Used 2016 Nissan Maxima SL for sale 

The Nissan Maxima ranges across five trim lines at varying price points. All trims come with the same 3.5 L V6 mated to a CVT gearbox sending the maximum power and torque of 300 hp and 261 lb-ft to the front wheels. The base-level S trim starts at $32,510 and comes with a lot of features such as an 8-way power driver’s seat, Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control, Bose Premium Audio System with eight speakers, and a lot more. The SV trims start at $34,490 and add some features, including heated front seats and leather upholstery. The next trim level is the SL trim, which starts at $36,990 and adds some features such as Intelligent Cruise Control, 11 Speakers, Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert. 

The SR is the next trim in the lineup, which is a more performance-oriented trim starting at $37,770 and comes with a sport-tuned suspension, Integrated Dynamics-control Module with Active Ride Control, Active Trace Control, and Active Engine Brake. The topmost trim is Platinum, which costs $39,960 and comes with top of the line features including Premium Ascot leather-appointed seats with diamond-quilted leather inserts, a Memory System for driver’s seat, steering wheel, and outside mirrors, and Moving Object Detection along with other features.

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The SL that starts at $36,990 is the mid-level trim that comes with a lot of features, including Intelligent Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Predictive Forward Collision Warning, Forward Emergency Braking, Active Noise Cancellation, and an audio system with 11 Speakers, including a center channel. For us, the SL is the most efficient trim in the lineup.

The Nissan Maxima S comes with a 3.5 L V6 mated to a CVT transmission churning out 300 hp of maximum power and 261 lb-ft of maximum torque. The Maxima takes 5.8 seconds to reach a speed of 60mph and 14.3 seconds to cross the quarter-mile mark. The Maxima is limited to a top speed of 135mph.

The Maxima is a fun-to-drive machine even though the CVT gearbox does hold back in giving the feel of aggressive shifts. The SR trim, especially with its sports-tuned suspension, front performance chassis damper, and Integrated Dynamics-control Module which includes Active Ride Control, Active Trace Control, and Active Engine Brake performs a lot better than the other trims and feels more planted and stable around the twisties.

The Chevy is the most powerful of the lot outputting 305 hp and 264 lb-ft followed by the Maxima that outputs 300 hp and 261 lb-ft whereas the Avalon produces 268 hp and 248 lb-ft of power and torque respectively. The Nissan is the fastest to reach 60mph in 5.8 seconds, followed by the Impala and Avalon in 6.2 and 6.3 seconds respectively. The Chevy has the highest top speed of 153 mph followed by the Maxima which is limited at 135 mph and the Avalon which can get upto 130 mph.

The Nissan Maxima is a pretty fuel efficient car considering the segment. It delivers fuel efficiency of 22 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway, and a combined efficiency of 25 mpg. The Maxima has a fuel capacity of 18 gallons, outputting a range of 396 miles in the city, 540 on the highway, and a combined range of 450 miles. 

In comparison, the Maxima is the most fuel-efficient offering a combined efficiency of 25 mpg, followed by the Toyota offering 24 mpg, while the Chevy comes in at last delivering 22 mpg. The Chevy has the largest fuel capacity of 18.5 gallons, followed by the Nissan with a fuel capacity of 18 gallons. The Avalon comes with a 17-gallon fuel tank. The Maxima also delivers the best combined range of 450 miles followed by the Avalon and Impala delivering 408 and 407 miles respectively.

The Nissan Maxima has a spacious cabin with Nissan’s signature Zero Gravity seats, which are comfortable and supportive. The materials and elements in the interior are definitely top-notch, and when considered the fact that it is a Nissan, the interior feels more premium and expensive. There is an ample amount of space on the interior of the cabin. 

From the SL trim and upwards, Nissan offers Active Noise Cancelling which ensures that the cabin is quiet. Various seat fabrics are varying across trims ranging from cloth to premium ascot leather-appointed seats with diamond-quilted Alcantara or leather inserts. The seats are also climate-controlled in the higher trims.

The Chevrolet is the most spacious on the interior, followed by the Toyota Avalon and the Maxima in the same order. The Nissan falls short in the rear legroom, while the Avan and the Chevy have plenty of the same. When it comes to cargo capacity also, the Maxima falls short of its rivals offering just 14.3 cu-ft, while the Toyota offers 16 cu-ft and the Chevy offers a significantly better cargo space, measuring 18.8 cu-ft. Few key features include-

• Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) with in-cabin microfilter and rear vents
• Premium Ascot leather-appointed seats with diamond-quilted Alcantara or leather inserts
• 8-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar support
• Climate-controlled front seats (heated and cooled)
• Memory System – driver’s seat, steering wheel, and outside mirrors
• Driver’s seat manual thigh support extension

How intuitive is the 2018 Nissan Maxima’s infotainment unit?

The Nissan Maxima features a large instrument cluster display and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit along with a navigation system, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone, and audio connectivity, two USB ports, and an eight-speaker sound system with satellite radio, HD radio, and a six-disc CD changer.

The higher trims get an 11-speaker Bose audio system. Other major infotainment features include-

• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit
• Bluetooth connectivity
• USB ports
• Satellite radio
• 8-Speaker audio system

The 2016 Maxima looks, well, the looks of the Maxima is entirely subjective. Some might seem to like the curves, lines, and grille of the attractive and some might find it bizarre. The Nissan Maxima weighs 3,471 lbs, which is on the lower side of the competition. The Maxima has a ground clearance of 5.3 inches.

The Chevrolet Impala weighs the most, weighing in at 3,800 lbs, followed by the Maxima which weighs a significantly lower 3,471 lbs, followed by the Avalon that weighs 3461 lbs. The Chevrolet is the longest and highest with a length and height of 201.3 and 58.9 inches, respectively, followed by the Avalon and the Maxima. Compared to the Maxima, the Toyota Avalon has a slightly better ground clearance of 5.5 inches. Major exterior features of the sedan are-

• LED Daytime Running Lights
• Automatic on/off headlights
• Power heated outside mirrors with LED turn signal indicators
• Front and Rear Sonar System
• Dual mufflers with rolled chrome-tipped finishers
• Dual Panel Power Panoramic Moonroof with one-touch open/close

The Nissan Maxima comes with a lot of standard safety features, which include anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags, and a rearview camera. On the higher trims, there is more advanced safety tech such as a blind-spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, and a forward collision warning and mitigation system with automatic braking. 

The Platinum trim adds a 360-degree parking camera system with a moving object detection system along with a driver drowsiness monitor and Nissan Connect, which comes with automatic collision notification, remote starting, emergency calling, and stolen vehicle locating. The Maxima stops from 60 mph in 122 ft which is a good distance. The 2016 Maxima has been given very good safety scores by NHTSA and IIHS. Major safety features include-

• Traction Control
• Stability Control
• Rear-Cross Traffic Alert
• Rearview Camera
• 360 degree Camera
• Blind-Spot Monitoring 

The Nissan Maxima is a very good car, with plenty of power on disposal and offering good handling and driving dynamics. But, the Maxima is not a proper sporty sedan, the CVT gearbox and the normal suspension, in the trims other than ‘SR’, is not very capable for corner carving. But, regardless of that, although not as spacious as its rivals, the Maxima still is a truly capable and spacious full-size sedan offering great ride quality and comfort features.