This is the car I've been driving for a good portion of the past week. It's a looker isn't it? Sporty styling and a nice feel to it as well! I do like the overall styling of this car, both interior and exterior. The funny thing about it is that the 3.5 liter V-6 engine (almost 2 liters less than the V-8 Buick mentioned in a previous blog), gets almost identical gas mileage to the Buick 8. Nevertheless, it is a good performer and smooth runner. The Maxima SE has the continuously variable transmission which, in simple form to you and I means that it doesn't really shift from one gear to another. I'll spare you the details on how that works but it does make for smooth acceleration. It is not without issues, in my opinion, however. Going down hills and slowing down at stop lights, you do feel a little bit of a dragging sensation; comparable to driving a stick shift and down shifting only without any jolting. It's hard to explain but it's as if the engine is pulling the car to a halt but still smoothly and probably not something that most folks would notice. Truthfully, my opinion on such transmissions is that when so many other cars out there today shift so smoothly that you can barely feel it anyway, is there really a need for this more expensive to repair type of system? As for the engine, it runs nice and smooth and has a surprisingly good powerband which allows good acceleration, even when running at highway speeds. Performance-wise, that is the feature that impressed me the most. For only a 3.5 liter 6, it does well. The interior of the car is comfortable and well thought out. Controls are easy to get to and instrumentation is easy to read. One of the things that seems weird about this car is that the seats give me a feeling like they're too close to the floor. I don't mean to say that you're sitting on the ground but it feels a bit like they didn't boost the seat up high enough from the rails that it sits upon. This is a minor issue and just something that I had to adjust to. Now for the weird stuff....there is a nice looking, seemingly suede strip, that runs all the way from the sides of the doors, around the top of the dash, near the windshield. You can see the break in the photo below, between the dash and windshield, that's the strip that I'm talking about. Although it's hard to see in the photo, it really looks nice but, of course, being someone who tries to keep my cars as long as possible, I am wondering what a few years of exposure to the sun will do to this little styling cue! Again, it looks great but it just concerns me.
Another unique feature on the Maxima are the viewing windows in the roof. They don't call them sunroofs because they don't open and they are placed lengthwise from front to back rather than the traditional side to side sunroof. Upon getting the car, I thought this might be a neat feature but after seeing it and driving it, I wasn't impressed. My daughter even asked me, "What's that for, they don't open? I agree with her, it's supposed to give you a view of the sky but the front one is only about 12x12 so to really see much sky, you have to move your head to the left or right to look up and even then, the view is limited. The rear one is 2 -3 feet long but again, right down the middle of the car, between where people are sitting. I think they're just trying to be unique with this but it really has no point. With the sporty looks and styling of this car, it is a car that would fit a regular sunroof well.
This leads me to the strangest feature of the Nissan lineup yet. The keyless remote system. You carry the remote in your pocket or purse and the car senses that you have it. There is no need to use it to open the doors, trunk, or to start the car. There is a small rubber button on each of the front doors and you merely push that once to unlock and twice to lock the doors. As for starting the car, once inside, there is an ignition switch but no keyhole. You simply turn the switch (the same place where a key would normally fit) and the car starts. In my honest opinion, this is a gimmick and nothing more. The only advantage that I can see is if you are trying to load the car or trunk and have no hands free. You only need to have the remote witihin 36 inches of the car and a finger free enough to push the rubber button on the trunk. The concern I have is this, what if you're in a parking lot going to your car and you have this thing in your pocket or purse. Someone hits you over the head, drags you to the car, throws you in the trunk or back seat, and like magic, they can start the car and take off. No key, no problem. Plus, anyone walking by the car, while your lifeless body is lying in the trunk or rear seat, can unlock the car, start the car, and do anything they want. As for the keyless topic, thanks Nissan, but no thanks. Give me my big metal key that, when held in one's hand in a proper manner, can double as a stabbing weapon when needed! Sometimes, the old way is the best way. Again, as everything I have written here, this is just a matter of opinion.I drove this car approximately 400 miles during my tenure with it and the only real driving disappointment is the fuel economy. I did about 350 highway miles and still had an overall average of 24 mpg. It seems to get 18-19 in the city and 24-25 on the highway. Here again, there are larger cars with larger engines that can match this economy. Still, it is a good driver and if these figures are acceptable to you, you might want to give it some consideration. Of course, iF you're on the road a lot, you could certainly find a vehicle with a smoother, more luxurious ride but you would sacrifice some of the sporty handling by doing so. As I always say, it just depends on what you need the car for and what type of driving you're going to be doing.
Without a doubt, my favorite thing about this car is the styling. From the 18 inch aluminum wheels to the small, rear spoiler, the looks appeal to me. It has a bit more of a European car feel than an American car feel and you do feel the road in it but it handles quite well and, as stated above, has a smooth powertrain. Both interior and exterior seem to have a great fit and finish to them. Overall, a nice, sporty, family sedan with some quirky features but a lot of curb appeal!
Report card:
styling: A
comfort: B
Ride: B
Economy: B
Drivetrain: A-
Overall: B+
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