- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.5i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
170kW, 333Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 11.2L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2003 Nissan Maxima review: Used car guide
Nissan's mid-range luxury sedan is underestimated, says DAVID MORLEY.
Living life to the Maxima
Nissan's family-sized Maxima has had a patchy history. Early versions had cracker engines but their odd looks turned off buyers.
But Nissan persisted with the concept of a roomy, V6, front-wheel-drive mid-range luxury car and in 2003 that faith finally started to pay dividends.
The car Nissan was offering its Australian subsidiary by then was a composed and confident performer and also suddenly had a big style injection that made it vastly more appealing.
Code-named the J31, the 2003 model Maxima was pitted against Honda's Accord, the Saab 9-5s, Volvo's V70s, and even to some degree the big locals such as Holden's Calais and the Ford Fairmont Ghia.
Depending on how you weigh it up, the Maxima was at least as good in most respects, and better in others.
The most striking thing about the Maxima is the sweeping side profile. OK, so Audi has been doing it for years, but that takes nothing away from the visual statement the Maxima makes.
The boot is a little slice of Americana and only the wide chrome grille and big headlights suggest Japan.
Throw in details such as the styled alloy wheels and it added up to a bold package that fell down only in the way it polarised many would-be buyers.
But plenty of people did like it, and Nissan has done owners a big favour by not radically changing the look in this year's facelift.
So what else was so great about the Maxima? The 3.5-litre V6 was a great engine. Building on the successful architecture Nissan had developed over many years, the bigger 3.5-litre capacity gave the V6 some real power off idle and in the mid-range. But unlike some V6s, the Maxima's power plant was smooth and polite from idle to redline, and sounded pretty good.
A four-speed automatic was the only transmission offered until the CVT came along with the facelift, but the four-speed works well with the engine and continues the sweet, relaxed performance.
Suspension was perhaps too soft for keen drivers but it contributed to a smooth, unruffled ride on any surface.
Higher cornering speeds would show up the car as a front-wheel-drive but most owners would barely notice this in everyday use. And even then, they probably wouldn't care.
Inside, the cabin had timber inserts edged by brushed aluminium. It looked sparse but also desperately modern. The ambience was similar to a boardroom in a modern office at the top end of Collins Street. Classy.
Pragmatic used-car buyers will like the Maxima, as the various trim levels affected just that: trim, with no outward clues apart from some subtle badging to differentiate the three models.
The range kicked off with the ST-L, which, for less than $40,000 new, came with front and side air-bags, climate-control air, anti-lock brakes, brake force distribution, brake assist, seat-belt pretensioners and convenience gear including a power driver's seat, a good stereo and full electrics.
About all it didn't get was leather trim, but that was in the next model up, the Ti. It also added head air-bags, a six-stacker CD player, electric sunroof and power adjustment for the front passenger's seat. The range-topper was the Ti-L, which had a DVD player and parking sensors for less than $50,000.
These days the range-topper is the one to go for, since it costs only a little more than an ST-L but delivers all the luxury, including leather trim.
The Maxima still looks smooth, yet values have fallen significantly as the market continues to under-estimate it.
But that's good for those in the market for a well-equipped family car that is good to drive. In those terms, the Maxima ticks all the boxes.
Need to know
Engine is strong and reliable. Only very high miles will blunt the V6.
Alloy construction of engine demands that correct grade and concentration of coolant is used exclusively. Ignoring this can lead to disastrous corrosion in the engine's internals.
What to pay
Model | Year | New | Now |
ST-L | 2003 | $39,990 | $24,100 |
ST-L | 2004 | $39,990 | $26,900 |
ST-l | 2005 | $38,990 | $29,500 |
Ti | 2003 | $45,990 | $27,200 |
Ti | 2004 | $45,990 | $30,300 |
Ti | 2005 | $43,990 | $33,000 |
Ti-L | 2003 | $48,990 | $28,100 |
Ti-L | 2004 | $48,990 | $31,400 |
Ti-L | 2005 | $46,990 | $34,600 |
Source: Glass' Guide