2009 Nissan Maxima

Before the Nissan Maxima, there was no entry level luxury-sport sedan. The idea of blending top notch comfort, exceptional drive and handling, and a reasonable price, simply did not compute. Maxima’s “four-door sports car” mantra was more than a marketing theme. But over time, the Maxima lost its way and became just another upscale front-drive sedan. Now, Nissan’s seventh generation Maxima aims to course correct and reclaim its former fame.

Redesigned from the ground up, the US-built 2009 Nissan Maxima arrives with a fresh approach to styling. No longer to be confused with an Altima, the Maxima’s “liquid motion” theme equates to a more powerful and flowing coke-bottle shape. To recapture its “four-door sports car” persona, the “D” platform Maxima has shifted dimensions. Wheelbase is down by almost 2 inches to 109.3, overall length by 4 inches, while width and track have increased by about an inch and a half.

The Maxima’s strong presence is led by a three-bar grille flanked by L-shaped wraparound headlamps with available HID Xenon bulbs. The car’s taut, seamless profile is defined by a high beltline, accented wheel flares, and 18 or 19-inch alloy wheels, while the beefy back-end features oversized tail lamps, dual chrome exhaust, and an available spoiler.  Oddly neither standard S or uplevel SV trim is noted by badging.

The front drive Maxima gets an increase of power from an up-rated 3.5-liter V6 engine.  Output is now 290 horsepower - an upshot of 35 - and 261 pound-feet of torque.

While there is no proper sport sedan manual gearbox, the Continuously Variable Transmission features a new “Drive Sport” mode that blips the throttle in corners to keep the rpms up. Premium or Sport packages add paddle shifters.

At the track, our Maxima SV Premium sprinted from 0 to 60 in a sweet 6.3 seconds, while taking the quarter-mile in 14.7 seconds at 99 miles-per-hour. The CVT proved to be a good match to the V6’s torque curve. But, we found the paddle shifters actually slowed things down.

Maxima handling is the result of a well tuned strut front suspension, multi-link rear geometry, and enhanced body rigidity. Stability and traction control are standard. Despite the front-biased weight penalty of front-wheel drive, the big Maxima delivers a high-level of agility. Turn ins are quick and cornering is very flat. Steering is responsive with good feedback even if a little too light. While not as capable as Acura’s new TL, the Maxima is another front driver with up-to-date sport sedan credentials, and a ride quality that we think is among the best of its lot.

Brakes are 4-wheel vented discs with ABS and Brake Assist. Still stops averaged a slightly longish 133 feet from 60 to 0. Pedal feel was fine with plenty of stability. Within its doors, the Maxima offers a handsome, sophisticated cockpit-style cabin which borrows elements from other Nissans like the Murano Crossover. 

Gauges are well laid-out and clear, as are most controls.  Our SV’s aluminum and wood trim underscores the upscale look. Front seats have improved lateral support for more spirited driving. Both sides have power adjust, with leather and seat heat available, and for upgraded sound, there’s a 9-speaker Bose audio system.

Voice navigation includes real-time traffic, seen on a 7-inch touch screen display.  There’s also an available back-up camera. The three-adult second-row seat has two forms. Standard is a 60/40 split fold with a big trunk pass through. Total trunk space is a reasonable 14.2 cubic feet.

Government Fuel Economy ratings are 19 city/26 highway on premium gas.  Expect 22 in normal driving.  The Maxima’s Energy Impact Score is a moderate 15.6 barrels of oil per year, while its Carbon Footprint measures in at a lower than class average 8.3 tons of CO2 emitted annually. Base pricing for the Maxima S is $29,985, while the SV begins at $32,685.

So Nissan’s goal to reunite the 2009 Maxima with its four-door sports car roots is successful to a point. It still trails rear-wheel drive sport sedans in handling balance, and there is no manual transmission. Still, the new car is light years better than its predecessor and a fine alternative to the Acura TL an Audi A6. So, welcome back Maxima, we missed you.