NIssan Maxima (09)

What I say: I like the 2009 Nissan Maxima. I would 10 times rather have a Maxima over a Camry, but you pay a price for the better car. The seats are great and the layout is a lot like an Infiniti, because.....well....they are the same thing just different.

About the Pictures: The sun was in my eyes the whole time. The summer sun is always bright and bouncing off silver into your eyes is a little bright. It looks good though. The stupid flash keep coming on with the Auto Flash.

What Edmunds Says:

What's New for 2009
The Nissan Maxima is completely redesigned for 2009, with an added focus on performance and luxury.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2009 Nissan Maxima is a midsize entry-level luxury sedan available in S and SV trim levels. The base model S comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, cruise control, a sunroof, keyless ignition/entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt/telescoping steering column, eight-way driver and four-way passenger power front seats, a 60/40-split rear seat, cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a trip computer, an auto-dimming inside mirror and an in-dash six-CD changer with an auxiliary audio jack.

Powertrains and Performance

Every 2009 Nissan Maxima comes with a 3.5-liter V6 producing 290 hp and 261 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a CVT that can be overridden by six artificial "gear" ratios selected by the driver with steering-column-mounted paddle shifters (SV trim only).

At our test track, the Maxima SV went from zero to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. Its fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined.

Safety

Every 2009 Nissan Maxima comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and front and rear outboard active head restraints. A rearview camera is optional.

Interior Design and Special Features
The 2009 Nissan Maxima features design and craftsmanship worthy of its luxury-car price. In fact, the Maxima's cabin -- in Premium and Sport guise -- is probably a tad nicer than that of Infiniti's G35. Buttons and knobs move with well-damped precision, while the dash and door sill tops are covered in a soft-touch material. The many buttons and knobs for audio controls, climate controls and the available navigation system are well-placed and well-spaced so each function is easy to find, whether you've gotten into the car for the first or 101st time.

The dual-zone automatic climate controls are a model of simplicity.
Space inside the Maxima is quite good, with a comfy driver seat that provides an excellent range of adjustment. The trunk can hold 14.3 cubic feet of stuff that enters through a wide opening.

Driving Impressions
The Maxima's potent V6 feels very strong, and unlike other CVTs, the Maxima's is well-suited to the engine.
The 2009 Nissan Maxima can be quite a lot of fun to drive, with a competent chassis and well-sorted suspension. Steering on all Maximas is excellent, exhibiting a nice blend of low-friction weighting and a high level of road feel that should satisfy both comfort-minded and enthusiastic drivers alike.