Why not enjoy the daily drive?

This review is for a 5spd SE model with all available options. I bought the car two years ago with 46k miles, it now has 94k miles.

Since high school I had driven an 86 Honda Accord - it was an economical car, but at about 150k it started having enough problems that it no longer met my reliability needs. I wanted something that would never break down and keep me from getting to work. So far it hasn't, and the rumor is it may never happen.

The interior is very comfortable. I find the power seats fit my thin 6'1" frame well, and I can adjust them to support my legs and lower back. I've driven 6 hour nonstop stretches with minimal discomfort. It has tilt steering, but it would be nice if the wheel had an extension adjustment. The leather seats are comfortable and hold up pretty well to use.

The heated seats option is handy in winter, but it doesn't pump out a lot of heat when the defroster is running and even on the high setting I'd only call it warm. By comparison, other cars get much warmer.

The auto climate control system works very well and isn't hard to use. One gripe: the dimmer on the clock is sync'd with your headlights, so if you drive with your lights on in the daytime like me you can't read the clock. This can be easily fixed by clipping a wire when taking apart the dash. The cupholders in front don't hold large cups at all, but they won't break since they are simply pockets molded into the console. There is a pocket-type compartment under the stereo, but I find it too short and deep to be easy to use while driving. The drawer-type compartment is much better, I put one in when I changed stereo headunits.

Like any import car, the horn sounds pathetic.

Visibility on all sides is good, there are no major blind spots for me. The steering is nice and tight - the car holds a line if you hold the wheel still. The Anti-Lock braking mechanism hasn't given me any trouble, except that the additional equipment makes things much tighter under the hood; it makes replacing the fuel filter a real exercise. Cruise control functions smoothly - it holds speed within 1mph consistently and doesn't ever jerk the car around. The cruise is controlled by a 3-button cluster on the wheel that makes it very convenient. One downside is that the cruise control on/off switch always turns off when you start the car. I'd rather just leave cruise enabled permanently, just one less button to push.

The exterior isn't perfect - I find the front bumper is susceptible to nicks by road debris, and the touch-up paint doesn't match well because of the metallic flake content. I found out long after buying that mine was repainted, which explains the huge number of itty-bitty chips. This chipping has no relevance to a car with factory paint.

The power mirrors, windows, door locks, antenna, and moonroof work as expected with no funny noises or failures. If you're taller than 6'1" think carefully about the lowered headroom of the moonroof. I just barely fit. The hydraulic hood struts no longer support the hood, but a piece of 1/2" wooden dowel works perfectly. These struts cost too much to replace and the dowel is safer anyway. The wipers work fairly well, but they don't have a maximum speed as high as some other cars, so Rain-X window treatment is a good idea.

The handling performance is very good for a car of this size and weight. The stock Toyo tires were still on when I bought it at 46k; I replaced them with Dunlop SP Sport 5000s and handling got much better. The 5-spoke alloy wheels look great, but the center plastic caps are now peeling paint and there is one little hollow on each spoke that is hard to clean. The spare is just a donut, and the trunk compartment will not fit anything bigger.

Acceleration is excellent - 190 HP on a barely-full sized frame gets going fast with a manual transmission. The suspension is a nice balance of firm and comfortable, but the body rolls a little too much in hard turns. Aftermarket front strut tower brace and rear sway bars help a lot. The manual transmission isn't bad. The gearbox is a little notchy and the clutch is prone to shuddering in cold or rainy weather. I get 20-23mpg city and 27mpg highway, and the 7.2s 0-60 time is real.

I like the size of the car. The trunk has lots of usable space and a pass-through in the rear center armrest. Four adults fit comfortably, or five friends. The newer 2000-2002 Maximas may have more powerful engines, but they're getting bigger and heavier - so there is no improvement in performance.

The Bose stereo sounds good, unless you're an uppity audiophile or half-deaf bass-beater. I recently replaced my double-DIN sized Bose headunit with a Kenwood single-DIN MP3-capable CD player. I had no complaints about the original Bose headunit, but if you try to replace it you'll need a $50 adapter to work with the funny low-impedance Bose system design. If you want to upgrade your stereo piece-by-piece, don't get the Bose option and you'll have an easier time switching pieces out. I've heard the Bose speakers can wear out with use, but I'll guess that's mostly people who listen loud. Mine still sound fine and I always have music on.

The maintenance is very reasonable. Spark plugs are pricey ($65 for 6 plugs every 60k), but oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, etc are usually very easy for the home mechanic. DIYs can go quite far with a Haynes/Chilton manual and online resources like alt.autos.nissan.maxima and www.maxima.org. I have had no 'problems' outside replacement of maintenance items. The stainless steel exhaust appears to be holding out fine. Just like any newer vehicle, some repair jobs aren't as accessible as that 1982 GM pickup so expect to see a garage for medium to big jobs. If you keep getting fluids changed and basic inspections up-to-date, this car will last forever (or 200 k miles, whichever comes first). I intend for mine to do just that.