Styling

There's nothing like a first glance to grab shoppers' interest, but the Maxima's looks are a bit strange. It has elegant curves all over, especially in the rear, that remind me of the most recent models from Infiniti, Nissan's premium brand. Then there's the grille.

It looks like the company took an ax to a stylish front end, affixed a chrome grille to the resulting vertical edge and moved on. It's an unfortunate look, but it's large and at least it stands out.

    See also:

    Reformulated gasoline
    Some fuel suppliers are now producing reformulated gasolines. These gasolines are specially designed to reduce vehicle emissions. NISSAN supports efforts towards cleaner air and suggests that ...

    Going & Stopping
    Base Altimas have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 175 horsepower (170 hp in states that have adopted California's emissions rules). A 270-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 is optional. A six-speed man ...

    IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
    Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample ...