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.
Like almost every other manufacturer under the sun, Nissan joins the bandwagon in slapping on a few LED daytime running lights to the front of the 2013 Maxima. You’ll also notice the taillights have been darkened and all new 19 inch rims have been added to the Maxima for a sportier looking sedan.
Interior
As for the interior, it is neat and exceptionally well built. The dashboard and steering wheel comprise of a mix of elements from the Nissan 370Z and Infiniti G37, a combination I really like. Both the front and rear receive large, soft bucket seats that are extremely comfortable and make long drives an absolute treat. You won’t have to worry about the summer months either because the A/C is simply brilliant and will definitely keep you cool inside no matter what the temperature outside. I was pleasantly surprised to find the sun visor came with an extension as well, this is something I have only seen in SUV’s so far and it is great since it blocks the sun completely. On the downside, the Maxima feels extremely under equipped when compared to its Korean competitors. For instance, its Korean rival the Kia Cadenza comes equipped with an AUX jack, automatic headlights, a seat massager, a panoramic roof, rear multimedia controls and blind spot monitoring system while being over AED 15,000 cheaper than the Maxima! When compared to Japanese competitors such as the new Accord and the new Avalon, the interior pales in comparison but so does the price; the Maxima is way cheaper than even basic versions of the new Accord and the new Avalon (see comparison below).
Drive
In terms of drive, the Maxima is equipped with a 3.5 litre engine that produces 290 horsepower and 353 Nm of torque while being mated to a CTV transmission. It's more powerful than the new Honda Accord AND the new Toyota Avalon.
Having heard so many good things about the acceleration of a Maxima, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to get an opportunity to floor the pedal to the metal and watch what this car was capable of. Whether I left the transmission in drive or took control of the shifts with the paddle shifters, off-the-line acceleration was extremely disappointing. The hard and sporty suspension allows the Maxima to corner very well at high speeds however the drawback is that you will be able to feel almost every bump in the road. The road grip is definitely there, better than the Avalon and close to the Accord. Though the CVT transmission offered smooth acceleration, there is a constant drone that can be heard when cruising below 50 km/h and whether the CVT has made the Maxima more fuel efficient is completely questionable. Another issue I had was with the range computer that displays distance to empty. Upon having a full tank of fuel, it read 350km as the distance to empty which did shock me; but what shocked me more was when I had half a tank of fuel remaining and the distance to empty read 417km. Could be a computer glitch but shocking nevertheless!
Verdict
Having driven over 600kms in two days, my verdict on the Maxima is that although it is built extremely well, wears 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 it's Japanese rival flagships, however compared to Korean rivals, it could offer so much more!
Check Out
- 2013 Nissan Maxima Prices and Specs
- Nissan Maxima vs Honda Accord vs Toyota Avalon
