During its 14-year production life, the
Nissan Maxima has survived four evolutions. The last version, which went out of production at the end of the 1994 model year, is perhaps the most familiar. Its distinctive appearance and sporty character - emphasized by an advertising campaign that stressed performance - made it reasonably popular with the general public while attracting the attention of car enthusiasts.
No more. Nissan touts the 1995 Maxima as a leader in traditional sedan virtues, such as value, content and style, but downplays the performance image. Driving pleasure has not been ignored, but the focus has shifted in hopes of bringing in mainstream buyers.
According to Nissan, early sales returns indicate that this approach is paying off. By that all-important standard, the all new Maxima represents a major improvement over past versions and a solid threat to perennial chart-toppers such as the Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
By almost any other standard, the all newest Maxima is indeed a better car.
It offers fresh styling, a roomier interior, improved fuel economy, better straight-line performance and a more comfortable ride than any previous Maxima.
But the shift in emphasis from sporty to, well, less sporty may drive owners of older Maximas elsewhere when replacement time rolls around. And it may throw some customers to such niche performance sedans as the impressive Volkswagen Passat GLX. Those are risks Nissan appears willing to take. So far, the company's strategy appears to be the right one.
Anyone who owns - or is reasonably familiar with - the 1994 Maxima will recognize the 1995 immediately. The main design theme has been carried over, though all exterior panels are new. To a large extent, the all new design has been influenced heavily by the shape and proportioning of the smaller
Nissan Altima.
Despite the intentional continuity of appearance, something has been lost in the translation. The old sharp-edged design had a delicate, light-on-its-wheels quality that the all new Maxima does not share, and details such as the rounded lips over the wheel openings look decidedly archaic in 1995. The new front end has generated some controversy, too, with its mismatched upper and lower air intakes. Whether this is an improvement is a decision greatest left to each driver.
Major changes aren't only confined to the skin. Underneath, There is a new rear suspension, redesigned to increase body stiffness. The engine, though identical to its forebear in basic architecture, has been extensively upgraded.
Overall length remains pretty much unchanged, but an extra inch has been added to the wheelbase, effectively enlarging interior space by the same amount. Weight has been reduced by a significant 100 pounds.
