Nissan Maxima 2004 Review

What we liked
>> Plush comfortable ride
>> Very quiet and refined
>> Quality materials and finish

Not so much
>> Engine needs premium unleaded
>> Seats lack support
>> Brake pedal is too soft

OVERVIEW
Nissan's largish Maxima sedan has long been a sleeper in the lineup. Despite having one of the best V6 engines around, its very conservative styling and reputation for a lack of excitement has seen it dubbed the perfect car for accountants. Good value, quality build and very competent, but also very boring. So with the new car, design and style was a high priority in an attempt to shift its image and nearly double its sales volumes.

With propaganda lines that describe the car as having been designed for "luxury living" -- that's "modern luxury" however, and not "traditional luxury", whatever that means -- the car is aimed at the "modern business executive who is into design, but not designer labels". So you get the message that car has been significantly sharpened up on the aesthetic front.

It has also been given a substantial power boost, courtesy of the 500cc bigger, 3.5-litre V6, and is more refined and drives better than its predecessor. It gains too on the equipment front (particularly comfort and convenience goodies) and is, in real terms, cheaper than its predecessor.

FEATURES
Despite all the esoteric, design-related, 'gobbledy-gook' delivered at the launch, the new Maxima is actually a much better-looking car, with quite a European-style design.

Three-quarter, side and rear views are its best vantage points, because with big tall headlights book-ending a wide grille, the front end visage makes the car look kind of skinny. It's hardly a radical redesign, but it certainly makes it more contemporary and appealing.

The shape pitches the car into a broader potential market that may get Europhiles looking at it, as well as those who want solid, reliable and affordable Japanese prestige.

Inside, there is a greater departure from the traditional and it works nicely in conjunction with a cabin that delivers a very comfortable, quiet and refined ambience.

The lineup, as before, runs to three trim levels, with just the one engine/auto transmission option. Prices start at $39,990 for the ST-L. The mid-spec Ti retails for $45,990, with the top of the range Ti-L priced at $48,990.

COMFORT
There is no doubting the new Maxima is a comfortable car to drive and ride in. It has a suspension tune that has deliberately eschewed any degree of 'sportiness', despite what might be hinted at by the more dynamic visual design.

The MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension does a good job at cosseting occupants from the harshness of most road surfaces and, with good rebound control, the car feels reasonably well tied down.

It is, however, quite softly sprung so you do get body roll when pushing harder through corners, although it is not excessive. The seats look good and, on first impression, are comfortable. But they lack lumbar support and over a longer period can get uncomfortable.

As well as better looking, the new body is also bigger, adding about 15mm in each direction in the cabin, which remains very quiet at all speeds. There is plenty of leg and headroom for rear passengers, and while there is no split-fold option on the seat back, the boot is quite big.

Given its pitch at the luxury market, the Maxima is well equipped, with standard dual-zone climate control, remote central locking, power windows and driver's seat, cruise control and CD sound system.

The mid-range Ti gains leather trim, sunroof, six-stack CD player in the glovebox and power front passenger seat. The top-of-the-range model also gets rear parking sensors and a rear seat entertainment system that includes a DVD/CD/MP3 player and 7-inch screen with infra-red headphones.

SAFETY
There is no shortage of electronic safety aids in the new Maxima. In terms of avoidance assistance, the four disc brakes feature ABS with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist. The brakes do pull the car up okay but the pedal feels too soft, and under hard braking pushes almost to the floor. Additional traction is afforded by a vehicle stability control system and the 215/55 17-inch tyres provide good grip.

Inside, there are driver and passenger front and side airbags and front and rear curtain airbags on Ti models. The curtains are an option on the ST-L. The top-spec Maxima also gets active head restraints to help reduce whiplash injuries and all models have double seatbelt pre-tensioners on the front seats.

MECHANICAL
There were never any complaints about the previous Maxima's 3.0-litre V6, so the increase in capacity and power is really a bonus. The 3.5-litre engine is identical to that found under the bonnet of the 350Z, although it has been electronically detuned to produce 36 fewer kilowatts and 30 less Newtonmetres, with maximum outputs of 170kW and 333Nm respectively.

This is, however, still an eight and 14 per cent rise in power and torque over the old 3.0-litre and the engine has lost none of its smooth refinement. Unlike the 350Z, however, the engine in the Maxima drives the front wheels.

It is mated to a four-speed automatic without any tiptronic style option, and although we reckon the latter is not necessary, we can't help feeling that a five-speed might make better use of the superb engine.

COMPETITORS
Nissan's most obvious rival is the new Honda Accord V6, against which it is directly priced, and while both are very competent cars, the Nissan probably wins out on style. Despite its Euro visuals -- it was often suggested the car was a VW Passat in blind clinic testing -- Nissan is not really targeting such products. The company expects to find its additional customers from those that buy the upper-spec Falcons and Commodores like Fairmonts and Berlinas.

ON THE ROAD
The first thing that strikes you about the Maxima is its refinement and smoothness, with very little intrusion from any source on quiet conversation in the comfy cabin. It feels and looks well built and sits solidly, almost heavily, on the road.

The engine is a delightful unit, although it doesn't pull the car off the line with any astonishing degree of urgency, and is perfect for comfortable cruising.

It is not a car designed to push hard along a country road. Although it maintains its line as requested by the direct and well weighted steering, the body roll and lack of seat support -- especially with the leather trim -- detracts from the experience.

The interior is very well finished and everything falls easily to hand and foot. There is plenty of storage and space for occupants, and the car lacks little equipment. The new Maxima builds substantially on the attributes of its predecessor and does it with the added benefit of some visual appeal. It doesn't reinvent the prestige car but is still well worth considering.

BOTTOM LINE: Euro-influenced space and grace combined with a touch of Nismo pace

In hindsight my SMS was, at the very least, premature. "Interior by IKEA. Suspension by Clark Rubber," I texted (pulled over, of course) when electronically quizzed by Herr Butler after just 30 minutes behind the wheel of the latest Maxima. Now after a full week I have to admit to being quite taken by the car -- not least because of its comfortable Euro-influenced interior and subtle, fuss-free ride around town.

Damned with feint praise through several incarnations, the latest Maxima offers plenty of space and a cracking 350Z-derived V6 powerplant, wrapped up in a stylish package that drew admiring comments from a range of ages and genders during its stay at CarPoint.

On the subject of looks, the Maxima's new suit has a hint of updated Rover SD1 about it, though the silhouette is more cab forward and the design eschews the big hatch. A true four-door sedan, it's finished with just enough brightwork to accent the neat lines of the car. Smart multi-spoked 17-inch alloys have plenty of meat about them and are pleasing to the eye.

The simple but stylish interior relies heavily on plastic woodgrain panels that run the width of the dash and highlight the centre console. It's a touch IKEA (Nissan would probably like me to say Bang & Olufsen) but somehow escapes the label -- albeit by the skin of its teeth. The ST-L's carbon-weave look seat facings are conspicuous by their lack of paneling or pleating. A single central seam gives the firm but comfortable pews a unique look that just plain works with the rest of the minimalist interior.

Though officially the base model, at a latte and cannoli under the $40,000 mark the ST-L is nonetheless well equipped. Driver and passenger front and side airbags, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist) dual-zone climate control, remote central locking, power windows and driver's seat, cruise control and a single disk CD sound system are all standard equipment. Our test vehicle was fitted with optional curtain airbags, adding $1000 to the price.

All Maximas share the same 170kW powerplant and four-speed gated autobox. It's a muscular, free revving mil that lets the Maxima lift its skirts and boogie -- whoa-to-go and in-gear performance is excellent.

The plot isn't quite so refined once the road gets twisty. Though the Maxima's ride is supple and well damped, body roll is more pronounced than, say, its Magna, Camry or Accord V6 opposition when you take the decision to push on. Get too enthusiastic and things can get untidy before Nissan's standard VDC tractional control steps in.

Whilst comparing apples with apples, we also got the impression that the Maxima's turning circle was noticeably larger than these carpark regulars. That said, the published dimensions suggest there's little in it.

Smooth, commendably quiet and refined, and with just enough cabin quirkiness and exterior panache, the Maxima's got plenty to recommend it. Getting a handle on these qualities might take more than a five minute test drive but take it from us, it's time well spent.