2012 Nissan Maxima

The 2012 Nissan Maxima is offered in two trim options. The base trim S starts at $33,200 while the upper trim SV costs $35,900. The standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, keyless ignition/entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, power front seats, a Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and an 8-speaker stereo system. You can upgrade to the SV trim for leather upholstery, foglights, driver-seat manual thigh-support extender, and power lumbar support, 9-speaker Bose audio system, and a 7-inch touchscreen.

We recommend

The Nissan Maxima offers an impressive list of features as standard. The base trim also packs in all the important features that you require in your daily life and much more. It offers modern features like cruise control, keyless ignition/entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlights, and power front seats. We recommend going for the S trim as it offers all the features at a much lower price. 

The 2012 Nissan Maxima is powered by a 3.5-Liter naturally aspirated V6 engine. The engine produces a maximum power of 290 horsepower and a peak torque of 261 lb-ft. The engine is mated to a CVT transmission and the power is sent to the front wheels. The performance of the Maxima is one of its key highlights and the CVT transmission performs surprisingly well. It takes only 6.4 seconds to reach from 0 to 60 mph and the quarter-mile run takes 14.8 seconds.

The handling of the Nissan Maxima makes it an even better choice among the competition. The athletic handling of the Maxima complements the performance of the sedan very well. The suspension also handles the road undulations very well and manages a good balance between ride and handling.

The 2012 Nissan Maxima is the fastest sedan in the competition in terms of outright acceleration. It is the only sedan in the competition that uses a CVT transmission, still, it beats all the rivals in acceleration. The Acura TL comes in the second position with a very slight margin. The last in the competition is the Toyota Avalon but it has similar timing to the Acura TL in the quarter-mile run. The Dodge Charger has the most powerful engine of the lot and it takes identical timing to the TL in the 0 to 60 mph run.

The Nissan Maxima manages to produce a very decent fuel economy figure in the segment. It is not the most fuel-efficient sedans in the competition but not too bad either. The Maxima delivers 19 mpg in the city driving conditions, 26 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg of combined fuel economy. The only thing that goes in the favor of the Maxima here is the class-leading 20-gallon fuel tank. The larger fuel tank allows it to deliver a better range which means less frequent stops on the highways. 

The Acura TL is the most fuel-efficient sedan in the competition. It also manages to deliver the best overall range on the highways. The Toyota Avalon comes in the second position, performing slightly better than the Maxima in terms of fuel economy figures. However, the Maxima offers a better range because of the larger fuel tank. The Dodge Charger has the least fuel-efficient engine in the competition, but it also manages well in overall range with its 19.5-gallon fuel tank.

The 2012 Nissan Maxima offers very impressive interior space in both rows. It is not the best in terms of the overall interior space but offers enough space to accommodate 4 passengers very comfortably. The front row is spacious and there is a good distance between the driver and the co-passenger. The controls for the driver are also well laid out. Everything falls in the reach of the driver and the controls are not confusing at all. 

The second row is also spacious but it can not accommodate 3 passengers there. Two passengers can sit comfortably in the rear row. The quality of the material feels very premium and everything seems well put together. The dashboard is also very well laid out. It also gets features like dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, and keyless ignition. 

The Nissan Maxima offers very generous cabin space compared to the other sedans in the segment. It offers the best in class legroom for the front passengers while the Toyota Avalon takes the lead in the rear seat legroom. The Dodge Charger offers the largest cargo area while the Acura LT has the smallest cargo area in the competition. Standout interior features include:

• Power front seats
• Driver-seat manual thigh-support extender
• Power lumbar support
• Leather upholstery
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Cruise control
• Keyless ignition

The infotainment system of the 2012 Nissan Maxima

The 2021 Nissan Maxima gets a 7-inch touchscreen system with the SV trim. The touchscreen system is very intuitive to use and the graphics are also very clear. The screen features a very user-friendly interface and the features are very easy to navigate. However, the touch response feels a bit slow to respond, but it is not too bad. 

The standard infotainment features include Bluetooth phone capability, an 8-speaker audio system with a CD changer, and an auxiliary audio jack. The SV trim gets a 9-speaker Bose audio system, satellite radio, 2GB of digital music storage, RCA auxiliary audio-video jack, and an iPod/USB audio interface. Standout infotainment features include:

• 7-inch touchscreen system
• 8-speaker audio system
• 9-speaker Bose audio system
• CD changer
• Satellite radio
• 2GB of digital music storage
• iPod/USB audio interface

The sedans in this segment are not meant for sharp curves and sporty designs. The more subtle and minimal the design remains, the better it is. The Nissan Maxima understands it very well and they have kept the overall design of the 2012 Maxima very subtle. It does not catch many eyes and mixes in the crows very well. Everything has been designed keeping the subtleness in mind. The 2012 Maxima rides on 18-inch alloy wheels which look good. There are some minor changes in the exterior of the 2012 Maxima compared to the previous year’s model like the updated front grille and the new taillights.

The Dodge Charger is the longest sedan in the comparison with an overall length of over 200 inches. It also features the longest wheelbase in the competition which is 9 inches longer than the Toyota Avalon which takes the second position. The Nissan Maxima has the shortest length and the wheelbase is identical to the Acura LT. The Maxima is also the lightest sedan in the competition. Standout exterior features are:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic headlights
• Keyless entry
• Sunroof
• Foglights
• HID xenon headlights with smoke-tinted lenses (Available)

The Nissan Maxima has failed to live up to the expectations in terms of safety if we consider the crash test results. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the 2012 Maxima a very decent 4 out of 5 stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has also a very similar alright rating for the 2012 Maxima. The safety features are very generous for the 2012 Nissan Maxima but it needs an improvement in other aspects to get better safety ratings. However, the safety concern is not too big with the Maxima as it manages to score decently. Safety features of the Nissan Maxima are:

• Traction Control 
• Vehicle dynamic control
• Brake assist
• Electronic brake force distribution
• Tire pressure monitoring system

The Nissan Maxima is a great all-rounder sedan in the segment and there is a lot to like about this car. The Maxima offers the best acceleration in the competition with a CVT transmission, which also manages good fuel economy figures. The handling of the car is also a strong point in its favor. The ride is also very mature and the passengers can spend long hours comfortably in the 2012 Maxima. If you do not have any issue with the Nissan badge for that much money, then it comes out as a great overall package for sure.