Though the sixth generation Nissan Maxima (Maxima's produced between the years 2004 and 2008) was undeniably a step up from the frumpy fifth generation, it still suffered from many quirks that should have been resolved prior to production. For starters, the 6th generation suffered from an alarming amount of torque steer, it didn't handle all that well on twisty roads, and at high speeds it exhibited unacceptable levels of road noise. The 2004-2008 Maxima certainly wasn't a sport sedan: at least not by most enthusiast's standards, which require more than just a powerful V6 engine. For 2009 Nissan has completely redesigned its Maxima and this go-around Nissan has promised consumers that the new 7th generation model is a return to the 4-door sports car. Can the all-new Maxima live up to Nissan's claims, or is the 2009 Maxima just another passionless family sedan?

Styling: 9/10

Since the Maxima's horrific redesign in 1995 its sheetmetal has consistently been a train wreck. The 1995-2003 models, for example, looked more like a sneaker on wheels than the adrenaline pumping sports sedan that it was supposedly geared to be. When Nissan redesigned the Maxima again in 2004 it was definitely easier on the eyes, but still lacked any atheistic edge over its main rivals or even Nissan's own less expensive Altima for that matter. For 2009 the Maxima has once again been completely restyled, only this go-around Nissan has pulled out all the stops to keep their flagship from blending in with the herd of family sedans on the road. The Maxima looks decidedly sportier than its predecessors with a crouching stance and no shortage of lines and bulges to keep the eyes entertained. Nissan has integrated aggressive front-end styling cues from the new 370Z with a wide blunt front fascia and wrap-around boomerang shaped headlamps. In addition to looking sportier this year, the Maxima also looks more upscale with less body overhang and no cheap looking side moldings that were found on the previous generation. Overall, Nissan has done a great job with the Maxima's aesthetics; it's a handsome sedan that refuses to get lost in traffic.

Performance:

The 2009 Maxima can be had in two not-so-distinct trim levels: the base "S" and the up-level "SV." Both trim levels get Nissan's powerful 3.5-liter VQ V6 engine that makes an impressive 290 horsepower this year (35 more ponies than last year's engine) and 261 lb.-ft of torque (up 9 lb.-ft from last year). Both trim levels also get the same automatic transmission with auto-stick (SV models can be optional paddle shifters). There is no manual gearbox to speak of this year.

Maxima SV with Sport package

Acceleration: 8/10

I was hoping that Nissan would go full force with the whole 4DSC (4 door sports car) theme and give the new Maxima its new 3.7-liter V6 (an engine found in the new 370Z sports coupe) and a RWD set-up. Alas, the new Maxima gets Nissan's tried and true 3.5 liter VQ V6 (the same engine in last year's Maxima) and FWD. Though the Maxima's engine gets a welcomed gain in the horsepower and torque department this year (now boasting 290 horsepower and 261 lb.-ft of torque), it curiously doesn't feel much faster than the less powerful outgoing models nor does it feel much faster than some of its comparably priced V6 equipped competitors, i.e. the Mazda6 S, the Toyota Avalon, or Nissan's own less powerful Altima 3.5 SE. Don't get me wrong, the '09 Maxima is a quick sedan that offers gobs of power at virtually any RPM, just don't expect the head snapping acceleration as one would get form, say, a comparably priced Pontiac G8 GT.

Engine refinement: 9/10

While the Maxima's revised VQ engine may not feel significantly more powerful than last year's engine, it is more refined this year. At idle there is absolutely no vibration transmitted into the cabin and under normal acceleration there is nothing more than a subtle husky engine note that serves as a reminder that you're not driving your Grandmother's Toyota Avalon. Stab the Maxima's throttle to the floor, however, and this engine is quick to wake up providing similar acoustics as Nissan's own race-ready 350Z. While those looking for a super quiet sedan may not fall completely in love with the Maxima's racy engine note, I imagine most enthusiasts will welcome the sound of the Maxima's re-worked engine.

I wanted the new Maxima to be RWD for one reason: a relief to the annoying torque steer that has plagued Nissan's flagship since the mid ‘90s. Last year's Maxima, for example, suffered from alarming torque steer, making it more annoying than fun when accelerating at full throttle from a stop. While the 2009 models are still FWD, torque steer is much less of an issue this year. Floor the Maxima's throttle form a stop and this FWD sedan tracks completely straight: there is no alarming torque steer pulling the car to one side of the road under full throttle take-off.

Transmission: 7/10

While many companies only use CVT transmissions for their hybrid applications, Nissan uses a CVT in just about all of their vehicles: the 2009 Maxima is no exception. The good thing about the Maxima's CVT is that there is never any shift shock or gear hunting when accelerating quickly up onramps or when driving over mountainous terrain. The bad, however, is that this isn't a very sporty transmission, and simply doesn't offer the sporty feel as you get with , say, VW's DSG transmission. Nissan has given the Maxima an auto manual mode (on the shift lever) and optional steering wheel paddle shifters with the $2,300 sport package. While the paddle shifters definitely raise the Maxima's fun factor a few notches, allowing the driver to artificially shift through 6 preset gear ratios, it doesn't replace a true 6-speed manual gearbox: something that should have at least been optional for this so called 4DSC.

Handling 8/10

   Nissan claims that the '09 Maxima is a return to its sport sedan roots: roots that hark back to 1989 when Nissan transformed the Maxima into one of the most fun to drive grocery-getters of its time. While I didn't get to test a base model for comparison, my 2009 Maxima with the sport package (the sport package adds a sport tuned suspension and bigger wheels) ranks as one of the best handling FWD sedans I have driven, save for the Acura TL. Toss the new Maxima through sharp bends in the road and it exhibits very little body roll and only modest understeer. The Maixma's well weighted steering offers great feedback and its wide 245/40 performance tires mounted to 19" rims offer excellent grip (smaller tires and wheels come without the sport package). The Maxima also gets equipped with powerful 4-wheel disc brakes and ABS that do an excellent job stooping this behemoth from high speeds with no fade or vibration: can't say the same about Honda's Accord V6.

On the highway: 10/10


Despite having a sport tuned suspension, the Maxima SV sport offers neither a soft nor harsh ride, although it is an unquestionably a solid sedan with no wobbles or noticeable rattles over rough road surfaces. It's also a quiet sedan: much quieter than the outgoing models. Set the Maxima's cruise to 70 MPH and it hauls its occupants in a hushed environment with no noticeable wind, engine, or road noise. When it comes to competing cars in this class, the only two cars I have driven in this price range that come remotely close to offering as quiet of a ride is Toyota's flagship, the Avalon and the Acura TL.

As with most cars boasting Nissan's powerful 3.5-liter VQ V6 (the Altima and 350Z) the Maxima offers a surplus of passing power and hill climbing power. Though the Maxima is nearly 3,700 lbs., its small 3.5-liter V6 has no problems tackling steep inclines or making quick passing maneuvers around big semi trucks. The Maxima also handles these driving situations with ease, with no audible hint of strain from the engine when climbing steep terrain or making quick jumps around semi trucks.

Gas Mileage:

Despite a gain of 35 horsepower and 9-lb-ft of torque over the 2008 models, the 2009 Maxima gets even better gas mileage. According to the EPA, the '09 Maxima should get an impressive 19-MPG city and 26-MPG highway (1 MPG better highway than the outgoing Maxima). While this type of gas mileage isn't going to save the world from our dependency on crude oil, it is impressive gas mileage for a nearly 2 ton vehicle boasting an engine with 290 horsepower. One should definitely take note, however, that the Maxima requires premium grade fuel, so expect to pay an extra 20 cents per gallon at the pump.

Interior:


Quality: 9/10

The Maxima is priced similarly to many higher-end entry level luxury sport sedans on the market, i.e. the Acura TL, so I had very high expectations with regards to interior quality. The Maxima, for the most part, doesn't disappoint. Nissan has utilized soft touch materials throughout the cabin, high quality leather seat/door fabrics, and save for some cheap plastic overlays around the center stack and shifter, the Maxima's interior is generally devoid of cheap materials with no exposed screws or noticeable gaps between panels. I also like the styling of Maxima's new cabin. Nissan has designed the Maxima's interior to be interesting, but not so much so as to be distracting while driving. The Maxima's interior doesn't get by scotch free, however. With the sport package Nissan uses faux carbon fiber accents for the center stack and the center console. While I am not a complete hater of carbon fiber, the faux carbon fiber in the Maxima doesn't flow well with the rest of the cabin's design and the look of this carbon fiber is painfully reminiscent of those cheap carbon fiber dash kits found on eBay. Another minor gripe I have with this cabin is the information display, which sits atop the center stack.. While the Maxima's information center offers necessary driver information i.e. inside climate control temperatures, a clock, etc. the display is hard to read at times and takes up an unnecessarily large chunk of real-estate on the center stack for such simple information.

Layout/ergonomics: 8/10

The Maxima's interior gadgetry is, for the most, is well laid out with an easy to read instrument cluster, steering wheel controls for the stereo, etc. But, I do have some gripes with Nissan's placement certain controls. For example Nissan has placed the HVAC controls atop the center stack just below the information display. The problem here is that the information display is recessed and so are the HVAC controls putting them at a greater distance away from the driver's fingers. I could forgive this quirky HVAC control layout had Nissan given the Maxima standard navigation, but for the sake of a generic information display in the SV Sport, there is no payoff.

Seats: 10/10

One of my biggest complaints with the previous Maxima was its completely flat and slippery leather seats. Nissan as improved the Maxima's seats immensely this year providing rah double stitched leather heated seating surfaces (cloth comes standard on S trim levels) that not only offer superior comfort, but are also very supportive: offering lumbar support, good thigh support, and excellent upper body support. That said, the Maxima's front bucket seats actually feel as if they belong in a sport sedan this year. Tall drivers also get the benefit of thigh extenders and for those who have a hard time finding a good driving position get the benefit of standard 8-way driver seat adjustments (front passenger seat has 4-way adjustments). The rear seats are also cozy and offer the same grade leather seating surfaces.

Room: 9/10

Unlike mass of midsize sedans on the market, which seem to get bigger with every generation, the Maxima is actually shorter by around 4" this year. Despite the Maxima's modest shrinkage, it's still a big mid-size (as classified by the EPA) sedan with plenty of creature space in both the front and rear of the cabin. Head and legroom in the front should accommodate the tallest of drivers/passengers and the rear of the Maxima should offer plenty of headroom for those over 6', despite its slightly smaller rear dimensions this year. Rear passengers will also appreciate the fold down armrest with built in cup holders.

The Maxima has always offered a fair amount of storage space and the same can be said about the '09 models. The Maxima gets a gigantic glove box, a good sized center console, and a few small cubbies for loose change or small items. The trunk is a bit smaller this year, but it's still big enough to haul around as many groceries as you could fit in Costco shopping car. Unfortunately the Sport package (due to rear reinforcements for better handling) does not offer folding rear seats, however there is an extremely narrow passthrough for skis and what not: just don't expect wide items to fit through this small passthrough. It should be noted, however, that the Maxima in S trim and SV trims without the sport package do provide 60/40 split rear seats.

Equipment: 9/10

The Maxima may not carry an Infiniti badge, however you'd think you were driving a vehicle by Nissan's Infiniti division by all the standard equipment and modern technology that is in the new Maxima. Standard on all Maxima's come a power sunroof, push button ignition, dual automatic climate controls, power everything including seats, 6- disc CD changer, cruise control, front/side/curtain/ and much more. The SV trim (add around $2,000) ups the ante a little more with upgraded leather seats, fog lights, a Bose audio system, and the ability to add variety of different packages. Nissan offers the Maxima SV with a boat-load of options, so depending on your needs you can get an already loaded SV model all the way to a downright glutinously equipped SV model with the premium + technology package. My Maxima SV trim came with the sport package (add around $2,200 for the Sport Package), which adds paddle shifters, 19" wheels, a sport tuned suspension, and upgraded headlights over the base SV: if you are an enthusiast this is the package you want. With all this being said, if you want luxury and performance the Maxima has got it: by all means do not be fooled by the not so glamorous Nissan badgering. For more information on standard and optional equipment, you can visit Nissan's official website at nissanusa.com.


Price/Warranty:

While the base S Maxima starts out at a relatively affordable $30,160, the price of a Maxima can come dangerously close to BMW 3 series territory when the SV trim gets equipped with any of its pricey packages. My Maxima SV, with just the sport package, came to just under $36,000 or about a few hundred bucks shy of a comparably equipped Acura TL and within 3,000 dollars of a comparably equipped BMW 328i. With the premium package + the technology package the cost of a new Maxima can easily rise to 40,000 dollars: or about the same price as an Infiniti G37 Journey! Though the Maxima retails close to many entry-level luxury brands on the market, Nissan doesn't give the Maxima as good of a warranty. The Maxima gets a measly 3-year/ 36,000 miles bumper-bumper warranty and a 5 year/60,000 mile warranty on powertrain components: the Infiniti G37, Acura TL, and the BMW 328i all get superior warranties.

Overall: 8/10

The Maxima has a lot going for it: it offers high levels of performance, a high quality interior, a good amount of standard equipment, and a handsome exterior design. Overall it's the best Maxima ever... And dare I say it; it's even better than those 4DSC models between 1989-1994. Unfortunately the Maxima is just too pricey for me to recommend, at least with the sport package and most definitely with the premium package. At nearly $36,000 dollars for a Maxima SV with the sport package, this sedan comes dangerously close to the price tag of comparably equipped sport sedans with more prestigious nameplates, i.e. the Infiniti G37 sedan, Lexus IS350, and BMW 328i. When all is said and done, the Maxima simply has priced itself out of its niche market.


Thanks for reading!
Amount Paid (US$): 35,600
Condition: New
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: SV Sport package