The 8th generation Maxima received criticism following its 2016 debut for being marketed as a “four door sports car” yet at the same time only being available in front-wheel drive and with a CVT as the only transmission option. It is built on the D platform by Nissan, same as the Murano, Altima, Pathfinder, along with a few other Nissan products. I’ve been waiting to drive a Maxima ever since its debut, since many people have said that it feels like a fun car to drive despite being fairly large, and being FWD only and equipped with a CVT. Most Nissan’s I’ve driven have been pretty dull and boring to drive, and I was curious if the Maxima was going to drive just like a larger Altima, or if it was going to actually feel like something more premium and expensive. Does the Maxima live up to its “four door sports car” nameplate? Below are some of my driving impressions.
First impressions upon sitting inside, the Maxima feels like a big, stately, imposing car. The side mirrors are massive, and the front hood is probably one of the curviest and most imposing I’ve ever seen from the driver’s seat. It appears as though it would obstruct visibility out on the road, and it might in tight parking situations, but once I was out on the road I barely noticed it. The Maxima seems big and wide, but I think the driving dynamics help it shrink a little once you start driving.
The interior also has to be one of the most luxurious and upscale Nissan interiors I’ve ever seen. They seriously went all out on this thing, as most Infiniti interiors don’t feel nearly as premium as the Maxima’s interior does. Right away, you can tell that you aren’t just sitting in some enlarged Nissan Altima. The Maxima’s fit and finish alone makes it feel like one of the more distinguished Nissans, secondary to the Z and the GT-R.
As I mentioned before, I originally thought the Maxima was going to drive like a bigger Altima. Both vehicles share the same platform, yet I knew that the Altima is just somewhat boring and anemic to drive, whereas the Maxima is marketed as the big fancy 4-door sports car. As soon as I began driving, I could immediately tell that the Maxima felt different from all the other Nissans. The steering is heavy, the CVT is one of the best CVTs I’ve experienced, brakes come on strong, and the V6 is quick even with a light foot. This car actually reminds me more of an Acura TLX or a Lexus IS350 than it does a Nissan product.
I’ll start with the steering. Nissan did a great job at delivering a very nice, premium, upscale feel. The steering feels reminiscent to an entry level sport sedan. You get this hefty feel on-center, and the steering responds immediately with crisp precision. It feels very direct and it encourages you to whip this thing around. For a full-size car, the steering just has an exciting, invigorating charm. While the steering response is quick, it also feels really smooth and balanced. In fact, the steering in this car feels better than the Infiniti Q50’s steering, in both its “steer by wire” and electric power steering variations. The Maxima’s steering turns far more smoothly, the response is quicker, the sensation is more linear and refined, and it leads you to believe that you’re driving a smaller and more expensive car than it really is. It does a good job at encouraging you to drive faster and take turns more aggressively. I will say that the steering does lose itself a little bit and can feel slightly disconnected around more substantial corners, so it’s not a BMW 5 Series or a Mercedes E63 AMG where the steering is concerned. That said, it easily feels best in class, and 90 percent of the time the steering in this car feels hefty, aggressive, precise, and smooth. Not much road feel, but the steering still feels enthusiastic regardless.
The V6 in this car makes 300 horsepower. I don’t think it feels quite like 300 horsepower unless you really floor the gas, but the Maxima is still quick. The power comes on similar to how it did in the previous generation: smooth with a rich sense in torque and horsepower, an evenly distributed power band, and a relatively uninterrupted wave of torque from the CVT. You just step on the gas and watch that speedometer climb, with your typical muted, burly, refined yet somewhat agricultural noises that you would expect from a Nissan V6. That 300 horsepower figure shocked me, but a large FWD car like the Maxima doesn’t really do that horsepower figure much justice. The Maxima feels notably more sprightly compared to other full-size sedans, but the acceleration feels more like a regular V6 family sedan than it does a 300 horsepower sport sedan, if that makes sense. It doesn’t really put a smile on your face like a lighter, RWD, manual transmission sports car with 300 horsepower would. That said, the Maxima is very powerful, it doesn’t really feel susceptible to torque steer, and you’ll still most likely be able to surprise your passengers when you stomp the gas in this thing. The power feels smooth, powerful, and perfectly balanced.
The CVT in this car is one of the best in the business. There’s no delay when you hit the accelerator, unlike many other CVT-equipped vehicles I’ve driven. It all feels very smooth and seamless in its application. It feels notably sportier and more responsive compared to all the other Nissan CVTs, even the ones used in the V6 models. The shifts between gear ratios feel much more natural in this car, versus the other Nissan CVTs with their fake, artificial shifts. The Maxima’s gear ratios shift much faster and more eloquently, and each ratio seems to deliver the exact amount of power that your foot is requesting it to. I didn’t feel any rubber band sensations, nor did I feel delays or pauses in the engine’s power band. The throttle responds quickly, the sensation of power is immediate, and its very easy to modulate the amount of power you need. The CVT feels really predictable in what its doing, and it works with you in helping you plan out just the right amount of power for any given situation. When you need some passing power, the CVT snaps into a lower ratio and whisks you right up to speed. Everything feels seamless and tuned in just like a well programmed automatic transmission, only difference is the shifts just feel smoother. I would still rather have at least a traditional automatic, but the CVT in this car performs very well.
Handling of the Maxima is really good for the class it competes in. I don’t think it handles like a “4 door sports car”, but it does feel more buttoned down around corners compared to other Nissan products built on the same platform. I could tell that they put in some additional suspension work to make this car feel more balanced, as I was definitely feeling more confident to go around turns quicker in this car than I was in the Altima. The chassis feels flat and refined when you take turns, and the responsive steering helps the Maxima feel sprightly and engaging. The car does feel a little heavy, and there is some modest amounts of body lean, but its all kept to a minimum. It actually reminds me a bit of the new Camry in a way. The Maxima has that same feeling of effortlessness and composure, and while you still feel somewhat isolated from the road to an extent, you also get a nice feeling of confidence and incisiveness.
In terms of ride quality, the Maxima also excels. Most Nissan products tend to have good ride quality, however I felt that cars like the Altima, Sentra, and Pathfinder felt a little jittery over bumps. The Maxima’s chassis remains flat and stable over rough road surfaces. It’s a bit of a stiffer ride, but this car still handles bumps with finesse. The Maxima just seems to have a really nice blend between sporty handling and comfortable ride quality.
As for the general response, everything really tuned in and connected with driver inputs. The accelerator has just the right amount of resistance, and it has a sharp, immediate response. I found that I did need to go a little deeper into the throttle to get some passing power, but overall everything feels very predictable and tuned just right. The bite from the brake pedal feels about average in terms of resistance and feel, it’s not touchy but not dead and vague either. In fact, the bite seems to feel pretty well defined, and the brakes give you a great sense of confidence and control that I didn’t quite feel in some of the other Nissans that I’ve driven. The stopping power feels strong and robust, and the chassis doesn’t feel shaken or disturbed by harder and more aggressive stops. It’s very easy to keep a balanced, consistent speed in this car as well, and the chassis feels strong and substantial. It’s the kind of car that will make you believe that you’re going much slower than you actually are.
The Maxima also has competitive interior noise levels.. Even at higher speeds, the cabin noise remains on the low side. The hushed road noise feels synonymous with the Maxima’s $33K base MSRP, and it’s definitely quieter than most of the other Nissans out there.
As for visibility, the Maxima is pretty good. The front hood appears to be big and imposing from the driver’s seat, and the windshield feels pushed back further away from the driver. However, I didn’t have any issues seeing out of the Maxima. It feels easy to drive and see out of, and it seems to be a very easy car to park for its size. The large side mirrors give you all the visibility you could possibly need, and the rear window gives you clear, open, and unobstructed sight lines.
And that about covers it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the Maxima, but after driving it, I can say that it is easily my favorite car in the segment. It drives better than most midsize family sedans, let alone full-size family sedans. With quick and hefty steering, a powerful V6, snappy and responsive CVT transmission, relatively flat handling, and a gorgeous interior, the Maxima is practically good enough to wear Infiniti badges, and it boasts itself as a really good daily driver. It would be nice to at least have AWD in this car, but I found that the only situation where the FWD powertrain seemed obvious was under hard acceleration. Other than that, this car disguises its FWD structure fairly well, and it feels rightfully differentiated from all the other Nissan products. If you’re looking for a larger sedan, definitely put the Maxima on your test drive list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDC4iQxP724