I must admit that I do not own a Maxima, however I have covered thousands of kilometres in them as hire vehicles.
Trip computer always displays a fuel economy of 11.0L/100km no matter what kind of driving I do.
The Maxima's V6 is sublimely smooth. It's performance is more than ample for overtaking and quick getaways from the traffic lights. There is no real evidence of torque steer that I expected in a relatively powerful front wheel drive car.
Handling is soft an compliant, handling almost all road conditions. Although I never gave the car a hard thrashing, it didn't feel as though it would like being treated like a sports car.
The interior is plush and stylish, but I found the front seats to be extremely lacking in shoulder support for anyone over 6 feet. This has caused a great deal of neck and upper back pain of long journeys. I might have been able to adjust the seat for slightly improved comfort if the sunroof had not intruded so badly into the headroom.
I completely disagree with this. I am 6' 2" and I own an '04 model Maxima Ti-L with leather, sunroof, GPS and DVD. I have never had a problem with the shoulder support as long as you adjust the lumber support along with how you position your seat in relation to the reach of the steering wheel. Infact, the Maxima is probably the most comfortable and well equipped car I have ever owned & driven.
Perhaps your seats are different from the ones in review (different country=different interiors?). I am a tall Aussie and find the Maxima uncomfortable on long trips.
Similar comments have been made in the Aussie motoring press regarding the Maxima's lack of shoulder support, so I'd say it's not just a figment of this guy's imagination. I think the Maxima is a very under-rated vehicle.
I'm a 6'-6" Kiwi and would love to own one, but cannot get my knees under the steering wheel. Oh well, back to the Commodore...
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