2016 Nissan Maxima Review: Buy It but not because you want a 4DSC! 

A minute of silence for the dead grasshopper stuck in the grill next to the Nissan badge, on 4:26....

A maxima isnt trying to be a hellcat. Its trying to be a maxima. The maxima name has a long heritage and that what the designers were aiming for with this vehicle. Most buyers in this segment dont care about the difference between CVT and a regular transmission. Only youtube car reviewers care about that. As an everyday car that can give you a burst of power when you want, the maxima is great. It isnt trying to be a $70K sports car

Saw a white one today for the first time, this car is absolutely beautiful in person!

It's annoying to see people talk bad about this car because its a CVT. Get over it.

I love you guys' reviews, but you whine about CVTs far too much for my tastes.

So if they would swap the cvt out for a regular automatic I'm guessing that might bump it up into the great category. Personally I think its a good looking car.

Wait, did you really just compare this Nissan to a $65,000 Dodge Charger Hellcat?

The CVT sounds like this guy every time he reviews a CVT car. wahhhhhh wahhhhhhh. Never fails

I drive a 2016 SR as my daily driver, have no regrets! Have owned many muscle cars through the years, some I wished I still owned. I'm old, and have driven some real fast cars back in my days, the maxima's SR version is a beast!!!! I love my maxima SR!!!

I think this is the best Maxima to date. 4DSC is marketing B.S. That being said, I sold Nissan Vehicles, and I wish I could have sold this. It has style, and all that matter. No it is not going to beat a BMW, or a Benz, etc. Heck I think the Mazda 6 is more bang for the buck, but a different category of car. This one looks like a great cruiser for cross country adventures. As long as you don't care it is not a sports car, love it, and enjoy it. I think job well done Nissan.

I'm into my 7th month with this car and I have 0 regrets!! I love this car. I have no issue with the CVT / Front wheel drive. I'd put this car against many well above it's class when it comes to power, design and luxury. It's a sedan sure, but is damn fun to drive and when I feel like flooring it this thing moves! The interior is incredibly comfortable and stylish. This review gets way too hung up on the whole CVT thing. No, it's obviously not a hellcat! Find a car in this class / price range that does a sexy, sporty, powerful and roomy sedan better and then you have something to talk about. Also lets consider how awesome the concept version of this car was and how 90% of that made it into the production car, no small feat with a complete redesign of an established line. My only complaint is that it isn't available in the gorgeous metallic orange they introduced the concept with in LA. I want that color!

I have a 16 maxima SR and love it. It can definitely play with some serious competition and feel very comfortable at that.

I'm in love w this car, I just got a 2016 Malibu & regret not going for this one. the design is so different but I love it so much 😩

I understand the fuss about CVTs but Nissan knows (as well as other car manufacturers) that a vast majority of people who buy this car don't care about sportiness in the same way that we car enthusiasts do. In fact, most people will think that the Maxima is very "sporty" based on their own definition and that's all that matters to Nissan. Believe me, if the majority of buyers felt the same way as we do about CVTs, Nissan wouldn't bother with this kind of transmission. In fact, vehicles with true performance in mind wouldn't bother with CVTs. That's what separates us real car enthusiasts from those who aren't. The day that Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, etc., start using CVTs will certainly be the beginning of the end of mankind as we know it. Heck, if Nissan wants to call its Maxima a 4DSC, so be it. Most of the buyers for this car will agree, despite what we think.

I have a 2017 Maxima SL (same color as this one), I have almost all the features the Platinum has...I absolutely love my Maxima, it handles so beautifully and it’s fun to drive! I bought it used with only 25k miles, interior immaculate...I loved my 2015 Altima but my Maxima is awesome! I also have a 2011 Mazda 2.5 sport I bought for my boys, it’s fun and fast! I wish the Maxima came in a 6 speed manual with turbo, I’d rock that car!

I have a 2016 maxima SL, satisfied with the car as a whole. If you never drove one you really should not talk bad about it. So comfortable, handling is great, the body style is really sexy. CVT who fucking cares unless you are trying to race everyone on the road like the owners of all 1992 honda civics that cant afford a real classy car. -Thanks All !!

It's great to see you guys doing real car reviews back out in Colorado. I like this format!

I just rented this car for a week and I came out super impressed. So much so that i'm now doing research on and considering purchasing one. I normally get impala's, regals, fusions, etc. or work travel This time I brought along my wife and she wanted the Maxima. I'm definitely glad that we picked it. It was super impressed with the sportiness of the new maxima. In my opinion calling this a 4DSC isn't too much of a stretch. Sure, it's no hellcat, or 5 series but it also cost half as much as those two. I renty every other week so I get to drive a lot of different cars and this is the sportiest sedan you can get this side of 40k. I'm currently in the market for a platinum model.

This car is a sports sedan. It was never written in stone that a real sports car have to have an automatic transmission. Heck I remember when Corvettes had a great number manual transmissions, until the automatic transmissions were greatly improved. With that being said, front wheel drive cars with CVT are the near future and Nissan is leading the way with sport sedans that are front wheel drive and and a CVT. This is why Honda has incorporated the CVT in its Honda Sport model. Nissan you are doing an outstanding job. I personally can't wait to see the refreshed 2016 Altima and I'm excited to see what the 2016 Infiniti Q70 is going to look like.

Car is incredible IMO, the CVT drives very well, we know it isn't a 4 Door sports car as you have stated already in like 3 or 4 videos. That said, the car is super fast, smooth, loaded with tech, almost as good as a Infiniti...no joke.

I'm not crazy about the CVT either, but after 137,000 miles in my 2011 Maxima, I can say it grows on you. I'd prefer the Q50 transmission and a rear wheel drive Maxima, but I think Nissan knows it would take sales away from the Q50. One thing that bothers me about this $41,000 Maxima, is it has no electronic parking brake or auto-hold feature.

Totally disagree with this review. I own a 2016 Nissan Maxima SR. It is a 4 door sports car absolutely. The front wheel drive and CVT are not disadvantages at all; they are masterfully engineered. Not everyone wants RWD or needs AWD. The grip and handling limits are very high, super flat through the corners. the engine is superb, just enough power without over-driving the front wheels and making it torque steer too hard. The new CVT is very responsive and can consistently get 24-30mpg out of a 300HP V6 when driving normally. The Honda Civic Type R is the new FWD king of course. But this car is very special. Don’t knock it till you drive one!

I have owned a 2011 and a 2013 Maxima. While I enjoyed driving them I disliked the CVT. So i did what many commenters suggest, I bought a Q50s.

So what! It has a CVT! It’s still quick, looks 👀 Great 👍 if you didn’t know it was CVT it would still be FDSC!

It's been awhile since I have watched a TFL clip but WHERE THE OTHER GUY I liked watching you both.

I have one of the real Nissan 4DSCs. What does it have that this doesn't? LSD, lightweight, rev happy engine, 5 speed, and handles like it's on rails. They are watering down what the Maxima used to be.

It's nice to hear reviewers not whining about (lack of) paddle-shifters like they did 5 years ago.

Like it or not. The CVT is just better in every category than a traditional automatic. The only thing is the annoying drone. Which is only annoying because people are used to the dropping and rising RPMs. Nobody ever complains about go karts

Every video you make with a car that has a CVT is just frustrating. Note that the car has it once then drop it. Move on. You said it yourself, most drivers dont care that it has a CVT. A sentra, maxima, and civic are not performance cars and honestly nobody cares. Even if the car has simulated shifts, its as if you completely write off the car once you hear it has a CVT. Just let it go. Also, Stop with the 0-60 tests of every single car as if that has any value for a economy car. We know its weak, its fine. 0-60 is senseless, instead talk about how it handles, ride comfort, style and features.

“CVT’s are really good but it’s a CVT so it’s bad” nigga what

Roman threw a fit about the CVT and FWD. Me personally wouldn't bother me. All the auto journalists are these older guys who want Rwd and a manual, well sorry fellas the "good ole days" of manuals are gone. Adapt and change to the future

Nathan needs to be doing every single review for fastlanecar!

Most people don't know what a CVT is which plays into the hands of the manufacturers. I've tried explaining a CVT to a few non car people, and it's quite difficult to get them to understand what exactly it is.

why dont you have any reviews from its upscale siblings in your channel? namely Infiniti Q50, and Q70?

Dual clutch and paddle shifters might've gotten me to be an interested buyer. Currently driving a DSG VW GTI and looking for a roomy sedan. Great review !

Best cheap 4DSC. Infiniti G37

Flat bottom steering wheel is great , looks great.

Anyone who is complaining about cvt...lets c ten years from now or even less...lets c what y'all gonna complain about....i have a 2018 maxima sl and so far it's so freaking comfortable...

if you haven't driven the maxima with the CVT transmission please don't complain I have a 2010 max and it really isn't that bad yes an auto 6 or 7 speed would have been better but honestly after a few days of driving you will not miss it, the maxima runs circles around the the avalon the 6 cylinder accord, camry and even the basic charger can't keep up with it.

I don't know, I regret getting rid of my Pontiac G8 GT, it was a four door sports car. It had the power it took to call it that, the Nissan maxima if not modified any, its quick but its borderline. It could stand a bump or two in power , but its enough to keep a man happy looking to avoid boring drive home.

He say charger say 😂😂please don't compare the maxima to that piece of garbage.

We get it already, you don't like CVT's. That said, most people who actually will buy the car and other Nissan's love CVTs, and that matters most to Nissan.

Nissan is considering a DCT and AWD as an option, but that's later on. The CVT is genius, I have an 07 Altima SE and love it. People have have to realize, EPA and government regulations are making it harder for all car companies and in the future a CVT is going to make more sense in a family vehicle than a 10 to 15 speed automatic. Nissan is ahead of the game in my opinion.

I'm a little biased as I do sell nissans for a living, but the maxima does not compete with the hellcat or M5 at all. I agree it should be AWD or RWD to be called a proper sports car but telling people who are shopping maxima that they should buy something double to price in the hellcat and more than triple the price in the bmw you instantly loose nearly all credibility. it competes more with the c-class merc or acrura tlx which are similar in price and drive train layout and target demographic. It's a great car. i wish it had a more traditional transmission and awd but overall its a solid 8.5 out of 10

with luxury features like a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated QUILTED seats, and a panoramic sun roof. just to name a few of the many features this car has is more than enough reasons to buy this big boy. I can't wait until I get mine

look at 4:26 GRASS HOPPER

This car is awesome. It is a 4DSC. This thing is crazy fast. It does 0-60 in the 5 sec range. Plus it gets 30mpg. My God it is the perfect fusion of the 2016 Chevy Impala and 2015 Dodge Charger R/T V8. Wow...Wow...Wow. Nissan you created a CVT front wheel drive freaky fast car. GREAT JOB NISSAN.

8:40 You know the thing you brought up about a full size sedan vs a small crossover, full size sedans are consistently more expensive than small crossovers. You get the same benefits of a full size sedan such as lots of cargo room and passenger comfort in a small crossover but you don't pay quite as much.

America needs to break it's addiction to chrome! The designers finished the design of the car then said "OK, we are going to sell this to Americans, where do we tack on the chrome? It makes the car look gaudy.

The comment about the hellcat or the M5 doesn't make any sense. Those cars cost more than twice as much. It's like saying of you're looking to buy a 35k car, spend 80k

I'm sorry but I don't like the guy reviewing the car. He says "if you're looking for a 4 door sports car, forget the $30k maxima and go for the $60k + charger hellcat and M5" seriously???? Then he discredits what in my opinion is the nicest feature on this car and that's the flat bottom steering wheel??? How can you not like thay steering wheel?

I am starting to think Roman is bit childish. Even Nathan acknowledges and accepts the good part of CVT, but Roman just say no and start taking points just because it's a CVT. I think Roman is more on licking gear heads' spittle than giving fair review

LOL at the grasshopper corpse embedded in the grille @ 4:26 That aside, the Maxima is actually pretty decent. The CVT isn't as bad as Roman is making it out to be, but I do agree with a CVT being a poor choice for a car marketed as a "four-door sports car." It's roomy, comfortable, fast, and handles well enough, but the CVT and lack of steering feel detract from the overall experience. And $40K isn't bad, considering what it competes with (Impala, Taurus, Cadenza, Azera, TLX, Avalon/ES 350). Not everyone wants a RWD-based sedan, so for what you get in the Maxima, it does make a compelling case for itself.

A Maxima is a Maxima no matter what. Looks great is fast n very safe n secure on the road, not to mention the outstanding interiors. A five stars machine everytime. love it n must have.

i love the flat bottom wheel . CVT is the way of the future . i think that the next generation should be a little smaller in proportion and they should add a all wheel drive option

Recently got the new maxima and it is the best car among its competitors. driving comfort is the best sport mode is just sexy fuel economy is also great in this car better than the infiniti q50, mercedes c200, kia cadenza, other competitors

A lot of people are complaining about the cvt transmission. Do anybody think Nissan will listen to the people and put in a traditional trans?

To the people who say Nissan sucks... Any car sucks if you mistreat it. Had a pathfinder for 10 years never had not one problem and I used to beat on it all the time. So, far had a 2009 Nissan Maxima ever since it came out still no problem. Also, have a 2008 Nissan Altima with no problems as well although that one was bought used. Now sold my pathfinder because I barely used it and thinking about getting this... But my point is that maybe it's just my luck but Nissan is a good brand.

Good job Nissan. The design is awesome.

I own a 03 Maxima 6 speed manual and I love it. It's been super reliable and fun to drive. Nissan has lost there way with the Maxima. CVT transmission! Not me. I will never buy another Nissan

We already created the two transmissions that we need. The manual and the automatic. Everyone should just drive a 5/6/7 speed manual and stop complaining...

CVT's are great transmissions.I own a Samsung sm3 2.0 liter engine ,CVT and it performs superb.It goes faster than a manual on similar engines of other brands. If you don't like CVT's Who cares? Go on and tell Nissan and Subaru managers that they make rubbish CVT"s transmissions. Maybe some one will hear.But til then .....CVT's are still working great on Nissans, on Samsungs,Renaults and Subarus.

Is it bad that car change gears smoother? I don't get y ppl complain about it.. I love it personally .. Mostly ppl have stereotypes and judge without any reasons to 😓 this car is awesome

as a daily commuter id certantly would get it, i daily drive a 2008 Maxima and it has a CVT and for an everyday car its excellent, and its comfy, has plenty of power and overtaking is easy, no complaints at all, the CVT is whiny but i dont mind the droning it still picks up to speed with ease, i see why Nissan uses CVT's on 4 cylinders and paired wiyh a V6 its not really helping it, it is more efficent at putting down power than a regular automatic, but as far as fuel economy don't bother with Maximas those 3.5's are thirsty.

I totally disagree with you! I'm an old guy and I've owned many muscle cars. My favorite an Oldsmobile 1970 442. Having owned my Maxima SR for 2 months now, loving her. The Maxima blows the 442 away! FWD, in NJ a blessing in the winter. Your in the wrong business, haven't got a clue.

Dear TeamTFL, would you please convey my complements to Ian Chisholm, his camerawork is nothing short of brilliant.

"it's just not heart felt" is this guy's issue. you're showing your age

Great looking car but no thanks. The stylish appeal is kinda what has kept Maxima somewhat alive. This car has large proportions yet feels tooo cozy inside for its size. On top of that, it drives as large as it looks - if anything, it compares to a V6 Camry or Accord at best. The last real mid-size sports car and above that Nissan made was the Altima SE-R. I imagine it is more smooth than it is invigorating. Perhaps if they turbocharged the engine coupled with a auto-manual or DSG like VW has - quick shifts and a little oomph after each shift creates that effortless and invigorating feeling not normally felt in cars of this size south of 50k

I love my Nissan Maxima it the best and the seats rock!

You talk just like the guy on engineering explained

Those back roads of Colorado 0 to 60 reviews are sorely missed.

CVT? OK. Fake shift points? Then just put in a regular transmission. It's more frustrating than Roman's continued vocal disdain of the CVT itself. I wish my current vehicle had a CVT, actually. Droning on--naturally. For the price, I'd give this car a "lease it," but that's just me.

at 4:26 oh the poor grasshopper, the car dose look like a grasshopper too at 40k.

Whats the hate on CVT?? I just dont know

i really like the intro

I just drove one for about 900 miles. It was badass. It felt like rear wheel drive. I can't tell it feels like rear wheel drive. Cvt? This one had 7 gears. There are no identifying marks other than maxima. PS I don't like the flat bottom steering wheel.

just a feedback. there is not enough interior shots of the dash and the boot scene was horrible. how are we to judge the size?

its a great car ..... most people won't give a shit about the CVT ... excellent highway sedan ..

why are they so hard on CVTs? I mean, if u had a CVT that had good ratios for sport mode and just pure CVT for regular economic use, then why cant it be just as good as normal auto/manual? Cant a good CVT be almost no different than normal gears?

I don't think the cvt is a problem.. But I think the fwd is a bigger problem the wrx is a nice car also with cvt

4:24 poor grasshopper wedged in the grille. :(

Wait, the only problem with the CVT is that you don’t like the sound? And FWD is bad because its not traditional for a sport car.... those shouldn’t be deal breakers for anyone that care for performance. All those critiques are “feel”. Subjective opinions, pointless objectively

Nice interior. The quilted leather look is weird for this car just my opinion. The exterior looks like a Taurus. I don't know what to think of this car. I wouldn't be able to tell it apart from other sedans on the road. Maximas in the past had an aggressive look to them.

Great Review! My car to have in 2017

They need to get with the times and throw in a 8 speed DCT. Other than that that car looks amazing, especially the interior..

My mom's brand-new Maxima caught on fire yesterday

The bread and butter cars are a barometer of the ever increasing bourgeois aspirations of the proletariat. One-upon-a-time, the top of the line was a super. Then it changed to deluxe. Then super deluxe. Elite, supreme and titanium followed. Now it's platinum. What has happened to blue collar pride ?

Would you consider it a 4dsc if there wasn't a cvt

I think the rationale for large cars is dying. Compared to a Murano it gives up AWD, ride height, and flexibility. Maximas can offer is slightly better fuel economy and a lower price.

He talks about the Hellcat which is $25k more, but you can buy a Charger R/T for $40k and have more power and an 8 speed normal automatic and in a rwd package.

You know what you doing wrong you're not using the transmission the way it should be on the Platinum Maxima which is what I am driving if you use the transmission the way it's supposed to, this car will flight get up and fly, but if you just to nail the pedal to the metal, it doesn't work,, you have to drive the car, and that's what makes it unique, that's what you have a sport addition. I love my Maxima,

To bad Nissan didn't use the 6 speed manual from the g37/370z on this maxima, at least as an option, after all it's a VQ engine. It's a good looking car, but I just don't like cvts.

I use to like whatching his reviews but he always complains about cvt's. Damn dude we get it, no need to sound like a broken record. My cvt in my previous Altima v6 was awesome and the programing is even better in my 14 Maxima. God forbid he gets use to driving one all the time and realizes that for a family sedan they are actually pleasant.

Are you trying to say subaru wrx, which has a cvt is also a "forget it" car?!

I'm not sure which whines more: Roman or the CVT? :)

Boy... if nissan would ever get away from the cvt and go to a proper 8 speed, these would be awesome. Especially if they did AWD

Was this filmed in New Mexico or Colorado? Idaho?

When I think "four-door sports car", I think cars like the VW Passat W8 or the BMW M5 E39. Not a Nissan Maxima with a CVT...

I guess snowmobiles aren't sporty either since they have CVT transmissions. Thank you for addressing the fact that this is an emotional car for a lot of people because it goes back in history there have been some great maximas it's a great line of car. 1997 I had a manual 5-speed black on black factory 5 spoke wheels leather w about 3 Grand worth of audio and ham radio gear in it that thing I could drive for 5 hours straight no problem and for the back roads of New England it was excellent very fast back roads car. Year round.

Honest review! Thanks