Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV Part 3: Performance Review

For its 2009 Maxima, Nissan has resurrected its slogan, "the 4-door Sports Car" as evidenced by the "4DSC" stickers affixed to the rear quarter windows. The new Maxima is much more aggressively styled than the previous version of the car - being both shorter and wider - and it does pack more power. But a sportscar? Let's have a look...

The new Maxima employs a version of Nissan's venerable VQ35 series of engines, which in this application makes 290 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque and is charged with motivating 3600 pounds of sedan. And while that isn't quite as much power as some of its rivals - such as the Acura TL - it is enough to move the Maxima quite well: 0-60 in the low six second range and an electronically-limited top speed of nearly 150 mph.

The problem with the drivetrain - and the thing that makes the Maxima's "4-Door Sports Car" slogan more hyperbole than fact - isn't the car's engine, but rather, its Xtronic constantly variable transmission, or CVT.

Push the accelerator pedal into the carpet while in regular "Drive" mode, and the engine will quickly rev up to its 6400 rpm power peak and just sit there. While it feels as if something's wrong, it's actually just the CVT doing its thing. The problem is that it just isn't satisfying as the sensation is similar to that of a slipping clutch.

So while the Maxima has one of the great engines currently in mass production, you don't get to hear it sing unless you opt to select gears for yourself. And even then, you're all too aware that the shifts you're feeling are somewhat artificial and only there to make the CVT feel less like a CVT. Proof of this can be found in the car's acceleration numbers, which are best not with the transmission in sport mode with its simulated shifts, but when it is left to its own devices in Drive.

That issue aside, the new Maxima SV fitted with the sports package definitely moves well enough to be considered a legitimate sports sedan, with responsive and communicative steering that is just a touch too light. Here again, the sportscar claims don't serve the car well, as its mission is much more rounded than that. Based on Nissan's D-Platform - shared with the company's Altima sedan and Murano cross-over - the Maxima is competent in most situations, with a good handling and ride balance, excellent braking and that VQ engine. It's only when you push it beyond its comfort zone that the car's front-wheel drive platform and unloved Constantly Vague Transmission combine to keep the car from living up to its tagline.

While the 2009 Nissan Maxima is many a good thing - comfortable, competent, well-equipped, good-looking, etc. - it isn't a sportscar with two extra doors. If Nissan's intent really was to build a 4-door GT-R, they should have used their latest FR-L (front engine, rear-drive, large) platform and equipped the car with any other transmission besides the CVT.

As an everyday, all-around performance sedan however, the 2009 Nissan Maxima SV provides all the necessary ingredients to get the job done. In its new form it offers more power, more refinement, more technology and more luxury. In short, it is a lot more car. Just don't call it a sportscar.

Watch the video
Read Part 1: Design
Read Part 2: Interior & User Experience

Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV

Performance
- Acceleration: Engine spins up to 6400 rpm and stays there - quick enough, but zero satisfaction
- Handling: Can almost lay legitimate claim to its "4DSC" stickers... at least for a front-wheel-drive sedan
- Braking: Brakes feel good and are as effective as they should be on a sports sedan

Design
- Exterior: Much better than it looks in photos - Nissan took some chances and they worked... mostly
- Interior: Not nearly as risky as the exterior, the inside of the Maxima is still quite nicely done

Utility
- Comfort: Excellent for four adults, maybe even for five
- Space: Much larger inside than you might expect with a decent trunk to boot (pun intended for the Brits out there)

Safety
- Dynamics: Very sport oriented front-wheel drive dynamics - adjustable, which is rare for front-drive sedans
- Technology: Everything you'd expect including a stability control system that can be switched off

Value
- Price: Nudging up too closely against superior, rear-drive sport sedans when optioned up
- Mileage: Not appalling, but not exactly great either

Emotional Appeal
- Heart thumpin' factor: Styling and 4DSC stickers may get your heart pumpin', but CVT single-handedly kills this car's appeal
- Fun to spank: If the road is twisty and you play along with the "fake" shifts of the CVT, then yes, it's somewhat fun

SPECIFICATIONS

Layout: Front engine / Front-wheel drive
Engine: 3.5 liter, V6
Power (SAE): 290 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 261 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
Gearbox: CVT (Constantly Variable Transmission)
Curb Weight: 3579 lbs.
0-60 mph: 6.1 sec.
1/4 mile: 14.6 @ 97 mph
Top Speed: 149 mph (electronically limited)
Mileage: 19 city / 26 highway
Base Price: $35,160
Competitors: Acura TL, Lexus IS 350, Infiniti G37, Audi A4