The 2009 Nissan Maxima recalls the slogan used 20 years ago at its introduction: The 4-Door Sports Car^™ (4DSC). Does the Maxima successfully return to its sporting roots? Can a near-luxury sedan or a nicely outfitted family car really satisfy like a sports coupe? The 2009 Nissan Maxima is smaller than the previous generation; it has more power and a “handling” suspension. It’s loaded with cool technology and lots of comfort. And that’s not all.

Somehow, Nissan has managed to channel the soul of the original 4DSC in a new car that competes against some of the best the car industry offers. Yes! The Four-Door Sports Car^™ is back and even a brief test drive will convince you.

The new Maxima comes in two models with new designations. The base Maxima is the 3.5 S, and, for $30,160 (MSRP), it comes with a new V6 engine and Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), dual exhaust, 18-inch wheels and tires, automatic headlights, a power moonroof and LED taillights. The interior is also nicely appointed with an eight-way power driver’s seat, four-way power passenger’s seat, cloth upholstery, leather steering wheel and shiftknob, two-zone climate control and, of course, power windows, door locks and mirrors.

At $32,860, the Maxima 3.5 SV adds more good stuff like leather, power lumbar adjustability for the driver, Bose audio, foglamps and mirror housings with integrated LED turn indicators to name just a few items.  

There are two primary options packages for the new Maxima. The Sport Package adds a sport-tuned suspension with 19-inch wheels and tires, a rear spoiler, HID headlights, heated front seats with upgraded leather, a power tilt and telescope steering column, paddleshifters on the steering wheel and memory for the seats. The Premium Package includes most of the same stuff, but swaps the suspension upgrades for a large dual-panel moonroof. There’s a Tech Package available, either as a stand-alone or as an addition to the Sport or Premium Packages, that adds navigation, a 9.3GB hard drive-based music system and a rearview camera.

Now, we can delve into the heart of the Maxima, where the soul of the 4DSC resides. Pop the hood and you’ll find Nissan’s vaunted VQ six, a 3.5-liter V6 engine with lots of power and torque and respectable fuel economy all at the same time. For the 2009 Maxima, Nissan squeezed 290 hp and 261 lb/ft of torque out of just 3.5 liters, quite an engineering and tuning feat! Impressively, EPA mileage estimates are 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, one mpg better on the highway that the previous model.

The VQ teams up with a CVT transmission. Unlike a standard automatic or a manual transmission, a CVT doesn’t use actual gears. Instead, it uses a belt and pulley system to provide an infinite range of drive ratios. The payoff in this new technology is fuel efficiency, smooth operation and the ability to simulate a geared transmission using a gear selector or paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. Reviewers, even the most skeptical, praise the CVT in the Maxima for its benefits, but mostly because it feels like a sport sedan should when it “shifts” gears. In operation, the new Maxima has strong mid- to high-rev surge in power and torque, and the engine sounds very good, an important 4DSC factor because sportscars have to have “that sound.”

The Maxima has an all-independent suspension with struts in front and a multi-link setup in the rear, tuned for handling. The steering system is also new and uses a similar variable power assist mechanism as the company’s 350Z sportscar. It’s quick and precise with good feel. The brakes are also upgraded with ventilated rear discs now standard. In other words, the Maxima has the right stuff and its handling proves it. Some of the Maxima’s flat cornering and secure feel comes from being lower and wider than the car it replaces. You can actually see the effect of these two traits in the Maxima’s hunkered down, aggressive stance. If you’re going to be the 4DSC, look the part, and Maxima does!

Inside, the Maxima’s dual personality really shines. You can tell it’s a “driver’s car” from the driver’s seat. It’s broad and well bolstered with comfortable padding and, with the Premium Package, excellent leather. It’s a sport seat for spirited driving and a “Lazy Boy” for long commutes. You’ll dig the extendable thigh support, a rarity in Maxima’s segment. There are redundant controls on the steering wheel for the audio system and voice-activation for the navigation, and everything is within easy reach and intuitive in operation. The power tilt and telescoping steering column is a nice feature and helps make the overall driving position just about perfect.

The cabin is well appointed with fit and finish on par with luxury cars costing thousands more. The center console and door armrests are softly padded, and even the door tops are soft to the touch. There are good-sized door pockets, two cupholders in the center console next to the shifter, a deep center console bin and a decent-sized glovebox. The trunk is quite roomy and split/fold rear seats add convenient carrying capacity.

We think Nissan nailed the 4DSC spirit in the 2009 Maxima, and owner satisfaction appears to confirm it. There’s only one way to see if you agree. Give us a call and we’ll put you behind the wheel of the new Four-Door Sportscar for a test spin.

These questions are not “fuelish,” and the answers are based on something called the octane rating of gasoline. The octane rating of gasoline tells you how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. This is meaningful when you recall how a four-stroke, gasoline-fueled engine works. One of the strokes is the compression stroke where the engine compresses a cylinder-full of air and gas into a much smaller volume before igniting it with a sparkplug. The amount of compression is called the compression ratio of the engine. A typical engine might have a compression ratio of 8-to-1. High performance engines generally have a higher compression ratio. Higher octane fuel can better tolerate the greater pressures in high compression engines.

When gas ignites by compression rather than because of the spark from the sparkplug, it causes a condition known variously as knocking, pinging or pre-ignition. Knocking generally occurs when climbing steep grades, rapidly accelerating or driving at unusually high altitudes.

Knocking can damage an engine, so it is not something you want to have happening. Lower-octane gas (like Regular-grade 87-octane gasoline) can handle the least amount of compression before igniting. So, the compression ratio of your engine determines the octane rating of the gas you must use in the car.

The gasoline grades have corresponding octane ratings, typically 87 for Regular, 89 for Mid-grade and 91 for Premium with slight variations around the country. Most filling stations sell three grades, but some offer a few more choices between Regular and Premium. Even so, the typical gas station has just two underground storage tanks. Midgrade and other octane ratings are created by blending these two at the pump.

The basic question we want to answer is, “Should you consider spending the extra money for Premium gas?” The answer is a qualified, “No.” The fact is, for most car and truck engines, Regular grade 87 is fine.

That’s good news, but what if your owner’s manual recommends Premium grade fuel? The key word is ‘recommends,’ which really means it’s okay to use Regular under most driving conditions. Virtually every expert – even those from oil companies and auto manufacturers – say that using Regular will not harm engines, but you’ll probably not get the ‘advertised’ performance. In other words, you may add a second to the zero-to-60 mph time a reviewer said you should expect from your car. Again, using Regular gas will not damage the modern engines of most of today’s cars.

Modern engines with advanced computerized engine management systems rapidly adjust their ignition timing at the first indication of knocking. For this reason, using Regular will not void your manufacturer’s warranty unless, in the rare case, your car’s owner’s manual states that Premium grade gasoline is REQUIRED. The owners of high performance engines that require the highest octane are well aware of this fact because high performance was an important factor in choosing their particular cars.

However, if you own a “classic” car or a vehicle that is 10 years old or older and lacks such stuff as electronic fuel injection, computerized engine management and knock sensors and the owner’s manual specifies Premium grade fuel, DON’T USE ANYTHING OTHER THAN PREMIUM! If your vehicle has a supercharger and you drive aggressively, you might also want to use Premium. In this latter scenario, knock sensors cannot sense the condition fast enough because the supercharger boosts pressure too quickly. Of course, if your engine does experience knocking, no matter what vintage or sophistication, feed it the next higher grade of fuel or bring it in for a diagnosis and possibly a tune-up.