2007 Nissan Maxima and Quest
Niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario. Nissan has come a very long way in the 21st Century. For many car enthusiasts, journalists and industry people, the launch of the Altima in 2002 marked the rebirth of the brand that had toiled dangerously with foreclosure only a few years earlier. Success and prosperity have found Nissan in the last half-decade and the future looks bright.
Since 2004, something like 90% of Nissan's fleet has been reviewed, revamped or is totally new. 2007 will also be a big year. Every car, save for the 350Z but including the Quest, will be redesigned, all-new model or will receive a considerable facelift. The sub-compact Versa is already zipping around and a completely revised Sentra and Altima are expected in the next few months. This leaves us with the flagship Maxima and people-hauler Quest.
2007 Nissan Maxima
The 2007 Maxima looks sharper with the new corporate grille, modified headlights, new wheels and a new trunk-mounted spoiler. To a neophyte, it will be difficult to discern the differences from afar however the 2007 looks cleaner and more together than the 2004-2006. Personally, I particularly appreciate the new front fascia as the old one left cold. The interior also got the once-over. The center stack is redesigned for with a more user-friendly approach and the materials have been significantly upgraded. The seats, which were horribly uncomfortable in the 2004-06 Max, have been replaced by more supportive buckets with larger shoulder
bolsters. They are indeed more comfortable although the lower cushion is set to high even at its lowest setting. The driving position is more akin to the Quest than to a sporty sedan. A series of new standard and optional features have also been added and include an Intelligent key system, MP3 playback, Bluetooth, a reverse sonar and a tire pressure monitoring system.
Lastly, the biggest news concerning the Maxima is the introduction of the Xtronic CVT transmission, which has replaced the conventional automatic and manual transmissions. This box has been co-developed by Nissan and JATCO and is nearly identical to one used in the Murano. For the Max, shift times have been improved by 30% with better tuning. Nissan has actually been doing the CVT thing
since 1992 and it shows; the Maxima's CVT is the punchiest and most dynamic I have ever tested. It also seems to have solved much of the torque-steer issues.
The continuously variable transmission is already available on the Versa and will be offered on both the all-new Sentra and Altima when they arrive. This is part of Nissan's plan to sell 1 million CVTs in 2007. Pricing for the Maxima starts at $36,998 and climbs to $46,448.
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Since 2004, something like 90% of Nissan's fleet has been reviewed, revamped or is totally new. 2007 will also be a big year. Every car, save for the 350Z but including the Quest, will be redesigned, all-new model or will receive a considerable facelift. The sub-compact Versa is already zipping around and a completely revised Sentra and Altima are expected in the next few months. This leaves us with the flagship Maxima and people-hauler Quest.
2007 Nissan Maxima
The 2007 Maxima looks sharper with the new corporate grille, modified headlights, new wheels and a new trunk-mounted spoiler. To a neophyte, it will be difficult to discern the differences from afar however the 2007 looks cleaner and more together than the 2004-2006. Personally, I particularly appreciate the new front fascia as the old one left cold. The interior also got the once-over. The center stack is redesigned for with a more user-friendly approach and the materials have been significantly upgraded. The seats, which were horribly uncomfortable in the 2004-06 Max, have been replaced by more supportive buckets with larger shoulder
 |
Lastly, the biggest news concerning the Maxima is the introduction of the Xtronic CVT transmission, which has replaced the conventional automatic and manual transmissions. This box has been co-developed by Nissan and JATCO and is nearly identical to one used in the Murano. For the Max, shift times have been improved by 30% with better tuning. Nissan has actually been doing the CVT thing
 |
The continuously variable transmission is already available on the Versa and will be offered on both the all-new Sentra and Altima when they arrive. This is part of Nissan's plan to sell 1 million CVTs in 2007. Pricing for the Maxima starts at $36,998 and climbs to $46,448.