The 2016 Nissan Maxima. |
We are having a sudden burst of cars at TireKicker that we have not driven in some time. For our Publisher and Executive Editor, it had been seven years between drives in the Honda Pilot. Now comes the Nissan Maxima, and it's been nearly as long---five years since Michael reviewed the 2011 model.
In the intervening five years, the Maxima has gone through some major changes.
2016 Nissan Maxima. |
The car is a couple of inches longer and about an inch and a half lower than the outgoing model. More importantly, the car is 82 pounds lighter, which, combined with the extra 10 horsepower, makes it faster and more responsive. And changes to the ratios in the continuously variable transmission get the credit for the boost in fuel economy. The CVT also has been programmed for better response when the Maxima is being driven enthusiastically, and enhanced engine sounds (like those Michael wrote about in his recent review of the Ford F-150 with Ecoboost) create the illusion that a traditional automatic transmission is changing gears at specific shift points under hard acceleration.
Always one of the better-handling full-size sedans, the new Maxima also has a firm but not punishing ride. Just enough to convey that the mission here is sport above luxury.
2016 Nissan Maxima interior. |