2018 Nissan Maxima Hybrid
2018 Nissan Maxima Hybrid welcome to our site find great offers on Nissan’s full line of reliable sedans, versatile crossovers, capable trucks and SUVs. It’s time to stop pressure on the maxima to live up to his reckoning so for as a four-door sports car and accept it for what it is: a bargain-price luxury car. A gutsy 3.5-liter V-6 makes 300 PS and propels the front wheels through a CVT. The cabin is quiet, has a 8.0-inch touchscreen with Nav and Apple CarPlay (no Android car), and can be equipped with diamond quilted seat inserts, mahogany wood trimming and ambient lighting. Automatic emergency braking is standard, and adaptive cruise control is optional.
This is hardly a deposit for Rolls-Royce; They might not even let you in the door with so little money. But for 95 percent, 40 grand is a significant sum, and in their eyes-the industry had not invented the premium category-these maxima would qualify as luxury. Or it would be with an Infiniti label on it; Another characteristic feature of this class is that the cars share their mainstream brand names with lower rung models such as the Corolla, Elantra, Forte, Cruze and Sentra.
Aside from the badge-prestige factor, let’s look at the main luxe elements here. leather — check; And the seats are heated, ventilated, perforated, and off-white. Wait, white? Nissan calls it cashmere (the other choice, the charcoal), but it is a very bright color that allows no chocolate ice cream cones to be dictated in, ever.
It’s hard to love these Nissan wood trimmings, which is supposedly inspired by mahogany. Its appearance on the instrument panel, door trimming, and center console is one of the upgrades that comes standard with the Platinum trim level – and it makes a case for choosing the slightly less expensive and marginally more driver-oriented SR model we tested in the Mid-2015.
Regardless of the optics, there is plenty of room inside, comprehensive infotainment and connectivity, first-class audio, high-end dates, quality materials and low levels of indoor noise regardless of vehicle speed or pavement.
On the outside, the Maxima may not be the understated elegance of the high-end rides from Europe or the in-your-face individuality of recent Cadillacs. But its different angles and wrinkles make it at least as intriguing as any Azera or impala look like. And that front-end treatment – Nissan calls for this new family look V-motion – contributes to a curb presence that makes it hard to ignore.
2018 Nissan Maxima Hybrid Specs
The maxima are available in the S, SV, SL, SR and platinum trim levels – an unusually high number of configurations. All share a 300-PS, 3.5-liter V-6 paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This is not exactly a recipe for exciting performance, but the maxima accelerates quickly, albeit with some unnecessary ruggedness under hood. High-effort steering helps the maxima feel decidedly sportier than rivals like the Toyota Avalon, but our staff is mixed on steering the lack of road feedback and its occasionally resilient nature.
Among its nose-dive styling, the Maxima share much of its architecture with smaller Nissan Altima mid-range sedan. You might think that would lead to a more spacious cabin, but the maxima prioritizes deep, thick-padded shell-style seats for outboard passengers and the low-level line makes the rear feel even firmer. A driver-oriented dashboard provides a sporty feeling and interior materials range from above-average to downright decadent in the range-topping Maxima platinum.
The entry-level maxima s does not quite deliver on the luxury mission with its fabric upholstery, but it comes standard with navigation and remote engine launch. Maxima SVS Throw in the right leather skins and a multi-adjustable driver seat with thigh support that makes you feel a little more special for not spending too much more money. When sold on Nissan’s “four-door sports car” marketing line, the Maxima SR firmer suspension, retuned brakes and available summer tires make it a compelling corner carver.
2018 Nissan Maxima Hybrid Engine
Checking under the sheet metal, the luxury car argument will be a little weak. The naturally sucked 3.5-liter V-6 cranks respectable horsepower, enough to propel our 3607-pound autopilot to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds – not exactly exciting, but consistent with the standards of the competition. Despite its 300 horsepower, the Maxima drive train is the key factor that keeps it out of the luxury ranks: front-wheel drive and the Tronic steplessly controllable automatic transmission (CVT) do not exceed rental car standards.
Nissan is a leader in CVT development, and the Maxima suggests this once abused device is edging towards acceptance among people who like to drive. With a weighty foot on the gas, the transmission delivers simulated conditions and also responds well to manual shifting. However, a firm foot on the accelerator is required to get into the tiered shift logic. Moderate throttle inputs still produce strong hints of the classic slip clutch CVT response, a sense of transmission trying to keep pace with the engine.
2018 Nissan Maxima Hybrid
On the rear roads, the top Maxima gives a surprisingly good account of itself, with a button-down chassis and suspension tuning that is tight enough to reasonably level curve posture and answers to the steering inputs reasonably prompt.
Push the throttle hard to rotate in a depressing radius and the results are predictable: under taxes progressing from undeniable to epic. There is a sport mode to sharpen the answers a bit, but the phenomenon is the same-front-drive is front-drive, and the feature is common for all Maxima premium competitors.
2018 Nissan Maxima Hybrid Price
What are the key factors? Sure, it’s more than the price. The Maxima-EIA series opens at $33,795, which is around the current average new-car transaction figure. Like all cars in its class, it can be easily equipped to climb over the $40,000 border, and the top-of-the-line Platinum edition, our test theme, starts at $41,225.