2009 Nissan Maxima Review

PROS  Powerful engine, Smooth transmission, Very functional interior

CONS  Limited head room, Cramped rear seat for the class, Can get pricey

Nissan's Maxima has long been one of the sportiest midsize sedan offerings. Its roots trace back to the 1976 Datsun 810, which had a fuel-injected straight-six, five-speed manual transmission, and semi-trailing arm rear suspension. Following that up, Nissan introduced the updated 1985 Maxima as the four-door sports car or 4DSC, forever cementing the car's position in the minds and hearts of the enthusiastic driver.

Since then, Nissan has continually enlarged and refined Maxima, baking in more performance and luxury along the way. For 2009, Maxima is new from the wheels up, and, surprise, it's actually smaller than the car it replaces. Still a four-door sedan, the '09 Maxima rides a two-inch shorter wheelbase and is 4.5-inches shorter overall than the '08. Maxima again shares mechanicals with Nissan's Altima, but sports substantially differentiated styling.

With two midsize entries, Nissan lets Altima play against class stalwarts like the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry. That means Maxima goes heads up with vehicles like the Acura TL, Lexus ES, Lincoln MKZ, and Volkswagen CC. Unfortunately, starting prices above $30,000 mean Maxima is slightly more expensive than traditional midsize cars.

Two models are offered, S and SV. Both have front-wheel drive and seat five passengers on twin front buckets and a three-place, split-folding rear bench. Sole powertrain is a 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 that mates to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Traction control is standard.

Standard safety features include antilock four-wheel disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, front-seat active head restraints, a tire-pressure monitor, and dual-front, front-side, and curtain-side airbags. Rear-view camera is optional on the SV.

Pricing for the S starts at $30,160 and includes air conditioning with dual-zone automatic control, tilt-telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, cruise control, cloth upholstery, eight-way power driver seat with lumbar adjustment, four-way power passenger seat, center console, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks,  keyless entry, keyless access and starting, sunroof, AM/FM radio with in-dash six-disc CD/MP3 changer and digital-media player connection, automatic day/night rearview mirror, illuminated visor mirrors, rear defogger, automatic headlights, theft-deterrent system, 245/45VR18 tires, and alloy wheels.

The $32,860 SV adds to the S leather upholstery, driver-seat thigh extender, Bose sound system, universal garage door opener, compass, mirror-mounted turn signals, and fog lights. Options include a dual-panel moonroof, navigation system, Bluetooth cell-phone connection, HID headlights, satellite radio with real-time traffic, 9.3-gigabyte hard drive for storing music files, heated rear seats, and cooled driver seat. There's also a Sport package for the SV that replaces the split-folding rear bench seat with two bucket seats and a center pass through.

The Maxima is built in Smyrna, Tennessee, and carries a $720 destination charge.

Get Up and Go  The Maxima gains 35 horsepower for 2009 and that's a boost that readily felt. From a standstill, acceleration seems a bit lazy compared to competitors, but speed builds quickly and passing punch is impressive. Given the right conditions and a straight stretch of road, 0 to 60 mph comes up in about 5.5 seconds, making Maxima one of the quickest cars in the class.

Modern continuously variable transmissions have been around for about five years, and Nissan was one of the first automakers to adopt this new technology. Unlike conventional automatics with fixed gear ratios, the Nissan CVT uses a belt and two adjustable pulleys that allow for a wide range of gear radios and seamless transition between ratios.

If you've never driven a vehicle with a CVT before, you might be a little disconcerted. In hard acceleration, engine speed quickly rises to a fixed point (usually the intersection of the horsepower and torque curves) and stays there. The CVT then continuously changes the gearing ratios to deliver more power. The same thing happens in mild acceleration, only it is less noticeable.

The result is smooth and effortless acceleration, not unlike what you experience when a plane takes off or when a train accelerates. One downside is that the transmission can be slow to react in passing situations, leading to a somewhat lazy feeling in cut-and-thrust traffic.

EPA ratings for the Maxima of 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway are class average. Nissan says that the V6 requires premium-grade fuel, which translates into an extra 10-20 cents per gallon each fill up.

Real-world fuel economy averages greatly depend on your driving style. If you're a lead foot and always racing from stoplight to stoplight don't expect to average better than 17 mpg. However, if you are more conservative, it's easy to net 22-24 mpg in routine commuting.

On the Road  Maxima rides with the comfort of any mainstream midsize sedan. The suspension does an excellent job of absorbing small bumps and softening larger ones. There's a bit of highway float at high speeds that's not typical for a sedan with sporting intentions, but it isn't something that's annoying.

Despite its sporty heritage, Maxima has matured. The car isn't as athletic or as nimble you'd expect and certainly falls short of the mark when compared to vehicles like the Acura TL or Volkswagen CC. The tires have ample grip and the brakes are strong. However, body lean is an issue in quick lane changes and the steering slow to react to input. When driven quickly, these two faults combine to give Maxima a slightly ponderous feeling.

In city driving and sedate highway cruising, interior noise levels are impressively low. Wind, road and engine noise are lower than in most competitors. Turn the wick up and the engine comes to life with a hearty growl that betrays its sports-car lineage.

Overall, the '09 Maxima comes across as sportier than before but less agile than seriously sports-themed competitors. Perhaps a better word for the ride-and-handling balance would be sophisticated.

Behind the Wheel  Though Maxima wants to play with the premium crowd, the interior sports some inexpensive looking surfaces--most notably the center console and gauge surround. While pleasing to the eye, the interior comes across as upscale midsize rather than posh luxury.

Thankfully the layout is functional with very large and easy-to-read large gauges and thoughtfully placed and clearly marked switchgear. Basic audio and climate control functions couldn't be easier and the optional navigation system is controlled through a jog dial and simple set of buttons at the top of the center stack. Kudos to Nissan for keeping the best conventional controls and augmenting them with simple interfaces for more advanced functions.

Maxima's front seats are fit for a king. They are large and supportive with just the right balance of shape and comfort. SV models get a thigh extender that further enhances long-distance comfort for lanky-legged adults.

Front-seat passengers are treated to plenty of leg room and adequate head room. Those over six feet might be wishing for more head room, though. Available power tilt-telescope and heated steering wheel is a nice touch in this class. Visibility is good forward and to the sides, but thick rear pillars and a high tail make backing up difficult.

Rear seats are comfortable and there's enough head and leg room for large kids or small adults. Larger adults will be disappointed by limited head and knee room, especially considering the car's exterior dimensions.

Cargo space is listed at a generous 14.2 cubic feet. That's better than many midsize cars and it's augmented by a large-opening trunk lid and low liftover. On five-passenger models, the seats fold nearly flat in a snap. The optional four-passenger setup makes due with a small pass through. Interior storage is excellent with lots of open and covered bins.

Bottom Line  With the '09 redesign Nissan has better positioned Maxima at the top of the midsize market, both in terms of features and luxury. Sadly, the car isn't as sporting as it could have been given the mechanicals and that's sure to disappoint Mario Andretti types.

Still, Maxima is now unique enough to be considered in its own right rather than just a tarted-up Altima. Sticking with front-drive was the right move since those with serious enthusiast intentions can step up to the Infiniti G37. Prices aren't too steep considering the competition, but be wary, adding just a couple of options puts the sticker dangerously close to the $40,000 bogey.