It’s hard to say what makes a car “about” one thing or another.  You just know.  Some cars are about being appliances, about getting from point A to point B.  Some are about style.  Some don’t know what they’re about at all. And some, like the 2000 Nissan Maxima SE, are about driving.

You can’t always tell just by looking, but there’s something in the way certain cars respond to the road that makes the simple act of driving a pleasure in itself.  With relatives like Nissan’s 300ZX, 240SX, and the early Nineties Maxima (which Nissan proudly labeled “4DSC,” meaning “four-door-sports car.”  The latest Maxima has a sporty heritage, and it shows in Nissan’s new-for-2000 flagship.

Designed at Nissan’s California styling studio, the new Maxima is a break from the nameplate’s traditionally conservative designs, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.  With round taillights inside black crescents and crisply sculpted fender arches, the Maxima is distinctive from the rear.  The new nose doesn’t work as well.  The slanted headlights and an almost square grille look have the subtly aggressive look that’s par for the course among sports sedans, but the grille drops into the bumper line in a way that emulates some newer Chryslers, for a Sixties hot-rod look that isn’t particularly memorable or attractive.  But that’s okay; if you drive the Maxima like it wants to be driven, most other drivers are only going to see the back of it anyway.  Apart from the nose, the Maxima is a handsome, well-proportioned car.  Details like ellipsoid side-marker lights are pleasing to the eye.  We ran hot and cold on the optional 17″ wheels; from some angles they looked good, and from others we thought they looked cheap.

Inside, the influence of the legendary Nissan 300ZX is apparent.  The wide, flat dashboard and deeply sloped center console offer the driver a good view of the world in front of the car and make it seem wider than it is.  The hood looks long from the driver’s seat, a subtle homage to the long-hooded, short-decked Z-cars in Nissan’s past.  The window sills are somewhat higher, but otherwise the driver’s-seat feel is similar to that of the Maxima’s sports car ancestors.  The sloped dashboard also creates a feeling of spaciousness inside.  At first glance, the Maxima looks larger inside than it actually is.  That’s not to say it isn’t roomy; even with the wide console there’s plenty of space for front-seat passengers.  A height-adjustable console armrest is a cool innovation.  The lower seat cushions aren’t quite long enough to support the legs of tall drivers, a common Nissan shortcoming (no pun intended).  One other gripe; the knobs for the stereo volume control and climate control are the same size and texture, and they’re too close together.  This frequently results in a sudden blast of hot air when you’re trying to turn the radio down.  With a thunderous Bose audio system available as an option, you might be doing that more than you think.

Nissan has dialed more than a bit of fun into the newest Maxima, as well.  The 3.0-liter engine under the hood has been massaged for an increase in horsepower and refinement.  The resulting 222-hp V6 motivated our test car, and mated to a racy five-speed transmission the car was happy to oblige any request for speed.  The manual is smooth, and made us wish that more companies were willing to equip their sports sedans with sticks.  The Maxima is a large car, but it doesn’t feel heavy when accelerating from a halt thanks to variable intake and exhaust manifolds which allow the engine to breathe better when more power is demanded.

Thanks to big tires and a curve-ready suspension, it doesn’t feel ponderous in turns, either.  Nissan’s Multi-Link Beam suspension reduces the wobbly-tailed feeling that many large sedans are prone to during hard cornering.  Nissan has taken a page from the handbook of the late Ford Taurus SHO, and improved upon it.  The Maxima is easy to place and control, thanks both to sports-car like visibility and the grip of those big wheels we didn’t always like the looks of.  Even when you’re not driving ludicrously fast, this means that the Maxima never feels like it would rather plow straight ahead instead of changing direction.  Large sedans seem to be most at home on America’s freeways, and the Maxima is no exception.  That sense of being “about” driving is strongest at the bottom of an on-ramp; the big Nissan accelerates confidently to speed and heads eagerly for the horizon, as if it’s hoping that every trip will be a long one.

Four-wheel antilock brakes are standard, and traction control is also available.  Listed from bottom to top, Maxima is available in GXE, SE, and GLE models, as well as the 20th Anniversary SE.  Pricing starts at $21,049 for a base GXE, and it’s a fun alternative to a Camry or Accord.  Our test vehicle was the sportier SE model, and it featured the Bose sound system, sunroof, leather interior, and the larger wheels.  It stickered for $28,295.

It’s unusual to find a sedan that’s all about driving, especially if it’s not a BMW or an Audi, but Nissan’s done a good job with its latest “four-door sports car.”  The price premium over a comparably equipped Chevy Malibu or Honda Accord goes toward the Maxima’s sporty spirit.  For people who like to drive, it’s worth it.

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2001 Nissan Maxima SE, which we tested.
Length:     190.5 in
Width:        70.3 in.
Height:        56.5 in.
Wheelbase:    108.3 in.
Curb weight:    3199 lb
Cargo space:    15.1 cu.ft
Base price:    $23,649
Price as tested: $28,295
Engine:     3.0 liter DOHC V6
Drivetrain:     five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Horsepower:     222 @6400 rpm
Torque:     217 ft/lb@4000 rpm
Est. mileage:    21/27

6/2009 update:  The ’01 Maxima remains my favorite, from a styling standpoint.  The big-car sporty handling was entertaining, and more recent Maximas, including the latest, have seemed a bit soulless.