2019 Nissan Maxima Road Test and Review

Cars come and go. Some vehicle types increase in favor while others fade to a level as appealing as yesterday’s garlic mashed potatoes. But the Nissan Maxima, the brand’s entrant in the large sedan market, continues to go its own way decade after decade. For 2019, style and sportiness are what its product planners say Maxima buyers want.

While most large-sedan buyers seem to crave quiet, comfort, and reliability in a package that doesn’t make waves, the Maxima delivers more than its share of driving fun — OK, sedate fun — and it has styling that is designed to get noticed. For 2019, the Maxima is the beneficiary of what they call in the industry a “mid-cycle refresh,” which means that at about the midpoint in its model life, the manufacturer does things like change the headlights to make the car look different. In fact, that’s just what Nissan did.

Our extensive drive in a 2019 Maxima at the updated vehicle’s first-drive event confirmed that the Maxima is sportier than others in its competitive set — cars like the Toyota Avalon and Kia Cadenza. At the same time, we don’t suggest you go racing versus Audis or BMWs. What the Maxima does well is straddle the line between old-school, softly suspended luxury barges and full-on performance-oriented sports sedans.

An enthusiast driver can certainly have fun behind the wheel of a Maxima, especially if she or he chooses the SR version, but out-handling the soon-to-be-eliminated Buick LaCrosse isn’t that much to brag about. Instead, we think you’ll be impressed with the five-passenger sedan’s overall competency. It is smooth and quiet when that’s appropriate, and it can show some moves when called upon, kind of like a father of the bride who can actually dance.

If you’ve heard that semi-anilines are on the endangered species list, the 2019 Nissan Maxima might be the reason why. Its Platinum Reserve package features so much “Rakuda Tan” semi-aniline leather that the demise of the semi-aniline species could be imminent. (Nissan compounds the problem by also using similar semi-aniline leather in its Nissan GT-R premium interior package.) Despite the ecological havoc, there are comfortable seating positions for all five occupants... although the person in the center of the rear bench is likely least-happy of the bunch.

For those looking for “new,” the Maxima has a revised seat-insert pattern plus charcoal headliner and pillars for the SR and Platinum Reserve trim levels. Depending on the model, the instrument panel, door panels, steering wheel insert, stitching, seat materials, headliner, pillars, and A-pillar speaker grilles have each gotten some manner of new treatment, and it’s all attractive. More familiar is the Maxima’s “Gliding Wing” interior layout that emphasizes horizontal movement and easy access to controls.

For information junkies, the Maxima can fill the bill. Nissan Door-to Door-Navigation is available, and it comes with an 8-inch capacitive color display that features smartphone-like controls. You can swipe and pinch-to-zoom, for example, and it also offers swipe-to-meter functionality to enable a quick exit from the navigation screen.

Android Auto is standard, as is the hands-free text messaging assistant. Other standard features include Bluetooth streaming, voice recognition, and four USB ports. The front USB ports are illuminated and one is a Type-A, the other a Type-C. Available NissanConnect Services offer automatic collision notification, remote engine start via smartphone, emergency calling, and stolen-vehicle locator. The best news about the Nissan infotainments system is their ease of operation.

In its quest for distinction, the Nissan Maxima has a very expressive exterior look, including its own version of Nissan’s signature grille that has become familiar. In overall size, the Maxima is toward the low end of the large-car class with a length of 192.8 inches. That’s about 2.5 inches shorter than the 2019 Toyota Avalon and about the same length as the Kia Cadenza.

As we mentioned, the 2019 Maxima is very similar mechanically to the 2018, but the exterior has received some revisions. Nissan designers made the front grille bigger with a deeper “V-motion” design that carries into the hood and down the body. The redesigned rear tail lamps and rear fascia are complemented by a broad chrome bar that highlights the license plate indentation. New wheel designs have been developed for all five Maxima trim levels.

In an era in which a variety of powertrains seems the norm, Nissan stands pat in the Maxima with a conventional V-6 engine. The stalwart 3.5-liter V6 is rated at 300 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 261 lb-ft torque at 4,400 rpm. Though the engine does not employ forced induction, it still offers a high specific output of 85.7 horsepower per liter of displacement.

The lone transmission available is a continuously variable Xtronic automatic that might provoke gnashing of teeth by enthusiast car testers. But since you’re probably not an enthusiast car tester, we think you’ll appreciate the overall good behavior of the CVT. Nissan has also gone out of its way to make the Xtronic feel like a step-gear transmission, as if vehicle reaction at set shift points were a good thing. A wide gear ratio range allows for strong acceleration from a standing start and the “D-Step” shifting logic allows rapid shifts at high throttle. The shift logic holds rpm when it detects high-g cornering, allowing for smooth re-acceleration on corner exits. Maxima also features a drive mode selector that adjusts throttle response, transmission tuning, and steering feel.

While the new Maxima is categorized as a large car, it doesn’t seem all that large. We think you’ll find the Maxima’s size convenient, not like a lumbering barge. Its interior is significantly smaller than several vehicles in its competitive set, but the Maxima never feels small.

The five-passenger sedan has 98.5 cubic feet of interior space without the moonroof and 96.4 cubic feet with it. Cargo space is ample at 14.3 cubic feet, but it is less than the 16 cubic feet provided by the Kia Cadenza. An eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat is standard across all trim levels, and heated seats are standard in all but the lowest trim. With its variable-ratio automatic transmission, the Maxima has EPA fuel economy ratings of 20 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined.

If you want to opt for a robust package of electronic driver aids, the Maxima will serve it up to you. The new Maxima offers Nissan Safety Shield 360, a suite of six advanced driver-assist systems that include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a blind-spot warning, a rear cross-traffic alert, a lane-departure warning, high beam assist, and rear automatic braking.

For 2019, the package is standard on the top-level Maxima Platinum and its part of the SR Premium Package. Still more safety stuff is available for those willing to pay extra for it. The new Maxima also offers the availability of intelligent cruise control and traffic sign recognition. The Intelligent Driver Alertness system is now standard on all models. The Maxima also includes a variety of airbags, seatbelts, and crumple zones that offer additional safety.

Instead of making separate options available in a handful of trim levels, Nissan offers the Maxima in five well-equipped grade levels — S, SV, SL, the sporty SR, and the top-of-the-line Platinum. Just two standalone optional packages are available to supplement the trims.

The SR Premium package’s key items are the dual-panel panoramic moonroof, the aforementioned Safety Shield 360 technology, and the intelligent around-view monitor. The Platinum Reserve package features 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, heated rear seats, and that Rakuda Tan interior treatment that is so threatening the semi-aniline population. A Bose premium audio system with AM/FM/CD plus 11 speakers and Center Point Surround Stage is standard on the SL, SR, and Platinum trims. If you consider yourself a sporty driver the SR is your ticket, because suspension modifications give it sharper handling.

As you might expect for a model that has just a single engine and drivetrain, the Maxima’s price band is narrow. This also reflects the fact even the “base” model is pretty well equipped. The price-leader S trim level has an MSRP of $33,950 while the top Platinum trim has an MSRP of $41,440. The SV trim level adds several items to the base S that spruce the car up a bit, and it has an MSRP of $35,960. The SL is $38,440 and the sports-oriented SR is $39,530. All models incur an $895 destination charge.

With its fresh face and appealing personality, the 2019 Nissan Maxima appears to be well on its way to yet another successful year.