During its 14-year production life, the Nissan Maxima has survived four evolutions. The last version, which went out of production at the end of the 1994 model year, is perhaps the most familiar. Its distinctive appearance and sporty character - emphasized by an advertising campaign that stressed performance - made it reasonably popular with the general public while attracting the attention of car enthusiasts.No more. Nissan touts the 1995 Maxima as a leader in traditional sedan virtues, such as value, content and style, but downplays the performance image. Driving pleasure has not been ignored, but the focus has shifted in hopes of bringing in mainstream buyers.
According to Nissan, early sales returns indicate that this approach is paying off. By that all-important standard, the new Maxima represents a major improvement over past versions and a solid threat to perennial chart-toppers such as the Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.Click here to read more