Introduction

Future historians will record that, in the summer of 2006, astronomers revoked Pluto's status as a planet, and Nissan reeled in the spacey styling of the Maxima, bringing it down a little closer to Earth-car standard. Those same historians will also render a verdict whether either decision was a good one. Right now we're might be too close to these events to tell, but we're thinking the styling changes to the 2007 Nissan Maxima are a good thing. And we still like to think of Pluto as a planet. In both cases, call us old fashioned. Gone is the beaver-toothed, studded grille from the '58 Buick, replaced by a more conservative, more elegant grille more in keeping with the Nissan Altima. In fact, all of the body work has been restyled. The 2007 Maxima gets new headlamps, new taillamps, and redesigned fenders, rocker panels, rear spoiler, and hood. The cabin gets a new instrument cluster and center dash for 2007, making for easier, more intuitive operation. Underneath, a continuously variable transmission, or CVT, replaces the more traditional five-speed automatic for smoother, more efficient operation. Nissan excels in this technology and we found the Maxima's transmission responsive. The Nissan Maxima fills a niche for aficionados who appreciate something different. Straddling the line between mid-size family hauler and a near-luxury sport sedan, it offers drivers an interesting alternative to mid-size sedans such as the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord. The Maxima is more focused on personal luxury and performance. And the 2007 model is just a little less quirky than last year's model. Buyers choose between the more responsive SE and the more plush SL. Either way, cruising on the highway is effortless with Nissan's wonderful 255-hp V6 engine. For 2007, both the Maxima SE and SL come standard with a continuously variable automatic transmission, which translates to smooth, efficient power. Gone is the available six-speed manual, which is fine because we didn't care for it. Both the Maxima SL and SE models abound with luxury features. The re-styled 2007 cabin is innovative and comfortable with supportive, luxurious seats. Surviving the 2007 revision is Maxima's daring Skyview roof, a narrow glass panel running lengthwise over the front and rear seats. It's the sort of feature associated with futuristic concept cars. Also interesting are the available rear bucket seats, a feature seen primarily on show cars or as an option on high-end luxury models. Together, the rear bucket seats and Skyview roof make back-seat riders feel more like first-class passengers and less like coach-class cattle. The Maxima is not as family-friendly as the Altima, particularly with the optional four-bucket-seat interior. Instead, it's designed for people who don't have children or maybe just one and want a more interesting, more luxurious sports sedan. (A traditional rear bench seat comes standard for owners who may want to put three people in back.) In short, the 2007 Nissan Maxima is an enjoyable and interesting sports sedan.

Walkaround

The Nissan Maxima has been re-styled, and cast in a slightly more conservative mold. The change is most apparent up front. The new grille is shaped similarly to the old one (and to the Altima's). But the former, '58 Buick-inspired texture of individual chromed studs has been replace by three horizontal, charcoal-colored slats; and the bold, dark-chrome center medallion has evolved into a simple central bulge. The full-width lower bumper opening that formerly stretched from foglight to foglight has been replaced with three smaller, albeit taller, openings. The hood and headlights are new, too, and also a bit more conventional in appearance than before, although the new headlights now incorporate built-in cornering lights. The remainder of Maxima's exterior is less radically changed. Big, round fender openings still pay homage to enormous alloy wheels; although the side sills are now more aggressive, and the wheel lips themselves less flattened and chiseled. Both the 17 and 18-inch wheels are now seven-spoke designs. The rear roof still slopes into the trunk lid, flanked by buttress-like sail panels. Large triangular taillight clusters, like the headlights, wrap around to the sides of the car. But the deck-lid spoiler (standard on SE, optional on SL) is now more prominent, as is the cutout at the bottom of the bumper for Maxima's four exhaust tips. Overall, Maxima still presents a muscular body with pronounced character lines; aerodynamic and modern and yet architecturally Art Deco. It's just the Flash Gordon-style flash that's gone.

Interior Features

The interior of the Nissan Maxima has been freshened for 2007, including a new instrument cluster and a new center-stack layout. Nissan says the new design is more intuitive, enhancing the "Human Machine Interface." The first thing we noticed is that the new center stack looks more friendly, less hard-edged than the old one. In models without the navigation system, a dot-matrix screen displays HVAC, audio and trip computer functions in one central location. With navigation, this is replaced by a seven-inch LCD screen. Simulated leather door panels replace fabric surfaces on models with leather-appointed seats, and integrated chromed accents have been added to the transmission shift lever plate and door panels. Brushed aluminum trim accents the SE, while a new wood tone trim appears in the SL. The seats in the SL look nice and feel firm yet pillowy, supportive and luxurious at the same time. They were already great last year, and now Nissan has added more shoulder bolstering. You dream of all-day interstate cruises across the West in seats like these. The sliding center armrest has also been redesigned to improve comfort and convenience. In front of the driver are three small gauges set in their own pod, like those on a motorcycle, with updated graphics for 2007 that are easier to read. The steering wheel is still familiar Nissan issue, however, functional but not beautiful. It tilts and telescopes, and the redundant controls on the spokes are illuminated. When seated in the back of a four-seat Maxima with the Elite Package, you get the feeling you're in the passenger seat of a two-seat sports car. With the narrow Skyview window above your head, you don't feel like you've been relegated to the kid seats while the adults up front enjoy all the luxuries. The Skyview window does not open, but Nissan says it found a lot of people rarely open their sunroofs. We're among them. For those who prefer it, a conventional sunroof over the front seats is available. Nissan offers a choice of XM or Sirius satellite radio, both factory-installed. Satellite radio can be great companion on long trips, delivering CD-quality sound nearly everywhere. Not having to change stations on a cross-country trip has distinct advantages. Being news hounds, we enjoy being able to keep up on current events with the 24-hour TV news stations, such as CNN or Fox News. Finding stations is easy with RDS (radio data system), which clearly identifies programming on the radio's display. The Bose Premium Audio Package includes eight speakers, a six-disc in-dash CD changer (now with MP3 capability) and speed-sensitive automatic volume control. An auxiliary audio input jack comes standard on all models to accommodate Apple iPods and other MP3 players. The available navigation system works well, though it's not quite as easy to set and operate as the systems used by Toyota and Honda. Three cargo nets are provided in the trunk and work better than most for holding down a load of groceries.