A second-owner seller does not know if his 2011 SV has the sport package. It has some of the options that the sport package provides (e.g. rear spoiler, 19" wheels, etc.) but the dealer said they could also have been ordered or installed as options without the sport package. Only the sport package provides the sport-tuned suspension and trunk chassis reinforcement. How can I confirm that the car has the full sport package and not simply some of its most common characteristics?

 

Give the dealership the vin, they'll be able to tell you

 

I looked up the VIN with CARFAX but details such as sport package are not included. The car is being sold through a private individual. Is there a way for anyone besides a dealer to look it up another way to get the necessary detail? I don't want to impose on a dealer considering they aren't the one selling the car.

 

If its a true SV sport then it won't have a 3rd brake light in the rear window deck. Instead it will only have one built into the spoiler. If the spoiler is after market and was not installed from the factory then it will have both brake lights. Also, I believe there's something different with the folding down rear seat. If its a sport the rear seats will not have a 60/40 split but instead will be one solid seat backing. I hope this helps!

Good luck!

 

The sport should have the black grill as well assuming it wasn't painted

 

check the rear seats for the fold down.

 

I have the SV with sport package.
Mine has the 19" alloys the gunmetal grill colour, the spoiler with rear brake light incorporated and the rear seats have only the centre arm rest folding down with a little access door to the trunk.
If that is how yours is and you are still not sure the only way you can be 100% sure is going to a Nissan dealer and have them search the VIN.
Hope that helps.

 

aftermarket solution not possible?

 

The reinforced body assemblage behind the rear seat with limited small opening to the trunk and no folding rear seats is EXACTLY the same with the Sport and Premium packages, so that tells us we have EITHER the Sport OR Premium package. Having that small opening and no folding rear seats and NOT having the double-panel roof DOES confirm the car has the Sport package.

 

Drive it.
Then drive a non sport model.

The sport handles much better.

 

That would be true if the vehicle under discussion is stock, but the discussion began because there was some doubt about whether the vehicle was still stock.

Even if it is not stock, I found that by carrying 37 psi in my tires, the ride was not only firmer, but the handling resembled fairly closely the handling of the two Maximas with Sport package I drove when trying out cars before buying my 7th gen with Premium package.

But you are correct that an unmodified non-Sport Maxima will 'turn on a nickle', while the Sport will 'turn on a dime.'

 

the Premium option has wood grain interior so that separates it from the Sport model ,which is aluminum looking. and the rear seats dont fold down.

 

Sport also has the carbon fiber looking interior plastic. Premium is wood grain the the regular is a black or dark grey one

 

Remember that the Premium package Maxima also has rear seats that don't fold down, and we have several here on this board who have replaced the wood interior trim in their Premium Maxima with the metallic finish like we have in the Sport. It all depends on whether the Maxima in question has been modified, which was part of the question posed in the original post.


EDIT - The best method (as I posted here several days ago) is to check the rear seats. If they do not fold down, then we have either the Sport or Premium package, and determining whether we have the Sport or Premium package is as simple as checking to see if we have the double-panel roof which can only be on the Premium.