The Maxima's European aspirations are even more evident inside the cabin. My SE came with the optional rear console, making it capable of only four occupants instead of five. While it seems that cramming more seats into smaller vehicles is currently the in thing, Nissan has bucked the trend by bringing executive jet accommodations to rear seat passengers. The quality over quantity approach sets the Maxima SE apart from anything else on the market, sending my memory back to a particularly sweet 1993 BMW M5 that I spent the afternoon in - it came equipped with the same option.
But it's not just the rear seating area that has gone business class. The entire interior has moved way upscale. My favorite design element is a thin strip of high grade cloth that starts atop the door, and then wraps around the lower edge of the windshield, effectually separating the motorcycle style gauge package from the rest of the dash. Mercedes-Benz did something like this with wood in the late '60s and early '70s, albeit executed differently. Still it caused a similar aura of spaciousness.