2007 Nissan Maxima: Did the CVT Kill The 4DSC?

In 1982 when the Maxima came out, it’s main rival was the Toyota Cressida, which was an upscale full-size car made by Toyota. The Maxima featured a pair of straight-sixes and became known for it’s sporting prowess. So much so, in 1988 with the arrival of the third generation model, it was advertised as a “Four-Door Sports Car” or “4DSC” for short. Time was kind to the Maxima, with plenty of horsepower courtesy of detuned Z-Car engines, and snappy transmissions. Then 2007 came along, and Nissan ditched the five-speed automatic and five-speed manual in favor of a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

Now it’s important to remember one thing about the Maxima, and it’s that it’s still a great all-round vehicle. The VQ35DE put out 265 horsepower, and the CVT helped cut the Maxima’s zero to sixty time from 6.6 seconds to 5.8 seconds. A 2007 Chevrolet Impala LT could do the sprint in 7.3 seconds, a 2007 Dodge Charger V6 could only muster 7.5 seconds, and a 2007 Toyota Avalon, the successor to the Cressida could only manage 6.4 seconds. It would make sense to say that it earned the “4DSC” title, no?

Instead, what the Maxima got was a lot of smack talk from enthusiasts, saying that Nissan alienated them by getting rid of the conventional automatic and manual transmissions in favor of a CVT. In 2008, Nissan unveiled a whole new Maxima, and in 2009 it went into production with a revised version of the CVT.

While I understand the driving feel of a CVT is different from a conventional automatic, I personally didn’t mind having the constant power the second I pressed the accelerator, the engine sounds good enough, so when it is being held at a specific engine speed it’s not as irritating as some smaller engines equipped with CVT’s. The steering and throttle response are still more than enough for me to believe that the Maxima is still worthy of it’s 4DSC title.

I also drove a 2000 Maxima with a four-speed automatic, and that was an incredible car. The overall sportiness is not lost with the CVT, but driver involvement is definitely lower with the CVT as opposed to the normal automatic. Unfortunately, it met an untimely end when a Bluebird school bus of all things plowed into the driver’s side front end, totaling it.

The interior is very well laid out, with plenty of luxury equipment for the time period, navigation, bluetooth, AUX inputs, etc. Interior materials are better than the American offerings. The steering wheel can be leather wrapped and also heated, which is a feature missing from some big sedans today, or reserved for the most expensive trims. Dual zone automatic climate control and myriad other features makes the interior of the Maxima a great place to spend time.

It’s one thing to sit behind a keyboard and say that the CVT killed the car, but considering no car in it’s class can rival it’s times, it’s clear that it still deserves the title. 2007 Maximas can be found for anywhere between five and nine grand. Mileage doesn’t matter on these, because the VQ engine is bulletproof. It’s easily one of the sportiest cars that can be had for that price, and nothing can compare to the size, comfort and speed.

So if you’re in the market for a full-size sports sedan, check out the Maxima, because it might be one of the best all-round cars in the segment.

What do you think? Comment Below!