Review: 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV
09-11-08, 07:41 PM
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Review: 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV
By widespread CL interest, a review of the 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV
http://www.nissanusa.com/maxima/
In a Nutshell: A four-door sports car it's advertised.......a four-door sports car it is (by FWD sedan standards).
I noticed a pretty fair amount of CL interest in the new Maxima, and received a couple of specific requests for a review, so here you are. It's been on my review list for a while now (like the new 2009 Acura TL), but local dealers here in the D.C. area have not had them till now, though other 2009 Nissan models have been available. Demand for new Maximas, at the moment, does not appear to be excessive. They, of course, compete somewhat with with entry-level Infiniti G35s, though all recent Maximas are FWD rather than the G35's RWD/AWD.
In the American market, the Maxima is marketed as Nissan's flagship; its largest and highest-priced sedan, though some versions (as just stated) overlap entry-level Infinitis. The Maxima, in some ways, could be thought of as a front-drive, somewhat restyled Infiniti G35....or an extended Nissan Altima. All of the Nissan/Infinti mid-sized G, EX, FX, Altima, and Z platforms, of course, whether FWD, RWD, or AWD, are roughly and loosely related....with the Infiniti M platform a somewhat stretched version. This is one of Nissan's means of cost-control; having many of their U.S.-market passenger cars originate from the same platform. They all share the same 3.5 and 3.7L V6 engine blocks (and, increasingly, CVT transmissions), too, except for the Infiniti M45/FX45 models. Most of the CVT models, though, are still sold with Nissan-badged vehicles; Infiniti has been slower to adopt the CVT. And the Nissan Skyline GT-R supercar, of course, is a whole different ball game...it, of course, has its own unique engineering.
The Nissan Maxima traces its roots to the old Datsun 810 of the late 1970's (some of you older CL members, like me, will remember the 810). The 810 was marketed as a larger Datsun that had a little more room inside and more comfort than the small, cramped, entry-level Datsun buzz-boxes. It competed with the Toyota Crown/Cressida. Datsun changed the 810's name, after a couple of years, to the Maxima, and then dropped the Datsun entirely and adopted the Nissan badge that was used in most other countries. The 810/Maxima had classic, efficient, three-box styling, followed by pretty the same boxy styling for the second-generation model of the 1980's (a close friend of mine had a 2nd-gen Maxima that was carjacked and stolen...he bought it at an auction, put it on the market for sale, and didn't bother to get insurance for it (No, you can't always trust people who come out to look at your car). Fortunately, the guy was caught.
The 810 and the first two generations of the Maxima looked and drove (IMO) like stodgy, sluggish, Grandpa-cars, especially compared to the crisp-handling Madza sedans I was driving at the time. When I test-drove my friend's 2nd-gen Maxima, I found it not only boring and cardboard-like, but also full of ding-dong bells and chimes that told you to do this, and that, and what you forget to do......no, thanks.
Later-generation Maximas gradually lost the stodgy look and feel of the early ones, and gradually started to become more driver-oriented. In fact, by the 1990's, Nissan had developed a reputation for some pretty nice, driver-oriented designs (the Z sports car, of course, had always been), and the Maxima was gaining a reputation as a credible sport sedan, by Japanese standards. Then came Nissan's famous economic crash, and Renault's buyout. Once Carlos Ghosn of Renault got his hands on the company, it may have saved money and bankrupcy, but the results, car-wise, IMO, were a disaster. Nissan interiors became so cheap, with such flimsy and unattractive materials, that they replaced Hyundai (who, conversely, was steadily improving its produsts at this time) as the chief butt of automotive jokes on the late-night TV shows. When I went to review the first new Nissan Altima after Ghosn took over (I don't remember if that car debuted in 2000 or 2001), I fould the interior, and especially the dash, so offensively cheap that I walked right out and didn't even bother to test-drive it (Same with the good-looking, but incredibly flimsy, Ford Mustang interior, but I later relented and reviewed a Mustang GT).
For several years after about 2000 or so, Nissan interiors were substandard.........this was often-criticized in the automotive press and magazines too, not just me. But Ghosn's cost-cutting worked; enough people, who didn't care about nice interiors, bought those products that Nissan was returned to relative profitability, and the company was saved from bankrupy.
Which, now, brings us to the subject of today's review.....the new 2009 Maxima. Today, Nissan is a whole new car company again....and it shows in the new Maxima, though there are still a few flaws....more on that below. But the time of flimsy, cardboard interiors and trim seems to be gone. The new Maxima, as befits a Nissan flagship, is not only pretty nicely built, but also has some nice, Infiniti-derived touches inside.....again, more on that below. And, Nissan, like Mazda with its 2009 Mazda6 sedan, is openly touting the new Maxima as a "4 Door Sports Car"...even to the point of plastering it on the window price sticker.
The new 2009 Maxima, like its slightly smaller brother Altima, is front-drive....the days of RWD Maximas are long gone. Two basic versions are offered here in America; a base 3.5 S and upmarket 3.5 SV model, with SV Sport and SV Premium versions available. All four versions have the same, ubiquitous Nissan/Infiniti 3.5L V6 (in this version, with 290 HP and 261 Ft-lbs. of torque), and a CVT (Continuously-Variable transmission) with Manual and Sport-tronic modes (Yes, despite being a CVT, it actually "shifts"....more on that later). No conventional automatic or manual is available in the American market. Prices start at just under 30K for base 3.5 S models and run to the mid-high 30s for loaded SV models. I chose a gray/black 3.5 SV model with Bluetooth, NAV/Tech Package, and a couple of other features for the review. Sport-package models are also available, but, as you will see below, the car already is so agile that, IMO, the Sport Package, with its 19" wheels, is unnecessary.
I found the new Maxima a very interesting car, with some excellent points and a few flaws. For the most part, it lives up to its sport-oriented advertising, and definitely shows a better-quality interior compared to just a few years ago. Details? read on.
Model Reviewed: 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV
Base Price: $31,990
Major Options:
Technology Package: $2400
Bluetooth Package: $300
Floor/Trunk Mats: $180
HID/Xenon Headlights: $400
Destination/Freight: $695
List price as reviewed: $35,965
Drivetrain: FWD, transverse-mounted 3.5L DOHC VTEC V6, 290 HP @ 6400 RPM, 261 Ft-lbs. torque @ 4400,
X-Tronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with Direct-Shift and Manual modes.
EPA Mileage Ratings: 19 City, 26 Highway
Exterior Color: Precision Gray
Interior: Charcoal (Black) Leather
PLUSSES:
Smooth, powerful 3.5L V6.
Smooth, versatile CVT transmission.
Right-now steering response.
Relatively flat cornering and lack of body roll.
Sponge-free, effective brakes.
Nice paint job.
Good exterior hardware.
Handsome exterior (IMO) styling.
Generally high-quality interior materials.
White instrument-panel lights a big improvement.
Excellent NAV/stereo control layout....one of the best.
High-quality stereo.
Well-finished trunk.
Classy interior trim.
Easy battery access.
Fold-down rear seats for cargo.
3 leather colors available.
Efficient articulating trunk hinges.
Heavy, solid doors.
MINUSES:
Stiff front suspension causes jolts.
Paddle shifters restricted to top-level packages.
Temporary spare tire not worthy of this vehicle class.
(once again) Funeral-home paint colors.
Rear head and shoulder room compromised too much.
Relatively small trunk opening.
Uncomfortable steering wheel (to my tastes).
Poor underhood layout (except the good battery location).
Light, vague-feeling transmission shifter.
Noticeable road noise on coarse surface.
Cheap-looking black stereo *****.
Awkward, foot-operated, step-on parking brake.
All-Black interior rather monotone-stark in places.
Glaring, yellow-orange trip odometer and dash gear-selector indicators.
Rear Wheel wells intrude sharply on trunk space.
Inconvieient trunk-mounted rear-seat pull-levers.
EXTERIOR:
As you walk up to the new Maxima, the first thing that strikes you is the uniqueness (by Nissan standards) of its exterior design......it looks like no other U.S. market Nissan vehicle. In fact, overall, IMO, it looks a lot like the new Honda Accord. It more or less shares the Accord's basic grille, front end, and rear end design..........nothing wrong with that, IMO, as I consider both the new Accord and the new Maxima to be handsomely done, style-wise. It has a little bit of the BMW-forward kink in the C-pillar, in this case, with strip of very well-done a couple of inches wide on it. In back, you won't find any of those goofy clear lens, bullet-shaped, Altima-style, mulicolored taillights; just two nicely-done red lenses. The low, arched roofline contributes to the car's sporty looks (fulfilling the advertising), but also cramps interior and trunk space.....more on that below.
As far as quality of materials, the exterior is also well done in that department. Sheet metal is solid and well fitted....it seemed all like a fairly good gauge except maybe (?) the hood (see below). The twin outside mirrors an housing were of a somewhat thinner plastic than is typical of Japanese-designed cars (even current ones), but, nontheless, were precisely-fit, very easy-swiveling, and locked into place with a precise "click". (You have to look at and feel the typical-junk plastic outside mirrors on many American-designed vehicles, even upmarket ones, to really appreciate this). Turn-signal indicators are built into the lower-front part of the mirror housings, as befits a car of this class. Paintwork is generally well-done, with little orange peel, even application, and a good gloss, but is not quite in the Acura/Infiniti/Lexus range. Once again, though, as is so often the case, the choice of exterior paint colors, IMO, are more at home on a coffin than on an automobile.
Exterior chrome, which can be found on several places, including door handles, trunk lid, C-Pillar, and front end, is very well-done...it looks and feels more like real metal chrome (but probably isn't) than the usual shiny-plated plastic. All the rest of the trim is well-done and solidly attached....I found nothing loose or flimsy. The shape of the inward-canting rear doors/windows and rear fenders, however, cuts into both rear-seat shoulder room and trunk space.....more on that below.
UNDERHOOD:
Open the lightweight but solid hood (I couldn't tell if it was steel or aluminum), and two nice dual gas-struts hold it up for you, and a nice insulation pad helps damp out some engine noise. Unfortunately, the underhood layout itself is poorly done for do-it-yourselfers...with one exception. The battery is right up front, uncovered, and easy to reach and service. But, like many other upmarket cars, almost EVERYTHING else is covered up in big, unnecessary plastic covers, with just a couple of holes/cutouts for dipsticks and reservoir caps. The 3.5L V6 is crammed in sideways like a sardine......forget about reaching anything significant either on the front or back side. If Ralph Nader could get us legislation outlawing this kind of design like he did on other auto-related things 40 years ago, I might actually consider holding my nose and voting for him. I get irked when I see nonsense in auto design.
INTERIOR:
Inside, the new Maxima is head and shoulders above some other new recent Maxima/Altima interior designs that Ghosn & Co. have given us.....designs that a base, compact, rental-car could have put to shame. Altima interiors actually started to improve a couple of years ago.....now it's the Maxima's turn. Two colors of cloth (in the base 3.5 S versions) are available, and three leather colors in the upmarket ones. The leather itself is of a nice grade, though, not super-soft like Lexus/Jaguar leather. The all-black interior, with little contrasting silver trim, was a little too monotone for my tastes, but nontheless looked and felt classy. The beige leather, with the black dash, like in many other vehicles with the same contrast, looked the classiest to me. My test car, with the black interior, had a nice dark gray imitation carbon-fiber pattern on the door panels, console, and dash strips, that but wasn't light enough to really contrast the rest of the black trim. The interior silver/chrome was a flat-silver finish, but didn't look or feel cheap like the painted-silver does in a lot of vehicles. All of the interior trim, except the cheap-looking and feeling, flat-black, plastic stereo buttons, was high quality and well-done.
The front seats were fairly well-shaped for support, but did not have the sharp side bolstering found in, say, a Mitsubishi Evo or Subaru STi. I found the lower cushion a little firm for my tastes, but then I do in most of today's vehicles....nothing new there (yes, I DO like soft Buick seats). The power-adjustments are the usual figure-shaped controls on the lower-left of the seat, and I found I had to lower the seat and its cushions all the way and rake the sat-back a little to clear the sunroof housing with my 6' 2" frame and baseball cap. Credit the low, "Sport" image roofline....another sop to the marketing image. In back, the drop-down roof line and higher-mounted rear seats cut into headroom for tall adults even more, though foot/legroom remains relatively good, like in front. However, the design of the two rear doors, with the inward-sweeping rear windows, cuts into shoulder room. Both rear windows are, inward, several inches narrower than the bulging door frames they are fitted into.
I also found the steering wheel's leather and stitching a little unpleasant-feeling, but no real complaint....and, otherwise, the rest of the interior was superb, especially compared to the junk we got on previous Maximas. The well-designed, clear, primary gauges have dumped the yellow-orange dash lighting of previous Nissans/Infinitis and gone to a nice, backlit electroluminescent white, though the odometer/trip computer and gear-indicator displays remain a distracting bright orange. The NAV/Tech package is superb.......one of the few times I can say that about a production car. Unlike most cars that integrate the stereo and NAv controls into one big, undecipherable mess, Nissan, in the Maxima, keeps the NAV screen above and the stereo unit, underneath, separate, with nice, separate controls. The NAV screen has an Infiniti-type dash controller built in, that, while not exactly simple, is, at least, much less complex than most automotive NAV controls, and the buttons are large, clearly labeled, and operate crisply, along with a solid, super-slick, chromed rotary ****. The stereo controls are all underneath, separate, and, with the aforementioned exception of the cheap-looking tuning and volume *****, just as slick and easy to operate. (Nader, again, are you listening?....here is a design benchmark for NAV systems). You have to see this unit and feel it to appreciate it. A back-up camera, like in many other similiar systems, operates when the transmission is in reverse, so you don't back up right over Junior on his tricycle.
CARGO AREA/TRUNK:
Open the solid and precise-fitting trunk lid, with its clever, articulating hinges that let it open up and past vertical, and you are treated to a fairly well-finished trunk compartment.........with a couple of design flaws. The floor is covered in a nice grade of dark gray carpet that is reasonably plush; the trunk walls have what feels like an industrial-grade carpet with a matching color. The split-rear seats fold down to expand the cargo area, but lack the remote release-handles found in some other upmarket cars.....you must bend down under the rear shelf and reach way back to two light gray manual pull-straps (inside the two rear doors, of course, are conventional drop-downs). Under the trunk floor, in the usual space, is a full-sized but temporary spare tire/wheel. Come on Nissan....this is your flagship. A real spare, please.
The same swept, too-low rear roofline that cramps rear-seat headroom inside also cramps the relative size of the trunk opening, so those clever trunk-lid hinges come in handy and Maximize (no pun intended) the size of the available opening. And, inside, the trunk is fairly deep front-to-back (to the backs of the rear seat), but somewhat narrow across the two intruding rear wheel wells. Long items, providing they are not too tall, can be fairly easily carried, but wide items might be a little tight.
ON THE ROAD:
Start up the ubiquitous 3.5L liter V6 with a state-of-the-art push-button (the first for a Maxima), and it settles into a smooth, quiet idle. This engine has had a high reputation and great respect in the auto press for years, and it shows. It has been honed and refined for many years, and, in some versions, now produces over 300 HP (290 in this version), and will easily keep up with some V8s. After some slight lag at lower RPMs, you get a healthy shove in the back as the tach needle climbs. Not Corvette or Viper-quick, but substantially more than enough to get out of its own way. You generally won't have to sweat getting around that long 18-wheeler while passing on a two-lane road with oncoming traffic. Power delivery is not only smooth and relatively quiet (some exhaust noise makes it way in on hard acceleration), but, to top it off, this engine has a well-deserved reputation for reliability as well. Unfortunately, Nissan doesn't say on their website specs whether this engine can use 87 Octane or not.....and the paper brochures weren't printed or sent yet at the time of the review.
The CVT transmission is an interesting piece of work. I didn't particularly like the light, tinny feel and action of the leather-covered shift lever, but, underneath the lever, it's clear that Nissan has had a lot of work and experience with CVTs (as mentioned earlier, it is the only U.S. market transmission for the Maxima). The company uses CVTs on many of their products, and had time to get them well on the road to perfection. In the past, not only at Nissan but with other CVTs as well, some people have complained about the weird engine-transmission RPM match-ups and sensations that CVTs, even with computer control sometimes produce. Some of these sensations are known as "motorboating" or "rubber-banding", similiar to small outboard motors on boats that rev up and down with little reaction at first, and then rubbery leaping motions. With no gear changes as such, a conventional CVT produces no sensations other than engine sounds and RPM changes. Nissan's answer to this (and copied, to some extent, by other manufacturers), is to rework the transmission/computer relationship to produce gear "ranges" or "steps" in an otherwise stepless-ratio transmission. They more or less simulate the noticeable gear changes in a conventional automatic transmission....the shifting sensations that most drivers have become accustomed to over decades. These "gears" are activated either fully automatically with the lever in the normal Drive position, in a "Sport" automatic mode with the lever to the left (but remaining fully automatic and just altering the shift points), or like a conventional manual-shift automatic gate by bumping the lever forward and back for (+) and (-). In the manual-shift mode, like most automatics, the selected "gear" range is lit up on the dash. Like I said earlier, I wasn't wild about the shifter feel, but that is a function of the shift-lever materials and linkage, not the transmission itself. Shift paddles on the steering wheel would be nice, but, unfortunately, are not available without the Sport Package.
Like with the relatively strong engine, handling and chassis was where this car most met its "sport" advertising theme. Steering response, with the 18" 45-series tires, was astoundingly quick for a mid-to-large-size FWD sedan, almost to the point of being darty. And here's the rub.....this was WITHOUT the optional Sport Package and its 19" rubber. I've driven RWD BMWs that didn't react as quick. But the power steering (like most cars) was some ways off from BMW on actual steering feel...it didn't have the BMW telepathic perfection of feel that lets you steer the car almost blindfolded. Still, reactions are lightning-quick for a FWD sedan of this size, and it will give a good account of itself on a winding road (at the cost, probably, with the heavy FWD weight and stress of quick handling up front, of rapid front-tire wear if the tires aren't rotated frequently). Body roll, as befits a sport sedan, was minimal. Wind noise was well-contolled, with good sealing. Road noise was reasonably well-controlled on smooth asphalt surfaces, but rose noticeably on concrete or coarse asphalt. And, of course, the trade-off for that sharp, quick-response steering and flat cornering was a stiff ride..........IMO, excessively stiff over expansion joints and small bumps, where the rigid front suspension jolted the car up and down and jerked the steering wheel in your hands. I checked the tire pressures...they were OK. It's just one more sign that BMW and Mercedes engineers seem to be about the only ones that really know how to combine a good ride with good handling on a non-active suspension. Most cars, including the Maxima, trade off one for the other.
Brakes were fine....no problems. The pedal was virtually free from sponginess, had immediate and good response, and was well-placed next to the gas pedal so that my big size-15 clown-shoes didn't hang up on the pedal. Unfortunately, the parking brake, under the left side of the dash, was foot-operated with a typical ratchet mechanism and pull-release, rather awkward for persons with big legs like mine to lift them and step up and down on the pedal. If this is supposed to be a "Sports" vehicle, then how about moving the lever back to the console where it belongs?
THE VERDICT:
What we have here is perhaps the first totally new Maxima after Carlos Ghosn's well-publicized cost-cuts and shoddy interiors. Nissan took some pains to address the concerns and complaints with those previous models. To a large extent, it succeeded. The V6 engine is refined and powerful, the CVT transmission works smoothly and unobtrusively, the regular wheel brakes are well-designed, the exterior is handsome and well-done with mostly good materials, and the interior, especially compared to older Maximas, is generally superb, with one of the best NAV/stereo control layouts on the market. The lightning-quick steering, agile handling, well-done brakes, and lack of body roll, even without the Sport Package, all combine to fullfill Nissan's ad campaign of a "4-door sports car", similiar to Mazda's "Zoom-Zoom".
But there are a couple of flies in the ointment as well. Nissan's steering/chassis engineers, good as they are, need a trip to Munich or Stuttgart to see how the BMW and Mercedes people do it......the Maxima is so strongly oriented to quick steering reponse and flat cornering that the chassis, like that of the Lexus IS-F, is, IMO. overly stiff over bumps. The rear doors and roofline could use a redesign to make them less intrusive on head and shoulder room. The steering wheel rim and shift-lever action could use minor improvements to their feel in your hands. It needs a real spare tire, more efficiently-designed wheel wells for trunk space, much better underhood access, and more cheerful paint colors.
But, all in all, a well-done sport/semi-luxury sedan that, on smooth roads where the stiff chassis doesn't jar you, is a delight to drive. It is more or less a companion to the Honda Accord in looks, and (now, finally) approxomates the Accord's build quality. For those who would like a FWD, better-traction alternative to Infiniti's RWD G35 sedan, and don't want the expense, weight, or drag of the G35's optional AWD, the Maxima is certainly worth a look....and some of you at CL seem to agree.
http://www.nissanusa.com/maxima/
In a Nutshell: A four-door sports car it's advertised.......a four-door sports car it is (by FWD sedan standards).
I noticed a pretty fair amount of CL interest in the new Maxima, and received a couple of specific requests for a review, so here you are. It's been on my review list for a while now (like the new 2009 Acura TL), but local dealers here in the D.C. area have not had them till now, though other 2009 Nissan models have been available. Demand for new Maximas, at the moment, does not appear to be excessive. They, of course, compete somewhat with with entry-level Infiniti G35s, though all recent Maximas are FWD rather than the G35's RWD/AWD.
In the American market, the Maxima is marketed as Nissan's flagship; its largest and highest-priced sedan, though some versions (as just stated) overlap entry-level Infinitis. The Maxima, in some ways, could be thought of as a front-drive, somewhat restyled Infiniti G35....or an extended Nissan Altima. All of the Nissan/Infinti mid-sized G, EX, FX, Altima, and Z platforms, of course, whether FWD, RWD, or AWD, are roughly and loosely related....with the Infiniti M platform a somewhat stretched version. This is one of Nissan's means of cost-control; having many of their U.S.-market passenger cars originate from the same platform. They all share the same 3.5 and 3.7L V6 engine blocks (and, increasingly, CVT transmissions), too, except for the Infiniti M45/FX45 models. Most of the CVT models, though, are still sold with Nissan-badged vehicles; Infiniti has been slower to adopt the CVT. And the Nissan Skyline GT-R supercar, of course, is a whole different ball game...it, of course, has its own unique engineering.
The Nissan Maxima traces its roots to the old Datsun 810 of the late 1970's (some of you older CL members, like me, will remember the 810). The 810 was marketed as a larger Datsun that had a little more room inside and more comfort than the small, cramped, entry-level Datsun buzz-boxes. It competed with the Toyota Crown/Cressida. Datsun changed the 810's name, after a couple of years, to the Maxima, and then dropped the Datsun entirely and adopted the Nissan badge that was used in most other countries. The 810/Maxima had classic, efficient, three-box styling, followed by pretty the same boxy styling for the second-generation model of the 1980's (a close friend of mine had a 2nd-gen Maxima that was carjacked and stolen...he bought it at an auction, put it on the market for sale, and didn't bother to get insurance for it (No, you can't always trust people who come out to look at your car). Fortunately, the guy was caught.
The 810 and the first two generations of the Maxima looked and drove (IMO) like stodgy, sluggish, Grandpa-cars, especially compared to the crisp-handling Madza sedans I was driving at the time. When I test-drove my friend's 2nd-gen Maxima, I found it not only boring and cardboard-like, but also full of ding-dong bells and chimes that told you to do this, and that, and what you forget to do......no, thanks.
Later-generation Maximas gradually lost the stodgy look and feel of the early ones, and gradually started to become more driver-oriented. In fact, by the 1990's, Nissan had developed a reputation for some pretty nice, driver-oriented designs (the Z sports car, of course, had always been), and the Maxima was gaining a reputation as a credible sport sedan, by Japanese standards. Then came Nissan's famous economic crash, and Renault's buyout. Once Carlos Ghosn of Renault got his hands on the company, it may have saved money and bankrupcy, but the results, car-wise, IMO, were a disaster. Nissan interiors became so cheap, with such flimsy and unattractive materials, that they replaced Hyundai (who, conversely, was steadily improving its produsts at this time) as the chief butt of automotive jokes on the late-night TV shows. When I went to review the first new Nissan Altima after Ghosn took over (I don't remember if that car debuted in 2000 or 2001), I fould the interior, and especially the dash, so offensively cheap that I walked right out and didn't even bother to test-drive it (Same with the good-looking, but incredibly flimsy, Ford Mustang interior, but I later relented and reviewed a Mustang GT).
For several years after about 2000 or so, Nissan interiors were substandard.........this was often-criticized in the automotive press and magazines too, not just me. But Ghosn's cost-cutting worked; enough people, who didn't care about nice interiors, bought those products that Nissan was returned to relative profitability, and the company was saved from bankrupy.
Which, now, brings us to the subject of today's review.....the new 2009 Maxima. Today, Nissan is a whole new car company again....and it shows in the new Maxima, though there are still a few flaws....more on that below. But the time of flimsy, cardboard interiors and trim seems to be gone. The new Maxima, as befits a Nissan flagship, is not only pretty nicely built, but also has some nice, Infiniti-derived touches inside.....again, more on that below. And, Nissan, like Mazda with its 2009 Mazda6 sedan, is openly touting the new Maxima as a "4 Door Sports Car"...even to the point of plastering it on the window price sticker.
The new 2009 Maxima, like its slightly smaller brother Altima, is front-drive....the days of RWD Maximas are long gone. Two basic versions are offered here in America; a base 3.5 S and upmarket 3.5 SV model, with SV Sport and SV Premium versions available. All four versions have the same, ubiquitous Nissan/Infiniti 3.5L V6 (in this version, with 290 HP and 261 Ft-lbs. of torque), and a CVT (Continuously-Variable transmission) with Manual and Sport-tronic modes (Yes, despite being a CVT, it actually "shifts"....more on that later). No conventional automatic or manual is available in the American market. Prices start at just under 30K for base 3.5 S models and run to the mid-high 30s for loaded SV models. I chose a gray/black 3.5 SV model with Bluetooth, NAV/Tech Package, and a couple of other features for the review. Sport-package models are also available, but, as you will see below, the car already is so agile that, IMO, the Sport Package, with its 19" wheels, is unnecessary.
I found the new Maxima a very interesting car, with some excellent points and a few flaws. For the most part, it lives up to its sport-oriented advertising, and definitely shows a better-quality interior compared to just a few years ago. Details? read on.
Model Reviewed: 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV
Base Price: $31,990
Major Options:
Technology Package: $2400
Bluetooth Package: $300
Floor/Trunk Mats: $180
HID/Xenon Headlights: $400
Destination/Freight: $695
List price as reviewed: $35,965
Drivetrain: FWD, transverse-mounted 3.5L DOHC VTEC V6, 290 HP @ 6400 RPM, 261 Ft-lbs. torque @ 4400,
X-Tronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with Direct-Shift and Manual modes.
EPA Mileage Ratings: 19 City, 26 Highway
Exterior Color: Precision Gray
Interior: Charcoal (Black) Leather
PLUSSES:
Smooth, powerful 3.5L V6.
Smooth, versatile CVT transmission.
Right-now steering response.
Relatively flat cornering and lack of body roll.
Sponge-free, effective brakes.
Nice paint job.
Good exterior hardware.
Handsome exterior (IMO) styling.
Generally high-quality interior materials.
White instrument-panel lights a big improvement.
Excellent NAV/stereo control layout....one of the best.
High-quality stereo.
Well-finished trunk.
Classy interior trim.
Easy battery access.
Fold-down rear seats for cargo.
3 leather colors available.
Efficient articulating trunk hinges.
Heavy, solid doors.
MINUSES:
Stiff front suspension causes jolts.
Paddle shifters restricted to top-level packages.
Temporary spare tire not worthy of this vehicle class.
(once again) Funeral-home paint colors.
Rear head and shoulder room compromised too much.
Relatively small trunk opening.
Uncomfortable steering wheel (to my tastes).
Poor underhood layout (except the good battery location).
Light, vague-feeling transmission shifter.
Noticeable road noise on coarse surface.
Cheap-looking black stereo *****.
Awkward, foot-operated, step-on parking brake.
All-Black interior rather monotone-stark in places.
Glaring, yellow-orange trip odometer and dash gear-selector indicators.
Rear Wheel wells intrude sharply on trunk space.
Inconvieient trunk-mounted rear-seat pull-levers.
EXTERIOR:
As you walk up to the new Maxima, the first thing that strikes you is the uniqueness (by Nissan standards) of its exterior design......it looks like no other U.S. market Nissan vehicle. In fact, overall, IMO, it looks a lot like the new Honda Accord. It more or less shares the Accord's basic grille, front end, and rear end design..........nothing wrong with that, IMO, as I consider both the new Accord and the new Maxima to be handsomely done, style-wise. It has a little bit of the BMW-forward kink in the C-pillar, in this case, with strip of very well-done a couple of inches wide on it. In back, you won't find any of those goofy clear lens, bullet-shaped, Altima-style, mulicolored taillights; just two nicely-done red lenses. The low, arched roofline contributes to the car's sporty looks (fulfilling the advertising), but also cramps interior and trunk space.....more on that below.
As far as quality of materials, the exterior is also well done in that department. Sheet metal is solid and well fitted....it seemed all like a fairly good gauge except maybe (?) the hood (see below). The twin outside mirrors an housing were of a somewhat thinner plastic than is typical of Japanese-designed cars (even current ones), but, nontheless, were precisely-fit, very easy-swiveling, and locked into place with a precise "click". (You have to look at and feel the typical-junk plastic outside mirrors on many American-designed vehicles, even upmarket ones, to really appreciate this). Turn-signal indicators are built into the lower-front part of the mirror housings, as befits a car of this class. Paintwork is generally well-done, with little orange peel, even application, and a good gloss, but is not quite in the Acura/Infiniti/Lexus range. Once again, though, as is so often the case, the choice of exterior paint colors, IMO, are more at home on a coffin than on an automobile.
Exterior chrome, which can be found on several places, including door handles, trunk lid, C-Pillar, and front end, is very well-done...it looks and feels more like real metal chrome (but probably isn't) than the usual shiny-plated plastic. All the rest of the trim is well-done and solidly attached....I found nothing loose or flimsy. The shape of the inward-canting rear doors/windows and rear fenders, however, cuts into both rear-seat shoulder room and trunk space.....more on that below.
UNDERHOOD:
Open the lightweight but solid hood (I couldn't tell if it was steel or aluminum), and two nice dual gas-struts hold it up for you, and a nice insulation pad helps damp out some engine noise. Unfortunately, the underhood layout itself is poorly done for do-it-yourselfers...with one exception. The battery is right up front, uncovered, and easy to reach and service. But, like many other upmarket cars, almost EVERYTHING else is covered up in big, unnecessary plastic covers, with just a couple of holes/cutouts for dipsticks and reservoir caps. The 3.5L V6 is crammed in sideways like a sardine......forget about reaching anything significant either on the front or back side. If Ralph Nader could get us legislation outlawing this kind of design like he did on other auto-related things 40 years ago, I might actually consider holding my nose and voting for him. I get irked when I see nonsense in auto design.
INTERIOR:
Inside, the new Maxima is head and shoulders above some other new recent Maxima/Altima interior designs that Ghosn & Co. have given us.....designs that a base, compact, rental-car could have put to shame. Altima interiors actually started to improve a couple of years ago.....now it's the Maxima's turn. Two colors of cloth (in the base 3.5 S versions) are available, and three leather colors in the upmarket ones. The leather itself is of a nice grade, though, not super-soft like Lexus/Jaguar leather. The all-black interior, with little contrasting silver trim, was a little too monotone for my tastes, but nontheless looked and felt classy. The beige leather, with the black dash, like in many other vehicles with the same contrast, looked the classiest to me. My test car, with the black interior, had a nice dark gray imitation carbon-fiber pattern on the door panels, console, and dash strips, that but wasn't light enough to really contrast the rest of the black trim. The interior silver/chrome was a flat-silver finish, but didn't look or feel cheap like the painted-silver does in a lot of vehicles. All of the interior trim, except the cheap-looking and feeling, flat-black, plastic stereo buttons, was high quality and well-done.
The front seats were fairly well-shaped for support, but did not have the sharp side bolstering found in, say, a Mitsubishi Evo or Subaru STi. I found the lower cushion a little firm for my tastes, but then I do in most of today's vehicles....nothing new there (yes, I DO like soft Buick seats). The power-adjustments are the usual figure-shaped controls on the lower-left of the seat, and I found I had to lower the seat and its cushions all the way and rake the sat-back a little to clear the sunroof housing with my 6' 2" frame and baseball cap. Credit the low, "Sport" image roofline....another sop to the marketing image. In back, the drop-down roof line and higher-mounted rear seats cut into headroom for tall adults even more, though foot/legroom remains relatively good, like in front. However, the design of the two rear doors, with the inward-sweeping rear windows, cuts into shoulder room. Both rear windows are, inward, several inches narrower than the bulging door frames they are fitted into.
I also found the steering wheel's leather and stitching a little unpleasant-feeling, but no real complaint....and, otherwise, the rest of the interior was superb, especially compared to the junk we got on previous Maximas. The well-designed, clear, primary gauges have dumped the yellow-orange dash lighting of previous Nissans/Infinitis and gone to a nice, backlit electroluminescent white, though the odometer/trip computer and gear-indicator displays remain a distracting bright orange. The NAV/Tech package is superb.......one of the few times I can say that about a production car. Unlike most cars that integrate the stereo and NAv controls into one big, undecipherable mess, Nissan, in the Maxima, keeps the NAV screen above and the stereo unit, underneath, separate, with nice, separate controls. The NAV screen has an Infiniti-type dash controller built in, that, while not exactly simple, is, at least, much less complex than most automotive NAV controls, and the buttons are large, clearly labeled, and operate crisply, along with a solid, super-slick, chromed rotary ****. The stereo controls are all underneath, separate, and, with the aforementioned exception of the cheap-looking tuning and volume *****, just as slick and easy to operate. (Nader, again, are you listening?....here is a design benchmark for NAV systems). You have to see this unit and feel it to appreciate it. A back-up camera, like in many other similiar systems, operates when the transmission is in reverse, so you don't back up right over Junior on his tricycle.
CARGO AREA/TRUNK:
Open the solid and precise-fitting trunk lid, with its clever, articulating hinges that let it open up and past vertical, and you are treated to a fairly well-finished trunk compartment.........with a couple of design flaws. The floor is covered in a nice grade of dark gray carpet that is reasonably plush; the trunk walls have what feels like an industrial-grade carpet with a matching color. The split-rear seats fold down to expand the cargo area, but lack the remote release-handles found in some other upmarket cars.....you must bend down under the rear shelf and reach way back to two light gray manual pull-straps (inside the two rear doors, of course, are conventional drop-downs). Under the trunk floor, in the usual space, is a full-sized but temporary spare tire/wheel. Come on Nissan....this is your flagship. A real spare, please.
The same swept, too-low rear roofline that cramps rear-seat headroom inside also cramps the relative size of the trunk opening, so those clever trunk-lid hinges come in handy and Maximize (no pun intended) the size of the available opening. And, inside, the trunk is fairly deep front-to-back (to the backs of the rear seat), but somewhat narrow across the two intruding rear wheel wells. Long items, providing they are not too tall, can be fairly easily carried, but wide items might be a little tight.
ON THE ROAD:
Start up the ubiquitous 3.5L liter V6 with a state-of-the-art push-button (the first for a Maxima), and it settles into a smooth, quiet idle. This engine has had a high reputation and great respect in the auto press for years, and it shows. It has been honed and refined for many years, and, in some versions, now produces over 300 HP (290 in this version), and will easily keep up with some V8s. After some slight lag at lower RPMs, you get a healthy shove in the back as the tach needle climbs. Not Corvette or Viper-quick, but substantially more than enough to get out of its own way. You generally won't have to sweat getting around that long 18-wheeler while passing on a two-lane road with oncoming traffic. Power delivery is not only smooth and relatively quiet (some exhaust noise makes it way in on hard acceleration), but, to top it off, this engine has a well-deserved reputation for reliability as well. Unfortunately, Nissan doesn't say on their website specs whether this engine can use 87 Octane or not.....and the paper brochures weren't printed or sent yet at the time of the review.
The CVT transmission is an interesting piece of work. I didn't particularly like the light, tinny feel and action of the leather-covered shift lever, but, underneath the lever, it's clear that Nissan has had a lot of work and experience with CVTs (as mentioned earlier, it is the only U.S. market transmission for the Maxima). The company uses CVTs on many of their products, and had time to get them well on the road to perfection. In the past, not only at Nissan but with other CVTs as well, some people have complained about the weird engine-transmission RPM match-ups and sensations that CVTs, even with computer control sometimes produce. Some of these sensations are known as "motorboating" or "rubber-banding", similiar to small outboard motors on boats that rev up and down with little reaction at first, and then rubbery leaping motions. With no gear changes as such, a conventional CVT produces no sensations other than engine sounds and RPM changes. Nissan's answer to this (and copied, to some extent, by other manufacturers), is to rework the transmission/computer relationship to produce gear "ranges" or "steps" in an otherwise stepless-ratio transmission. They more or less simulate the noticeable gear changes in a conventional automatic transmission....the shifting sensations that most drivers have become accustomed to over decades. These "gears" are activated either fully automatically with the lever in the normal Drive position, in a "Sport" automatic mode with the lever to the left (but remaining fully automatic and just altering the shift points), or like a conventional manual-shift automatic gate by bumping the lever forward and back for (+) and (-). In the manual-shift mode, like most automatics, the selected "gear" range is lit up on the dash. Like I said earlier, I wasn't wild about the shifter feel, but that is a function of the shift-lever materials and linkage, not the transmission itself. Shift paddles on the steering wheel would be nice, but, unfortunately, are not available without the Sport Package.
Like with the relatively strong engine, handling and chassis was where this car most met its "sport" advertising theme. Steering response, with the 18" 45-series tires, was astoundingly quick for a mid-to-large-size FWD sedan, almost to the point of being darty. And here's the rub.....this was WITHOUT the optional Sport Package and its 19" rubber. I've driven RWD BMWs that didn't react as quick. But the power steering (like most cars) was some ways off from BMW on actual steering feel...it didn't have the BMW telepathic perfection of feel that lets you steer the car almost blindfolded. Still, reactions are lightning-quick for a FWD sedan of this size, and it will give a good account of itself on a winding road (at the cost, probably, with the heavy FWD weight and stress of quick handling up front, of rapid front-tire wear if the tires aren't rotated frequently). Body roll, as befits a sport sedan, was minimal. Wind noise was well-contolled, with good sealing. Road noise was reasonably well-controlled on smooth asphalt surfaces, but rose noticeably on concrete or coarse asphalt. And, of course, the trade-off for that sharp, quick-response steering and flat cornering was a stiff ride..........IMO, excessively stiff over expansion joints and small bumps, where the rigid front suspension jolted the car up and down and jerked the steering wheel in your hands. I checked the tire pressures...they were OK. It's just one more sign that BMW and Mercedes engineers seem to be about the only ones that really know how to combine a good ride with good handling on a non-active suspension. Most cars, including the Maxima, trade off one for the other.
Brakes were fine....no problems. The pedal was virtually free from sponginess, had immediate and good response, and was well-placed next to the gas pedal so that my big size-15 clown-shoes didn't hang up on the pedal. Unfortunately, the parking brake, under the left side of the dash, was foot-operated with a typical ratchet mechanism and pull-release, rather awkward for persons with big legs like mine to lift them and step up and down on the pedal. If this is supposed to be a "Sports" vehicle, then how about moving the lever back to the console where it belongs?
THE VERDICT:
What we have here is perhaps the first totally new Maxima after Carlos Ghosn's well-publicized cost-cuts and shoddy interiors. Nissan took some pains to address the concerns and complaints with those previous models. To a large extent, it succeeded. The V6 engine is refined and powerful, the CVT transmission works smoothly and unobtrusively, the regular wheel brakes are well-designed, the exterior is handsome and well-done with mostly good materials, and the interior, especially compared to older Maximas, is generally superb, with one of the best NAV/stereo control layouts on the market. The lightning-quick steering, agile handling, well-done brakes, and lack of body roll, even without the Sport Package, all combine to fullfill Nissan's ad campaign of a "4-door sports car", similiar to Mazda's "Zoom-Zoom".
But there are a couple of flies in the ointment as well. Nissan's steering/chassis engineers, good as they are, need a trip to Munich or Stuttgart to see how the BMW and Mercedes people do it......the Maxima is so strongly oriented to quick steering reponse and flat cornering that the chassis, like that of the Lexus IS-F, is, IMO. overly stiff over bumps. The rear doors and roofline could use a redesign to make them less intrusive on head and shoulder room. The steering wheel rim and shift-lever action could use minor improvements to their feel in your hands. It needs a real spare tire, more efficiently-designed wheel wells for trunk space, much better underhood access, and more cheerful paint colors.
But, all in all, a well-done sport/semi-luxury sedan that, on smooth roads where the stiff chassis doesn't jar you, is a delight to drive. It is more or less a companion to the Honda Accord in looks, and (now, finally) approxomates the Accord's build quality. For those who would like a FWD, better-traction alternative to Infiniti's RWD G35 sedan, and don't want the expense, weight, or drag of the G35's optional AWD, the Maxima is certainly worth a look....and some of you at CL seem to agree.
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-11-08 at 07:50 PM.
09-11-08, 08:46 PM
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09-11-08, 10:48 PM
#5
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09-11-08, 11:11 PM
#6
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Thanks for the review. As a big Maxima fan I like this new model so much. Miles better than the model it replaces. However, I do not LOve it. Its so hard for me to love any Maxima that does not even offer a manual transmission option. It kills me.
But none the less, great review as always.
But none the less, great review as always.
09-12-08, 01:23 AM
#7
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Still no 2009 TL's in my local area.
Try looking on the dealer web site in the "New Vehicles" or "New Inventory" section or calling ahead and checking before you actually go there. Most dealerships keep their inventory on their website....but don't always keep the website up to date.
If you do find a 2009 TL, give us a quick run-down on how you liked it (I'll do a full review, of course, when possible). And check tire pressures before you actually test-drive it (the correct PSI will usually be on a sticker on the drivers' door jamb). The PDI guys are supposed to bleed down overpumped-up tires when the cars come off the transporter.....but often forget to do so. Incorrect PSI's (usually too much air) will affect ride and handling.
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-12-08 at 01:31 AM.
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09-12-08, 01:38 AM
#8
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Thanks for the review. As a big Maxima fan I like this new model so much. Miles better than the model it replaces. However, I do not LOve it. Its so hard for me to love any Maxima that does not even offer a manual transmission option. It kills me.
But none the less, great review as always.
But none the less, great review as always.
Nissan's designers seem to be more and more centered around the CVT. The CVT, more so than almost any other mass-produced transmission, seems to be an ideal combination of smoothness, acceleration, gas mileage, efficiency, and, of course, convienence in heavy traffic, although, IMO, it doesn't necessarily work any better than the VW/Audi DSG (Direct-Shift-Gearbox), which I've always had a very high opinion of. But there is no question that CVTs are rapidly improving, especially in cars like the Maxima with relatively powerful V6s....for years, they were used only with low-lowered fours because of durability and torque limitations.
Nissan, IMO, DID make one major marketing goof, though, with the Maxima's CVT....not providing steering column-mounted paddle-shifters in the non-Sport Package models. Probably just cost-cutting (don't forget that, even with the 2009 model's many improvements, Mr. Ghosn still runs the organization
)
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-12-08 at 01:44 AM.
09-12-08, 05:18 AM
#9
mmarshall, thanks for another great review.
Nice touch with the trip down memory lane too! I actually remember when they switched the name to Maxima since I had an uncle that had one, in fact I'm fairly certain that my uncle's car said both 810 and Maxima on it.
I can tell from your review this is a car that many will be excited about. I like what I'm hearing but I'm not sure if this car differentiates itself enough from its own stable mates (G35 & Altima) to be a best seller. But time will tell.
Thanks again
TripleL
Nice touch with the trip down memory lane too! I actually remember when they switched the name to Maxima since I had an uncle that had one, in fact I'm fairly certain that my uncle's car said both 810 and Maxima on it.
I can tell from your review this is a car that many will be excited about. I like what I'm hearing but I'm not sure if this car differentiates itself enough from its own stable mates (G35 & Altima) to be a best seller. But time will tell.
Thanks again
TripleL
09-12-08, 06:56 AM
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Great review, had a 1998 (fun car) and 2001 20th Anniversary (my review: POS)...
... as far as TL, I saw one two weeks ago driving on a side road next to I-94 between Milwaukee and Chicago (believe they were "testing" by the looks of it)... I've seen one or two in Milwaukee as well... or am I seeing things?????
... as far as TL, I saw one two weeks ago driving on a side road next to I-94 between Milwaukee and Chicago (believe they were "testing" by the looks of it)... I've seen one or two in Milwaukee as well... or am I seeing things?????
09-12-08, 07:10 AM
#12
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mmarshall, thanks for another great review.
Nice touch with the trip down memory lane too! I actually remember when they switched the name to Maxima since I had an uncle that had one, in fact I'm fairly certain that my uncle's car said both 810 and Maxima on it.
I can tell from your review this is a car that many will be excited about. I like what I'm hearing but I'm not sure if this car differentiates itself enough from its own stable mates (G35 & Altima) to be a best seller. But time will tell.
Thanks again
TripleL
Nice touch with the trip down memory lane too! I actually remember when they switched the name to Maxima since I had an uncle that had one, in fact I'm fairly certain that my uncle's car said both 810 and Maxima on it.
I can tell from your review this is a car that many will be excited about. I like what I'm hearing but I'm not sure if this car differentiates itself enough from its own stable mates (G35 & Altima) to be a best seller. But time will tell.
Thanks again
TripleL
When the 810 and the Toyota Crown/Cressida first entered the American market in the 1970s, they were oddities...no one had seen Japanese-designed cars that big here before. It was a prologue to the even bigger Lexus LS400 and Infiniti Q45 that would debut in 1989.
The Maxima, being FWD, is more of a stable-mate to the FWD Altima than to the RWD/AWD Infiniti G35. Nissan does not offer a RWD sedan in the American market.
09-12-08, 07:15 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
It's not that much different, exterior-wise, from the new Accord, except for the tuck-inboard rear doors/windows. Both cars, in my view, are quite handsome.....far better than the last quirky Maxima.
09-12-08, 07:20 AM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
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Thanks.
Agreed. Nissans went way downhill after 2000. By then, Renault was designing them, with strong cost-cutting. Only now are we starting to see real progress again.
You sure it was a TL? The new TSX (which I reviewed recently) is larger than the 2008 and can easily be mistaken for a new TL.
, had a 1998 (fun car) and 2001 20th Anniversary (my review: POS)...
.. as far as TL, I saw one two weeks ago driving on a side road next to I-94 between Milwaukee and Chicago (believe they were "testing" by the looks of it)... I've seen one or two in Milwaukee as well... or am I seeing things?????
09-12-08, 07:54 AM
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