The Nissan Maxima launched originally in 1981 and here we are four decades later with a very special, limited 40th Anniversary Edition. The Maxima has a well deserved reputation for performance and driving excitement. Over the 40 years The Maxima has won numerous awards, some of the most notable being 1995 MotorTrend Import Car of the Year award and making Car and Drivers 10 Best list with performance, sportiness and premium levels of luxury.
The 2021 Maxima is available in three well-equipped models: Maxima SV, SR and Platinum. I had the pleasure of test driving the Platinum 40th Anniversary Edition. Details to follow but Maxima lovers old and new are sure
Exterior
With the 40th Anniversary Edition, Nissan has captured the Maxima’s legacy in style with a unique one-off color combination: two toned Nuance grey/black exterior and celebratory ruby red 40th anniversary color interior on the Platinum Reserve trim level. The 40th’s exclusivity continues with all black trim, badges,and exhaust tips. Exclusive 19-inch gloss black aluminum-alloy wheels add that extra touch to complete this well made vehicle.
Interior
The 2021 Nissan Maxima has some great options for interior trim. The 40th Anniversary Edition has stylish red semi-aniline, leather-appointed seating with 40th Anniversary embossing. The red contrast interior stitching and atin dark chrome interior faceted finishers are sure to catch your eye. Old School Maxima fans will love the white speedometer and tachometer faces reminiscent of past Maxima models. There is plenty of room and Nissan knows how to make an interior functional and comfortable. There are even heated rear seats for those cold natured passengers.
Engine/ Powertrain
The 2021 Maxima is available in three well-equipped models: Maxima SV, SR and Platinum, each equipped with a 300-horsepower 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 engine and performance-oriented Xtronic transmission.I like the power and smooth acceleration that you get with this combination.
Drive Experience
The 2021 Nissan Maxima along with the previous 39 years of production gives the driver a true sports sedan performance. The handling and ride performance are top notch and it’s a fun car to drive and extremely comfortable. I believe the Nissan Maxima is a car that appeals to a lot of different types of drivers and is an all around great vehicle.
Safety
Nissan Safety Shield 360 remains standard across the Maxima lineup and includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking. In addition to Safety Shield 360, Maxima offers available Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Lane Intervention and Intelligent Around View® Monitor. Maxima’s Intelligent Cruise Control and innovative Intelligent Driver Alertness2 technology are standard on all grade levels.
Conclusion
The 2021 Nissan Maxima lives up to its reputation with the 40th year in production. This beautifully designed sports sedan offers a great driving experience and is an extreme value for the price. MSRP starting at $36,990 for the SV version and The Platinum version as tested is MSRP $45,850.
Check out the official USA Nissan page for all things Nissan Maxima
