2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV Review - the 4DSC returns

Pros

• Power
• Lots of amenities and luxury features
• Roominess
• Weird styling

Cons

• Weak MPG
• Complex navigation system
• Light steering
• Weird styling

Introduction

I was curious to see how the new seventh generation Maxima drove compared to my ’05 G35, since they pretty much have the same engine but the Maxima has FWD. When Derek asked me if I wanted to test one I jumped on it. The timing was perfect, I had planned a weekend trip to Monterey for my friend’s wedding and the winding Highway 17 that flows through the Santa Cruz Mountains called out to me.

Driving Impressions

The test period with the ‘09 Maxima included typical week day commuter traffic and a weekend driving out to the Monterey coast, so I had a chance to test drive it with my regular commute to the office and with a weekend get-away setting.

Two trims are available for the new 2009 Maxima — the S and SV. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) for the Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV are $30,160 and of $32,860 respectively. Both models are equipped with an advanced 3.5-liter V6 and Xtronic CVT transmission. It features all-new sports styling, a driver-oriented interior and an enhanced 290-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC V6 engine – offering 35 more horsepower than the previous generation Maxima and fuel economy (EPA estimates) of 19 mpg City/26 mpg Highway.

The test car was a 3.5 SV with the Sport Package, the Sport Technology Package, plus the interface system for iPod. This means the car had pretty much all the bells and whistles that Nissan can throw at their flagship sedan, a.k.a. the Four Door Sports Car. There’s the hard drive navigation system with voice recognition with a 7” touch screen with Bluetooth® cellphone connection, a 9.3 GB hard drive for music, 6-CD in-dash changer, XM® Satellite Radio, interface system for iPod, AV input jacks, etc. — basically a wet dream for a techie auto enthusiast.

The Sport Package has 19 inch alloys instead of the standard 18s, sports a spoiler round the back, comes with paddle shifters and a sports-tuned suspension. The base level Maxima 3.5 S is no joke either – it comes with 18” aluminum alloy wheels, power sliding moonroof, the Intelligent Key with push button ignition, traction control and dual zone climate control. So basically my test car looked exactly like what Nissan calls it, a 4 Door Sports Car.

Driving the Maxima to work and back on my short 30-minute commute from Palo Alto to San Jose was fairly enjoyable. Plenty of power to get on the freeway and make my way to the fast lane. The wife complained a bit about the harsh suspension, which is part of the Sports package, but it was fine with me. The car has an abnormally high hood, which made me feel like a kid sitting in an adult car. I averaged 20-21 MPG in the Maxima, which for a CVT car, is not great. Other than that, the car was a great commuter.

Taking the car to the wedding in Monterey was a pleasurable experience. The car handled relatively well on the curves of Highway 17 from San Jose to Santa Cruz, the Sports Package did its job well. Steering feels really light on this car, though, I found myself correcting from oversteering at times. On the long, straight sections of Highway 1, the light steering also meant I had to keep both hands on the wheel almost the entire time.

Build

The Maxima was very rock solid in terms of build quality. The doors shut with a very solid “thud”, like that on a Bimmer. The panels fit really well, I didn’t notice any inconsistent gaps. I know this is a relatively new car with a little more than 10,000 miles, but there were zero squeaks and nary a rattle in this car, both on the freeway and on the winding road to Pacific Grove. I liked the details in the headlamps and the LEDs in the taillights, they looked high tech and expensive. The door handles look nice and felt good. The button for wireless entry is well integrated into the handle and looks very much a part of it. The steering wheel felt thick and sturdy and the car seats were extremely snug. The quality of the interior was Infiniti-level and looked and felt expensive. If you took the Nissan logo off the steering wheel, you would think it’s an Infiniti.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

First, the good. The instrument panel was pretty straight forward and functional. I like the white backlighting at night, and the dials have white lines that work well during the day. I dig the starter button, it’s amazing how quickly you get used to it. Nissan provides a place to insert the keyless fob just to the left of the steering column if you don’t have a convenient pocket. I have the same keyless fob in my G35 and when I wear shorts and sometimes the fob falls out and gets into the crack between the center console and seat. That’s right, major pain in the you-know-what. The stereo controls were fairly easy to learn and use. The controls for temperature and air were good and easy to use. The seats were extremely snug and comfortable. The driver’s seat kept me in place on turns and I was really surprised at how sturdy it felt. There’s also plenty of head room and rear leg room for tall people. The paddle shifts were pretty good, felt solid enough when I used them to pass up those trucks on the 17.

Now the not so good. Oh where do I start? There are too many buttons on the steering wheel! The volume controls are hard to find and feel without looking down. The controls on the old G35 steering wheel were better designed. GM also has good steering wheel controls on the backside, they work well when driving. I kept hitting the left lever for volume and it keeps changing the navi options on screen. I also fail to understand the rationale behind the ugly Compact Flash jack on the center console. Who the heck uses Compact Flash any more? If anything, put in a SD slot, they’re much more common and take up hardly any space at all.

Finally, the ugly. The Maxima has the iPod connect option with a cable in the armrest and supposedly iPod controls through the stereo and touch screen. I tried hooking up my iPhone but the stereo could not read the songs on it. Then I connected my wife’s iPod Touch since a lot of accessories don’t work with iPhones. However, the Maxima could not read the songs on the iPod Touch either! This was most disappointing on our drive down to Monterey for the weekend. We listened to “80s 0n 8″ channel in Sirius all weekend. All weekend. The worst part about the Maxima’s features and usability was the navigation system. It took me 10 minutes to pair my phone with the system, this may be due to an issue with Bluetooth on the iPhone, however, but the screen just froze. The worst part is the navigation itself. The screens were confusing and the menus and options were as easy to decipher and rationalize as my wife, hahaha. Seriously, we got a little lost in Monterey one night because the system kept routing us in circles, so there’s some accuracy concerns. To be fair, it was very cloudy and rainy that weekend, so that may have caused some navigation issues, perhaps.

Performance

Back to the good. Acceleration is fantastic in this Maxima. You feel the 261 lb-ft of torque propel the car quickly off the line and the transmission is very smooth. The 290 horses are also great at passing cars on the freeway. You can knock the gear shift left from Drive to the manual slot when you’re driving and it automatically downshifts for you, which is awesome as you’re passing up that unsuspecting 3-Series doing 70 on the 280 freeway. Then you start using the paddle shifts and the car really responds right away. You can definitely tell that the car is front wheel drive, though, when you try to accelerate on a turn. Especially in the rain. You’d also know that this car has a LOT of power. The Maxima is a big car and pretty hefty at 3,579 lbs., but the 3.5 V6 had no problems pulling this car around. You certainly do not get the sense that the engine is struggling at all, there’s always this feeling that there’s an overflowing power source as you step on the gas. Braking was good and the car stayed very straight. I was able to stop behind the line every single time the red light sneaked up on me on Central Expressway. As I mentioned, the car is not light and the brakes were perfectly proficient.

Handling

The suspension is tight on this sport Package-equipped Maxima, you definitely feel the bumps in the road but it also handles well on curves. The Maxima negotiated turns and curves on Highway 17 pretty well despite the light steering feel. The suspension was stiff and handled curves at high speeds very well. There’s very little body roll and I felt very comfortable at swerving quickly in traffic (not that I pulled any dangerous maneuvers in the test car). The biggest issue I have is with the steering feel. It feels very light and has too much give. This is fine at slow speeds or in the parking lot (I love the rear back-up camera by the way) but at highway speeds it becomes a little twitchy. I had to keep both hands on the wheel at all times. It almost felt like driving a Pontiac Grand Prix, which is extremely horrible at steering feel.

Styling

OK, this latest generation of Maxima is not without controversy in the styling department, but it is miles ahead when compared to the previous two generations. This one is a leap forward just like the third generation Maxima that broke from the pack back in 1989, the first 4DSC. The rectangular grille is very distinctive and I like how it protrudes from the rest of the car. The car looks very striking from the front. The swoosh headlights are weird. They’re just plain weird. I thought they were weird when I saw the 370Z at the L.A. Auto Show, and I think they look weird on the Maxima. I also like the front wheel flare outs. These are matched by the prominent flare outs above the rear wheels, which give the Maxima a very wide stance and add visual interest to the side of the car. I like the chiseled edges all around this car, they break up the otherwise flat expanses on many surfaces of the new Maxima.

The profile looks very sleek, much like the new Altima and the G35. The proportions are a little off, however. I’m guessing it’s because it’s front wheel drive and Nissan designers did this to add more interior room, but the front wheels are way too close to the windshield and way too far from the front corners of the car. This gives the car profile the same proportions that you might find on any GM vehicle from the 1990s. The proportions on the G35/37 sedans are much better, with the long elegant hood and the front wheels pushed to the corners.

The designers also ran a little wild with the chrome around the rear door, a little overkill in my opinion. The taillights look good, the designers actually used a 3D software this time around. Maximas have struggled with good tail light designs for quite a few generations now. But where’s the corresponding swoosh to the one in the headlights like on the 370Z?

Value

Overall the Maxima delivered more than what I expected. The performance was stunning and the handling confident. Plenty of interior space for the driver and passengers. The seats were extremely comfortable and snug. The build quality was fantastic, on par with luxury brands. In many ways it IS a four door sports car. I could do without the rear spoiler, though. Its many amenities like integrated navigation, voice recognition, Bluetooth phone connectivity, back-up camera and steering wheel-mounted controls all make the Maxima on par with the best luxury cars out there. I found myself using the navi system all the time, even when I was heading home. I know my way home, but liked the reassurance, I suppose. I did not use the voice recognition functions as much as I would have liked, because it requires that I either import the phonebook from my phone or programming things. I did not bother with that since I my time with the Maxima was limited. Interior quality has vastly improved and in many ways rival that of the best from Europe. Styling is bold and different, and definitely a good step forward for the Maxima line. The MSRP for the 3.5 SV with the Sport Tech and Sport Package was $37,380, however, which overlaps with that of the Infiniti G35/37. This begs the question as to how much the Nissan badge is worth.

Who should buy it?

Since you can buy an Infiniti G35/37 for pretty much the same money, why would anyone go with the Maxima? The G has more power even though it’s the same engine, and more brand cachet. I think there are two types of people. The first type is people looking for a bigger car and more interior space. My head hits the ceiling in my G35, but there’s at least 2 inches of space between my head and the Maxima ceiling. The Maxima is also a lot wider than the G, and the rear legroom is actually usable on the Maxima. The other type of buyers who should consider the Maxima is not concerned with brand or the perception it rubs off on the driver. The Nissan badge tells people that you don’t care for such trivial things and that you’re perfectly happy driving a regular people’s car that’s front wheel drive. You should not buy the Maxima if you want a true, rear-wheel drive sports sedan. The Maxima will feel too big for you and you won’t be happy with the steering.

Conclusion

So in summary, the Maxima is a very good and solid sedan. It is plenty powerful, handles relatively well, and has lots of room and a plethora of high tech amenities. Styling is controversial but at least you won’t lose it in the parking lot, and people will stare for good and bad. The navigation system was too complex even for me, and I’m usually pretty good at figuring this kind of stuff out, I never read owner’s manuals. I would not buy the Maxima although I am biased since I own a G35. I’m one of those people who do care about the brand and what it represents, plus I care about RWD and the styling, which is far superior on the Infiniti.