Hello people. I finally have time to go to a Nissan dealer today to test drive the new Maxima SV with the sport package. The one thing that brothers me the most is the head room on the rear seats. I'm 5' 7 and I found out that the rear middle seat is unsitable. How can they call it a sedan if it can't even fit 5 people? I read so many good reviews about this car but I don't see anyone point out the seating problem. Will the regular base S version have higher head room in the rear or the same? The car outlook is very beautiful i can say. But I won't buy a car that can only sit 4 people that cost over $30k. Any opinion are welcome. Thanks!

How was the handling and power of the car? The headroom can't be your only concern...

It's still a pretty nice car for the $$$.

Head room is the same for the S and SV, I guess you'll have to go elsewhere for a 5 seater.

We tried out the 2009 Maxima, and you are right, the regular version does not have much headroom in the rear. What we found, though, was that if you get the optional dual panel moonroof, you will find there is plenty of rear headspace, even for me, and I'm 6'2".

I don't know if any of you guys out there have noticed but Nissan really doesn't excel in rear passenger headroom, from the Sentra to the Maxima it seems to me like there is less rear passenger headroom as compared to other competitors out there, I would believe it is a design issue.

I wouldnt say its a Nissan thing but there arent many entry level luxury sedans that offer alot of rear headroom or for that matter rear legroom. Audi A4, BMW 3 series, C-Class, G37, Lexus IS etc. etc....almost all the nice cars near the Maxima price range have average or below average rear head/leg room. Only exeptions i can think of are the Avalon or maybe the new TL...another option would be to just buy American (Chrysler 300, Buick Lucerne, Pontiac G8 etc.)

Here are some comparisons:

2009 Maxima:

Interior Front Head Room: 38.5 in. Front Hip Room: 53.4 in. Front Shoulder Room: 56.3 in. Rear Head Room: 36.4 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 55.1 in. Rear Hip Room: 53.9 in. Front Leg Room: 43.8 in. Rear Leg Room: 34.6 in. Luggage Capacity: 14.2 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5

2009 Camry:

Interior Front Head Room: 38.8 in. Front Hip Room: 54.6 in. Front Shoulder Room: 57.8 in. Rear Head Room: 37.8 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 56.9 in. Rear Hip Room: 53.9 in. Front Leg Room: 41.7 in. Rear Leg Room: 38.3 in. Luggage Capacity: 15 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5

2009 Accord:

Interior Front Head Room: 41.4 in. Front Hip Room: 56.6 in. Front Shoulder Room: 58.2 in. Rear Head Room: 38.5 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 56.4 in. Rear Hip Room: 54.3 in. Front Leg Room: 42.5 in. Rear Leg Room: 37.2 in. Luggage Capacity: 14 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5

2009 Altima:

Interior Front Head Room: 40.6 in. Front Hip Room: 56.8 in. Front Shoulder Room: 55.7 in. Rear Head Room: 36.8 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 55.5 in. Rear Hip Room: 52.5 in. Front Leg Room: 44.1 in. Rear Leg Room: 35.8 in. Luggage Capacity: 15.3 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5

^^^Good info man.I recently test drove the new Max and I personally thought that it was slightly more comfortable driving versus my 5th Gen and obviously more powerful.Would I trade in my 5th Gen for it.....Not quite sure 'bout that.The sound system though was MUCH better I must say.

I'm claustophobic and 6-0. And I'll have to admit, I've had to look at rear headroom figures this car purchase-time like never before since the swooping rear roofline is now popular. And these numbers do reflect the fact my head had to get into the SV rear headliner depression for me to be comfortable. Remember, the rear seats are theater-like and higher up than the fronts

But the front seats are WOW! Drop the 8-ways down and there's 4 fingers and more of headroom. Its like being in a amphitheater. Wonderful.

And I have to say the 99 Towncar headroom sucked up front as it had a moonroof that dropped the headliner 2-3 inches. Maximum was 2 fingers of headroom. On a humid day, my hair would bristle against the headliner. Ugh!

I have driven the 09 too. I felt ok in it, but if I was a passenger riding in the back sit, it better be a small person driving so I could have enough leg room. Performance wise, personally, I think the 6th gen is quite close to the 7th gen. I don't know if the shorter length compared to the 6th gen has anything to do with the room in the car. Oh, but its cockpit is awesome, I would say.

Having headroom for a 5TH person does not qualify or disqualify a car that has 4 doors as a Sedan, having 4 Doors is what makes a car a Sedan or not-otherwise it is considered a Coupe (having 2 doors).

Sorry that this seems to be your major gripe, maybe you should buy an Avalon (i think they are nice but boring/bland looking cars and no driving excitement) or you can buy an ugly TL with that hideous looking front Grille and back end.

An Audi or a BMW in this class of cars will run you way more cheese but maybe you'd have to step up to a 5 series in BMW to get a similary sized car and with Audi (IMO, already priced too high) you'd be spending a bucket to get similar performance with not that much a difference in headroom.

Good luck

The Sport and Premium versions have a different rear seat than the S and bas SV models. The outboard rear seats in the higher versions are more bucket-like, with a center portion distinctly raised.

On the S and base SV, the seat is definitely flatter. You might want to give that a try, if you otherwise like the car. Rear seat considerations is why I choose the SV over SV Premium.

By the way, I'm 5' 10", and fell I have plenty of room in the rear of the 09 Maxima. If you want really limited headroom in a sedan try the 09 Mazda 6. My head was literally bumping the roof and rear glass. Really awful.

I am 5"10 and I have plenty of room in the back seats. I guess you will just have to let Yao Ming know he has to sit on the roof.

Hey i'm 6'2 i feel find in my SV w/ P+T package. I dont plan on riding in my back seat. i have sat there before. The only thing i wish is that the front seats had space to put your foot under.

Cars are meant for drivers, who cares about the person who has to be slightly uncomfortable for 10 minutes, when I bought my 06 I never sat in the back, and when I bought my 09 I never sat in the back, kids and small people ride in the back, if your a larger individual man up and take your own car.

I did sit in the back and was fine, at 6'2, in the middle, I would never subject anyone to that, the OP is 5'7, whats the real problem

here is what i am looking at instead of the maxima:

2009 Mazda 6

Front Head Room: 39.4 in. Front Hip Room: 55.1 in. Front Shoulder Room: 57.3 in. Rear Head Room: 37.3 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 56.5 in. Rear Hip Room: 55.9 in. Front Leg Room: 42.5 in. Rear Leg Room: 38 in. Luggage Capacity: 16.6 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5


gives up a little front room for the rear

you really letting the rear, middle seat, which is not a bucket seat, and naturally will sit higher in any car, ruin your review for the Maxima. Every car has pros and cons, goods and bads. Honestly, how often will someone sit in that seat? If you let one fault to you dissuade your decision on a car then your running in the dark bro. Keep in mind this car is considered a sporty sedan so in natural it is going to be more compact.

I'm not saying this is what your saying but this is what it seems like your saying lol.

Rear headroom, no problemo. If I need more headroom for rear seat passengers we just take the Murano, loads of headroom there.

And this is on a Maxima forum why.....

What website did this info come from?

Worst I was ever in was a Scion TC rear seat. Head hit the glass even as I was stooped over. If it had been an aircraft, I'd have popped the door and jumped.

Now, I own an xA. Love its rear seat. Its gotta be in the rear roof design.

The '09 Maxima was designed for the driver. It's roofline is contoured to make its "look."

The comfort of the fifth passenger in the middle seat was secondary to the above design needs. If this is very important to you, get a different car. It's like dating a gorgeous girl that's just great. But you dump her because she can't conjugate the pluperfect subjective tense.

It depends on what is important to you.

I am 5' 11", and have ridden in the rear seat of my '09 with no problem whatsoever. My 6' 1" brother and 6' 2" son have also ridden back there and I heard no complaints.

BUT

I have the Premium Package, and each of us was sitting in a window bucket seat. I consider the center rear seat to be for a medium-sized person (such as my daughter, my daughter-in-law, or one of my grandchildren), if used at all. There are minivans and SUVs for those in the unusual position of needing to transport FIVE OR MORE ADULTS WHO ARE ALL 5' 10" OR TALLER.

To consider the headroom limitations of the center rear seat (in versions of the '09 Maxima that don't have the Premium Package) as a major shortcoming is a failure to understand the purpose and meaning of this car. In cases where mass transportation needs override style and performance, the Avalon may be the correct choice.

All from Edmonds.com

IM with him I care about me and the people on the rear seat o well but I dont have a murano jajajaj.
I LOVE MY MAXIMA

LOL. Noone can in that darn center seat.

But seriously, for me, the center seat wasn't a deal killer. But I do wonder sometimes why such a high center tunnel is necessary in a FWD car.

The rear middle seat should not even be a factor in a car like this. I think GM might still make cars with a front bench seat and column shifter.

Hope you can hear the radio over the road noise and wind noise!!!

I considered the Mazda 6 and found it to be worthy. Not quite the performance as the Max. Also, the sophisticated "blind spot" warning system in the side view mirrors prevent the mirrors from folding in. The folding feature is important in tight spots.

Many cars will advertise that they can seat five but can only handle four. The Maxima is that way. If five passenger seating is really important, then look elsewhere.

Try a non-sport/premium, they don't have the bolstered back seats, might help the headroom.

I think the Maxima as Nissan imagines it is going through an identity crisis. Is it a sporty car or is it a luxury car? With a manual transmission no longer available, the pretense of being a 4DSC is gone. The loss of 2 inches of rear leg room makes it a stretch to call it the "flagship of Nissan"--The Altima is has more. I think Nissan need to take a hard look at where they are going with the Maxima.

Per - Where ya been these last seven years?

Yes, the Maxima did indeed go thru an identity crisis. In 2002, Nissan announced the Maxima's economical 4DCS role would be taken over by a manual version of the 3.5 Altima, and the Maxima would be taken upscale to a near-luxury flagship status, but retain a sporty image.

We got the promised economical manual 3.5 Altima (a very fine car), but the upscale Maxima (6th generation) was considered by many folks (including most magazine testers) to be too bloated to be considered as having a 'sporting image.' I absolutely loved my gen 6, but could not argue too hard with the complainers who said the Maxima had an identity crisis.

But now we have generation 7, with a leaner, shorter, wider, more powerful, more muscular-looking Maxima, and Nissan is right on track with where they told us seven years ago they were headed. The identity crisis is over. I have the Maxima I have dreamed of. This '09 is easily the best car I have owned in 59 3/4 years of driving. I have never been happier with a vehicle.

Thank you Nissan!

This is one solid car. I test drove everything before buying from a C6 Vette to GTO to Trialblazer SS to Acura TL-S to BMW....and I can tell you I thought this was the BEST bang for the buck out there. It's great looking, it's got awesome option packages, the 290HP means its very strong for everyday driving.

Everyone has their opinions but having owned a Max since LAST September when I'd see one or two on the road at most now I'm seeing them all over the place. It's a great car once you see it in person which is why I think more and more people are picking them up.

The only thing I'd love to see is an AWD 300+ HP version but they already make that...G37.

The Maxima lost the title of 4DSC in 2003 when Nissan launched the G35 and Altima V6.

Altima = Sporty

Maxima = Luxury

370Z = Sports Car

GT-R = Supercar

Nissan's Flagship is still the Maxima because it has all the upscale features that Altimas, Accords and Camrys dont have.

I gave the Altima the Sporty title because it is available w/ Manual in both V6 and four cylinder configurations and available as a 4dr and 2dr.

Actually it lost it in 02, 02 was the actual year Nissan started moving the Max more upscale (per Nissan) offering features on Lux cars including: Xenon lights, memory seats, heated steering wheel, Nav, LSD etc (not available on Alti except for optional Xenons)..... It was also the 1st year that production dropped well below 100k units a year in anticipation of the V6 Altima. Also in 02 the Maxi's interior was much better than than 02 Altima's, with the 04 Maxima although better than the Altima's not that much better.....That why it was sorta criticized for a not so good interior along with the 3rd gen Alti etc etc...

Actually I spent the last 14 years hoping Nissan would not go the way of Detroit and start designing cars for stockholders instead of customers!
So far what I've seen is the stockholders are winning out! My 4th generation was lighter and got better mileage, and got great reviews from autowriters. 5th gen didn't look as good as the previous generation, but the 6th gen looked sharp. Then Nissan started cutting corners, stopping production of the 6-speed, limited color choices with certain options, and deleting some options. The 2009 lost interior and trunk room--it is almost a compact car! Some options like the heated rear seats were deleted, and only the driver seat is cooled--totally silly!
I might consider a new Maxima (I would still keep my 2006 with a stick shift), but they would need to make it a full luxury car with more space, and better mileage. With the CVT, what good is the HP anyway! Might as well pull the HP back to 190! Right now it comes up short as both a luxury car and a sporty car. Luxury car--make it bigger. Sporty car--put a manual in it!

So your saying that the 7th gen lost interior and trunk room when compared to the 4th Gen? I don't know about the trunk but the interior is almost exactly the same. It's heavier by 550 lbs however we have 4 times the airbags, 3.5L engine, more electronics, etc however we also have 100 more horsepower. I'd say the breed improved if you ask me.

09 Front Head: 3.2'
99 Front Head: 3.3'

09 Front Leg: 3.6'
99 Front Leg: 3.6'

09 Rear Leg: 2.8'
99 Rear Leg: 2.8'

09 Wheelbase: 9.1'
99 Wheelbase: 8.8'

09 Length: 15.8'
99 Length: 15.7'

09 Width: 6.1'
99 Width: 5.8'

09 Height: 4.8'
99 Height: 5.8'

I went from the 4th to the 5th to the 6th to the 7th gen. The 7th gen lost a cubic foot of trunk space and two inches of leg room compared to 6th gen.
Curious way of showing measurements--I've always seen them in inches. Even so your nubers shows the 99 is smaller on the outside, but about the same on the inside.
Are you sure the 99 is one foot taller than the 2009?

The 7th Gen trunk is 14.2 cu ft in total volume, what are the 4th and 5th Gen specs I don't have those.

Yeah I had to convert so I just did everything in feet, the 99 height is 1,415 mm which comes out to 57.8", the 09 is 55.7" so it's 2.1" lower. My math skills are deteriorating.... LOL