Ride, acceleration and handling: This gets excellent marks in all three.
Head-turning quotient: Its sleek styling snapped necks. Please, Nissan, don't mess with this one in production.
Body/style layout: It is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive, full-size family sedan with four side doors and a notchback trunk. It is available in five iterations — S, SV. SL, SR and Platinum — at base prices ranging from $32,410 to $39,860.
Engine/transmission: It comes standard with a 3.5-liter, double-overhead-cam, 24-valve gasoline engine with variable valve timing (300 horsepower, 261 pound-feet of torque). The engine is linked to an electronically enhanced continuously variable transmission that feels like a six-speed automatic and can be operated manually.
Capacities: Seating is for five people. Cargo capacity is 14.3 cubic feet. The fuel tank holds 18 gallons (premium-grade gasoline is recommended for "best performance").
Actual mileage: In real-world driving, it closely matched its advertised performance of 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.
Safety: Standard equipment includes front and rear ventilated disc brakes, four-wheel anti-lock brake protection, emergency braking preparation and assistance, stability and traction control, pre-collision safety system, post-collision safety system, front fog lights, LED headlamps, and side and head air bags.
Pricing: The base price of the 2016 Nissan Maxima SV sedan is $34,390, with a dealer's invoice price of $32,410. Price as tested is $35,215, including $1,705 in options ("pearl white" exterior paint, floor mats, interior lighting package, 18-inch-diameter aluminum wheels) and an $825 factory-to-dealer shipment charge. Estimated dealer's price as tested is $33,000.
