SALT LAKE CITY— Nissan has long referred to the Maxima as a four-door sports car. The fact that the Maxima is currently configured with both front-wheel drive and a transverse mounted engine mated to a continuously variable transmission calls that moniker into question.

To Nissan’s credit, the Maxima is styled in a way that clearly sets it apart from its main rivals. A hint of luxury comes through that positions the Maxima well between the Nissan Altima and their Infinity big brothers. Nissan engineers, in fact, visited the Navy’s Blue Angels when redesigning the Maxima for 2016 and proudly boast of aeronautical influences in the car’s design.

Those influences include both exterior and interior elements that combine to create a vehicle that clearly has an intended identity but also provides some contradictions that may leave some drivers wanting more. Passengers consistently commented that the exterior set expectations that the interior might not match.

The Maxima is a driver’s car. It is sporty and fun to drive. Technology and comfort abound and while there may be a bit of an identity crisis the 2017 Maxima stands out in a crowded field of four-door sedans. As I pulled away from Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne, I was anticipating more fun than a four-door sedan would typically deliver.

Exterior styling

The first Blue Angels inspired design cue is the floating roof design that blends support pillars into the glass to create the appearance of a cockpit. This is combined with a full-length power moonroof that also adds the feeling of spaciousness inside. Power-operated screens can uncover both the front and rear glass.

Only the front section can actually tilt or open, but the open air feeling adds a nice touch inside and looks impressive from the outside. From the side, the rear of the car blends seamlessly into the roofline and the difference in height rear to front is striking. Combined with aggressive rear fender flares, the Maxima has a muscular stance.

The high-rear fenders fade forward into sharply angled flares at the top of the four doors. Another line moves from front to back along the lower doors that meets the rear fenders before angling down slightly at the wheel well.

Japanese makers, of late, are fond of large front grills and Nissan’s Maxima is no exception. The grill is split into a top and bottom section by chrome accents. The top section houses a very large Nissan badge.

The rear deck is large and moves upward somewhat at the trunk line. Large chrome dual exhaust outlets sit at each side and compliment the car well. Eighteen-inch chrome accented wheels complete a sporty and powerful look.

Interior styling

Inside, Nissan has done an admirable job of trying to set apart the Maxima from the Camrys and Accords of the world. The D-shaped steering wheel and bold instrument panel confirm to the driver that the sport sedan moniker may be deserved.

The Blue Angels fighter jets can likely be thanked for the driver-oriented center console and touch screen. Everything angles toward the driver and creates an ergonomically pleasing environment. Everything is where it should be in terms of driver comfort and reach. From armrests at the center console and the driver’s door, the climate and media controls, steering wheel and touchscreen are all within easy reach. The steering wheel controls are right where they should be and the leather-wrapped wheel itself is comfortable yet firm and well-appointed with contrasting stitching.

The Maxima is spacious, yet still provides driver and passenger with the sense of being confined in their own space. The leather appointed front seats manage to find the perfect blend of support and comfort, not an easy thing to accomplish. Nissan claims zero gravity technology for the front seats.

Those seats, however, were among a couple of things passengers never failed to point out. The diamond patterned quilted appearance of the front and rear seats says your mother’s Buick more than sport sedan. Combined with too obviously faux mahogany-tone wood trim, the sporty feel of the exterior is betrayed somewhat inside.

Overall, the interior is well-appointed and the quality of the plastics and trim is very good throughout. Metal accents, leather and varying shades of black plastic complement the interior well. While comfort and appointments are mostly favorable, the interior seems at odds in some ways with the sport-sedan theme Nissan seems to be going for; many appointments are a bit too soft for a sport sedan.

Technology

First and foremost, Nissan has combined an 8-inch touchscreen well-positioned toward the driver with redundant functions contained in a center console-mounted control knob and a 7-inch animated control screen located in the instrument panel between the speedometer and tachometer. Most drivers will easily be able to find controls and displays that fit them best.

Kudos to Nissan for making most touch screen controls available while the vehicle is in motion. Some multi-step functions are eliminated, choosing a specific numeric SiriusXM station for example, but most functions are available for either the driver or front seat passenger to use. Combined with the redundant steering wheel, the center console controls everything and is simple to use.

Voice controls work well, but many simple commands weren’t recognized. Owners will obviously become more comfortable with specific commands than I did in four days of driving. It was rare for the voice system to not recognize I was speaking.

Navigation and Apple Car Play are included. Safety features abound including warnings for a potentially sleepy driver and front collision. Blind-spot monitors and intelligent cruise control worked very well. Front seats are eight-way power adjustable and the steering wheel is power adjustable and heated.

Remote engine start and a Bose 11 speaker stereo system were included in this Platinum model. One minor issue is the SiriusXM antenna; the signal cut out far too often in city driving where it shouldn’t have.

A nice touch is the physical dials located in the center console to control the heating and cooling for the front seats. All too often, as technology becomes more prevalent in cars, drivers are required to perform a multi-step setup to set various controls to preference before driving away. Anything that be set and remembered by the vehicle between trips is a welcome surprise.

Performance and handling

The workhorse 3.5 liter V6 that has long powered the Maxima is a good one. The current version sports 300 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque. The fact that this transverse-mounted engine is mated to a CVT and front-wheel drive is where the Maxima identity crisis, that some interior appointments began, is furthered.

While CVT is technology that is gaining a renewed foothold in the automotive world for its efficiency, it has little in the way of sports car credibility. While Nissan’s CVT shifts smoothly, it also creates a lag, particularly off the line, while the engine revs up to find the optimal power point for the CVT “gear” changes.

The hesitation is less noticeable once the car is up to speed and overall the car is smooth and accelerates well. For those unfamiliar with CVT technology, the transmission contains no physical gears and relies instead on computer controlled variable interactions between engine and transmission to match power with efficiency.

Overall, the Maxima accelerates well, Nissan claims a zero to 60 mph time of 5.9 seconds. The lag is more noticeable when accelerating hard, but ultimately the drivetrain is very smooth. Nissan focused some improvements for 2017, over last year, specifically to CVT adjustments meant to smooth things out.

More concerning than the CVT is front-wheel drive. This drivetrain begs for an all-wheel drive system that will provide for power to the rear wheels when the weather is good.

Shawn Isom, sales manager at Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne concedes that Nissan should be listening to repeat Maxima buyers.

“I get requests most often from Maxima buyers for an all-wheel drive system,” Isom said.

The ride, particularly when in sport mode, is firm and confident. This confidence is undermined by understeer when pushing this car into corners, as a spirited drive to Snowbird and back showed. Handling is good for a large four-door sedan, though, and body roll is minimal. Steering and braking are excellent.

That understeer encourages one to let off the accelerator despite the firm feel initially. The exhaust note is pleasing and sporty when driving this car hard. Compared to other cars in this class and price range, though, the Maxima is a spirited driver.

Conclusion

Nissan is likely wise to try and appeal to a variety of potential drivers for the Maxima. This limits, however, the passion some drivers may feel for this car. The Maxima clearly offers spirited driving not found in a Camry, for example, but may leave some wanting more considering the moniker Nissan has bestowed on this car.

The interior is well-appointed and provides a level of luxury and technology that is very favorable for its class. Concessions have been made inside, though, to tone down the sporty feel the Maxima could have carried over from the outside. At this price and in this segment, it is not fair to be overly critical of Nissan for not pushing the envelope further in pursuit of a true sports sedan.

Eliminating the front-wheel drive setup, however, would have provided an ideal starting point.

Specs

Vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel drive, five passenger, four-door sedan

Engine: DOHC 24 valve V-6. Aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 213 cu inches, 3498 cc

Power: 300 HP and 261 feet - pound of torque

Transmission: CVT with manual shift mode

Wheelbase: 109.3 inches

Cargo Volume: 14 cubic feet

Acceleration: 5.9 0-60 mph; 14.4 seconds quarter mile @ 101 mph

Fuel Economy: EPA 22/30 MPG city/highway

Cup holders: 4

Power outlets: 1 standard, 2 USB

Price as tested: $41,630