2016 Nissan Maxima packs lots of technology
The 2016 Nissan Maxima is being launched with the hashtag #4DSC. It stands for four-door sports car. Is it? Let’s just say a better hashtag would have been #4DTC.
What’s that stand for? Four-door technology car because it’s more the bells and whistles that are going to sell the new Maxima than what’s under the hood.
The 2016 Nissan Maxima has a 300 horsepower V6 that is 61 percent all-new parts. But—and this is going to sound strange—300 horsepower is no longer that impressive, especially for a vehicle billing itself as a sports sedan. The Chevrolet Impala has 300 horsepower, and that’s no sports sedan. The Chrysler 200 in its top trim level is at 295 horsepower, and that’s also not a sports sedan.
However, there are certain elements to the Maxima that do give it improved sporty handling. A redesigned platform has increased the torsional rigidity by 25 percent. That basically means it’s going to have less float in the curves and soak up irregular road surfaces better.
CUSTOMER-MINDED: The 2016 Nissan Maxima interior is driver focused.
The continuously variable transmission (which most folks know as CVT) also has been given more sport-oriented tuning. It’s going to perform more like traditional 7-speed and 8-speed transmissions. You’re going to feel it “shift’’ at higher RPMs, when in reality CVTs don’t have that “clunk’’ associated with automatic transmissions.
The Maxima can bill itself as sporty in the design category both on the inside and out. In the interior, it has a driver-centric cockpit.
Now that all this talk of it being a sports sedan is out of the way, what the 2016 Nissan Maxima can rightly call itself is an outstanding overall sedan. Much like it did with the brand-new Murano, Nissan has taken a top seller in its lineup and made it even better.
Safety is at the forefront of improvements with the driver attention alert system because 20 percent of all fatal accidents are caused by drowsy driving, according to Nissan. It takes steering input from the first 15 minutes of driving and determines if the driver is exhibiting drowsy driving patterns. Previously, it’s only been offered on high-end German sedans like the Mercedes-Benz E class, costing thousands of dollars more.
The predictive forward collision warning system is also a thing of automotive safety beauty. It scans two cars ahead to sense emergency braking systems. Other systems only look at the car immediately in front of you. Focusing on the farther vehicle allows more time for the brakes to pump themselves.
A personal favorite are the NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats that absolutely eliminate driver fatigue, at least in the approximately 200 miles I spent with the Maxima around Nashville, Tennessee. Nissan has further enhanced these seats with foam topper pads just like you find on upscale beds. These seats alone are reason enough to recommend this car.
The Maxima’s ride is also inspired. A lot has been done to improve what was already a fairly quiet journey. The noise, vibration, and harshness, commonly referred to as NVH, reduction efforts have been enhanced through measures like acoustic laminated glass on both the windshield and front windows as well as active noise cancellation.
Nissan also has a good fuel economy story to tell with the Maxima. The combined number has jumped from 22 mpg for the 2014 model to 25 mpg for the 2016 Maxima. (There is no 2015 Maxima.) That puts it ahead of vehicles like the Chevrolet Impala, Ford Taurus, Toyota Avalon, and Chrysler 300, which could be considered its major competition. The Maxima is rated at 30 mpg highway and 22 mpg city, the latter being impressive because that was its combined rating previously.
2016 Nissan Maxima
THE BASICS
Price, base (with destination): $33,835. Fuel economy: 22 city/30 highway/25 combined. Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6. Body: Four-door sedan.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 300 @ 6,400 rpm. Torque: 261 @ 4,400 rpm. Overall length: 192.8 in. Wheelbase: 109.3 in. Height: 56.5 in. Width: 73.2 in. Curb weight: 3,471 lbs.
THE GOOD
The 2016 Nissan Maxima is a testament to luxury technology combined in an affordably priced package. Its safety features alone make it a compelling car for consideration.
THE BAD
It’s not being marketed correctly as a sports sedan. It’s a sedan with some sporty characteristics, including aggressive styling, but it’s not what one could consider a performance sedan.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The 2016 Nissan Maxima is a truly strong sedan with compelling characteristics that should make it one of the best in its class.
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