After a long and hectic week, the weekend had finally arrived! But this wasn’t any ordinary weekend; it was the weekend every petrol head from all over the U.A.E had been waiting for. It was Monster Jam weekend and I was going to be attending it in style with Nissan’s flagship sedan, the 2013 Maxima.

Exterior Design

Nissan joins the bandwagon in adding a few LED daytime running lights to the front of the 2013 Maxima. You’ll also notice:

Darkened taillights
All new 19-inch rims

These features contribute to a sportier looking sedan.

Interior

The interior of the 2013 Maxima is neat and exceptionally well built. The dashboard and steering wheel comprise a mix of elements from the Nissan 370Z and Infiniti G37, a combination I really like. Both front and rear receive large, soft bucket seats that are extremely comfortable, making long drives a treat. The A/C is brilliant, keeping you cool no matter the temperature outside.

Notably, the sun visor comes with an extension, something I have only seen in SUVs, effectively blocking the sun completely. However, the Maxima feels under-equipped compared to its Korean competitors. For instance, the Kia Cadenza offers:

AUX jack
Automatic headlights
Seat massager
Panoramic roof
Rear multimedia controls
Blind spot monitoring system

These features are available while being over AED 15,000 cheaper than the Maxima! When compared to Japanese competitors such as the new Accord and Avalon, the interior pales in comparison, but so does the price; the Maxima is significantly cheaper than even basic versions of the new Accord and Avalon.

Driving Experience

The Maxima is equipped with a 3.5-liter engine that produces 290 horsepower and 353 Nm of torque, mated to a CVT transmission. It's more powerful than the new Honda Accord and the new Toyota Avalon.

Having heard many good things about the acceleration of a Maxima, I was thrilled to floor the pedal and see what this car was capable of. However, off-the-line acceleration was disappointing, regardless of whether I left the transmission in drive or used the paddle shifters. The sporty suspension allows for excellent cornering at high speeds, but you'll feel almost every bump in the road.

While the road grip is commendable—better than the Avalon and comparable to the Accord—the CVT transmission creates a constant drone when cruising below 50 km/h. It's questionable whether the CVT has improved the Maxima’s fuel efficiency. Another issue was with the range computer displaying distance to empty: it read 350 km with a full tank but 417 km at half a tank, which was shocking.

Verdict

After driving over 600 km in two days, my verdict on the Maxima is that while it is built extremely well, features massive wheels, and boasts huge paddle shifters and a spoiler, it isn’t a sports car! It has power and offers good value compared to its Japanese rivals, but compared to Korean competitors, it could offer significantly more!