2013 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV

I like this 2013 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV a lot. In my mind Maximas have always offered a fine alternative to the Honda Accord/Toyota Camry clich . Maybe Nissan means for that task to fall to the Altima, but still, this car cements my thoughts on the notion that I'd take this over a Camry all day long. If I had to pay a little more, so be it.

There's plenty - and I do mean plenty - of room with nice and comfortable seats. Materials are good and everything is screwed together well. The corporate Nissan center screen/console layout is among the best in the biz. It's intuitive and easy to use and provides all the gizmos you could want.

The Maxima is quickish. Put your foot down and the Maxima feels like it's getting right with the program. I was impressed with how little torque steer I felt. The ride is comfortable, but there's some body roll here. It's not to the point where if I was a Nissan engineer I'd stiffen it some. I don't think that's necessary; I'd leave it alone. The steering is quick but could use some more feel.

I generally don't like CVTs, but I have said before and will say again, it works OK when applied to V6 engines.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: I am almost surprised at how much I enjoyed driving the Maxima, considering the CVT and some of the dull stuff (Sentra, Versa, et al) that Nissan has been churning out of late. But man oh man does this baby with a V6 haul the mail, especially if you keep it wound up with the tranny in sport mode at all times and jog the shifter when you want a specific ratio. There's a ton of juice behind the firewall, and in most cases the Maxima manages to get all that power to the front wheels without ripping one way or the other or yanking the steering wheel out of your hands.

I love the excellent driving position, looking out over the short hood framed by sporty creased fenders, all of which provides tactile and visual cues that say "sports car" even if the underlying hardware is a little more mundane. But as noted, this engine is strong, and the CVT in this application is certainly livable - hell, almost enjoyable - in this car and with this set up. Winding through the ratios provides ample auditory enjoyment, combined with sharp (if faked) "shifts" and quick throttle response and acceleration at virtually any speed. That's a forte of the CVT, I suppose. The suspension feels a little loose in certain quick maneuvers and rolls a bit in hard corners, but otherwise the ride is pleasing. Steering is a little twitchy, requiring regular attention and correction. That could get tiresome on a long drive.

Otherwise, the car looks sporty and stylish, this interior is handsome and well-crafted and designed, with easy to manage controls and multiple redundancies for the key things like changing the map scale in the navigation screen. And the sound system rocks.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: Looks like I'm not the only person who doesn't hate the CVT in the 2013 Maxima 3.5 SV. Nissan climbed fully onboard the continuously variable wagon, and - at least when it's backed up by a 3.5-liter V6 as in the Quest or Infiniti JX - the results are more than merely bearable. For a bulky sedan, the Maxima is quick around town and well-tuned for highway cruising.

Steering feel was one mechanical area that could use improvement. The car felt a bit squirrelly when accelerating quickly in a straight line from a stop; I attribute that to the super-light steering feedback more than torque steer. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the wheel felt loose and uncertain - like an old power steering system turned hard to lock - while rounding a cul-de-sac. Weird.

Styling could use some tweaking as well. I'll admit that the Maxima looks good enough in promotional shots. Looking at it in the driveway, though, I felt that someone originally designed a much crisper-looking car, and then let it melt slightly. Character lines that are supposed be muscular make it look bulgy; I'd like to see things tightened up a bit.

Now on to the really important stuff: Infotainment systems. As with the powertrain, Nissan seems to have lifted the Maxima's center console from the Quest (or vice-versa).

Not that I'm complaining - Nissan's layout may not be the most sleek, gee-whiz way of implementing radio/climate/navigation controls, but it works. Tactile feedback is nice, which is why I'm glad that the touchscreen is backed up by a large dial and the radio can be controlled by two distinct knobs without looking. See Cadillac's admittedly cool but tricky to master system for the opposite approach.

2013 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV

Base Price: $35,860

As-Tested Price: $40,385

Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6; FWD, continuously variable transmission

Output: 290 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 261 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,568 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 19/26/22 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 22.4 mpg

Options: SV technology package including Nissan hard drive navigation system, 7-inch in dash color display, NavTraffic and NavWeather by SiriusXM, Bluetooth capabilities ($1,850); SV value package including Bose audio system, heated front seats, steering wheel and exterior mirrors ($1,000); monitoring package including rear view monitoring, AM/FM/XM and MP3/WMA playback system, USB connectivity, center counsel iPod connection ($700); HID headlights ($400); rear spoiler ($380); floor mats and trunk mat ($195)