2019 nissan maxima: athletic. Luxurious. But too expensive?

• The 2019 Nissan Maxima is getting a styling update for the new year. 
• It retains its powerful V6 engine, but the powertrain is a gray area.
• The new Maxima is luxurious, but the price may turn off buyers. 

Oh yes, Maxim. This is allegedly a four-door Nissan sports car. That's a bold statement if you ask me. However, even past models of Nissan Maxima were equipped with powerful and bulletproof motors. It also arrived with the sporty handling and taut ride that is a trademark of the Maxima. It's good to know that the 2019 Nissan Maxima has retained its sporting qualities.

But despite its inherent athleticism, it also comes with a healthy dose of luxury.

If this sounds like the 2019 Nissan Maxima caters to a special niche of buyers, you're right. And that's before we get to the rather hefty price tag. The new Maxima has a higher price tag than the new Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and even the gorgeous Mazda 6, which are excellent in their own right.

It's good to know that the 2019 Nissan Maxima has retained its sporting qualities. Click to tweet

Flagship Style

The 2019 Nissan Maxima is blessed with aggressive styling updates. For example, the front fascia has a new grille, while a deeper V-motion design gives the face a more convex stance. It also gets standard Jeweled LED headlights and daytime running lights for a more modern look.

The new Maxima still retains the ridiculous curved line on top of the front fenders. It's hard to miss. The line slopes down sharply as it intersects with the front door. And while this design feature is a bit controversial (or polarized depending on your tastes), it gives the Maxima a purposeful stance. The Kodo-inspired Mazda 6 also has this, but the lines are softer and more organic.

The rear trim has also been treated with some flagship upgrades such as a quad-tip exhaust trim and LED taillights. If you choose the Maxima SR, you will also get a new rear spoiler. Overall, the 2019 Nissan Maxima comes with new 19-inch alloy wheels, new premium paint and new leather upholstery.

The 2019 Nissan Maxima comes with rear LED taillights. Photo: Nissan North America.

powerful living motor

No four-door sports car is complete without a powerful engine. And while the 3.5-liter VQ V6 in the 2019 Nissan Maxima lacks the rugged approach of a proper V8, it looks like it can produce more than the claimed 300 horsepower. And while the performance-focused Xtronic CVT transmission mimics real-life gearing (if you hit the gas pedal hard), I have little doubts about the durability and reliability of this particular unit.

The CVT Xtronic in the 2019 Nissan Maxima is made by JATCO or Japan Automatic Transmission Company. JATCO is a subsidiary of Nissan and supplies automatic transmissions to other major car manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Subaru, Land Rover, Isuzu and, until recently, Mazda. And if you know anything about modern cars, the Xtronic transmission isn't exactly the last word in terms of reliability.

However, I find this surprising.

My wife's 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage came standard with a JATCO-2 CVT. The car has covered 100,000 miles, but the CVT is still tough as a drum. Unfortunately, this does not apply to other Nissan vehicles that use the same JATCO CVT units. I sincerely hope that the 2019 Nissan Maxima CVT is capable of over 60,000 miles. Time will tell.

Photo: Nissan North America.

Premium Luxury Appointments

The interior is the reason why the 2019 Nissan Maxima commands a higher price tag. The Maxima is certainly more luxurious than the Sentra and Altima, but other than that, it's often a step above other entry-level luxury cars. And it's been that way for over 20 years. For example, in 1995, Nissan dropped the Lexus as the Maxima won Motor Trend's Best Automotive Award of the Year. The magazine's Jeff Bartlett quotes one respondent as saying, "It's definitely a luxury car at a reasonable price."

The new Maxima is still a luxury car. But a reasonable price? Considering the starting MSRP of conventional sedans like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Mazda6, the term "reasonable price" is being debated today.

Pricing Trim levels

The base Maxima S ($33,450) comes with an eight-inch touchscreen, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear vents, and a power driver's seat. The Maxima SV starts at $35,960 and comes with luxurious leather upholstery, heated front seats, and pass-through navigation. Maxima SL starting at $ 38,440 includes a panoramic sunroof, an 11-speaker Bose premium audio system, and a heated steering wheel.

For only $ 40000 you can choose the Maxima SR. This model comes with 19-inch high-gloss black alloy wheels, Ascot leather seats with diamond-stitched Alcantara inserts, and sports suspension.

The Platinum trim is yours starting at $41,440 and comes with alloy machine tools and a memory driver seat. Finally, the Maxima Platinum Reserve includes dark hyper silver alloy wheels, semi-aniline leather seats with charcoal headlining, and heated rear seats.

A square steering wheel and an eight-inch touchscreen are standard. Photo: Nissan North America

Considering the starting MSRP of conventional sedans such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Mazda6, the term reasonable price is being debated today. Click to tweet

Advanced security features

The 2019 Nissan Maxima is also available with the Nissan Safety Shield 360. This package includes active safety technology such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot and lane departure warning, rear automatic braking and help in the distance.

production Availability

The 2019 Maxima is produced at Nissan's Smyrna assembly plant. It's available now at Nissan dealers.

Alvin Reyes is an Associate Editor of Automoblog. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics and accounting in his youth and is still very passionate about his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also enjoys fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.

2019 Nissan Maxima Gallery

Photo Source: Nissan North America.