2016 Nissan Maxima Quick Take

Our first encounter with the 2016 Nissan Maxima focused primarily on the sporty SR model and while we found it quite luxurious, it isn’t quite the road carving "4 Door Sports Car" that the automaker would like to conjure up from the sedan‘s past. Still, it is an enjoyable car to drive and in our Platinum Edition, we have found Maxima’s true strength: it’s a luxury sedan with family car price positioning.

Stickered at $39,850 plus $825 delivery (a modest $1,350 walk-up from the SR model), the 2016 Nissan Maxima Platinum has all the luxury features you’d expect from a traditional luxury brand, from its quilted diamond patterned leather seats to the dual panel panoramic moonroof (a feature not offered on the SR). The Maxima is handsome inside and out, with a striking exterior that features a floating roof design-though that aspect of the look didn’t stand out as much in our dark brown test model.

Also: The Class of 2016 — New Cars Ready to Roll

Features galore

The Maxima is a good performer thanks to its stout 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). And with normal and sport modes, the latter is useful in making the acceleration a little less languid in stop and go traffic. But the real virtue of the Maxima Platinum is its comfort. The seats are supportive with a heated/ventilated function, the front cabin spacious and there’s plenty of leather, soft touch surfaces and wood accents with a really subtle diamond pattern in the surface to mirror the sew pattern in the seats. 

Among the driver assist features we’ve come to appreciate from Nissan is the all-around view camera and the understated way the blind spot, lane departure and other warnings work- the Maxima’s alerts are chimes and other telltales that are less jarring than some competitors’ panic mode red lights and audio warnings that are just this side of a klaxon horn in their urgency.

With the average price of a new car hovering in the low $30,000 range, stepping up to the Maxima Platinum isn’t that big a stretch and in making the move, you’ll be rewarded with a car that is distinctive in design, with good road matters and more than a modicum of comfort and luxury inside.

See full review and pricing information for the 2016 Nissan Maxima or build and price your own to unlock its Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more.