By Steven D. Gatt, Automotive Editor
The Nissan Maxima SE looks like your everyday run of the mill sedan. It is not. The difference comes from the setup of the Maxima; from the sport suspension to the secure, supportive cloth seats everything is about performance.
The suspension is tight, without jostling driver and passengers with every freeway expansion joint. The torque curve is long; delivering power throughout the rpm range. Whereas most sedans (Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Chevy Lumina) are sedate, the Maxima begs to be driven; and the engineers at Nissan did a fine job of making it easy to drive hard!
The engine is powerful with 190 hp from a 3.0L, V6 and does a wonderful job motivating this sedan anywhere quickly. I chose the 5-speed manual transmission for this test drive and found it to be superb with clean shifts. Only the clutch gave me any problems in this car; left legroom could be better for shifting.
If you are in the market, only one car competes with the Maxima SE. That would be the formidable new V8 powered Taurus SHO. I expect to drive one before the end of the model year and let you know which one is the better purchase for your dollar.
The Maxima has few flaws probably the most notable being the bland exterior design. Asian carmakers are proficient at conservative designs and this is yet another example.
The Maxima's total price as tested was $26,679: compared to the SHO it's actually a bit less expensive. For that price you get a lot of features. The seemingly standard equipment of dual airbags and ABS start out the safety feature list; other safety items include safety cell construction, child-proof rear door locks, energy absorbing steering column, and steel side impact beams.
Inside our test car, luxury features were abundant. The Maxima featured a Bose sound system with CD player, keyless entry and a power sunroof. Other features inside the Maxima include: integrated security system, heated (cloth) front seats, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and unique white faced analog gauges.
Mileage ratings from the EPA are 22 city, 27 highway. I averaged 25 mpg in all around driving conditions with some lead footed driving.
I enjoyed driving the Nissan Maxima SE, with the manual transmission. But what truly makes it great is that you get a sports car with a comfortable back seat.