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The Greenest Car of 2024 Isn’t an EV2020 Nissan Maxima Review
The 2020 Nissan Maxima delivers a fun driving experience thanks to sporty suspension and a standard V6 engine that delivers stout horsepower.
What’s New for the 2020 Nissan Maxima?
The 2020 Nissan Maxima continues to offer a uniquely sporty experience in the sedan category by providing a hearty 300 horsepower from its 3.5-liter V6, sport tuned suspension that clings to the corners, and an interior that provides a luxurious space to stretch out. The Maxima also stands out from the crowd with sharp lines running along the sides, an aggressive face with full LED headlights, and large alloy wheels to fill out the wheel arches. Topping it off is impressive standard safety technology that helps make every drive a little safer.
2020 Nissan Maxima – usa.nissannews.com | Shop 2020 Nissan Maxima on Carsforsale.com
The Breakdown
Powerful V6 engine
Sporty tuned suspension
Eye-grabbing design
Standard Safety Shield 360
Ride is firm
Rear seat space is tight
2020 Maxima Specs
- 300 horsepower from base engine
- 261 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 5 available trims
- 14.3 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- Standard 8-inch touchscreen
- StandardSafety Shield 360
- 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty
2020 Nissan Maxima Powertrain
Billed by Nissan as the four-door sports car, you can expect the 2020 Nissan Maxima to deliver a fun driving experience, and that’s what you get. The 3.5-liter V6 engine delivers 300 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque. It’s also is naturally aspirated, unlike so many of its competitors that are switching to turbocharged engines. This means the engine responds quickly to your throttle inputs and the power builds in a predicable and progressive manner.
The only transmission choice is Nissan’s continuously variable transmission that smoothly adjusts gear ratios, without any lurching like a traditional automatic, which helps it get to and stay in the powerband when accelerating. The other benefit of the CVT is the transmission helps improve fuel economy by keeping revs low when cruising. The standard suspension is tuned to give you confident handling with good grip and quick responses when you turn the wheel. If you want the sportiest driving experience, the SR trim gets sport tuned suspension for even sharper handling, however, the ride will be a bit firmer. If you want a sporty driving experience at a lower entry price, the Nissan Altima is a great alternative and you can read about it here.
2020 Nissan Maxima Fuel Economy & MPG
The 2020 Nissan Maxima comes equipped with a fairly large V6 engine that delivers strong performance. The trade off is fuel economy is not the best in the class. The Maxima is rated to achieve 20 mpg when driving in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 24 mpg. The Maxima has a large 18-gallon fuel tank which gives it a generous cruising range. If you’re interested in efficiency over performance, the Nissan Sentra is a smaller, more efficient offering from Nissan that is still fun to drive. Check out our review of the Sentra here.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
The 2020 Nissan Maxima’s interior is luxurious and well-appointed. The top Platinum model benefits from stunning diamond quilted leather seats and should be the first choice for someone looking to indulge themselves. Available power adjustable front seats make it easy to find a comfortable seating position. The base trim level gets cloth seats and the mid-trim levels benefit from leather seats.
Available heated front seats and a heated steering wheel help make chilly morning drives more bearable. The available panoramic sunroof is a great option to brighten up the interior with natural light and the available Bose audio system is great for someone who likes to crank the music. The Maxima has 98.5 cubic feet of passenger space with 39.4 inches of headroom and 45 inches of legroom for the front passengers. The rear seat space is more cramped than its competitors, a result of its striking design. The truck holds 14.3 cubic feet of stuff.
Entertainment & Technology
The infotainment system on the 2020 Nissan Maxima is adequate, but a little behind the competition, mostly because of its age. You get a standard 8-inch touchscreen display, which is a good size, but graphics and functionality feels a step behind. There is still a lot to like, however, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration included across the model range, making it easy to access your favorite media or navigation apps. USB ports, include Type A and Type C, allow you to keep your smartphone charged while on the go and features like Google search and voice command makes it easy to find what you need.
Safety Features
All 2020 Nissan Maxima models come equipped with Nissan’s Safety Shield 360. This suite of technology includes helpful driver aids like blind-spot monitoring to alert you to vehicles you might not see, cross-traffic alert to help when backing out of a parking spot, and intelligent forward collision warning which scans the road ahead and can prime the brakes if it senses a collision is likely to occur, helping to mitigate damage in the event of a collision. The system can also detect pedestrians and automatically brake if someone steps in front of you. The 2020 Nissan Maxima earned a Top Safety Pick + rating from the IIHS. To learn more about modern safety tech, check out our article on safety tech here.
2020 Nissan Maxima Trims & Pricing
S – $34,450
The 2020 Nissan Maxima starts with the S trim level which comes equipped with the standard 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 300 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque. Power goes to the front wheels through a single continuously variable transmission option that seamlessly changes gear ratios for smooth acceleration and optimized fuel economy. All Maxima trims get LED headlights, Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 safety technology, and an infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen. The S comes with 18-inch aluminum wheels and cloth trim for the seats.
SV – $36,650
When you move up to the SV trim, you get some additional luxuries like leather trim for the seats, heated front seats, and the infotainment system incorporates navigation. The SV also gets adaptive cruise control that automatically adjusts your speed as you approach slowing moving traffic then goes back to your set speed when the road opens up.
SL – $38,840
The SL trim cranks up the luxury a bit more with a powerful Bose audio system for a more immersive listening experience. A large panoramic sunroof lets it tons of natural light and the power adjustable front seats give you more options for getting perfectly situated. The SL also comes with a heated steering wheel to warm your hands on cold mornings.
SR – $41,650
The SR trim is the sportiest offering in the range and gets special sport tuned suspension for better handling, gorgeous 19-inch aluminum wheels, and paddle shifters to give you some control over the transmission when you’re attacking your favorite curves.
Platinum – $41,840
At the top of the range, the Platinum trim indulges with premium features like diamond quilted leather seats and a power rear sunshade to help keep the interior cool and block prying eyes. The Platinum also gets rain-sensing wipers plus Nissan Connect Services.
Warranties
The 2020 Nissan Maxima comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty to cover any issues that might arise. The powertrain is covered from defect or issue for 5 years or 60,000 miles. The engine and transmission in the Maxima have been around for quite a while and are proven entities that should prove to be reliable.
What we think
2020 Nissan Maxima – usa.nissannews.com | Shop 2020 Nissan Maxima on Carsforsale.com
If you want a sedan that doesn’t have a vanilla reputation, the 2020 Nissan Maxima is a great choice. The exterior styling will attract lots of positive attention. If you don’t need to regularly transport four adults over long distances, the luxurious interior is sure to delight every time you climb inside. And, if you enjoy spirited driving, the V6 engine and sporty suspension tuning will let you make the most of every curve in the road.
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