(first posted 8/10/2016) Alright, well maybe as a humbler GXE model, this 1990 Maxima isn’t the best example to make for the whole four-door sports car case. But compared to bulkier-looking modern sports sedans (and all modern cars in general) there is something undeniably athletic about this 1990 Maxima’s lean, sleek looks.
It’s a different kind of athletic for sure, with its body more akin to that of a long-distance runner whereas modern sports sedans, depending on how you see it are either like a someone who lifts weights 7 days a week or someone who spends 7 days a week on the couch eating pizza and guzzling beer.
Since its introduction for the 1981 model year, Maxima has always signified the Nissan brand’s largest and most luxurious sedan in North America. Its first two generations were positioned as premium, comfortable, and somewhat unexciting sedans, much like its primary competitor, Toyota’s Cressida.
However, with Nissan’s decision to launch a full-fledged luxury division in Infiniti, the purpose and future of the Maxima came into question. Rather than just leave the Maxima out to wither (and die, like the Cressida), Nissan chose to give the Maxima’s image a significant overhaul, emphasizing performance and positioning the third generation Maxima as an alternative to European entry-level luxury sports sedans.
No matter the label, the third generation Maxima was one of the sportiest front-wheel drive sedans on the market at the time, offering a choice of two 3-liter V6s, four-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmissions, two levels of sport-tuned independent front- and rear-strut suspensions, front- and rear-stabilizer bars, along with available antilock brakes and adaptive sonar suspension.
Carried over from the previous generation, the standard engine was the SOHC 3.0L VG30E, making an identical 160 horsepower and 182 lb-ft torque. Added for 1992 on SE models, was the VE30DE. Derived from the former engine, the VE30DE added dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Hood clearance also necessitated a 30-degree head as opposed to 46-degrees. Producing 190 horsepower and 190 pound-feet torque, this engine was exclusive to the 1992-1994 Maxima SE and not available on any other vehicle.
While the standard engine may have been carry-over, styling certainly was not. Growing some 4.3 inches in wheelbase, 6.1 inches in length, 2.8 inches in width, and 0.4 inches in height in the process, the third generation Maxima traded in its predecessor’s rather generic ’80s Japanese angular styling for a whole new design language that was sleeker, smoother, and sexier. In fact, the only obvious styling trait carried over from the previous generation was the rectangular wraparound design of its headlights.
With softer corners, flowing sheetmetal, aggressively flared wheel arches, and steeply raked windshields, the Maxima exuded its most dynamic looks yet. Whereas competitors like the Mitsubishi Galant VR4 piled on the gingerbread with ribbed lower bodyside cladding, body-color wheels, and an obnoxious front air damn, the Maxima took a more understated, elegant look.
As Nissan Motor’s largest and most luxurious car sold in North America at the time of its launch (the manufacturer’s Infiniti Q45 flagship was still a year away), the 1989 Maxima rightfully boasted a number of standard and available luxury features.
Standard features included alloy wheels, AM/FM stereo with cassette player, power windows, air conditioning, and remote keyless entry. Select options included head-up display, keyless entry and window roll-down via a driver’s door keypad (similar to FordMoCo), premium Bose stereo, automatic climate control, power front seats, leather upholstery, power moonroof, and anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes.
Inside, all Maximas presented occupants with a straightforward interior, with all controls logically laid out for easy driver reach and view. In contrast to its boxy predecessor, the 1989-1994 Maxima utilized a more cohesive design of the dashboard, center stack, and door panels, incorporating soft, organic curves for a look that was both visually appealing and contemporary.
Interior space was generous, with Nissan claiming to have designed the cabin to accommodate five 6’2″ occupants. Accommodate in what degree of comfort was something Nissan neglected to specify, but indeed the Maxima boasted more interior space than most other midsize sedans, with the possible exception of rear head and legroom, which were limited by the Maxima’s sloping roofline and average for its class wheelbase, respectively.
A driver’s side airbag was offered, although it wasn’t made standard until 1993. Even when so equipped, the annoying-to-many motorized shoulder belts were retained, and would not be eliminated for the remainder of this generation.
Contemporary reviews of this generation Maxima were generally praiseworthy, with highlights including the Maxima’s lack of noticeable torque-steer, braking abilities, and power delivery at both low and high rpms. Compared to other sporty front-wheel drive offerings that doubled as family sedans, the Maxima generally ranked high in comparison tests, with its level of comfort praised as much as its performance.
The definition of sports car is so loose with no real definition set in stone, but I think most can agree that this Maxima is not what comes to mind when the phrase “sports car” is mentioned. Although it may not have been a true sports car, the 1989-1994 Maxima was a smart choice for buyers looking for a sporty and fun-to-drive, yet roomy, feature-rich, and affordable (under $25,000) sedan.
By rebranding the Maxima as an entry-level luxury sports sedan, Nissan greatly boosted the Maxima’s potential and gave it greater purpose, prolonging its life indefinitely. Although it has swelled up significantly in size, its image as a sporty and premium large sedan has remained constant up through the present, staying true to its roots.
Certainly good cars in their day, and definitely a wise shift in direction for the Maxima on Nissan’s part. I just never warmed up to the styling of these. I disliked the slab sides. I hated the way the door handles reached to the end of each door. The early SE alloys looked cheap. And I never warmed up to the full width tail lamp treatment. A shame for me really, because they drove great.
I used to hate that door handle design too, but now all these years later I can kind of see what they were going for. I think it was supposed to look swept back and aerodynamic – as if the car was so fast that the door handles get pushed back in the wind.
You can see the effect really well in the side profile of the white car in the middle of this article. Also – I think that’s the only automative press photo ever taken where they forgot the line up the “NISSAN” logo on the both center caps! tsk tsk….
Haha I noticed the exact same thing about the wheels. Nowadays, precise alignment is probably done in digital editing, but I always wondered if back in the day they actually had to put the wheels on so they’d line up perfectly for promo shots.
Yes, often enough they need to put the hubcaps on for the lined up badges, or back/forward a little bit for wheel shots on magazines. When newer Rolls Royce came with the rotating badge, the photographer appreciated it a lot.
It seems like it would be fairly straightforward to fix in analog photo editing. An X-ACTO knife and a steady hand…
Most of these Ive seen are ex JDM so they miss out on the weird seatbelt but gain a speedlimiter, very quick accelerating cars these Maxima but at 180kmh its all over.
I generally like the styling of these, but I feel like the basic design language was better expressed in the U12 Bluebird hardtop that came out about a year earlier. The version of that we got (as the Stanza) was the sedan, which was pretty stolid, but the hardtop is very sharp. It has most of what’s nice about the Maxima, but is less slab-sided and less rigidly upright — in profile, it actually looks kind of like a four-door hardtop version of the contemporary Honda Prelude. The Bluebird hardtop also has more conventional door pulls and a much more cohesive taillight treatment, a variation of the contemporary A31 Cefiro sedan.
On the other hand, I think I’d prefer the VE30DE to the turbo fours from the Bluebird SSS. So, you win some, you lose some.
My overall favorite generation Maxima! It’s predecessors
were too boxy and its successors were mad bloated.
I agree! For me its the ultimate Maxima. I still see a few around…three yesterday in fact, two of which were in great shape 🙂
Not surprised some are still being kept in good shape, I knew several people who had them when new and they always raved about the.
I didn’t mind driving in them but, as already noted, the backseat was to be avoided.
The restyle done for 89 was very successful. Does anybody know if it was done out of Japan or Nissan’s California studio? The California studio had acquired the services of Gerry Hershberg, the former Buick designer who later worked on the Altima and hardbody/Pathfinder trucks.
Loved these when I was a kid, love them now. What a great time for Japanese sedans: this, the last Cressida, the shapely Mazda 929. In Australia, this was the first generation of Maxima we received and befitting its role as flagship, only automatic models were sold. This, coupled with more sedate advertising, meant the Maxima developed more of a senior citizen image than a sporty one. The same can be said for the Honda Accord here, which may surprise Americans.
Here, Maximas got blander and/or chromier and softer with each generation as the Maxima lines diverged, with Australia eventually receiving the JDM Teana with Maxima badging. After the ’93 Bluebird (Altima) failed, Nissan abandoned the mid-size market after 1997 and left a yawning chasm between Pulsar and Maxima (although the Maxima was mid-size-ish, it was always V6 only and priced well above entry-level mid-sizers). This was only remedied in 2013 when the Altima was re-launched. But hey, that’s Nissan Australia for you: great at selling SUVs, crossovers and pickups, wildly inconsistent in its efforts at selling passenger cars.
Back around 1993 or 94, the company I then worked for had a Sales teambuilding day out at Road Atlanta and Lanier Speedway. We did slaloms and autocross before strapping into their driving school 300Zs (caged and stripped interiors). They paced us with a Maxima, which they said was faster than the Zs around the track. The fastest they would let us get was a touch over 100 on the back straightaway.
People talk a lot that current Maximas are much softer but was not that always the case. I am not suggesting any Maxima tried to have an American boulevard ride, but tire choices and suspension stiffness were always far below Spirit RT, Lumina Z34, or Taurus SHO. 4DSC stickers not withstanding. Wasn’t the tuning more in line with Accord EX, 929S or Taurus LX?
I think there was a noticeable difference between the GXE and SE in suspension tune as well as tires. So, there’s that.
All three Japanese “Big Three” in America were really on the ball with their mid size cars in the early to mid 90s. These are no exception. Nice smooth, clean look.
I worked with a guy who bought one of these in their first year or two out. It was red with black leather and very well equipped. His prior car had been a strippo Taurus MT-5, so quite the contrast.
I really liked these then and I still do. This turned out to be one of those cars so nicely done that the one that followed just never measured up.
My dad had a real 4DSC version, the SE with a stick shift. It’s the only car he still misses–and he’s had a plethora of luxury-brand sport-sedans since then.
I remember that rear leg-room was totally insufficient, even as a kid. My knees were fine, but there was simply no room under the front seat for my feet.
The exterior style would have made a perfect match for the Infiniti Q45. With a dressed-up interior, this would have been a much better entry-level Infiniti than the M30.
My brother’s first car was a used ’94 model, black exterior, automatic transmission (not sure if it was an SE). The most striking thing about it was the white leather interior. Not tan or “cream,” but a true white.
I thought I was the only one who noticed how the generation of Maxima shown here looked like it could easily have been sold as an Infiniti. Certainly the view from the back evokes the Q45. While the 1st generation M30 looked like a “sister” to the early-mid 80s Nissan 200SX.
These were a fresh, clean design, philosophically imitative of a legendary luxury sports sedan from 35 years earlier: the Jaguar Mark I. You could get to where you were going in a relative hurry, but didn’t punish yourself doing it.
A nice clean elegant design, I always thought. In ’93 a neighbor bought a new Maxima, which was street parked next to the ’90 Accord EX that I was driving at the time. I always thought both of those cars, as well as the Camry of the same vintage, were simply attractive designs. A little understated, maybe, but timelessly well balanced and “classy”, for lack of a better word. Times change and designs evolve, but I don’t ‘get’ the origami-creased, angry-faced, blinged-out stuff in showrooms today. Of course I never thought much of the later 90’s jellybean look either, and I think today’s overdone styling is representative of the pendulum swinging too far back from circa 1996ish. I’m looking for stylists to come back to center over the next 5 years or so, and bring back some simple elegance to sedans.
We have to remember this was 1989 – the design of this Maxima was revolutionary – totally new and fresh – light years ahead of anything else out there. Just look at the box it replaced – a total 180! My Dad’s ’87 GXE looked so dated so quickly it was ridiculous. We had years of 70’s and 80’s boxy designs – this Maxima was the new look, the wave of the future. And in the handling department this Maxima was again light years ahead of most other cars, especially the previous gen Maxima – hence the 4DSC designation. Dad’s ’87 was fine if you went in a straight line. Heaven forbid you made a quick maneuver – it was so twitchy and loose it was downright scary! I know firsthand because several times driving that car I had to make a quick maneuver and it felt like I was driving a marshmallow. I think these Maximas were so successful because it gave consumers a nice blend of sportiness and luxury wrapped up in a brand new look. To me, they were worthy of the 4DSC designation.
My sister and brother-in-law had one back in the day, automatic (Don’s liking of manual transmissions died with his Austin Marina – come to think of it, a lot of his car tastes died with that POS), and pretty well tricked out. I got to drive it a couple of times on their visits to Johnstown, and was very impressed with the car.
What Nissan did with the model over the next couple of generations, however, should have had somebody in the company taken out back and shot.
Great cars. This generation Maxima just seemed so void of compromise, most sports sedans today(including it’s namesake) try to capture what the 4DSC captured but they always seem to lack a key dynamic in the name of either safety(weight, blobby styling), or production cost(lack of available manual transmission, compromised suspension), whereas these Maximas were basically on the cutting edge in every criteria for the period they existed, whether it be it’s excellent V6 or it’s fully independent suspension(which was ditched on it’s successor) or it’s clean lithe styling. They remind me of Mercedes (of the era) in that regard with that attention to detail. You think of other FWD sports sedans of the period – I saw SHO, Spirit R/T, and Lumina Z34 mentioned – those were regular cars with hot(and costly, and unreliable) engines, with rudimentary chassis who were tuned to ride hard because that’s how to make a compromised chassis handle well, very much in the 60s muscle vein, the Maxima took corners every bit as well but was still compliant.
Oh and I’ll take too slab sided over post-bangle random flame surfacing hell we’re stuck with today thank you very much.
My Father had a ’92 Maxima, then a ’95 Maxima that he bought shortly before his second, unsuccessful, battle with cancer. My Mother still has the ’95 model, garage kept since new, with 82K on it.
Her (and my) observations: Awesome, wonderful, virile engine, average automatic transmission, acceptable power steering and braking, cheap quality interior with hard seats, A/C system problematic and just-barely-adequate for a New Orleans extended summer, dull body with average paint quality.
Nissans just don’t seem to have the long term reliability and high quality control of a Toyota.
GOTTA love that engine, though!!!!
I really liked the styling of these at the time, and I still do. Clean, elegant, aerodynamic without falling over the line into jellybean. In my mind they do have a kinship with the Accords of the era, and also in an odd way the MN12 Thunderbird. Quite the lookers, especially with the right alloys. I’ll take mine in pearl white, a color you started to see often on these. Haven’t ever had the chance to drive one but if I did I imagine I’d be favorably impressed.
The father of a guy in my Boy Scout troop owned one. His other car was a beautiful Healey 3000 roadster, so obviously the fellow knew a thing or two about sports cars and felt the “4DSC” was worthy of sharing a driveway with the big Healey.
I never even thought of the Tbird kinship, there’s definitely a physical familiarity, on top of that both borrow heavily from shark nose era BMWs, e24 and e28, and both invested heavily in improving handling from their previous gens, he’ll both were new for 89 as well. If only the MN12 had a standard powerplant as sweet as the VG30E though…
This occupied, at its debut, a very unique position in Japanese car land. It was a bit larger than the Accord and a bit larger than the Camry, and lower line versions competed with the Accord/Camry/Taurus but a higher line version was closer to Acura pricing. Thus, purchasers looking for something a little larger and plushier than the Accord/Camry went for the Maxima. The Lexus/Infiniti hadn’t yet debuted and this was far more reliable and certainly less expensive and nicer than many BMWs/Audis. A true yuppiemobile and a complete shift away from the loose pillow, velour, Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale esque previous generation. There really wasn’t much like it for – – – ever. Plus, it was one of the few cars which came with a V6 and a manual.
They had quite the following for a very long time. Nice cars although the leather tends to be fragile and they do develop expensive sensor failures as they age.
Although I’m a little too young to remember, as I understand these were particularly hot cars back in their day. This is illustrated in the Hughes brothers 1993 classic “Menace II Society” where a black Maxima stars as the target vehicle for theft.
I’ve also got to think that Will Smith is referring to a Maxima when he rhymes “Riding around in your jeep or your Benzos…Or in your Nissan sitting on lorenzos” in his 1991 hit “Summertime.”
Today, Nissan definitely does not offer any vehicles that would appear in such context.
As I learned from the many O.J. Simpson related shows this year, Marcia Clark had one!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Zg8su9gCwDw
Yuppie criminal activities came through my mind about this Nissan Maxima, like Charles Stuart’s murder for insurance claim and “bought a new Nissan Maxima for $16,000 in cash.”
He had that blue ’87-’88Cressida with grey leather and he and his wife, whom he shot, appeared in that segment of of trauma-reality show back in the day.
While in college in 88 or 89 we did a group marketing presentation for the Taurus SHO. The new Maxima was one of the comparisons… I much preferred the Maxima and I think the instructor could see that on my face during the presentation.
I agree with the other comments that these looked really aero and modern when they came out. Now of course they look boxy but the design has aged well. I was a little uncomfortable with the taillights at first because they reminded of Ford Tempo taillights. But I grew to love the design. There was a facelift that gave the rear end a new molding that was busy and made a frowny face. At that same time the SE got a DOHC 24-valve engine but that seemed like overkill. The SOHC V6 was super smooth, at least as smooth as the inline-6 in the Cressida. Japanese inline-6 engines, generally speaking, are not very smooth.
The other perspective change is on the FWD. Back then I thought the Maxima was much more advanced for having it and the Cressida old-fashioned for keeping the RWD. Now of course FWD means torque steer and rental car.
I remember a big advantage of Chrysler New Yorker in the late ’80s was the advanced FWD design and Cressida had the disadvantage of RWD.
I think this was a sweetspot period for FWD, torquesteer is bad in a lot of newer cars because they’re putting out 250-300+ horsepower in some instances and transverse layouts tend to universally misbehave over 200ish no matter how hard it’s fought by engineering. And with cars from the late 80s/early 90s period being so comparatively light a 160-200hp engine could feel quite strong in them, even if their more powerful successors best them in acceleration stats.
Classic looking car, power, handling and Japanese reliability while still giving Beemers and Mercs a run for their money, but the glory days are long in the past for the Maxima and its big hipped successors.
Back then you could get a 5 speed stick, today you get the CVT (whether you want to or not) and a look a little too close to the Altima, no wonder they didn’t sell.
The new one looks okay, but still you’re stuck with the CVT, too bad really, a victim of a changing marketplace and myopic thinking from Nissan.
I had a ‘winter blue metallic’ ’91 GXE with charcoal leather from about ’99 to ’02. It only had 67K miles on it when I got it but I managed to pile on 100K of my own in those three years. I should have held on to that car another year or two…it was the most reliable car I’ve owned. And it was definitely the high water mark for Maxima quality and was one of, if not the most, favorite car I’ve owned. Great seats that actually had some side support, very good interior quality, no squeaks or rattles in the interior when I sold it and that was with tokico blue struts crushing down over MI roads. The 4-speaker Bose stereo had a very balanced sound…no missing frequency ranges or disappearing bass like newer Bose systems. The VG30E was a sweet sounding engine. It had a deeper, snarling tone and I can still hear it in my head. The only obvious cheap bits were the clock (a resistor on the circuit board would need to be resoldered about once a year), window regulators (replaced most, if not all of them) and the rear drum brakes (glazed shoes).
If I remember, GM used this Maxima’s body style for the proportions of the ’92 Olds 88.
It was replaced by a ’97 GXE (Rosewood with charcoal cloth) and while many deride that generation’s multilink beam rear, I can assure you the ’97 was FAR less tail happy, in addition to having the even better sounding VQ30DE.
I only drove the GXE, very nice interior and the 4DSC was a neat decal. Didnt feel super sporty but it was a decent cruiser.
Only real complaints were engine bay room and ratber delicate transmissions on the GXE. The generation after got you a much better engine and no silly auto seat belts.
I can second the window regulator issue – replaced all four beginning from the driver’s door clockwise in a little over two years.
In 1994, I had the pleasure of driving a rental ’94 GXE for a couple of days. I was immediately smitten with the car: smooth, powerful (for its day) V6, cushy yet supportive seats, even the oval-headed key was awesome. Unfortunately, my minimum wage high school job at Subway reality slapped me into my first car: a 1982 Accord five speed sedan (in fading sh!+ brown metallic!) with 230K on the clock.
Fast forward to 1997 and my first well paying professional job. I was looking for a late model Accord to replace my carb-sputtering leg press-clutched ’82 (a great car in its prime, but definitely worse for the wear from my hooning). When I pulled up to the Honda dealership, they had a low mile ’94 GXE in black on the spinner, for almost a grand less (!) than the ’94 Accord LX next to it.
A car note for $10K later, and the Maxima was all mine. While it was the base Max (VG30E, four speed auto, AM/FM/Cassette, manual AC), it was (IMO) a hell of a car for an 18 year old kid who skipped college and went straight to work. Build quality was excellent, with nary a squeak or rattle (even after some repeated Russian River-bank off roading), and it had some nice touches: auto down driver’s window, cornering lamps, great cloth interior, and real glass headlamp lenses.
By far though, the Max’s best feature was the combination of the VG and its four wheel independent suspension. The GXE’s suspension tuning struck an excellent balance with well planted mountain road handling and freeway cruisability, and with the smooth VG it was just quick enough to be entertaining but not lethal to the kid driving it.
It did have its quirks, including the racetrack belts (why Nissan kept ’em after adding the airbag is beyond me), the chintzy window regulators, it’s heat-averse direct ignition system, and the useless cup holders integrated into a single DIN-sized tray under the base radio. To this day, my biggest automotive regret was trading in the Max for a 4Runner a little over two years and 60K later. Thankfully, I finally got the chance to atone for my mistake with the purchase of its spiritual 4DSC successor, the G37 sedan.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Brendan – great article!
This generation of Maxima holds a special place in my heart, as I was brought home from the hospital in one. My parents owned it for 9 years and 200,000 miles, when it started to have (automatic) transmission problems.
Despite the great reliability these were reputed to have (and ours did for many years), they suddenly started to become rare around 2005, at least in New England. Did they have terrible rust problems, or were the transmissions too expensive for later owners to fix?
Call me old,
But I do like the styling of the 1981 squared off model body versus the 1990 model……….
Also could be I dislike dirt showing black on most cars, one was enough long ago !
I have this exact model – a black 1991 GXE. When I started college in the fall of ’89, I saw a few around campus and knew I had to get one. Got mine from a Lexus dealer in ’94 and still have it. However, I’m very ashamed to admit it’s been sitting in my driveway and hasn’t been cranked in 5+ years. My goal is to start a full restoration soon, replacing the headlamps and having the seal around the sunroof repaired. It has a door ding that needs to be pulled and needs a repaint, but is in otherwise excellent condition.
Hope you got it going, Justin.
Ex had one (’92, black over tan) and it was becoming unreliable for her (oil leaks, jerky trans), so I sold it to a guy who barely spoke English for cheap (I made sure he felt the transmission behavior on the test drive, he acknowledged). He had a relative call me later that week to say he would need a duplicate title as the original burned in the car. What?!?!
Turns out he had flipped it while doing 90 MPH down I-5 in Seattle and almost died. He came to get the duplicate himself, he was very banged up but moving under his own power. Said something about “no more racing”. I should hope not. Glad he lived.
I much prefer the 1995-1999 Maxima. Give me an SE with 3 pedals in black, please. The only Maxima I really cared about. The current one looks okay, and I love the n/a V-6, but the CVT kills it. And I’m afraid of Nissan interiors and suspensions in the long term, after experiencing several later Altimas.
A great time to revisit this with the Maxima’s impending demise. People who weren’t around (or paying attention) at the time can’t really grasp what a leap Nissan made at the time. Here. The Z, the Pulsar, the SX. Wow.
With 20/20 hindsight, my Dad probably should have considered this instead of replacing Mom’s 1987 Grand Am LE with a GM10 Cutlass Supreme. But then, his Asian-changeover didn’t come for another 10 or so years, after two problematic Sedan deVilles replaced the Cutlass and he lived through a series of S10 Blazers and Jimmies similarly wrought with problems. Been Lexus ever since, and no complaints.
Friend of mine owns a 90 with 5-speed. Got it for free from some family. It too is Black. I love it. I’m always joking that “I have a 90 sitting at a friend’s house” whenever these get mentioned anywhere.
“…an obnoxious front air damn…”
Typo of the week! 🙂
I had a MY2000 GLE, light blue. Nice swoopy roof and styling, but was a bit low in headroom in the back. Loved the V30 engine, really smooth, had zip, but pretty big torque steer if you floored the accelerator. Was really reliable for the 4 years I owned it until I had a collision on the freeway and totaled it.
Later models’ interior and instrument panel looked kind of cheap so I didn’t get another one. Unfortunately the expansion of the Altima line to include a V6 combined with the Infiniti G series pretty much squeezed the Maxima’s market position, so it’s not surprising it’s going away.
If nothing else, this just shows how wretchedly high belt lines have crept up since the 90’s. I just love the low belt line look of these and the other 90’s sedans for that matter. Can hardly wait for the industry to move away from where it is today with all the fat butt tiny window sedans.
Just acquired one. In my opinion; probably one of the cleanest originals left. Considering it was purchased through an estate in a white collar, NJ neighborhood and garage kept. Compound that with an 87 year old owner who bought the car brand new. What do you get? A KEEPER! Definitely JDM nostalgia at its best. Great article. I look forward to preserving a small piece of notable car history.
For some more recent model years, the Altima was actually bigger than the Maxima.
Dave: And additionally I think there were years when Altima and Maxima shared the same platform(underpinnings), as was the case with Avalon and Camry about 20 years ago.