2009 Nissan Maxima – First Steer
April 21, 2009 by Matt Brogan
2009 Nissan Maxima – First Steer
The Nissan Maxima has always seemed a little bit of a mystery to most people.
I mean sure the public was always aware of its presence, but for the man on the street the Maxima was always thought of as just “there”, quietly sitting in a niche all of its own, seemingly content with its place in the world.
It was almost as if it was seen as too good to be the daily lugger, but by the same token, it wasn’t really a fully fledged luxury car either.
Perhaps then it could be said the market was confused by the Maxima’s intended purpose.
Think about it this way, it was never as common as the Subaru Liberty or Toyota Aurion, but that’s not to say it was any less capable. It certainly had a lot going for it in terms of both power and economy, and could rival both with relative ease, but was is too big?
Similarly it was quite affordable when you considered the size of the vehicle, the equipment on offer and the smooth V6 performance availed, though it seemed more buyers were drawn to the similarly priced Honda Accord V6 or, to a lesser degree, the now deceased Mitsubishi 380. So did that mean it was a failure?
Hardly. I mean the Maxima always sold in very steady numbers, in fact it averaged 250 units a month across its life span, no mean feat! A fact bolstered by the fact that only 32 examples of the current model remain available for sale Australia wide.
It was a good drive too, and a rather comfortable ride, and from a design point of view it was “safe”, and managed to hold its own for almost five years with little in the way of modification or manicure.
Maybe then the car’s marketing was flawed. Aimed towards a demographic undeserving of its true worth, too subtle for such a well-deserved engineering effort. I mean even Nissan admits the previous Maxima was “especially popular” with the over 50s.
For those reasons alone the Maxima was always a little bit more highly aspired than its rivals, something to work towards, and perhaps that meant it was time for a change, time to make the Maxima more accessible, more competitive and more thoroughly suited to the challenges it would be presented with over its life span.
So, what’s changed? Well for a start the all-new 2009 Nissan Maxima now comes with a choice of two V6 engines and ergo, aggressively competitive pricing.
In a bid to tackle the competition we’ve just discussed above head on, and perhaps the rear-wheel-drive Holden and Ford camps simultaneously, the Maxima now positions itself in a two-tier structure, in much the same way Toyota does with its Camry and Aurion models or Honda with its Accord Euro and Accord V6 range – though cleverly for Nissan, this is all achieved within the one smart and sporty package.
Based on a completely new “D” segment platform, common to the new Nissan Murano SUV, the Maxima is completely new from the ground up, but perhaps importantly to prospective retained buyers, is evolutionary in style so as not to be too rapid a departure from the familiar styling so favoured by current owners wishing to update.
It’s more refined, more highly equipped – even in standard form – and more capable, or as Nissan sums it up: Modern Elegance.
Nissan’s Chief Executive Officer, Dan Thompson explains:
“The new Maxima will play an increasingly important role in the large and medium car market by offering the best blend of distinctive luxury – at an attainable price,” said Mr Thompson. “We are doubling the appeal of the new Maxima in Australia with our new two-engine model strategy and a very attractive entry price.”
“The new 2.5-litre V6 engine, the sharp pricing right in the heart of the four-cylinder market and the unprecedented high level of luxury features as standard, makes the Maxima 250 ST-L unbeatable. For a start, no one else in this market sector offers leather upholstery as standard. We are making four-cylinder large car customers an offer they can’t afford to ignore in the Maxima ST-L,” he said. “And with the elegant Maxima ST-S and Ti sedans, an impressive ride and luxurious appointments will give the new Maxima the muscle to grow its sales in the upper end of the large car market where there are many customers looking for unparalleled value.”
The familiar six-window coupe-like profile too has been retained, though now with a more pronounced character line that runs the length of the vehicle.
Proportionally the car is quite similar to the out-going model as well, though this time offers more internal room by featuring a floor some 36mm lower than the model it replaces, creating more headroom, and by moving the “A” pillar forward 60mm to provide not only more cabin space, but greater forward visibility too.
LED tail lamps and Xenon headlamps are also now standard across the range, as are 17-inch alloy wheels and Nissan’s acclaimed Xtronic CVT (continously variable transmission) gearbox.
The car too has had a great deal of Australian input in its design and suspension set up, and this is evident in driving the car on our much maligned back and often inimical country roads.
But to get a better understanding of the range, perhaps it’s best to break the new Maxima down model-by-model in order of rank, starting with the base model 250 ST-L.
Nissan J32 Maxima 250 ST-L ($33,990)
Pics to follow
Perhaps the biggest change to the Maxima line-up as a whole is the introduction of the smaller VQ25DE 2.5-litre V6 engine to the range.
This award winning power-plant is featured exclusively in the 250 ST-L and is a free revving unit that is quite smooth and linear in delivery managing 134kW at 6000rpm.
Power delivery comes courtesy of Nissan’s Xtronic CVT (automatic) transmission that keeps the car within its torque range long enough to utilise the 228Nm on hand at 4400rpm under steady acceleration.
Once on the open road the engine is barely noticeable in terms of noise, something Nissan have gone to great lengths in improving across the new J32 series, and also manages exceptional fuel economy at just 9.5-litres per 100km as a combined average, that’s 0.5-litres less the Toyota’s four-cylinder Camry.
Handling is confident, and on the whole more dynamic than the previous model, though as you’d expect the car’s front-wheel drive characteristics are more noticeable towards the car’s upper limits.
The ride is more refined too, feeling more settled and offering greater comfort levels than I recall of the previous model.
The J32 Maxima, featuring an all-new platform, is now suspended by an all-new strut-type front and multi-link rear arrangement both with stiffer mounting points to further improve body stiffness and at the same time reduce NVH levels.
It’s a great improvement over the Maxima’s more wallowy predecessor and thanks to an increase in torsional rigidity of 40 per cent and front lateral stiffness of 85 per cent – thanks in part to a new X-shaped cowl top structure – the new Maxima feels more sorted and purposeful when cornering with little in the way of that “front heavy” feel usually associated with larger front-wheel drive vehicles.
Steering too has seen an improvement over the previous generation with a new speed sensitive hydraulic system offering more in the way of feel at higher speeds, though is still weighted well enough to not be vague when tackling narrow country roads with poorly maintained shoulders as found on our drive route. A turning circle of 11.4 metres is uniform across the Maxima range.
The leather wrapped wheel is quite narrow of grip and unfortunately only offers tilt adjustment. It also features remote audio and cruise control buttons.
The 250 ST-L includes a comprehensive array of kit including ABS with EBA & EBD, ESP, six airbags, dusk sensing xenon headlamps, front and rear foglamps, LED tail lamps, black leather trim, cruise control, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, power folding mirrors with integrated indicators, an 8-way electric driver’s seat, 4-way electic passenger seat, six CD tuner with MP3 compatibility and an auxilary input, push-button start and 17-inch alloy wheels (including full-size alloy spare).
Nissan expects this newly formed rival to compete directly with Camry and Liberty models and projects the 250 ST-L model to account for around 40 per cent of its overall sales.
Nissan J32 Maxima 350 ST-S ($37,990)
Pics to follow
Adding to the 250 ST-L’s comprehensive feature and specification list, the 350 ST-S presents itself as the next step up and the first of the 3.5-litre V6 powered Maximas in the new J32 range.
Perhaps set to rival Toyota Aurion, Honda Accord V6 – and even Ford Falcon XT and Holden Commodore Omega – in terms of price, the 350 ST-S offers an additional 15kW of power from the previous model as well as a 6 per cent improvement in fuel economy.
The engine is a revised version of the same VQ35DE 3.5-litre V6 as found in the previous model, but is both smoother and more capable delivering 185kW of power at 6000rpm and 326Nm of torque from 4400 revs.
Again mated to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT transmission, the 350 ST-S is a very capable performer with brisk acceleration both from standstill, and during overtaking, yet still manages excellent fuel economy at a claimed 10.2 litres per 100km.
As found in the lower spec 250 ST-L, the 350 ST-S also offers ABS with EBA and EBD, ESP and six airbags while inside, and in addition to those features listed on the 250 ST-L, the mid-level Maxima gains a rear spoiler and rear park assist, intelligent key system and heated front seats.
Nissan has indicated the 3.5-litre powered models will account for approximately 60 per cent of new Maxima sales, though are unsure how the split between the two upper models will pan out.
Nissan J32 Maxima 350 Ti ($46,990)
Sitting atop the all-new J32 Maxima shelf is the 350 Ti, and despite the noticeably large price hike over the 350 ST-S, this range topping model adds a profusion of gear to the equation to make it a very worthwhile consideration against similarly priced rivals.
The 350 Ti is, as the nomenclature suggests, powered by the same 3.5-litre V6 engine found in the 350 ST-S and similarly delivers the same 185kW of power and 326Nm of torque and while visually it isn’t vastly different to the mid-spec model below, there are enough indicators availed to differentiate the pair including more elegant 17-inch alloy wheels and more pronounced chrome highlights.
But the real story lies beneath the skin with a feature packed cabin offering buyers an electric tilt-slide sunroof, memory enabled electric front seats, satellite navigation, rear parking camera, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and, perhaps best of all, an 11-speaker Bose full Dolby 5.1 channel surround sound audio system on top of the features already found in the 250 ST-L and 350 ST-S combined.
All options are simple to use and understand too and offer excellent fit and finish throughout, a credit to the vehicle’s now Thai sourced production.
The car is also very quiet on all but the most coarse of roads and is comfortable, supportive and generously proportioned. All models within the Maxima range feature a 506 litre boot.
As mentioned with the 350 ST-S model Nissan hopes the two V6 powered models will account for 60 per cent of the Maxima’s sales ratio and go some way to improving the brand’s 6th place ranking among the 180,000 medium and large sedans sold in Australia each year.
The all new Nissan Maxima will be available for sale nationally from June 1.
For our review of the previous generation Nissan Maxima, click here.
Specifications – Maxima 250 ST-L:
- Engine: 2496cc DOHC V6 (24 valve)
- Power: 134kW @ 6000rpm
- Torque: 228Nm @ 4400rpm
- Induction: Multi Point
- Transmission: Six-Ratio CVT
- Driven Wheels: Front
- Brakes: Discs with ABS, EBA & EBD
- CO2 Emissions: TBC
- Fuel Consumption: 9.5 litres per 100km
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 70 litres
- Fuel Type: 91RON petrol
- ANCAP Rating: TBC
- Airbags: Front, Side and Curtain
- Safety: ESP with Traction Control
- Spare Wheel: Full Size Alloy
- Cargo Capacity: 506 litres
- Tow Capacity: 1200kg (Braked)
- Turning Circle: 11.4 metres
- Warranty: Three Year/100,000km
- Weight: 1516kg (Tare)
- Wheels: Alloy 17 x 7.0-inch
Specifications – Maxima 350 ST-S & Ti:
- Engine: 3498cc DOHC V6 (24 valve)
- Power: 185kW @ 6000rpm
- Torque: 326Nm @ 4400rpm
- Induction: Multi Point
- Transmission: Six-Ratio CVT
- Driven Wheels: Front
- Brakes: Discs with ABS, EBA & EBD
- CO2 Emissions: TBC
- Fuel Consumption: 10.2 litres per 100km
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 70 litres
- Fuel Type: 95RON petrol
- ANCAP Rating: TBC
- Airbags: Front, Side and Curtain
- Safety: ESP with Traction Control
- Spare Wheel: Full Size Alloy
- Cargo Capacity: 506 litres
- Tow Capacity: 1200kg (Braked)
- Turning Circle: 11.4 metres
- Warranty: Three Year/100,000km
- Weight: 1535kg/1563kg (Tare)
- Wheels: Alloy 17 x 7.0-inch
Print it: 
Nice interior and……well, can’t think of anything else nice to say. The exterior styling is abominable. I mean really, how do these designs get on the drawing board in the first place, let alone to production? If the car was a person they’d have to get straight to the gym and start working on that fat bum. And that’s just the beginning of the criticism. What is wrong with designers these days?
This does represent fantastic value and I believe that Nissan will really start to make an impact with this model. Would have to see it “in the metal” before making any remarks on the style. Nissan do have a history of discounting this model so some interesting times ahead for the other manufacturers.
I actually don’t mind this, same as the US model I think.
That being said it is just so… meh.
Nice but not nice enough.
They should employ the American Nissan Designers for worldwide design. The US Maxima looks about 150% better than this poxy effort…
As a 1997 Maxima owner myself, I know how underrated these cars have been. They really do present such good value for the price and also quality compared to their rivals, especially the Australian made ones. The VQ engine is an absolute pearler. My 97 now has over 200K on the clock and still drives beautifully.
I must admit I prefer the look of the J31 over the new J32. The J32 appears to have a little to much influence from the Renault side of the operation. The tail lights look they’ve been ripped off the Renault Megane sedan. The rest looks like a pretty good package though. The features list is pretty extensive for the money.
why don’t people buy it? cause it looks ugly. interior’s pretty good but man, wtf is up with the exterior. who designed this thing?
Have to agree about the Megane tail lights, Sam. Just came back from lunch and I was following a Megane sedan and thought about it, seeing as though I had just read this review before I left
The US-spec Maxima is much better looking than the model here. It also fits with Nissan’s new aggressive design language much more.
What I dont really get is, both models (US and the model here) are based off the same platform, but yet Nissan subject the rest of the world to a flabby, uninspiring slushmobile.
Surely the costs of engineering two seperate models would’ve been more prohibitive than engineering one singular model..?
I love everything about it… except the exterior.
At least the cops won’t bother you. Your car is boring as bat….!
Why they didn’t adopt the USA external styling we may never know.
http://www.nissanusa.com/maxima/
not so sure about the “boomerang” shaped lights on US Maxima…although I do like them on the 370Z. Very feature packed though for the price… would rather have one of these than those ugly new Subaru Libertys. And I used to own a 2001 Liberty.
It looks an awful lot like the previous Accord.
I too wondered what all the fuss about the “Yank” version until I looked it up… So much further ahead of the “European” style we are getting. For once the septics have come up with the goods! Nissan missed an opportunity here – although they could always follow Honda lead and import both???
The rear end looks terrible.
However these cars r sold pretty well in China, see alot of these on the street.
No bluetooth unless you get the top model. Bad omission in my books, especially as there are so many features as Std.
They’ve always had a nice engine, but the styling has gone from OK/Neutral 10 years ago to polarising, and that rear end is just an abomination.
For some reason they have always suffered fierce depreciation, down 50% after 2 years. Is that because few new ones are sold, and even fewer S/H buyers available?
I thought this was the current US model but after seeing what they have (thanks to whoever posted the link) I much prefer the snub nose and more aggresive styling that the yankies get.
Wonder why there’s >500kg between the ST-L and ST-S/Ti??
I misread the article the first time.
I read “the Maxima 350 has a 6% fuel economy improvement over the previous model” and presumed we were refering to the abovementioned 250. But no. The Maxima 350 requires PULP and uses more fuel per 100kms.
Standard ULP, not as thirsty and 500kg lighter, but same towing capacity. 250 must be the model of choice… no?
Nissan Australia dropped the ball, the US spec mauls this version. Would’ve grabbed tons of new customers as opposed to the car we’ll be getting. I suppose they didn’t want to alienate the current Maxima customer too much. Playing it safe in these troubled economic times perhaps?
Ive seen one in the flesh and its not to bad ,Its not great but its ok and throw in the great fuel economy for a large car and all the luxuary stuff for the price i think thay will go ok, If you look at it, Have you seen what you get for 33 thou from a commondore no were near the gear this has or gear box or engine or refinement so i think thay will do ok
absolutely nothing wrong with the styling. I think it looks much better than the current model, which looks particularly saggy around the tail-lights. This is a big improvement. The car’s design seems to flow well from front to back, and the overall look is very unique. My first impression: nice car!
Both the US Maximas we didn’t get look better then the models sold in Australia. I don’t understand why they need to different versions? It is understand with cars like the Accord and Accord Euro, but considering both Maximas are similar size and built on the same platform.
In a perfect world this would outsell the Camaurion 2 to 1.
Maximas have always been such good cars for the price and now this latest model ticks all the boxes.
Imagine if they offered an all wheel drive option courtesy of the Murano!!!!
WOW! that is fugly!!! I was excited after checking out the US model but this this is just… ERGH!!!!!!!!!!
Nice features, fuel consumption and power. Styling is just as mediocre as Subaru. It seems performance cars like the GT-R get better styling and mass market models get saggy and uncool styling. The rear looks like an outdated curvy butt design of a Honda accord. The front overhang is just unexciting and not beautiful. Probably does the job but most people want a all round package, price, efficiency, built quality and looks.
Looks are slightly improved and more modern, sweet engines and transmitions,high equipment levels and very competitive pricing too. Howabout a wagon version? That would be nice.
looks great and has a really nice interior though i dont like the side character line as it looks like its broken its back
The last generation Maxima was butt-ugly, it looks like the new one just continues the trend. Underneath it all the mechanical components and interior were great but the exterior looks scared people away.
That interior looks exactly the same as the Murano’s. Same dash, same centre console, steering wheel, gear lever etc. I guess this is ther way of saving costs.
did anyone notice the two tonne weight of the upper spec models.
OMG.. Why can’t we get U.S.A Version?
Yea shak seems a bit much,half a ton of options is alot of options.
Personnally do not think its too bad, a little bland. But that Yank version is well nice. Pity it will never have a diesel donk. Could just see a 3.0 litre diesel thumping away getting 6.5’s per 100. Tee Hee couldn’t resist it.
The weights in this article are reported incorrectly.
Tare weight (kg)
250 ST-L 1,516
350 ST-S 1,535
350 TI 1,563 (not 2080kg)
source: http://www.nissan.com.au/webpa.....%20(2).pdf
ps. A wagon would be nice. In turbo diesel. It would make my shortlist.
pps. Second hand, Maxima’s continue to be one of the best bargains in the market. Pity about those looks.
nb. Sorry about the press release link breaking. Nissan actually have spaces and brackets in their filenames, so the links don’t work. You can go here http://www.nissan.com.au/webpa.....eases.html to find a link to it.
realcars Says:
April 21st, 2009 at 6:16 pm
“In a perfect world this would outsell the Camaurion 2 to 1.”
I’d never purchase an Aurion, but they’re better looking than this.
“Maximas have always been such good cars for the price and now this latest model ticks all the boxes.”
I know – compare a $78K rep mobile to this – the features that are lacking in the rep mobile are embarrassing.
Oh my goodness, no wonder the car industry in Australia is about to die on its arse.
“this car is fugly…”
“i would not buy this car because it looks fugly”
You guys are complaining about the exterior? for goodness sakes. Get in the car and test drive it and see how it feels and forget how the exterior looks like.
If you all are going to buy based on ‘looks’ of the car then obviously no one would be buying a car in the first place
LN, many people DO buy cars on looks and brand loyalty, as opposed to how it drives: VE Commodore anyone?
Very funny LN (Leongatha Nissan?).
I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but people actually take pride in the appearance of the car they drive. They believe that the asthetics represent a great deal about the owner and their influences.
I really do wish we weren’t all so shallow (and that super-models had been throwing themselves at me for years) but at the end of the day, people don’t want to be associated with something that’s not up to par (when so many taller, hotter, fitter options are available).
For these reasons I’ll never own a 90’s Taurus, nor a bug-eyed Impreza. But by all means, be my guest, buy a Maxima. Nissan for one, will thank you!
Nacayoga, LN is my initials and I work at a Nissan Dealership and this by no means that I own a few Nissan cars. I have worked a few different branded dealerships in the last 19 years and I can tell you, its the same thing that the customers tell me, looks.
Fair enough, dont worry about looks, its all about the quality and SAFETY and of course the price of the car.
When a customer tells me that this car is ugly, I talk quickly about price and they will start listening and they end up buying a car.
I, myself own a Ford G6E but my company car is a Nissan X-Trail ST.
I have worked at this Nissan Dealership for 4 years and we are one of the reputable in the country. The Maxima is the most underated car due to Nissan Australia’s stupidity and inability to market the car to Australians.
You go ahead and buy a good looking SV6 VE Commodore, an Aurion Sportivo, a Kia and after 20, 000km you are going to fork out a lot of money with those lemons.
Worst looking Datsun ever to hit our shores. Chuck it back in the sea!!!
Look much better than the old model(and ten times better than the ugly camry,I bet it drives better than the camry too) But I have to agree that the US version look even much better,more sporty and agressive (front look like the GT-R and 370Z).Anyway,back to Australian version, the standard features are very impressive, great value for the money. I think Nissan make very reliable car. I’ve just got an X-trail and really love it,looking for a second car for the wife soon, and it would be an Maxima or Dualis.
The rear end looks fine from directly behind, but awkward or ugly from other angles. The rest of the design is yawn-inducing. It may be great value, and it may be getting good reviews about how it drives, but Nissan are dreaming if they think this design is going to attract under 50 year olds. The design and the fact that it’s badged a Nissan, a car company who have no idea how to market things properly, should guarantee it will bomb.
Honestly, it’s hard to believe that a car company that can produce the stunning Nissan Skyline, a car that Nissan really has no excuse not to make available here in Australia, can produce crap designs such as this.
To be honest, i actually prefer the J31 maxima over this. But i do think it doesn’t look that bad. Maxima’s do usually look more expensive then they are in the metal. personally i’d rather get the maxima over the Camry or Aurion. Maximas have always been good value, and good quality. But like others have said, the marketing for the Maxima has been crap.
The centre stack is not straight/in line with the screen/air vents above it. On that fault alone I wouldn’t buy it. That’s not good enough for a japanese car frankly.
When I first saw the J31, it was like, I dont want to be seen driving that thing. Then when I was car hunting, I decided to test drive one. The drive was so smooth and quiet, and the gear you get for the price, and build quality, I immediately signed the papers. I still dont like the looks but its a pleasant drive. I guess the new J32 is the same – ugly looks but drives superb. I think the front end of the J32 looks better but the rear end is hideous!
I was quite excited when I heard that the J32 would be released soon in Australia.. until I saw what was coming to our shores… I just can’t believe that Nissan expects to capture younger drivers with this “thing”. The US Maxima would have been a sure winner if sold in Australia. What a missed opportunity for Nissan to revive its flagship sedan. However, The J32 will probably appeal to 40 year old Camry buyers more than anything else and that says a lot about the blandness of the J32’s design. The current J31 looks so much nicer and balanced.
Where’s the tailpipe???
The USA version looks much better. We always miss out on the good stuff in OZ: Like the Honda Accord Euro (AKA Acura TSX) will come with a 3.5 litre, 205kW V6 in the USA from mid-year. Will we get it in OZ? Honda’s got to do something better than it’s pinging 2.4 litre version.
It’s a big improvement over the outgoing model, but disappointing compared with the US Maxima which looks more assertive and has a much more powerful 3.5 litre V6 (even though it is also referred to as the VQ35DE engine). How do they extract so much more power out of the same engine?? Premium fuel? US Maxima centre console is also more attractive and functional with storage. No effort has been made with the Aussie version.
I concur with Iz,not only Maxima,but all cars made in the US of A are better looking than their Ozzy counterparts.Dunno why.I wrote to Ford to ask them that and they replied by saying that all designs are in accord with surveys done on customer needs.I find that difficult to believe.What are they saying that we the customer want ugly cars that are not contemporary looking? Jeez!