Used 2020 Nissan Maxima

As Nissan’s flagship sedan, the 2020 Maxima showcases the company’s best technology, performance and luxury features at a price costing thousands less than the best European performance sedans. With standard V6 power, the Maxima bucks the trend toward small-displacement turbos, and its exotic exterior will never be mistaken for a stately VW Passat or Ford Fusion.

However, with newer competitors like the Kia Stinger offering more power and the option of all-wheel drive, the front-drive Maxima isn’t the best choice for die-hard enthusiasts. The Maxima also isn’t big on rear-seat legroom or trunk space, so if these are important, you’ll need to shop a Dodge Charger, VW Passat or perhaps even a Genesis G70.

While the “4-Door Sports Car” tagline may sound appealing, don’t mistake the 2020 Nissan Maxima for a bargain-basement BMW substitute. Instead, we like to think of the Maxima as a sporty entry-level luxury sedan that has more to offer than your run-of-the-mill Camry or Accord.

Power from the Maxima’s 300-horsepower V6 is routed to the front wheels by means of a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), not exactly the favorite formula of purists. Still, the Maxima’s CVT is one of the best in the industry, aided in its performance aspirations by a set of steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and its “D-Step” simulated gearshift logic.

Torque steer does make itself known if you stomp the accelerator hard, but it’s a minimal event that rarely shows up once the Maxima is up to speed. The Maxima’s suspension delivers a comfortable ride and admirable cornering abilities, but the steering can feel vague at times, being somewhat numb in the feedback department.

If the 2020 Maxima sedan’s age shows up anywhere, it’s inside the cabin. Accommodations are snug, with limited room in the rear seat for long legs and tall torsos. While we can’t argue with Nissan’s choice of materials and overall interior design, the center stack and instruments are clearly a few years behind the competition.

Spend a few minutes admiring Volkswagen’s digital cockpit and you’ll quickly get our drift. The infotainment screen is small and rudimentary, but it’s easy to use and features physical knobs for the volume and tuning, as well as hard buttons for various functions. At highway speeds the Maxima’s interior remains fairly hushed, allowing in just the right amount of engine growl and exhaust note when necessary.

Nissan has packed a lot of styling into the Maxima sedan, enhanced last year by new jewel-like LED headlights flanking a deeper and more aggressive V-Motion grille. The rear end also got a new styling treatment, with LED taillights and integrated quad-tip exhaust finishers. Attractive wheels come in 18- and 19-inch wheel designs.

The 2020 Maxima’s silhouette remains the same, with lots of fluidic sculpting and bold character lines. The look is somewhat polarizing and not as sleek or sophisticated as the Kia Stinger, but more dynamic than the Volkswagen Passat.

INTELLIGENT FORWARD-COLLISION WARNING (I-FCW)
More than just your run-of-the-mill collision-avoidance system, Nissan’s Intelligent Forward Collision Warning can actually see two cars ahead. In so doing, the system can better react to slowing or stopped traffic, predicting what the car directly ahead will do in response and readying the brakes before it happens.

REAR-DOOR ALERT
With so many things on our minds today, it’s easy to exit a car without checking the rear seats for pets, children or valuables. Rear-Door Alert remembers if the rear door/doors were opened prior to starting the engine. At the end of your trip, if the system doesn’t detect the rear doors are opened again, it will beep the Maxima’s horn as warning to check the back seat.

All 2020 Maxima sedans are the same under the hood, sporting a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 300 horsepower and a CVT automatic transmission. All models get Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 that adds automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitor, high-beam assist and rear automatic braking. Also standard is Nissan’s Integrated Dynamics control Module that includes Intelligent Trace Control, Active Ride Control and Intelligent Engine Brake.

Even base-model Maxima S sedans come with NissanConnect, an 8-inch touch-screen infotainment system with voice command, Google search, Bluetooth, Type A and Type C USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. You also get an 8-way-power driver’s seat, cruise control, push-button ignition and keyless entry with remote start, and a rearview camera. The color 7-inch information screen between the main gauges is standard on all models.

Nissan adds features through the 2020 Maxima’s four higher trim levels, with only one option package. With its leather upholstery, heated front seats and adaptive cruise control, even a Maxima SV is a highly recommendable vehicle.

The SL adds a dual-panel panoramic moonroof, Bose audio and a heated steering wheel, while the sporty SR retains the panoramic roof and adds a Surround View monitor, sport-tuned suspension, a more aggressive wheel-and-tire package plus ventilated front seats.

The Platinum trim includes most of the above listed equipment and can be ordered with the Reserve Package that adds heated rear seats, 19-inch wheels and Rakuda Tan semi-aniline leather seats.

There’s only one engine choice available for the Nissan Maxima, but it’s a good one: a 300-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 connected to an Xtronic CVT. It manages decent fuel economy, all while delivering smooth and quiet power to the front wheels. CVTs have come a long way, and Nissan’s D-Step shift logic mimics the operation of a traditional automatic by letting the revs rise and fall when at full throttle.

A Sport mode livens feel by adjusting throttle response, steering effort and transmission tuning. Given its 300 horsepower, we’re impressed that the Maxima doesn’t suffer from aggressive torque steer, a peculiar side-to-side wiggle felt in the steering wheel that’s common in powerful front-wheel-drive cars. Note that premium unleaded is recommended for the Maxima.

3.5-liter V6
300 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
261 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/30 mpg