2006 Nissan Maxima Expert Review: Autoblog
Autoblog
The current generation Maxima was recently released as a 2004 model. There have been many reviews of the car as well, but most are in fully equipped cars that push the price tag into the low $30 thousand range. The test car I received probably represents the lowest retail price one would pay to get into a new Maxima. The only option on my Maxima SE test car was the floor mats, which are really considered accessories not options. Let's see what we get for the $27,500 base price, not including destination and taxes, over the course of the next few days.
The first thing that jumps out is the styling. The Maxima’s profile is very sweeping, with a long hood and short rear deck. It is very much patterned after a coupe. With the Maxima’s legacy as a four door sports car (4DSC), the styling is fitting. The styling is very typical of Nissan’s latest offerings, and it has cues of the 350Z with the wrap around headlights and rear tail light treatment. The exterior is either love it or hate it for many, but I find the car to be very attractive. The Maxima once had a very unique appearance in its class, but now Toyota seems to emulate the Maxima with their new Avalon.
For the most part, the ‘Red Opulence’ test car’s exterior is attractive, but I do have some problems with it, mostly in the details. First of all, the grill itself is almost a work of art, but the huge Nissan emblem gives the front end a pig-like visage. My other gripe is with the door pulls. For this much money, I expect the door handles to feel better than this. When you pull on them, they feel hollow, and the plastic on plastic friction is very noticeable. There are plenty of less expensive cars that have more substantial door handles. A minor gripe I guess, but you’re paying $27,500+ for a car not a toy.
On the other side of the coin, the 18 inch wheels with performance tires give the Maxima a nice stance. With such a dramatic body, the larger wheels visually support the Maxima. The dual exhaust also adds to the sporty nature of the exterior. This car looks particularly good from the rear three quarters view, with the flat sides, curvy profiles, and large wheels. Also, the SkyView glass panel roof adds some interest to the top of the car, but we’ll get to my roof impressions tomorrow.
Over all, the exterior is dramatic to say the least. We will see how that dramatic exterior translates into the interior details and the driving dynamics.
After spending some time in the Maxima's cockpit, I can really give you my impressions of the interior. First of all, the interior is different from most cars in its class. From a design perspective, there is certainly more interest here than many of the Maxima's competitors. I do have issues with it, but I'll get to that later.
Let’s talk about the details. There are some touches that really make you take notice. Some are small details, others are simply nice features. The first thing that you notice when you step into the car is the dash. The dash slopes down from the windshield and almost appears to float there. The gauge cluster comes out of the dash instead of being in the dash. The door panel covering is carried from the doors and wraps around the back of the dash, adding to the sensation that the dash is floating in front of you. There are some nice design elements throughout the interior of the car. The doors themselves have nicely designed armrests, and even the control stalks on the steering column seem to have been designed with an artful touch.
The car also features an AM/FM/CD/Cassette. Having an actual cassette in dash is becoming a rarity in this day and age. It’s not really a necessity for everyone, but it may appeal to some people. The Maxima also has the usual features, but the one-touch up and down windows are nice to have on both front windows. Also, the driver’s power seat was able to handle a variety of drivers, and the cockpit design is friendly to both tall and more vertically challenged drivers. Many other cars in the Maxima’s class put the driver in an enveloping cockpit that may be difficult for shorter drivers to get a good view of the road. I found the Maxima to provide a flexible, comfortable cockpit. I got mixed reviews on the backseat, however. Some passengers found it to be a comfortable and inviting place, others did not.
Well, that was the good impressions. Now, I’ve got issues with a couple things. The steering wheel controls do not light up at night, so it takes a minute to figure out which button does what in the dark. Once you memorize the controls, it is not an issue, but I feel it is an oversight that could’ve been easily corrected. At first I was pretty impressed with the interior overall, but then I peeked into a 2005 Altima and was not so impressed anymore. There is a lot of component sharing, and the quality is about the same. Nissan interiors have never really impressed me from a materials standpoint. The first time I sat in the new Altima, I thought to myself how cheap it felt. The Maxima is a little better, but still it is not the best out there. I also wonder how durable the fake aluminum trim will be. The same concerns could be applied to the door handles. How long will it be before the finish wears off? Also, the SkyView roof did not offer much of a sky view. From my perspective, it simply provided some natural light into the cabin, but little else. It is too narrow. It does not open either, so it’s merely a conversation piece in my book. I would spend the coin and get a real sunroof.
As far as the driving impressions are concerned, well this car is no slouch. There is a reason why the Nissan V6 wins so many awards. It is such a flexible, powerful, engine. The transmission also seems very intelligent and does not take long to figure out. I’ll get into a more detailed driving impression later. I do have one thing to say; even if it is FWD it still goes like stink. Only when I turned the traction control off and goosed it from a stop did I really have to wrestle with it during acceleration. Once you’re rolling, the V6 provides plenty of power. Even in the handling department, the car doesn’t really disappoint. Once I take the car through some serious back roads, I’ll have a better idea on the handling front.
Most of this large sedan is spiced like Mrs. Dash. The Maxima has something for every part of a driver's taste in one package. It has a dash here in the handling, a dash here in the tactile feedback and a dash there in the brakes. It is dynamically more than what you would get with a typical vanilla family sedan.
It is under the hood where Nissan puts all the spice, however. When you buy this car, this is what you’re really
buying, the Nissan VQ V6. This engine is a powerhouse that gives meaning to all the other elements of the car. You can
almost forget the interior cheapness when your right foot is buried into the accelerator. Who cares if it is front
wheel drive? The chassis lays the power down smoothly and effectively. That is not the typical experience that I’ve had
in cars like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The Accord especially feels like the front wheels attack the air
instead of the tarmac. No, the Nissan lays down the power effectively.
So how does it handle? It handles quite impressively for such a large family sedan. The Maxima doesn’t feel like the
pig it appears to be. Body lean is well controlled, while the rest of the suspension feels surefooted and under
control. It is a pretty nice compromise for the price, all things considered.
I got the opportunity to take the car to this little stretch of road that I consider to be a decent proving grounds
for handling. It has constant elevation changes, stretches of rough road, long straights, and tons of challenging
turns. There are even some nice off camber blind corners and some really tight hairpins. Overall, it is a nice mountain
pass that sees little traffic. So, how did it do? The Maxima handled the whole bit extremely well, and I would say much
better than my old 2003 Mustang GT or my Integra GS-R. It was fun and rewarding without having any nasty habits. Of
course, you have to drive it differently. The car’s brakes and relatively sharp turn-in allow you to bury the car into
a turn, swing around, and punch it to the next turn. The front wheel drive limits your ability to power out of turns
without some major push, but that’s the nature of the beast. The automatic transmission also worked very well, when
left in D anyway.
The Maxima has a five speed automatic, which offered that ability to shift it yourself. I tried it for a while. I
found out that it wouldn’t always obey your commands. If you held a gear for too long, it would up shift. If you didn’t
downshift when slowing down, it would do it for you. I found it better just to let it operate like a normal automatic.
Just talk to it with your right foot, and the transmission would do pretty much what you ask of it.
It was an enjoyable drive. I did not want to stop, but I packed it up and went home. I would get another day with the
Maxima before it would be taken away.
It is sad to see this powerful sedan go. It was surprising just how capable this car is. The Nissan VQ35 V6 is a dream, and you can tell why they use this engine in so many of their cars. The suspension is well designed, and is definitely tuned for performance in the SE. The SL is supposed to give a softer ride. So if you're looking for a smooth riding Maxima, the SL is the better choice. There were some issues with interior quality and design that nagged me during the review period, but your mileage may vary. Overall, the Maxima is a fast, stylish, and comfortable car.
So, would I buy one? In doing some research, there were some things that came up as concerns for me. As a potential-buyer, I always look for ways to get a better deal. So, I pulled a comparison between the Maxima and Altima. From a pure interior room perspective, the Maxima and Altima are neck and neck. The Maxima offers more high end features, however. If you’re looking for a Nissan sedan, check out both the Maxima and Altima before settling. Also, the IIHS side impact safety ratings for the Maxima are not that great for a large sedan, especially considering the standard side airbags. It is better than a lot of other cars, but not the greatest. If safety is a huge factor for you, you should factor the Maxima’s ratings into the comparison. Personally, I would cross shop this car with other makes before deciding. I would consider the 2004 models that are turning up on the used market, however.
Thumbs up:
Fast, Wonderful V6, competent handling, spacious interior and trunk
Thumbs down:
SE suspension and tires do not translate to a smooth ride, but that is the compromise you make for having sporty
suspension, some interior cheapness, annoying steering wheel controls, questionable side impact safety ratings.
New Car Test Drive
Sporty and innovative.
Introduction
Nissan Maxima offers distinctive styling, a sophisticated personality, and above-par performance. Straddling the line between mid-size sedan and a near-luxury sport sedan, it's a car designed for auto aficionados who appreciate something different. Something other than a Camry or Accord, for example. The Maxima is a more specialized product than the Altima midsize sedan with a daring design that looks weird from some angles, but we like its quirky looks and innovative design, as well as its focus on performance.
Buyers can choose between the more responsive SE and the softer SL. Either way, cruising on the highway is effortless with Nissan's 265-horsepower V6.
Both models are stuffed with luxury features. The refined cabin is innovative and comfortable with supportive, luxurious seats. The interesting Skyview roof, a standard glass panel running lengthwise over the front and rear seats, is the sort of feature associated with futuristic concept cars. Also interesting are the available rear bucket seats, another feature seen primarily on futuristic concept cars. Together, the bucket seats and Skyview roof make back-seat riders feel more like first-class passengers and less like coach-class cattle. Granted, the Maxima is not as family-friendly as the Altima, particularly with the optional four-bucket-seat interior, but that's not a problem for people who don't have children.
Safety features include a sophisticated traction control system that comes standard. The navigation system interface has been improved for 2006, and Bluetooth and satellite radio are now available.
Lineup
The Nissan Maxima is a four-door sedan with a V6 engine and front-wheel drive. The 2006 edition comes in two distinct flavors: the sporty 3.5 SE and the more luxuriously equipped 3.5 SL.
SE ($27,750) comes with a sports suspension, traction control, and 18-inch wheels and tires. It offers the choice of six-speed manual transmission or five-speed automatic (for the same price). It comes standard with cloth upholstery and metallic interior accents. Otherwise, it comes standard with all the conveniences you'd expect in a top-end mid-size sedan.
SL ($30,000) comes with the five-speed automatic, a softer suspension and 17-inch wheels and tires. Leather upholstery, woodgrain trim, heated seats, xenon HID headlamps, a premium eight-speaker Bose stereo, and conveniences that are optional on the SE are all standard on the SL.
The Skyview roof comes standard on both SE and SL. A conventional power glass sunroof ($900) is also available.
Options let buyers upgrade an SE to SL-level luxury. SE options include the Bose Premium Audio Package ($1,000); a Sensory Package ($2,350) that combines the Bose audio with leather-appointed heated seats, a four-way power passenger seat, heated mirrors, and a compass; a Driver Preferred Package ($3,650) that combines the Sensory Package with a rear spoiler, memory driver's seat with power lumbar support, power tilt/telescopic heated steering wheel with memory, auto-dimming outside mirrors with memory, xenon HID headlights, and a feature that power-retracts the driver's seat all the way back when you open the door to ease entry and exit.
The Elite Package, available for both the SE ($4,600) and SL ($1,750), replaces the rear bench seat with two heated bucket seats and a center console extending the full length of the interior. This option also includes everything from the Driver Preferred Package, plus a power rear sunshade with front and rear controls, auto up/down rear windows, and an extra rear 12-volt power outlet.
Options for both SE and SL include a DVD navigation system with seven-inch color LCD display ($1,800); XM or Sirius satellite radio ($350); Vehicle Dynamic Control ($600). New for 2006 is a Bluetooth hands-free phone system ($300).
Walkaround
The Nissan Maxima features a chiseled, muscular body with pronounced character lines. It's aerodynamic and modern and yet architecturally Art Deco, like some Flash Gordon fantasy of yesterday's tomorrow.
This is especially true at the front end, where a rounded-rectangle texture fills in the twin nostrils in Nissan's signature grille, split by a dark chrome medallion at the center, with aerodynamically integrated headlight clusters wrapping over the top and around at the sides.
Big, round fender openings accented by flattened wheel lips pay homage to enormous alloy wheels: 18-inch, six-spoke units on the SE; 17-inch, seven-spoke on the SL. The relatively open wheel design shows off the black-painted brake calipers nicely.
The Maxima's rear roof slopes into the trunk lid flanked by buttress-like sail panels. Large triangular taillight clusters, like the headlights, wrap around to the sides of the car.
Maxima's bold design innovations include the Skyview roof, a glass panel running lengthwise over the front and rear seats.
Interior
The interior of the Maxima is innovative and comfortable.
The seats in the SL look nice and feel supportive and luxurious at the same time: You dream of all-day interstate cruises across the West in seats like these. The seats in the SL are firm yet pillowy, wide without a lot of side bolstering.
The Maxima's steering wheel is familiar Nissan issue, functional but not beautiful. It tilts and telescopes, and for 2006 the redundant controls on the wheel are illuminated. In front of the driver are three small gauges set in their own pod, like those on a motorcycle.
We like many of the details of the Maxima's interior, specifically the light colors and the proximity of the switches and controls to the driver. However, the labels for the climate and audio systems are too small to be easily read, and the audio and trip computer seem to have more buttons than they should need. The display is hard to read in bright sunlight with polarized sunglasses.
We didn't care, either, for the large, flat splash of trim on the center stack, neither the titanium-colored plastic in the SE nor the faux wood on the SL. It seems like wasted space. Also, there's a lot of dashboard area that stretches way out to the leading edge of the windshield.
When seated in the back of a four-seat Maxima with the Elite Package, you get the feeling you're in the passenger seat of a two-seat sports car. With the narrow Skyview window above your head, you don't feel like you've been relegated to the kid seats while the adults up front enjoy all the luxuries. The Skyview window does not open, but Nissan says it found a lot of people rarely open their sunroofs. We're among them. For those who prefer it, a conventional sunroof over the front seats is available.
Nissan offers a choice of XM or Sirius satellite radio, both factory-installed for 2006. Satellite radio can be great companion on long trips, delivering CD-quality sound nearly everywhere. Not having to change stations on a cross-country trip has distinct advantages. Being news hounds, we enjoy being able to keep up on current events with the 24-hour TV news stations, such as CNN or Fox News. Finding stations is easy with RDS (radio data system), which clearly identifies programming on the radio's display.
Three cargo nets are provided in the trunk and work better than most for holding down a load of groceries.
Driving Impression
The Nissan Maxima SE rides smoothly and quietly, even on bad pavement. We preferred the SE over the slightly softer ride of the SL because it felt more connected to the road. Both models handled bumps well, a benefit of the independent multi-link rear suspension.
Cruising on the highway is effortless in the Maxima. The 3.5-liter V6 develops 265 horsepower and pulls strongly in passing situations. The V6 has such a broad power band that the Maxima is happy being either a high-revving hard-charger or a boulevard loafer. You can keep the engine at high revs to extract the most acceleration on challenging roads, or you can lug it along at a cruising pace without concern. It's a great engine, and is considered one of the best V6s available from anyone.
Both the six-speed manual and the five-speed automatic transmissions are well-matched to the smoothly revving engine. We prefer the automatic. The shifter on the six-speed manual feels tall. Ours seemed balky initially and the first-to-second shift required good timing, but once we got used to it the gates were easy to select. Clutch pedal travel was notably long as well, so you'll be working that left leg in heavy traffic. For these reasons and others, most people choose the automatic. And we think they're right.
We drove the Maxima down some winding canyon roads and found it handles very well with high grip limits. The Maxima does feel noticeably bigger and more ponderous than the lighter Altima, however. The Maxima and Altima share basic structures, but the Maxima weighs more. The steering is accurate, though it seems light and slow. Body roll is minimal, meaning it doesn't lean much in corners. But turn-in is slow, so when you come into a high-speed turn and turn the steering wheel the car is relatively slow to respond. Charge into a corner past the grip of the tires and the car understeers initially. Coming out of the corners, the Maxima doesn't spin the wheels, which is a good thing, but there is some torque steer, a slight tugging sensation at the steering wheel.
Overall, the Maxima feels like a sporty sedan that's enjoyable to drive.
Summary
The Nissan Maxima is individualistic and indulgently luxurious, with innovative styling and interior features. Its engine is powerful and its ride is smooth and quiet.
New Car Test Drive correspondent Phil Berg filed this report from Detroit, with Mitch McCullough reporting from Los Angeles.
Model Lineup
Nissan 3.5 SE ($27,750); 3.5 SL ($30,000).
Assembled In
Smyrna, Tennessee.
Options As Tested
Driver Preferred Package ($3,650) includes 320-watt Bose AM/FM/6CD stereo with eight speakers, RDS, speed-sensitive volume, and steering-wheel controls, leather-appointed seats, heated front seats and mirrors, a four-way power passenger seat, memory and lumbar support for driver's seat, compass, rear spoiler, power tilt/telescopic heated steering wheel with memory, auto-dimming outside memory mirrors, xenon HID headlights.
Model Tested
Nissan Maxima SE ($27,750).
2006 Nissan Maxima Information
Research the 2006 Nissan Maxima specs, photos, reviews and ratings here. Ready to buy a 2006 Nissan Maxima? Find Nissan car dealerships in your area, search for Nissan Maxima deals, rebates and incentives, or browse 2006 Nissan Maxima vehicles for sale.
Buy a 2006 Maxima
Vehicle Research
*The data and content on this web site is subject to change without notice. Neither AOL nor any of its data or content providers shall be liable for errors in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
