2011 Maxima SV Premium

4 Door Sports Car contender or pretender

The Maxima has been around since the 1981 model year and was originally a rear-wheel-drive car until the second generation when Nissan switched it to a front-wheel-drive car to the chagrin of many like me. I always found it interesting that Nissan tries to sell the Maxima as a 4-door sports car and while I don’t think it quite lives up to that label, low and behold, right there on the rear quarter glass of the my test car I saw, 4DSC. You got it, 4 door sports car. Well I kind of subscribe to the philosophy of knowing something when I see it and at first blush I have to admit the new Maxima has a pretty sporty look. More on how it drives later.

The Maxima is available as a base S model and the SV with both being powered by the 3.5 liter 290 horsepower V6 and mated to a Constantly Variable Transmission. Standard on the Maxima S are 18" aluminum-alloy wheels, power sliding moonroof, Nissan Intelligent Key® with Push Button Ignition, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, and Vehicle Dynamic Control with Traction Control System.

The SV adds fog lights, outside mirrors with LED turn signal indicators, digital Bose® audio system with 9 speakers and 2 woofers, XM® Satellite Radio, leather-appointed seats, driver’s seat adjustable thigh support extension, and power lumbar support. The Sports Package adds sport-tuned suspension, 19" aluminum-alloy wheels with P245/40VR19 tires, rear spoiler, paddle shifters, High Intensity Discharge (HID) xenon headlights, dark chrome grille, smoked headlights and interior metallic-link trim.

My test car was the top of the line Premium which adds Dual Panel Moonroof with power retractable sunshades, rear-window power sunshade, premium mood lighting, 7.0" QVGA color display with RearView Camera Monitor, 2 GB Music Box® USB connectivity and eucalyptus wood-tone trim. Pricing range for the Maxima goes from 30,000 for the S, up to $36,760 for the Premium.

I took the Maxima on a quick run to California from Phoenix to catch my granddaughter’s softball tournament and I was very pleased with how comfortable the car was for 4 adults because according to my wife and daughter-in-law, the back seating area was plenty roomy for the two of them.

I’m not yet a big fan of the CVT, or constantly variable transmission and not sure I ever will be since I’m so used to playing with gears. Interestingly, the CVT has been around for over 100 years so it’s not new technology but heretofore materials weren’t durable enough for the big engines in cars. The main advantage is the simplicity of the CVT, you have a belt, some pulleys and microprocessors and that’s pretty much it. The downside is the weight. That said, I just don’t like the whining/moaning sounds that emanate from CVT’s.

Bottom line is, the new Maxima may not yet be a true 4-door sports car but it’s made huge gains in that direction. There’s a pretty stiff amount of competition when you get in the 36 to 37,000 dollar range, like the Lincoln MKZ, the Ford Taurus, the Volvo S60 and the Buick Lucerne to name a few. So do I think the Maxima lives up to the 4 Door Sports Car moniker, not quite, but if you haven’t been in one lately, put the Maxima on your list to check out. I was pleasantly surprised and I’m thinking you will be to.