Introduction
Styling, performance and handling. Three tenets Nissan has held true for the Maxima for nearly 20 years. The Maxima went under the plastic surgeon's knife again for 2000, with a revised body style and a boost in performance. Placing fourth overall, the Maxima SE we tested grabbed the attention of our driving-enthusiast editors, while our family-minded brethren saw it as an overdone grocery-getter.

In nearly all of our tests, the Maxima fared well, never dropping below sixth place (for exterior design) in any category. The Maxima was also one vehicle for which we had trouble prying the keys out of our editors' hands.

Background and Our Test Vehicle
When Nissan introduced the Maxima in 1981, the car was an instant hit with striking good looks, sports-car-like performance and fantastic handling to boot. Over the years, the design was massaged to increase interior room and drivability, but somewhere in the mix, Nissan lost sight of the original vision, creating a truly ugly Maxima in '95. When we see one of those third generation vehicles today, we still aren't sure if they are coming or going down the highway.

For 2000, the stylists at Nissan have returned to their roots, bringing forth a Maxima that not only performs like a sports car in the power and handling departments, but also looks distinctly unlike anything else on the road today.

Available in three trim levels (base GXE, the comfort minded GLE and performance oriented SE), our SE test vehicle came complete with a one-touch open and close sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, an eight-way power driver's seat, intermittent wipers and a cargo net to keep the groceries in place.

Exterior Design
To say the Maxima is unique-looking would be a brash understatement. Sporty, sleek and edgy. That's the new Maxima. With its Ford Focus-like wheel well arches and flowing lines, the Maxima is the most forward-thinking model ever released from Nissan's La Jolla design studios. Too bad the gaping front oval grille detracts from the silky lines. With its gray undertones, we'd rather see the grille body-colored to help with the blending process.

Out back, the Maxima's new dual cat-eye tail lamps add to the distinctive tone, but look more like an afterthought and break up the smooth lines. Our editors didn't agree with Nissan's decisions, placing the Maxima in sixth place in the styling category, leaving one editor to comment that he was waiting to see if George Jetson might emerge from the driver's seat.

Interior Features,Controls, Materials and Design
If there's one aspect of the new Nissan Maxima that did do well, it's the interior. With a classic waterfall dash design, the Maxima's interior not only looks clean and slightly futuristic, but it's user friendly as well.

Standard cloth buckets hold driver and passenger in place, but exhibit too much mid-back support and not enough lower lumbar support to be of real comfort on long drives. Driver's controls are well laid out, with the exception of the remote mirror controls, which forced us to lean forward out of our driving position to manipulate the directional paddles. People with long fingernails will appreciate the new climate and stereo controls, which feature large buttons and rotary dials, making for easy selections.

Rear occupants will find all the head- and legroom they need, and the bench has a remarkable amount of lumbar support. While the back seat is comfortable for two adults, three will find the quarters a bit cramped. A 12-volt power point, dual cup holders and air vents complete the package.

Engine and Transmission
For 2000, the Maxima SE's 3.0-liter SOHC V6 gets a boost in horsepower to 222 ... yet it didn't feel as fast, compared to last year's model. Nonetheless, in our performance testing, the new Maxima made a second-place finish in overall performance and handling trials. Zero to 60 came in a very respectable 7.8 seconds (1.2-seconds slower than the '99 model), hammering the quarter mile in 15.9 seconds at 89 mph (.4 seconds and a whole mile-per-hour slower).

In typical Nissan fashion, the Maxima's engine is buttery-smooth at idle and pulls hard throughout the rpm band. The extra power comes from new intake and exhaust manifolds, Nissan's Variable Induction System and a new muffler that incorporates a valve that opens at 2,000 rpm to reduce exhaust back pressure.

Our tester-equipped, electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission left us longing for the standard five-speed manual variant. The auto tranny was slow to shift and indecisive at times, often kicking down from fourth to third, then snapping our necks as it jumped into second for a rod-bending flash to redline. Perhaps a little more calibration between the throttle position sensor and transmission is in order.

Suspension, Ride and Handling
When it comes to blending all aspects of driving into one suspension system, Nissan does it right. While the average Joe will think the suspension is a little on the harsh side, we loved it. The SE transmits just enough road feel into the cabin to accurately communicate what is happening underfoot, yet filters out the harshness that would make long trips unbearable. As one of our editors remarked, 'The Maxima was designed to handle first, coddle second.'

We couldn't agree more.

Normally, such a firm suspension would make mountain driving a chore. Not so with the Nissan. Throw the SE into a decreasing-radius turn and the suspension holds, gracefully accepting throttle without the slightest notion of stepping out. For the performance-minded individual who wants to take the family around in style, yet have fun when the opportunity presents itself (without jolting passengers to death), the Nissan is the logical choice.

Remember when you used to tie a string between two soup cans to communicate with your buddy two feet away? That same close communication is exactly how the Maxima's steering interacts with the driver. If you cannot feel exactly what is happening underfoot of the Maxima, you need to have your circulation checked. No matter what driving surfaces we traversed, we knew exactly what the car was doing. While this isn't a bad thing, many drivers like the numb feeling most American cars have dialed into their steering response. The Maxima, in our opinion, is the most communicative, without being harsh on the driver.

Our only complaint: The standard issue 225/50VR17 tires are great in dry conditions, but when the weather turns from bad to worse, the Bridgestones become unstable, like an elephant walking over a floor of marbles.

Conclusion
At our as-tested price of $26,468, the Maxima is priced in the middle of the family sedan pack, but delivers a lot more than the price reflects. Packed full of features (like a one-touch up and down driver's window, one-touch open and close sunroof, HomeLink transmitter and auto on/off headlamps), the Maxima SE is a great family car and a sports car wrapped into one package. If Nissan could smooth the rough edges from the styling, there's no telling how many units they could sell.

Editors'Comments
I'm in love with this homely Maxima. This car spoke to me like no other I've driven in this test, and communicates on a level only matched thus far by the Passat. A true driver's car, the Maxima tore down the mountainside, never even thinking about relinquishing its grip on the road. Amazing performances were turned in by steering, engine and brakes. Whoo-hoo! Whatta ride! – Christian Wardlaw.

Aighh! I'm turning into my parents! My mom bought an '87 new, and then pawned it off to my dad so she could buy a white '95 Maxima. They still own both. And here I am saying that my favorite car of the test was the Maxima. I'm even getting used to the new styling. Before I know it, I'll be living in white-bread suburbia and putting two kids through college. – Brent Romans

Stereo Evaluation - 2000 Nissan Maxima