered standard on the model.
Those gorgeous leather seats are not just pretty to look at — they’re also comfortable. Comfort and space at the back hasn’t been neglected and the buckets are hugging and cozy, with, of course, great legroom for your passengers. The rear seats are heated as well so brace yourself, chances are more people will ask you for rides.
The Maxima offers all possible features you desire. New this year is the available Safety Shield 360, an active safety technologies package and 10-airbag system as well as standard rear door alert and USB-C ports.
Others features offered with the Platinum package include Apple Carplay and Android Auto, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, navigation, satellite radio, rearview camera, front and rear sensors, intelligent cruise control, intelligent driver alertness (the car detects whether you’re showing signs of dozing off), intelligent lane intervention, active noise cancellation, and much more.
As I mentioned earlier, the Maxima is part of the V6 club — it is powered by a 300-horsepower, 3.5-litre V6 engine that pushes 261 lb.-ft. of torque. Not so beige right? The best part? Chances are you’ll fly under the radar: nobody expects a Maxima to be anything other than conventional. It will be conventional and predictable if that’s what you ask of it, but it’s ready to offer a whole lot more if you ever feel in need of a little more pep in your step.
The front-wheel-drive powertrain is teamed with a continuously variable transmission, a necessary evil. I’ll have to admit that Nissan’s iteration of the system has come a long way over the past few years.
From a sluggish and lazy electronic box, the Nissan technology has evolved into a slightly more refined and definitely less invasive system. While I would have liked to see the personality of those 300 horses shine through a little more, they still provided a good-enough push to deserve to be called “fun.”
Takeoffs are easy and smooth and, dare I say, even reasonably spirited if you want them to be. The only weakness of the V6-CVT combo is acceleration. If you need to step on it say to pass someone on the highway, the reaction time costs precious seconds. The Sport mode does contribute to making the gearbox more reactive, but never fully solves the issue.
Surprisingly, the car also shows some serious cornering chops. There’s just enough firmness in the suspension for the ride to be comfortable, but not so much that the corners feel doughy. There’s a good balance between comfort and dynamism in its demeanour.
Even if it gets me smirks from the heathens out there, I’ll gladly claim it for everyone to hear and know: I like the Nissan Maxima. Those who hate have yet to drive it.
Keep in mind this won’t replace a sports car if that’s what you’re on the market for.
But as a usable, versatile, four-door, mid-size car that will get everyone from point A to point B in comfort while treating the driver to a little extra spirit, add the Maxima to your list.
It’s not available in beige anymore.