Ride quality penalties? I actually never saw it that way. But they're probably right. Many crossovers, including going all the way back to the original BMW X5 for example, do have fairly harsh ride quality. I think Bill has said his RAV4 has a bad ride, too. If this is really a thing, there could be a reason. I think a stiffer suspension is required because of the higher GC, both for handling and safety. It's just a bit ironic, not just because crossovers are touted as some kind of luxury upgrade from whatever vehicle they may be based on, but because they can have more suspension travel (if the wheelwell gap is any indication) which should result in a SOFTER ride. Like I said, ironic.Although big sedans have lost much of their appeal with consumers, there's still a case to be made for these vehicles that offer plenty of passenger space without the ride quality penalties of a crossover. Along with boasting premium interiors, these innocent-looking vehicles come alive when you hit the accelerator thanks to their smooth and powerful V-6 engines. We recently tested the 2020 Nissan Maxima, in top-trim Platinum Reserve guise, to see if it's staying relevant in a declining segment. How well does our Maxima live up to its "sport sedan" promises, and is it worth the premium price tag?
It is interesting that the V6 sedan has pretty much peaked around this output level. I mean the 2008 CTS with the 3.6L DI was doing 304 hp.The 3.5-liter V-6 engine carries over, delivering a familiar 300 hp and 261 lb-ft of torque. Once again, power is routed through a well-programmed CVT.
With that kind of output, you'll have no trouble merging on the freeway or passing slower traffic in a snap. At the same time, the Maxima won't tempt you to get carried away. Our Maxima ran from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds flat, matching the respectable time we recorded in a 2019 Toyota Avalon Touring. These cars are two-tenths of a second quicker than a 2019 Chevrolet Impala we tested, and half a second quicker than the 2017 Kia Cadenza. It's not a fair comparison, but if you're looking for more potent performance, the 365-hp Kia Stinger GT zooms to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds.
During the 60-0 mph test, our test team noted some steering shake as well as a lack of initial bite while braking in the Maxima. That said, it came to a complete stop in a pretty short distance: 113 feet. It's the same distance we recorded in a smaller 2019 Honda Civic Touring, and better than what we experienced in the Avalon (115 feet), Impala (124 feet), and Cadenza (121 feet).
This is probably not what the marketing team meant when they asked for "GT-R steering:"The Maxima's performance in the figure eight (26.8 seconds at an average 0.67 g) was on par with the Avalon (26.9 seconds at 0.66 g). It proved slightly less agile than the Impala (26.6 seconds at 0.67 g) but much more responsive than the Cadenza (27.6 at 0.63 g).
Our test team uncovered mild understeer. While performing the figure eight, testing director Kim Reynolds also noted strange behaviors in the steering in Sport mode. "As you turn in—off-center—there's a lot of resistance," he said. "Then it drops but reoccurs at different times, possibly in reaction to the bumps. It's very artificial-feeling, sort of like a video game controller, but more pronounced."
Oh how the mighty have fallen. This car hasn't been relevant for....20 years? Sad.The Maxima doesn't quite measure up to competitors when it comes to real estate, however. With 34.2 inches of rear legroom, it's less spacious than the 2020 Avalon (40.3 inches), 2020 Impala (39.8 inches), and 2019 Cadenza (37.2 inches). Cargo room is also below rivals, measuring just 14.3 cubic feet compared to the Avalon's 16.09 cubic feet, the Impala's 18.8 cubic feet, and the Cadenza's 16.0 cubic feet.
Now let's take this opportunity to look at large sedan sales.
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Model YTD YTD Change
Dodge Charger 96,936 20.83
Chevrolet Impala 44,978 -20.47
Nissan Maxima 35,076 -17.15
Chrysler 300 29,214 -37.3
Toyota Avalon 27,767 -17.31
Ford Taurus 13,423 -66.73
Buick LaCrosse 7,241 -53.37
Kia Cadenza 1,577 -65.01
Kia K900 392 10.73