2003 NISSAN MAXIMA

NISSAN Reviews:    • 350Z    • MAXIMA    • ALTIMA    • SENTRA   Read Feature Story   Read New Car News   Read Brand Reviews   Read Car-Truck Test Reviews   Return to Guide's Homepage

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Nissan, an automaker originating in Japan but tied now to the North American market with a California design studio and assembly plants in Tennessee and Ohio, constructs four-door passenger cars in three sizes, then outfits all with sophisticated mechanical systems that include class-capping powertrains. Yet Nissan's car class for 2003 also includes a sweet variation to sedans with a sporty new coupe named after the memorable Z-car. New 350Z -- looking like a contemporary homage to Nissan's historical fastback 2+2 Z-cars such as the 300ZX Turbo -- brings a 3.5-liter twin-cam V6 that rips to more than 280 hp in concert with an electronically-controlled five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode or a six-speed manual. Nissan's flagship Maxima sedan, tipped decisively to the racy side of performance in 2002 due to the 3.5-liter V6 in all versions, charges into 2003 with more standard safety gear, such as side-impact air bags, then spins off a new Titanium Edition for Maxima SE. Mid-size Altima, capturing the North American Car of the Year trophy last year in its debut on an enlarged platform with fired up powertrains, returns with new luxury packages, such as the 3.5 SE Leather Sport Package that lines the cabin in leather and installs a tail spoiler and high intensity discharge (HID) xenon headlights. Nissan's compact-class sedan, Sentra, casting a pair of sporty editions in 2002 called SE-R and SE-R Spec V, for 2003 adds the Sentra 2.5 Limited, while SE-R Spec V holds a new six-speed manual.

350Z: The Z returns to Nissan's line in the sleek form of a fastback sports car projecting an elongated front like the original Datsun 240Z of 1969 but also a high-kicking V6 engine below the hood. Fashioned from a tight new platform in classic sports car format with engine up front and all power flowing to rear wheels, new 350Z carries a four-wheel independent multi-link suspension with components of lightweight aluminum that enable it to dance down the fast track. The 3.5-liter V6 pumps up to 287 hp when teamed with the six-speed manual. Nissan enhances Z-car control by offering a Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) device with Traction Control System (TCS). Alloy wheels spanning 17 inches are the standard, but 18-inchers capped by performance tires are on the option chart. Cockpit orients around the driver with triple pods of gauges in front and a center console that looks like a solid block of aluminum. In all, there will be seven variations of the Z-car, under such descriptive titles as Performance, Touring and Track.

MAXIMA: As flagship for Nissan's fleet, the Maxima sedan presents a face with bold grille framed by four-bulb HID xenon headlamps, followed by chiseled yet smooth flanks intended to cheat the wind as the hunk romps down a road. And romp it can, thanks to the 3.5-liter six-pack that generates 255 hp and moves Maxima to the top of the class among mid-size sedans. Maxima divides into three trims -- the price-leading GXE followed by a sport-tuned SE and luxurious GLE. All carry the V6, and a four-speed automatic is standard except on Maxima SE where a rare-for-a-sedan six-speed manual appears. All Maximas also host an independent strut front suspension system and a compact multi-link beam arrangement in back that produces a smooth ride quality and contributes to the car's stability while cornering. A disc brake mounts at each of the four wheels with all tied by computerized links to anti-lock controls (ABS) plus brake assist (BA) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD). The 2003 Maxima offers a new Titanium Edition Package for SE trim with either manual or automatic transmission. It stocks a Bose audio system with six-disc CD deck in the dash, side-impact air bags, stainless steel sill plates, alloy wheels finished in dark chrome and a body color called Polished Titanium.

ALTIMA: Nissan's four-door sedan moved up to the mid-size class for 2002 models and became a marketing sensation due to aggressive styling and a big V6 aboard. Exterior designs look crisp and clean, but also aggressive and powerful with taut skin stretched over muscular shoulders and flat side panels interrupted by bulging fenders. Altima appears in four trims described by the size of two engine options. An entry model and two upgraded issues carry a dual-cam 2.5-liter in-line-four plant and line up as the Altima 2.5, mid-grade 2.5 S and deluxe 2.5 SL. Top Altima 3.5 SE packs Nissan's 3.5-liter V6 good for 240 hp. A five-speed manual or four-speed automatic works with either engine. Several new packages of gear go to SE, such as the 3.5 SE Sport Package Plus with sunroof, tail spoiler, xenon headlamps and Bose audio, or the Premium Leather Package with leather coating the cabin.

SENTRA: A fifth treatment of the compact sedan from Nissan came in 2001 with body stretched in length and width to make a larger vehicle with more room in the cabin. In 2002 a sporty model arrived in two versions, SE-R and SE-R Spec V. Power for SE-R Sentras is a raucous twin-cam 2.5-liter four that hits 175 hp for the Spec V performance edition, or 165 hp for SE-R. Spec V looks hot, and it is. It hunkers on 17-inch alloy wheels capped by Z-rated low-profile tires below a wedge-shaped package that tips forward to suggest swift movement, even when parked. Spec V also stocks serious performance hardware, including a six-speed manual shifter, limited-slip differential, four-wheel disc brakes and tighter suspension tuning. A new 2.5 Limited Edition emerges in Sentra's 2003 line. It wears the fascia of Sentra GXE and carries the SE-R 165-hp engine with automatic transmission, ABS and side-impact air bags. That brings the trims up to five, with entry XE, GXE, 2.5 Limited, SE-R and SE-R Spec V. Sentra XE increases content with standard air conditioning and a stereo with four speakers plus CD deck. Then there are the two new exterior colors -- Sunburst, reserved exclusively for SE-R and SE-R Spec V, and Envy, a dark green.