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Nissan Maxima: Off the Charts & Under the Radar

Midsize Luxury Sedans: The car has received kudos from auto industry pundits for years for its looks, performance and value. It is a vehicle that has come in at the top of buyers' polls measuring consumer satisfaction. The engine beneath the hood of this mysterious midsize luxury sedan has been applauded since 1996 for its performance.

The apex automobile of the Nissan line is a midsize luxury sedan with the soul of a sports car. Its 3.5-liter V6 engine -- with 255 horsepower -- and its sophisticated transmission combine to maximize Maxima's responsiveness to the driver's touch. The front-wheel drive vehicle features a Z-inspired suspension and a fully adaptable advanced traction-control system that keeps the ride smooth and safe under any driving condition.

There is a Platinum Edition Package for the Maxima SL and the Maxima SE. Both models offer plush interior creature comforts, such as heated driver and front-passenger seats, a heated steering wheel, a Bluetooth hands-free phone, a Bose audio system, and a specially built Nissan navigational system. The rich leather interior -- with fully adjustable with memory -- front seats, and the backlit controls are nice touches too. The extra effort put forth to add the finishing touches to the car's comfy interior is noteworthy.

This "masked" midsize luxury sedan compares favorably to other automobiles in its class in performance, appearance, safety features, and price. Although the Lexus ES350 and the Cadillac CTS are in the Maxima's category, those vehicles have less standard features than Nissan's flagship vehicle. Additionally, it is longer and taller and has more headroom and cargo space than the Lexus or the Cadillac. The car's standard features are the finishing touches to the package. The base model SL and SE offers more and cost thousands less than the aforementioned.

This is a solid luxury midsize with impressive across-the-board marks in performance, looks, amenities, safety, and value. The Maxima's standards are pushing the envelope for the competitors in this class to shift to keep up or yield and follow. It is no longer below our radar.

For LxM James Rothaar