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Originally Posted by autotrader.com review
The Inside Story
When it was re-styled in 1988, the Maxima grew larger, and was a landmark Japanese car for interior space. That was because it was three inches wider than any other mid-size Japanese sedan. Up until that time, the only cars to come from Japan that were wider than 66.5 inches were bulged-fendered Acura sedans. A tax law limiting width, and hence determining assembly line size, kept Japanese mid-size cars narrower than U.S. counterparts. The law was annulled not long after 1988, but the limits were ingrained in Japanese design, and only recently have Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords escaped those constraints.
The driver's sense of touch is treated well in all of Nissan's cars, including the Maxima. The thinly padded and firm leather-covered steering wheel pleases your fingers. Tilt-steering is standard, but if you're a six-footer, you'll probably end up setting the wheel at its highest position at all times just to clear your legs. The feel of the door latches and the movement of the switchgear are as good as the best luxury car's. When the doors and trunklid close, and when you operate the steering-column-mounted stalks for the lights and wipers, the sounds that result are short and satisfying clicks. Nothing sounds weakly mounted.
What the Maxima doesn't have that a luxury machine does is interior style. The instrument panel is simple and clean and is devoid of wood (a $429 option), leather, or shiny bits of trim. Overall, the Maxima looks pretty plain inside, but in fairness there's comfort in the lack of things competing for your attention. Leather seating surfaces come with a $1349 package that includes power adjusters and automatic climate control. That boosts the price over $30,000.
Black dials on white gauge faces are unique on the SE model, though when you turn on the lights at night, the fuzzy illumination on the dials makes them appear out-of-focus. Conventional black background gauges are standard on the other models. The rear seats three adults in comfort for an hour-long drive, but three is a crowd on longer drives. For 1999, the rear center seat belt was changed from a lap belt to a three-point belt. A pass-through to the trunk is handy for skis, fly rods and other long objects, but the rear seats don't fold down.
On trips you can pack a lot of luggage into the Maxima - its trunk is slightly larger than the cargo hold of a Camry, Accord or Mazda 626.
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