Before, Nissan Altima and Nissan Maxima made perfect sense, because they lived on way different shelves in the mid-sized sedan cabinet and it was easy to see why the bigger, V-6-powered Maxima cost more money.
But now Nissan has magnificently upgraded the previously boring Altima and put it back in the mid-size cupboard very, very close to Maxima. And Altima still costs a bunch less money.
So now the reasons for buying a Maxima aren't so clear. Not so clear to the casual observer, that is. To the folks at Nissan and — they hope — thousands of car buyers, the reasons to buy Maxima instead of Altima will become clear.
Sure, Nissan says, the 2002 Altima has more interior space than Maxima and can be equpped with an optional V-6, but the Maxima has been slightly upgraded for 2002 and has unique charms that should appeal to lots of buyers.
For folks with an engorged interest in the first half of Maxima's sports-sedan sobriquet, the big news is that it will now be equipped with a 3.5-litre DOHC V-6.
There's also an optional six-speed manual shifter, Brake Assist, Electronic Brake force Distribution, standard High Intensity Discharge (HID) xenon headlights, an LCD trip computer, heated seats and steering wheel.
Bill Kirrane, vice-president and general manager of the Nissan division of Nissan North America, says the new car stays true to its "Maxima-ness," which he defines as "the heart and soul of the performance/luxury sedan — but it's now an even bigger cut above the competition."