1985 Nissan Maxima SE. (automobile evaluation) Don Fuller.

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1984 EMAP-USA

Not by his own adept marketing shrewdness alone has your local Datsun dealer made a bundle selling cars--and rest assured, it's a big bundle; a sizeable portion of them bring home considerably more pay than the president of Nissan, USA, himself. (Makes for some interesting dealer meetings, we bet.) No, the real reason all those Datsun dealers are so flush, their wives so happy with vacations in the Mediterranean, is because the parent company has been shipping them, for years, a steady supply of cars and trucks with amazingly strong consumer--and consumerist--appeal. Sales-wise, the cars can't lose.

One of the prime can't-losers has been the Maxima, beginning life as the 810 in Datsun's old numbering scheme. In fact, next to the 300ZX, the Maxima is probably the prime piece on the showroom floor. Why? Because with import restraints limiting the total number of units a Japanese importer can roll off the boats, the only other path to additional profit is the substitution of more expensive models for the loss leader econoboxes--and the Maxima is the most expensive sedan Nissan delivers.

You can bet those dealers just love the Maxima.

Along with Toyota's Cressida, the Maxima has represented the upper crust of luxury available from Japan. Last year, both were quite similar--6-cylinder inline engines with fuel injection, fully independent suspensions with struts in front and semi-trailing arms in back, conservative sedan bodies. For 1985, both are labeled "all-new" by their respective manufacturers, yet while the Cressida achieves its "all-newness" in details that take a practiced eye to appreciate or even perceive, the Maxima qualifies solidly with a completely new set of configurational callouts. Gone is the old inline six originally adapted from the 240Z, along with the semi-trailing arms and even the most basic concept of having the car pushed instead of pulled through life. The new Maxima follows more closely the latest and growing international vogue for medium-sized luxury sedans--front drive, transverse engine, fully independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, 4-wheel disc brakes; the whole list. And it's powered by the same super V-6 that propels the 300ZX.

Think again about those Datsun dealers. Those cars are so amazingly successful that even with the worst TV ad campaign in the whole world they still sell every single one brought into the country. So those dealers don't want any surprises, no messing around with the status quo. Knowing that, we think the dealers will be happily relieved when first they set collective and anxious eyes on the new Maxima, because all-new notwithstanding, it looks essentially like the old one. Neither they nor Nissan were in any kind of mood to take chances with something rounded off and efficient looking. The bank accounts are safe; a good helping of the ol' time religion of upright metal and square corners will keep them that way.

Those square corners delineate two body shapes--a 4-door sedan and 4-door wagon--and two levels, or rather versions, of trim. The Buick and Oldsmobile chaser is the GL, available as either sedan or wagon, decorated with an abundance of chrome on the outside and Corinthian Unborn Velour Ultra Crush on the inside. Mandatory with the GL is an automatic transmission, a 4-speed overdrive unit with lockup torque converter. And one of the gizmo options is a video-game dash with digital speedometer and row-of-lights tach. Even though we, and nearly everyone we talk to (including certain Nissan engineers and product planners), find these electronic displays ridiculously difficult to decipher at a glance, the buyers seem to love 'em, thereby proving either that we hang around a minority group or there are a lot of people out there who would rather look at the dashboard than the road.

For the driver with somewhat more interest in the operation of a car, Nissan offers the SE version, available as a 4-door sedan only. This is what the ad guys in New York will likely--and tiresomely--refer to as a BMW chaser, with the inevitable "Euro-look." In cold terms, this means the SE is delivered with a 5-speed manual gearbox as the only driveline choice, the shock absorbers are electronically adjustable through three settings by a control switch on the console (as on the ZX), and the power-steering unit has a stiffer torsion bar for less assist and more feel. In addition, the SE has analog instruments that actually can be read and figured out, more sporting seats (they call them "Recaro-type," which is a tribute of some sort), a different style of alloy wheel (although the same size and mounting the same Bridgestone Potenza 195/60HR15 tires as the GL), front and rear spoilers, and driving lamps. The SE interior is much more tasteful in our opinion, and is done up in gray only, to go with a choice of just three exterior colors--black, pewter, and silver. Finally, the SE has black trim in place of the GL's chrome.

Thus, we have a "Euro-look" car, with "Recaro-type" seats, ready to chase BMWs. Whether chase equates with catch is another question, but the package does sport solid mechanical credentials. Peel away all those square corners from the last decade's styling, and you'll find a chassis configuration correctly in the with the most modern front-drive sedans. And with behavior to match.

The 60 [deg.] V-6 is borrowed almost as is from the ZX, being mechanically identical but down from 160 hp to 152 at 5200 rpm. The difference is a side effect of front drive, since the transverse mounting necessitates a less advantageous arrangement of intake plumbing and location of the "light-off" catalyst farther downstream in the exhaust. Still, the injected SOHC 3.0-liter six is a wonder of smoothness, with a broad power curve. And there are numerous other signs that Nissan engineers have taken a little extra care and not just whipped out a clinic-designed quickie: The drive goes to the wheels by equal-lenght halfshafts to minimize torque steer, to the point of banishing it altogether. The front suspension utilizes proper lower-control arms, fully triangulated, instead of links and rods that too often, in other designs, allow the tires to point and then go their own directions; in the Maxima, the steering precision is a nice and welcome touch. The rear suspension incorporates twin lateral links to bring unwanted toe changes under control, a concept that has been proven on other such excellent handling front drivers as the Lancia Beta (when you could get one to run) and Mazda's GLC and 626. Thus, the Maxima's ride comfort is top notch, and the rear end stays in place even when you're flogging its daylights out.

Our initial dismay at learning the only "functional" differences from GL to SE are the adjustable shocks and firmer power steering turned to acceptance after back-to-back drives of each model. One other little help is that the SE weighs about 35 lb less than the GL, said poundage being off the front, the difference between the 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic. The GL drives what your mother would probably call "nice" or "smooth," like she did the first time she had a car with power steering. But the few and simple changes that make the SE are surprisingly transforming.

The SE has genuine road feel, a concept not typically understood by Japanese sedan engineers, if we can interpret their work as an index of their understanding. Maybe the meaning gets lost because it's translated as load fear; who knows? But road feel it has. And it also has very good damping. With the SE shocks set on Soft, the ride is cushier than the GL. On Normal, which is reportedly equivalent to the GL but which actually feels much better, the ride is fine and the competence great for highway driving. On Firm, you and it are ready for some Saturday morning runs through the mountains to clear the sinuses of workday blahs.

Part of what will make those mountain sojourns so enjoyable is that everything else that makes the car go, stop, turn works well, too. The engine is just as wonderful here as in the ZX; it's the best part of the ZX, without doubt, and probably the best part of the Maxima, as well. And, it's plenty fast. Our quarter mile was history after only 16.92 sec, flashing into the past at 82.0 mph. An illegal but standard 60 came up in just 9.04 sec. And even at altitudes well over one mile high, there is still enough steam to deliver in the region of 115 or so mph. Around town, the engine is a civilized gentleman, mannered enough to bring eggs home from the grocer's, but with enough punch to sort the traffic when called upon.

The 5-speed gearbox has a sense of precision to it and missed shifts just don't apply. Only 5th is a reach, across the gate and up and away, but of two cars we drove one seemed a little better than the other so maybe our early versions will be supplanted by better still from the main run of the production line.

Brake feel is good and, with 4-wheel discs including big, ventilated rotors on the front, we judged fade resistance to be entirely commendable; only the hardest beating imaginable brought an indication of fade. Stopping distances we recorded as 33 ft from 30 mph, 144 from 60. But a hard brake stab gives the behavior of too much rear-brake bias, even though the fronts will lock as well. With a weight distribution of 63/37, front to rear, the back end of the Maxima might be a little light with only one person aboard. Afer all, there aren't many cars with engines as large as the Maxima's V-6 hung ahead of the front-wheel centerline.

Testing also yielded a skidpad figure of .77 g lateral acceleration. Less than a half-dozen years ago that was sports car territory, though it's getting to be pretty ho-hum these days. At the limit the car acts neutral, with direct feedback, and lifting off the gas gives just a little benign tuck-in. The limitations on the Maxima's limits may be traceable to the Potenza rubber; Bridgestone produces a number of tires under this same name, some for OEM and others for a more assertive aftermarket. As an OEM car, the Maxima rides on OEM Potenzas.

Even though the new Maxima, compared to the old Maxima, is smaller all around on the outside--the wheelbase of 100.4 in. is roughly 3 in. less than the rear-drive '84 model--in these days you would expect to get proportionately more interior room. Such is the case; dimensions throughout the interior are measurably greater everywhere. This is most appreciated in two areas, head room and leg room: The old car was decidedly short on inside height, especially with a sunroof, but now a sunroofed Maxima leaves room for any reasonable hairdo. And the rear seat is now habitable by adults while other adults occupy the front. Both these points we consider worthwhile.

As a result of more room and thoughtful engineering, the ergonomics of the Maxima are essentially without flaw. For the driver, particularly, everything you need is where you need it. The seat goes back and forth, tilts, reclines, and you can change lumber support. The steering wheel is adjustable for height, and in the SE version is a very nice, fresh-looking design with four spokes and a thick, grippable rim; we like it a lot. All gauges are seeable and readable, with the 8000-rpm tach and 125-mph speedo clearly marked and visible. Someone has taken the time to position the brake and throttle so they can be covered by the right foot for proper matching of revs on down-shifts, and the left foot can be braced against a convenient dead pedal, even on the automatic transmission GL.

So far, this is all fairly pink and rosy, but there's a bothersome fly in the ointment, one that's been there before. Nissan material describes the new car as having "clean" and "simple" lines. And Nissan material describes the alleged "aerodynamic headlamps" as being a dramatic external change.

Harrumph. Just as you can park last year's Cressida alongside this year's Cressida and have a hard time picking the new car, so you can park last year's Maxima alongside this year's Maxima and wonder what all the fuss is about. No fair using the SE version, with the obvious telltales of spoilers and black trim. No; '85 GL to '84, and what you see is even less than the kind of change that Nissan pulled on us before with the 280Z to 280ZX. Sure, every piece of metal is new, but why did they bother? The Mitsubishi Galant has a kind of fresh look, even if it does slightly resemble the new GM C-car. Honda Accords have identity. Audi is breaking new aerodynamic ground. Even the Americans, fer cryin' out loud, are shedding verticality. So what's with Toyota and Nissan? Why spend millions of bucks on new tooling when you've only got the yen to make the new car look like the old one? Beats us.

Then there is the mystery of "aerodynamic" headlamps. When they were pointed out, proudly, in the product presentation, we couldn't help wondering about an aerodynamic lamp ....

"Shaped like a cinderblock?" Our wondering was finished in mid-quiz by a Nissan guy who knew exactly what was on our minds. No names, please. But his attitude indicated a mystification as profound as our own. Millions of dollars to ramrod aerodynamic lighting past the Feds for better fuel efficiency and cleaner shapes, and these guys are using the loophole to build glass cinderblocks. It makes you wonder.

If the cinderblock headlamps and 1980 styling have been decreed for fear of offending the polyester crowd wandering through the clinics, we suspect the same crowd will go gaga over a long list of features and whiz-bangs, some worthwhile, some interesting, some entertaining, some simply there.

Standard equipment on all Maximas includes cruise control, air, power windows and brakes and steering and door locks, the adjustable steering wheel, and a theft-deterrent system. The sedans have split folding seat backs so the skis can ride inside. And the radio is supplied with two antennas, one a mast and the other in the windshield, so it can select the stronger of the two signals for best reception. We can't remember a windshield antenna ever outpulling a mast, but, hey, who else on the block in Major Motion, USA, will have one like it?

GL models have a keyless entry system, with numbered pushbuttons below the doorhandle. The system has a master number, for emergencies, and can also accept any easily remembered combination from four to seven digits (birthday, girlfriend's measurements, personal best in the Boston Marathon, most expensive speeding ticket, anniversary--no, you'd forget that).

The sound system has an automatic volume control (AVC) that reads the ambient noise and adjusts the volume to maintain the music level at a constant relative to everything else. Rolling down the window will increase interior noise, the AVC automatically adjusting volume for uninterrupted listening pleasure. We think this has real merit as a hedge against nagging passengers yelling at you to slow down or watch for that truck! The louder they yell, the louder the music plays. So anytime you've go some tiresome, screehing old nag aboard, pop in the earplugs, slip the "1812 Overture" into the tape deck, and let her go one on one with Tchaikovsky. No jury in the land would convict you.

On balance the '85 Maxima, particularly the SE derivative, is a very nice piece of car. There are some competently engineered things here, and they all work together exceptionally well. Still, admiration for the well-done chassis, excellent road manners, and finely smooth engine is tempered; we keep wishing Nissan and/or Toyota would screw up the gumption necessary to try breaking a little new ground, would match advances in chassis dynamics and powertrain performance with a new frontier in fashion--and if those who decide such things think we mean something like the Pulsar, they don't have a clue. The Maxima sits as a nice car, but nice only; it just doesn't pump the blood or prick the intellectual curiosity the way, for example, the Audi 5000 does--and both major Japanese companies are fully capable. The new Maxima chassis and engine yields a better car, but with last decade's styling, appealing to last decade's buyers, who cares? Why bother?

So the Maxima is a car you could safely recommend to a father-in-law, knowing it would never be the cause of an argument that ruined Thanksgiving dinner. It's also a car that will calm the anxious ulcers of the dealers, giving them reassurance that all is still well and their wives can get ready for another fun-filled week in atlantic City. But, from our point of view, it also rates as another hedged bet from Nissan. Its take-no-chances looks and character make it a car you might drive to work and PTA meetings for a long time, but it's not likely to make you think about that special stretch of road you know. This promises to be an outstanding car for long-haul travel. But if back-road banditry is an important part of your automotive act, you may want to choose another weapon.

Products: Nissan Maxima (Automobile) - Evaluation