Nissan Maxima

Australians looking for a family car that is not short on features or space and delivers a solid performance may want to give the Nissan Maxima some thought. Even the ST-L 250 base model offers far more than what would be expected, starting with a full leather interior.

Keyless entry opens the door on luxuriously comfortable seating and an equally comfortable steering wheel. It makes for a marvellous first impression, which is punctuated by the headroom and really spacious legroom available both front and rear. Turn the ignition and the 2.5-litre V6 purrs its way onto the road. With its continuously variable transmission, the performance put on by this model in extracting 134kW and 228Nm makes nonsense of its base status. If this surprises, then the Ti model holds a few of its own.

The 3.5-litre, V6 encountered in the Ti throws down the gauntlet to competitors. Producing 185kW and 326Nm, this car sets the heart racing as well. Anyone who remains unimpressed can perhaps be persuaded by the multitude of technology built into the Nissan Maxima.

Standard features in both models include dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a 6-CD tuner with MP3 compatibility and push-button start, while the Ti throws in quite a few extras like satellite navigation, a rear parking camera, Bluetooth connectivity and an 11-speaker surround sound audio system. Add to this some disk sensing xenon headlamps, LED tail lamps and 17-inch alloy wheels and you have not yet covered all of the Nissan Maxima’s treasures.