Four Door Sports Car? Yes!

In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably preface my review with the admission that my first car was a '92 Maxima SE. As such, I might be a little biased.

When I was looking for a new car this summer, my range of options was wide open. Flipping through the car section of the local paper, though, I came across a Nissan of Omaha ad featuring the '06 Maxima SE for $159 a month. Instantly, I knew I where I would be spending my afternoon. That evening, I left with a Maxima.

I've had the car for four months now, and it's been excellent.

ENGINE

The Maxima utilizes the current iteration of Nissan's venerable VQ V-6, the VQ35DE, producing 265 HP. As such, the car flat out hauls. The manual shift mode in the automatic is fun but not that practical in my opinion, especially considering the quality of the automatic. Decent gas mileage, I'm averaging about 23mpg in mostly city driving over 6500 miles.

RIDE

As smooth as you would expect from a $30K sedan. On the interstate, it's easy to lose track of how fast you're traveling. Rough roads, smooth roads, the Maxima handles them all with aplomb.

HANDLING

This is the probably the weakest area. The turning radius is not great, and the body tends to lean in sharp cornering. Really, though, it's a sport sedan; if you're looking for sports car handling, get a Z.

EXTERIOR

Aggressive. I love it. It's definitely a matter of opinion, but the car is certainly eye-catching.

INTERIOR

Comfortable and functional. Love the stereo controls on the steering wheel and the on-board computer. The orange screen for the computer does tend to wash out in bright light, though. I'm a fan of the brushed aluminum accents, but again, some people might not be.

Overall, I love the car. It handles just about anything you can throw at it, and it does so with style. The Maxima has exceeded my expectations, and I would highly recommend it.