Having recently inherited our long-term 2016 Nissan Maxima SR sedan for the better part of the next 12 months, I’ve got some instrumented track test numbers to share. At the dragstrip, the Coulis Red 2016 Maxima SR hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and finished the quarter mile in 14.5 seconds at 99.3 mph. Stopping from 60 mph took 125 feet. The Maxima SR lapped the figure eight in 26.6 seconds at 0.69 g lateral average and pulled 0.86 g average around the skidpad.
Those acceleration times are slightly off a pair of 2016 Maxima (Platinum, SR) sedans we tested earlier this year. Both those cars accelerated to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and did the quarter-mile in 14.3 seconds at 99.5 mph. Those models also took less distance to stop (122/115 feet). Our long-term car split the difference in handling (27.0/26.0 seconds at 0.69/0.72 g and 0.84/0.89 g) in both the figure eight and on the skidpad.
While the leather- and Alcantara-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel feels good to the touch, the steering is vague on center; any slight movement of the wheel makes the car swerve in the lane as if piloted by an intoxicated driver. The further the steering wheel is turned, the heavier and more linear (better) the steering becomes. Switching into Sport mode gives the steering a heavier feel on center. If Nissan wanted to address the loose on-center feel in Normal mode, it would likely only have to perform a simple reflash of the steering programming.
During a routine visit for an oil change, the dealer advised us that our car had an outstanding recall related to the fuel tank. On certain models, a crash could cause the fuel tank to leak, increasing the risk of a fire. Once all the required parts arrived, we returned to the dealer to have the fuel tank and some supporting parts installed. A few days after we picked up the Maxima, the check engine light illuminated. Our suspicions that the issue was related to the fuel tank replacement were confirmed when it was discovered that the culprit was an EVAP system vent tube that hadn’t been tightened down correctly—a quick and simple fix.
More on our long-term 2016 Nissan Maxima SR here:
| 2016 Nissan Maxima SR | |
| BASE PRICE | $38,495 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $38,750 |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan |
| ENGINE | 3.5L/300-hp/261-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6 |
| TRANSMISSION | Cont. variable auto |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 3,544 lb (61/39%) |
| WHEELBASE | 109.3 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 192.8 x 73.2 x 56.5 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 6.0 sec |
| QUARTER MILE | 14.5 sec @ 99.3 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 125 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.86 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 26.6 sec @ 0.69 g (avg) |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON | 22/30/25 mpg |
| ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY | 153/112 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 0.78 lb/mile |
