2016 Maxima - 503 mile review
07-06-2015, 09:00 PM
#1
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 5
2016 Maxima - 503 mile review
[Long post/review ahead]
I’ve had my Maxima for two weeks and as of now it has 503 miles. I have a long daily commute so the miles and time in the car rack up quickly. With that seat time I wanted to give a detailed review for the folks that are considering buying one. Hope this helps...
What I got -
2016 Nissan Maxima SR,
Storm Blue/Camel Leather
Splash Guard, Sport Floor Mats
Price including tax and dealer fees - $38,500
The number one and two reasons for going with the SR were:
i) The Camel leather and camel stitching on the dash looks unbelievable against the rest of the black interior and dark exterior. I know the Storm Blue doesn’t photograph well but in person with the 19” wheels and camel interior, it looks like a way more expensive car.
ii) The 19” wheels look killer.
It is stupid that Nissan are calling the floor mats and splashguard “options”. Firstly those are not even real splashguards. And I keep looking at the “sports floor mats” trying to figure out what’s so sporty about them.
The Drive -
Overall:
In a nutshell, it’s more smooth than sporty. It weird, it’s like Nissan made the car so smooth they had to try to figure out how to add the sport and they somewhat succeeded. The CVT with zero shift shock doesn’t help but more on that later.
It is really quiet inside but not as quiet as some of the reviews make it sound. Wind noise is more or less gone. The 19” wheels do give some road noise but it is well muted. I would say that’s the best way to describe the ride and noise levels, “well muted”.
Suspension:
Even in the SR trim, it feels like the set up leans more to the softer side. I have not driven the other models but I would image those must feel really soft. Even with the low profile tires on the SR, the car soaks every bump up with no fuss, no body shakes. The suspension in the SR is a nice blend between sports and boulevard cruiser.
Steering:
For me the weight of the steering is just right. Sport mode does tighten up the steering but for the roads I travel it’s pretty pointless. If I were “carving up canyon” (honestly, how many of you crave a canyon) or taking my car for track day (again, how many people take a stock full size car to a track?) I would yes, more feedback is needed and then the sport mode would have some use. The steering does not transmit what’s going with the road so you’ll have to rely on the suspension and your ears. Again, more luxury than sport.
On the highway, the on center feel is pretty bad the first couple of drives. It does not track well which surprised me. However after a few days I didn’t even noticed anymore but that is more of me adjusting to the car than anything else.
Throttle response:
Throttle response is also good. A lot of times car companies overdo the throttle response to fake quickness/sportiness but with the Maxima the response is toned down so it’s not overly jumpy in stop and go traffic situations. Here’s how my girlfriend described it “your old car (2006 Maxima SL) felt too much. This car feels powerful but not scary”. Girlfriend translation - When I toe in, it moves off nicely but press it it goes.
CVT:
The only people that will bash this CVT are people that have never driven the car. The car mags for “enthusiast” drivers have decided that CVTs are bad bad bad and want every car to have a clutch. In the real world where we’re not driving on the limit (carving canyons), this transmission is just fine.
Let me add this; there have been two occasions in two weeks where I have even noticed I was in a CVT. Today I was going up a steep hill and the transmission jumped to 4500rpm and stayed at 4500rpm. And last week I went to pass someone and car magically went from around 2000rpm to 4500rpm. 4500 must be the sweet spot. It sounds and revs like a traditional automatic. If Nissan told you it was their seven-speed auto, you would believe them. The only thing missing are the snaps you feel when you’re ripping through the gears, I do miss that.
Engine:
It’s a VQ engine with cream and syrup added. I’ll be honest; I miss how unruly the older VQ engines use to sound. Remember how raw and brutal it sounded when you floored the pedal. Sigh, those days are officially gone. It’s a smooth operator, it never complains or feels flat-footed, it just does it job. I do wish it had more grunt deep down low.
The engine sounds just OK but it has lost something in the purist of refinement.
One thing that hasn’t been lost is how it hauls. The way it pulls from 60 to 90 on the highway without breaking a sweat is simply awesome. It has a nice sound at idle and low revs but the exhaust note isn’t there, even in sport mode. The engine-braking feature in the SR is an underrated feature, every time I notice it happening I get a little smile on my face.
Interior –
If random people just sat in the car with it idling and you asked them to guess the price, they would guess $20k over every time. It feels that premium, the fit and finish is that good. It’s not just one thing; it’s how everything comes together. The shape and feel of the steering wheel, the stitching on the dash, the mood lighting at night, the feel of the *****, the crispness of both displays… there is not one stand out piece because they all blend and contrast so well.
Alcantara doesn’t seem like a big deal until you actually interact with it. Now I wanted every part of the car covered with that stuff. I’m not sure how long it will hold up but dear Lord does it feel great.
The infotainment system is crisp, clean and really well laid out. Do not let anyone tell you any differently; this is the best info system in the biz. I’ve always preferred touch screens to dials and mouse base systems.
The Bose sound system is a B, the bass is way overdone but the mids and highs are more or less spot on. The Sirus XM features are awesome and I plan to reup when the free trial is over. The traffic and weather alerts are features I can’t live without now.
Every thing is made of soft touch materials except the lower portions of the cabin, which is hard plastic. The dash graining is excellent and the ***** and buttons have a good weight and feel to them. To be frank, it’s a better interior than the Q50, Q70, IS, TLX, 3 series. The Q’s are already feeling old. The TLX feels too Honda-ish and the 3 series interior continues to look like they found ever which way to save money. I saying this off of car show seat times and test driving a Q50 and 328, so correct me I’m off base.
Interior lows -
> You sit pretty low which feels sporty but makes getting in and out a chore. The A-pillars create a forward blind spot. Actually, the entire car is a blind spot on wheels. I hope all models come with blind spot monitoring because you’ll need it.
> The dial to control the infotainment system is cool but 100% pointless since the system is a touch screen and dial is in an awkward position for your arm.
> The backseats feel cramped. Coming from a ’05, the backseats and trunk feel small. I rented a Camry a few months back and those backseats felt more spacious. Not sure this is really a 5 seater. Trunk space; forget about getting your stuff from Ikea in one trip.
>The air vents feel like they are on the same level of my eyes, it’s annoying that once the a/c is blowing hard it’s like I’m someone is blowing in my eyes.
Interior fails -
The audio died on me. I was listening to the radio and boom the audio went. The weather alerts come through so I knew it wasn’t the speakers. When I restarted, all was well but it made me think this is going to be some really expensive to fix when I’m out of warranty.
Exterior:
You’ve seen it, it’s a gem. So far it has been a head turner and showstopper. Mind you, I haven’t seen any other ‘16s in Atlanta so it’s still fresh. I wonder how long the design will stay fresh but for now, I think it’s a wonderful looking vehicle.
Summary:
A sports car it is not so lets put that to bed. It’s quiet, competent, fast, luxurious car with a striking design and a big engine. You spend more in inside your car than outside looking at your car so this is one sexy place to spend time in.
Take my advice; don’t do the all black interior. Take my advice; test-drive the SR. It doesn’t have the sun roof but the those 19”s rims look perfect the really fill out the wheel wells and it will feel my buttoned down. Take my advice: Sit in those Alcantara seats.
The Maxima is worth the price and you get Japanese reliability behind you. In my opinion it feels underpriced and it strange that it’s not wearing an Infiniti badge. It’s not perfect but for something under $40k, I don’t think you can do any better.
Lastly, if I see one more review with the words “canyon carving” or complaining that this isn’t the 4DSC from 1990 I’m going to go crazy. People show me all these canyon roads that are closed to the public that I can crave up.
The tastes of drivers have changed. Even sports sedans from Germany are now leaning to the luxury end of the scale. Drivers today just want the cruise around in something stylish that drives well. Hence the explosion of SUV sales, the rise of two liter engines in $50,000 cars and the decline of two doors. With that, I think the 2016 Maxima will fill the needs of most people that are not badge hunting... I'm looking at you Mr 320i.
I’ve had my Maxima for two weeks and as of now it has 503 miles. I have a long daily commute so the miles and time in the car rack up quickly. With that seat time I wanted to give a detailed review for the folks that are considering buying one. Hope this helps...
What I got -
2016 Nissan Maxima SR,
Storm Blue/Camel Leather
Splash Guard, Sport Floor Mats
Price including tax and dealer fees - $38,500
The number one and two reasons for going with the SR were:
i) The Camel leather and camel stitching on the dash looks unbelievable against the rest of the black interior and dark exterior. I know the Storm Blue doesn’t photograph well but in person with the 19” wheels and camel interior, it looks like a way more expensive car.
ii) The 19” wheels look killer.
It is stupid that Nissan are calling the floor mats and splashguard “options”. Firstly those are not even real splashguards. And I keep looking at the “sports floor mats” trying to figure out what’s so sporty about them.
The Drive -
Overall:
In a nutshell, it’s more smooth than sporty. It weird, it’s like Nissan made the car so smooth they had to try to figure out how to add the sport and they somewhat succeeded. The CVT with zero shift shock doesn’t help but more on that later.
It is really quiet inside but not as quiet as some of the reviews make it sound. Wind noise is more or less gone. The 19” wheels do give some road noise but it is well muted. I would say that’s the best way to describe the ride and noise levels, “well muted”.
Suspension:
Even in the SR trim, it feels like the set up leans more to the softer side. I have not driven the other models but I would image those must feel really soft. Even with the low profile tires on the SR, the car soaks every bump up with no fuss, no body shakes. The suspension in the SR is a nice blend between sports and boulevard cruiser.
Steering:
For me the weight of the steering is just right. Sport mode does tighten up the steering but for the roads I travel it’s pretty pointless. If I were “carving up canyon” (honestly, how many of you crave a canyon) or taking my car for track day (again, how many people take a stock full size car to a track?) I would yes, more feedback is needed and then the sport mode would have some use. The steering does not transmit what’s going with the road so you’ll have to rely on the suspension and your ears. Again, more luxury than sport.
On the highway, the on center feel is pretty bad the first couple of drives. It does not track well which surprised me. However after a few days I didn’t even noticed anymore but that is more of me adjusting to the car than anything else.
Throttle response:
Throttle response is also good. A lot of times car companies overdo the throttle response to fake quickness/sportiness but with the Maxima the response is toned down so it’s not overly jumpy in stop and go traffic situations. Here’s how my girlfriend described it “your old car (2006 Maxima SL) felt too much. This car feels powerful but not scary”. Girlfriend translation - When I toe in, it moves off nicely but press it it goes.
CVT:
The only people that will bash this CVT are people that have never driven the car. The car mags for “enthusiast” drivers have decided that CVTs are bad bad bad and want every car to have a clutch. In the real world where we’re not driving on the limit (carving canyons), this transmission is just fine.
Let me add this; there have been two occasions in two weeks where I have even noticed I was in a CVT. Today I was going up a steep hill and the transmission jumped to 4500rpm and stayed at 4500rpm. And last week I went to pass someone and car magically went from around 2000rpm to 4500rpm. 4500 must be the sweet spot. It sounds and revs like a traditional automatic. If Nissan told you it was their seven-speed auto, you would believe them. The only thing missing are the snaps you feel when you’re ripping through the gears, I do miss that.
Engine:
It’s a VQ engine with cream and syrup added. I’ll be honest; I miss how unruly the older VQ engines use to sound. Remember how raw and brutal it sounded when you floored the pedal. Sigh, those days are officially gone. It’s a smooth operator, it never complains or feels flat-footed, it just does it job. I do wish it had more grunt deep down low.
The engine sounds just OK but it has lost something in the purist of refinement.
One thing that hasn’t been lost is how it hauls. The way it pulls from 60 to 90 on the highway without breaking a sweat is simply awesome. It has a nice sound at idle and low revs but the exhaust note isn’t there, even in sport mode. The engine-braking feature in the SR is an underrated feature, every time I notice it happening I get a little smile on my face.
Interior –
If random people just sat in the car with it idling and you asked them to guess the price, they would guess $20k over every time. It feels that premium, the fit and finish is that good. It’s not just one thing; it’s how everything comes together. The shape and feel of the steering wheel, the stitching on the dash, the mood lighting at night, the feel of the *****, the crispness of both displays… there is not one stand out piece because they all blend and contrast so well.
Alcantara doesn’t seem like a big deal until you actually interact with it. Now I wanted every part of the car covered with that stuff. I’m not sure how long it will hold up but dear Lord does it feel great.
The infotainment system is crisp, clean and really well laid out. Do not let anyone tell you any differently; this is the best info system in the biz. I’ve always preferred touch screens to dials and mouse base systems.
The Bose sound system is a B, the bass is way overdone but the mids and highs are more or less spot on. The Sirus XM features are awesome and I plan to reup when the free trial is over. The traffic and weather alerts are features I can’t live without now.
Every thing is made of soft touch materials except the lower portions of the cabin, which is hard plastic. The dash graining is excellent and the ***** and buttons have a good weight and feel to them. To be frank, it’s a better interior than the Q50, Q70, IS, TLX, 3 series. The Q’s are already feeling old. The TLX feels too Honda-ish and the 3 series interior continues to look like they found ever which way to save money. I saying this off of car show seat times and test driving a Q50 and 328, so correct me I’m off base.
Interior lows -
> You sit pretty low which feels sporty but makes getting in and out a chore. The A-pillars create a forward blind spot. Actually, the entire car is a blind spot on wheels. I hope all models come with blind spot monitoring because you’ll need it.
> The dial to control the infotainment system is cool but 100% pointless since the system is a touch screen and dial is in an awkward position for your arm.
> The backseats feel cramped. Coming from a ’05, the backseats and trunk feel small. I rented a Camry a few months back and those backseats felt more spacious. Not sure this is really a 5 seater. Trunk space; forget about getting your stuff from Ikea in one trip.
>The air vents feel like they are on the same level of my eyes, it’s annoying that once the a/c is blowing hard it’s like I’m someone is blowing in my eyes.
Interior fails -
The audio died on me. I was listening to the radio and boom the audio went. The weather alerts come through so I knew it wasn’t the speakers. When I restarted, all was well but it made me think this is going to be some really expensive to fix when I’m out of warranty.
Exterior:
You’ve seen it, it’s a gem. So far it has been a head turner and showstopper. Mind you, I haven’t seen any other ‘16s in Atlanta so it’s still fresh. I wonder how long the design will stay fresh but for now, I think it’s a wonderful looking vehicle.
Summary:
A sports car it is not so lets put that to bed. It’s quiet, competent, fast, luxurious car with a striking design and a big engine. You spend more in inside your car than outside looking at your car so this is one sexy place to spend time in.
Take my advice; don’t do the all black interior. Take my advice; test-drive the SR. It doesn’t have the sun roof but the those 19”s rims look perfect the really fill out the wheel wells and it will feel my buttoned down. Take my advice: Sit in those Alcantara seats.
The Maxima is worth the price and you get Japanese reliability behind you. In my opinion it feels underpriced and it strange that it’s not wearing an Infiniti badge. It’s not perfect but for something under $40k, I don’t think you can do any better.
Lastly, if I see one more review with the words “canyon carving” or complaining that this isn’t the 4DSC from 1990 I’m going to go crazy. People show me all these canyon roads that are closed to the public that I can crave up.
The tastes of drivers have changed. Even sports sedans from Germany are now leaning to the luxury end of the scale. Drivers today just want the cruise around in something stylish that drives well. Hence the explosion of SUV sales, the rise of two liter engines in $50,000 cars and the decline of two doors. With that, I think the 2016 Maxima will fill the needs of most people that are not badge hunting... I'm looking at you Mr 320i.
Last edited by ackeepie; 07-07-2015 at 04:56 AM. Reason: Incorrect spelling. Replacing craving with carving.
07-07-2015, 04:53 AM
#5
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 5
07-07-2015, 10:55 AM
#8
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 123
thanks for taking the time to put this up. it's funny that you mention that the back seats feel cramped, as they feel incredibly spacious to me, but i'm coming from a compact luxury car. also, i opted for the charcoal interior because i didn't like the way the camel alcantara looked on the steering wheel. but these are just subjective differences in taste. 
07-07-2015, 11:15 AM
#10
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 123
It's catering to the large sedan segment which is why it's designed more to be a comfy highway cruiser (top priority). The sportiness is just a way to differentiate itself against the likes of the Toyota / Lexus / Acura in there
CVT - that "shifting" is fake :P. CVT transmission has no gears.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contin...e_transmission
CVT - that "shifting" is fake :P. CVT transmission has no gears.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contin...e_transmission
07-07-2015, 11:18 AM
#11
. Even BMW is speculated to drop it for the next generation M series Also not to mention the 40-50 year olds wouldn't be very happy driving a manual car due to knee pains, recent surgery etc
07-07-2015, 11:39 AM
#12
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 5
thanks for taking the time to put this up. it's funny that you mention that the back seats feel cramped, as they feel incredibly spacious to me, but i'm coming from a compact luxury car. also, i opted for the charcoal interior because i didn't like the way the camel alcantara looked on the steering wheel. but these are just subjective differences in taste.
07-07-2015, 10:19 PM
#15
Nice review, thanks for posting! Look forward to seeing more updates. I agree with you about drivers tastes changing. Such a small portion of the buying public are truly automotive purists are willing to put the dollars forth for a stick.
In 1980 161m vehicles registered on US roads. 1990 193m, 2000 225m, 2012 252m. That's ~56% gain in 30 years. There are times where you can really open up a fast car but in many parts of the country and with cops / radar you're only using a fraction of a car's true performance capabilities.
In 1980 161m vehicles registered on US roads. 1990 193m, 2000 225m, 2012 252m. That's ~56% gain in 30 years. There are times where you can really open up a fast car but in many parts of the country and with cops / radar you're only using a fraction of a car's true performance capabilities.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
kirkhilles
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
2
08-08-2015 10:53 AM