In these economic times, showing up to work in a new car with a fancy luxury badge may raise some eyebrows around the water cooler. Perception counts for a lot, so finding a new car that straddles the tricky divide between practical family cars and upscale luxury models would seem to be a good way to enjoy your success without flaunting it. The 2012 Nissan Maxima is one way to do so.
To put it simply, Nissan's flagship sedan offers much of the same performance, luxury and features as the company's upscale Infiniti brand, but with a less flashy badge and better value. Topping the Maxima's list of strong points is a very likable driving experience. The 290-horsepower V6 gives the Maxima enough acceleration to leave many of its competitors in the dust, while a well-tuned suspension manages to deliver a nice balance between athletic handling and a plush ride. An attractive passenger cabin featuring top-quality materials and the availability of many luxury features is another plus. In a way, the Maxima is an analog clock and some fancier gauges away from being an Infiniti.
However, the Maxima isn't the only stealthy luxury model. The Chrysler 300, Hyundai Genesis and Volkswagen CC are all essentially luxury cars without a traditional luxury badge. The Chrysler and Hyundai, in particular, offer significantly more interior room than the Maxima.
Of course, if you're actually looking for the cachet that comes along with a luxury brand, the Maxima obviously can't deliver. Even though you won't be getting as much equipment for your money, the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G Sedan, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volvo S60 are all in the same pricing ballpark. They also offer a greater degree of driving and interior refinement.
The Maxima gets a number of minor changes inside and out for 2012, but unless you're a serious Maxima geek you'd have to line the 2011 and 2012 models up side by side to see the differences. A new grille is slightly different in appearance, while the taillamp design has been tweaked and there's a new line of 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs. Inside, audio and HVAC knobs are new, gauge illumination is now white, and new Dark Piano and Atlantic Cherry trims have been added. The Maxima's look isn't new otherwise, but it remains one of the freshest-looking sedans in this class. It's still head-turning, with curvy sheetmetal, an aggressive front-end design, and an overall stance that makes it look like it could have rear-wheel drive. The cockpit-style instrument panel, in fact, could be right at home in a product from Infiniti.
Smooth, quick acceleration is something the 2012 Nissan Maxima does extraordinarily well. The 290-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine has a relaxed demeanor in ordinary driving and works well with the automatic continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The CVT also includes a manual sport mode and available steering-wheel paddle shifters to access a series of simulated gear ratios for high-performance driving (there's no manual available), and the letdown is that this setup simply doesn't offer the same level of control as conventional transmissions.
In addition to that, you can also opt for a new Limited Edition package (for the 3.5 S model), which brings smoked appearance headlights, High Intensity Discharge (HID) Xenon headlights, a compass in the rear view mirror, 18-inch aluminum-alloy Dark Hyper Silver finish wheels, a rear spoiler, dark satin chrome front grille, fog lights, outside mirrors with integrated turn signals and metallic trimming.
source:autoevolution.com,thecarconnection.com,edmunds.com
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