Nissan of Elk Grove
8590 Laguna Grove Dr. Elk Grove, CA 95757Sales: (888) 306-6946
- Service: 1-888-355-4768
In 1989, Nissan introduced the third-generation Nissan Maxima -- arguably the most important model in the 32-year history of this car in the U.S. Why? Because of a little 4DSC sticker it plastered on the rear side windows.
Car geeks know this stands for Four-Door Sports Car -- a bold claim at the time, but one Nissan backed up with a sport-tuned suspension and a 190-horsepower V-6, mated to a five-speed manual. With our current crop of 260-horse Accords and Camrys that may not seem like much, but back then it was enough to get the Maxima SE whispered along with the likes of Benz and BMW.
Perhaps Merc and Bimmer comparisons are what Nissan is aiming for now, with its all-new, seventh-generation Maxima. The 2009 Maxima represents a return to the car's 4DSC heritage -- at least that's what Nissan marketers hope to invoke with the addition of the very same stickers on the rear windows.
Liquid Motion
At first glance, it seems clear the 2009 Maxima designers are a breed apart from the ones that birthed the avant garde, but feminanonymous 2004-2008 Maxima.
Nissan's new flagship sedan is built upon an all-new front-drive "D platform" that is shorter between the wheels and overall, yet boasts a wider front and rear track. Why then does it look larger and meaner? Because of a butched-up styling language that Nissan calls "liquid motion." Just look at the aggressive stance and wide, upright grille work. Then notice the broadly spaced, asymmetric head and tail lamps and sculpted muscular lines down the sides and hood. No slab-sided antiseptic styling here; the 2009 Maxima channels the GT-R and Infiniti G35 to great effect.
Though the chassis and sheet metal are new, performance will come from the standard 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve VQ-series V-6 engine that powered the previous-generation Maxima and nearly everything else in the Nissan fleet. This revised engine is now rated at 290 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 35 horsepower and nine lb-ft of torque over the 2008 Maxima engine. Will such impressive output make it a torque-steering beast? Nissan engineers say no and claim to have implemented appropriate countermeasures.
On the handling side, Nissan has outfitted the Maxima with aluminum intensive McPherson strut suspension up front and a separate spring and shock multi link setup in the rear. There are various chassis reinforcements throughout the car, including a front strut tower brace and, for Sport/Premium package-equipped models, a rear seat panel that is said to improve torsional rigidity by 17 percent.
All 2009 Maximas come in two trim levels, 3.5 S and 3.5 SV, and are equipped with a revised version of the Nissan's standard Xtronic CVT with manual mode and available paddle shifters. A new "Ds mode" (drive sport) also has been added to the CVT for 2009. No official word yet, but you can bet a six-speed manual Maxima SE version is in the works if Nissan is bold enough to put the 4DSC sticker in the window.
There are more SC elements to be found on the inside -- and by that Nissan means "Super Cockpit," the Maxima's interior concept. Designers positioned all of the major driver controls and information displays within easy reach and view of the driver. For example, the CVT shift lever is to the left of the vehicle center-line, and the three-spoke steering wheel features long paddle shifters and a large cutout for easy view of the bright "Daylight Illumination" gauges. Seats also are performance oriented, with eight-way adjust ability (including lumbar support) standard for the driver, four-way adjust ability for the passenger. Best feature? A manually adjustable thigh bolster, a la BMW.
For those more interested in creature comforts, the Maxima offers options including leather-trimmed seats, metal or Eucalyptus wood dash paneling, and a wide range of electronic goodies including a premium audio system, a rearview camera and monitor, navigation with XM NavTraffic real-time traffic information, voice recognition, and a 9.3GB hard drive for storage and playback of digital audio files.
New Nissan Maxima has a lot for drivers to love
Nissan's redesigned Maxima sport sedan goes about its business with such easy grace that you wonder why pricier models can't do as well.
Maxima's long been Nissan's (NSANY) "halo" model: a go-getting growler that gives the whole brand a luster of quick-step performance and snap-turn handling. It's true enough: Nissans drive sportier than many rivals.
The Maxima's slightly bigger outside than the Altima sedan that shares Nissan's "D" platform, as does the Murano SUV and Quest minivan in a nice job of crafting different vehicles on one base. But it's mysteriously tighter inside: slightly less headroom, legroom and width than Altima.
It has the arresting looks you want in a personal-statement car, as well as arrest-me engine oomph.
The 3.5-liter V-6, shared with several Nissans and Infinitis, is rated 290 horsepower for Maxima; hence, Nissan has revived the hoary marketing tag "four-door sports car."
Silly maybe, but not just hype. Maxima scoots. It makes cars in the mirrors look really small, really quickly. And it holds a tight line, unperturbed, in fast corners.
Sadly, torque-steer still is there. Nail the throttle and the car pulls to the right. Lots of powerful cars have been able to minimize or eliminate that.
"With this powerful an engine there's still a little torque steer there," says Larry Dominique, Nissan's vice president of product planning. "But compared to what it used to be, it's virtually gone."
Other gripes:
The power sunroof on the test car made more noise closing than you hear in a railroad switch yard.
Haven't heard others mention it, Dominique says.
Instrument lighting couldn't be dimmed enough. Went from not-so-bright to off.
Probably not an issue, Dominique says. Nissan surveys (they study this stuff?) show many drivers like the dash lights on fully bright.
The tiny stereo volume control on the steering wheel was hard to use and would be impossible with gloves, though a nice-size knob is barely a reach on the center stack of controls.
The engine's specifically tuned for premium fuel, not regular.
Dominique says regular won't hurt it, but will sacrifice some power: "Would a normal customer notice the difference? Probably not."
The middle spot in the back seat has no head restraint - but the middle slot is so narrow and the legroom so limited by the center tunnel that it'll only fit a kid, who's probably too short to need the head restraint.
There's plenty about the Maxima, however, to celebrate.
The front-end design is terrific. Outside, it's a chiseled crouch, vaguely like an Audi. From behind the wheel, you're treated to a gentle hood bulge that eases down into the crisp rise of sensual fenders. Exotic (erotic?) without being overwrought - a modern interpretation of the view in classic 1950s Detroit cruisers.
The controls and their layout make more sense than in most cars, and reward the touch when you operate them. The lack of a gee-whiz presentation is a good thing. You'll appreciate it more everyday.
Optional high-intensity discharge headlights worked well, illuminating elevated street signs and pedestrians. Most HID headlights are stingy with their light and break their promise of safer night driving.
CVT - a belt-drive, continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission - felt like a real gearbox. None of the rubber-band feel of some rival CVTs. It has multiple personalities. Normal automatic; a sporty automatic that keeps engine revs up for snappier response but uses more fuel; manual, in which the driver can choose among six set ratios with the gearshift lever or the optional paddle shifters on the steering column. Whew.
The glove box not only swallows all those manuals and brochures, but also leaves - imagine - generous room for stuff you really want in there.
Steering has good on-center feel and aims the car in proportion to how much the driver turns it. You'd think that'd be a given 120 years after Berta Benz sneaked hubby Karl's Motorwagen out in the wee hours, and wasn't shy about telling him what needed improvement. Sadly, good steering still is notable.
Everything works well together, so you can hop in and just go when you really don't want to put on your game face. Yet the growl of the engine and view out the windshield remind you that with a little toe on the throttle, a tap on the gear lever, a twist of the leathered wheel, you're in the joy zone.
It's how cars should be.
NISSAN MAXIMA
What? Sporting, near-luxury four-door, front-drive, midsize, high-performance sedan loosely based on Altima.
When and where? On sale since June 26, built at Smyrna, Tenn.
Why? Jazzes up the brand's image.
How much? S is $29,985 with $695 shipping, SV at $32,685. Tester: $38,500.
How potent? Quite. 3.5-liter V-6 is rated 290 horsepower at 6,400 rpm, 261 pounds-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. Belt-drive, continuously variable automatic transmission offers four (!) modes (two auto, two manual) to deliver grunt to front wheels.
How fancy? Pretty, as it ought to be starting at $30K. Standard hardware includes anti-lock brakes, anti-skid control, traction control, today's normal air bags everywhere, plus power this and that galore.
What's missing: On the S model you can't have leather, high-intensity headlights, fog lights and gadgets such as navigation, Bluetooth phone link, satellite radio.
How big? Accord/Camry/Altima territory. Maxima is 190.6 inches long, 73.2 in. wide, 57.8 in. tall on a 109.3-in. wheelbase. Weighs 3,556 pounds, (S) or 3,579 pounds (SV). Turning circle is 37.4 feet.
How thirsty? Rated 19 miles per gallon city, 26 highway, 22 combined. Tester's trip computer showed 19 mpg in 160 miles of suburban driving. Tank holds 20 gallons.
Overall: Satisfying in nearly every way.
Car geeks know this stands for Four-Door Sports Car -- a bold claim at the time, but one Nissan backed up with a sport-tuned suspension and a 190-horsepower V-6, mated to a five-speed manual. With our current crop of 260-horse Accords and Camrys that may not seem like much, but back then it was enough to get the Maxima SE whispered along with the likes of Benz and BMW.
Perhaps Merc and Bimmer comparisons are what Nissan is aiming for now, with its all-new, seventh-generation Maxima. The 2009 Maxima represents a return to the car's 4DSC heritage -- at least that's what Nissan marketers hope to invoke with the addition of the very same stickers on the rear windows.
Liquid Motion
At first glance, it seems clear the 2009 Maxima designers are a breed apart from the ones that birthed the avant garde, but feminanonymous 2004-2008 Maxima.
Nissan's new flagship sedan is built upon an all-new front-drive "D platform" that is shorter between the wheels and overall, yet boasts a wider front and rear track. Why then does it look larger and meaner? Because of a butched-up styling language that Nissan calls "liquid motion." Just look at the aggressive stance and wide, upright grille work. Then notice the broadly spaced, asymmetric head and tail lamps and sculpted muscular lines down the sides and hood. No slab-sided antiseptic styling here; the 2009 Maxima channels the GT-R and Infiniti G35 to great effect.
Though the chassis and sheet metal are new, performance will come from the standard 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve VQ-series V-6 engine that powered the previous-generation Maxima and nearly everything else in the Nissan fleet. This revised engine is now rated at 290 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 35 horsepower and nine lb-ft of torque over the 2008 Maxima engine. Will such impressive output make it a torque-steering beast? Nissan engineers say no and claim to have implemented appropriate countermeasures.
On the handling side, Nissan has outfitted the Maxima with aluminum intensive McPherson strut suspension up front and a separate spring and shock multi link setup in the rear. There are various chassis reinforcements throughout the car, including a front strut tower brace and, for Sport/Premium package-equipped models, a rear seat panel that is said to improve torsional rigidity by 17 percent.
All 2009 Maximas come in two trim levels, 3.5 S and 3.5 SV, and are equipped with a revised version of the Nissan's standard Xtronic CVT with manual mode and available paddle shifters. A new "Ds mode" (drive sport) also has been added to the CVT for 2009. No official word yet, but you can bet a six-speed manual Maxima SE version is in the works if Nissan is bold enough to put the 4DSC sticker in the window.
There are more SC elements to be found on the inside -- and by that Nissan means "Super Cockpit," the Maxima's interior concept. Designers positioned all of the major driver controls and information displays within easy reach and view of the driver. For example, the CVT shift lever is to the left of the vehicle center-line, and the three-spoke steering wheel features long paddle shifters and a large cutout for easy view of the bright "Daylight Illumination" gauges. Seats also are performance oriented, with eight-way adjust ability (including lumbar support) standard for the driver, four-way adjust ability for the passenger. Best feature? A manually adjustable thigh bolster, a la BMW.
For those more interested in creature comforts, the Maxima offers options including leather-trimmed seats, metal or Eucalyptus wood dash paneling, and a wide range of electronic goodies including a premium audio system, a rearview camera and monitor, navigation with XM NavTraffic real-time traffic information, voice recognition, and a 9.3GB hard drive for storage and playback of digital audio files.
New Nissan Maxima has a lot for drivers to love
Nissan's redesigned Maxima sport sedan goes about its business with such easy grace that you wonder why pricier models can't do as well.
Maxima's long been Nissan's (NSANY) "halo" model: a go-getting growler that gives the whole brand a luster of quick-step performance and snap-turn handling. It's true enough: Nissans drive sportier than many rivals.
The Maxima's slightly bigger outside than the Altima sedan that shares Nissan's "D" platform, as does the Murano SUV and Quest minivan in a nice job of crafting different vehicles on one base. But it's mysteriously tighter inside: slightly less headroom, legroom and width than Altima.
It has the arresting looks you want in a personal-statement car, as well as arrest-me engine oomph.
The 3.5-liter V-6, shared with several Nissans and Infinitis, is rated 290 horsepower for Maxima; hence, Nissan has revived the hoary marketing tag "four-door sports car."
Silly maybe, but not just hype. Maxima scoots. It makes cars in the mirrors look really small, really quickly. And it holds a tight line, unperturbed, in fast corners.
Sadly, torque-steer still is there. Nail the throttle and the car pulls to the right. Lots of powerful cars have been able to minimize or eliminate that.
"With this powerful an engine there's still a little torque steer there," says Larry Dominique, Nissan's vice president of product planning. "But compared to what it used to be, it's virtually gone."
Other gripes:
The power sunroof on the test car made more noise closing than you hear in a railroad switch yard.
Haven't heard others mention it, Dominique says.
Instrument lighting couldn't be dimmed enough. Went from not-so-bright to off.
Probably not an issue, Dominique says. Nissan surveys (they study this stuff?) show many drivers like the dash lights on fully bright.
The tiny stereo volume control on the steering wheel was hard to use and would be impossible with gloves, though a nice-size knob is barely a reach on the center stack of controls.
The engine's specifically tuned for premium fuel, not regular.
Dominique says regular won't hurt it, but will sacrifice some power: "Would a normal customer notice the difference? Probably not."
The middle spot in the back seat has no head restraint - but the middle slot is so narrow and the legroom so limited by the center tunnel that it'll only fit a kid, who's probably too short to need the head restraint.
There's plenty about the Maxima, however, to celebrate.
The front-end design is terrific. Outside, it's a chiseled crouch, vaguely like an Audi. From behind the wheel, you're treated to a gentle hood bulge that eases down into the crisp rise of sensual fenders. Exotic (erotic?) without being overwrought - a modern interpretation of the view in classic 1950s Detroit cruisers.
The controls and their layout make more sense than in most cars, and reward the touch when you operate them. The lack of a gee-whiz presentation is a good thing. You'll appreciate it more everyday.
Optional high-intensity discharge headlights worked well, illuminating elevated street signs and pedestrians. Most HID headlights are stingy with their light and break their promise of safer night driving.
CVT - a belt-drive, continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission - felt like a real gearbox. None of the rubber-band feel of some rival CVTs. It has multiple personalities. Normal automatic; a sporty automatic that keeps engine revs up for snappier response but uses more fuel; manual, in which the driver can choose among six set ratios with the gearshift lever or the optional paddle shifters on the steering column. Whew.
The glove box not only swallows all those manuals and brochures, but also leaves - imagine - generous room for stuff you really want in there.
Steering has good on-center feel and aims the car in proportion to how much the driver turns it. You'd think that'd be a given 120 years after Berta Benz sneaked hubby Karl's Motorwagen out in the wee hours, and wasn't shy about telling him what needed improvement. Sadly, good steering still is notable.
Everything works well together, so you can hop in and just go when you really don't want to put on your game face. Yet the growl of the engine and view out the windshield remind you that with a little toe on the throttle, a tap on the gear lever, a twist of the leathered wheel, you're in the joy zone.
It's how cars should be.
NISSAN MAXIMA
What? Sporting, near-luxury four-door, front-drive, midsize, high-performance sedan loosely based on Altima.
When and where? On sale since June 26, built at Smyrna, Tenn.
Why? Jazzes up the brand's image.
How much? S is $29,985 with $695 shipping, SV at $32,685. Tester: $38,500.
How potent? Quite. 3.5-liter V-6 is rated 290 horsepower at 6,400 rpm, 261 pounds-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. Belt-drive, continuously variable automatic transmission offers four (!) modes (two auto, two manual) to deliver grunt to front wheels.
How fancy? Pretty, as it ought to be starting at $30K. Standard hardware includes anti-lock brakes, anti-skid control, traction control, today's normal air bags everywhere, plus power this and that galore.
What's missing: On the S model you can't have leather, high-intensity headlights, fog lights and gadgets such as navigation, Bluetooth phone link, satellite radio.
How big? Accord/Camry/Altima territory. Maxima is 190.6 inches long, 73.2 in. wide, 57.8 in. tall on a 109.3-in. wheelbase. Weighs 3,556 pounds, (S) or 3,579 pounds (SV). Turning circle is 37.4 feet.
How thirsty? Rated 19 miles per gallon city, 26 highway, 22 combined. Tester's trip computer showed 19 mpg in 160 miles of suburban driving. Tank holds 20 gallons.
Overall: Satisfying in nearly every way.
The dash combines the Altima's wraparound panels with the center controls and navigation system from Infiniti's G and M sedans. Cabin storage is abundant, with a decent-sized center console and a huge glove compartment. One complaint: Like in the Rogue, the compartment's cover opens right onto passengers' shins. The dashboard materials are low-gloss and soft to the touch.
I wish I were as jazzed about the exterior as I am about the interior. The rear is the one high point - it looks much better in person than the pictures show, and I can see bits of the Altima coupe and Mercedes S-Class. Up front, though, the grille seems too low and wide, and the lower air dam looks a bit busy. Oh, and don't get me started on those headlights.
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Website by Dealer.com
Nissan of Elk Grove
8590 Laguna Grove Dr.
Elk Grove,
CA
95757