awards, what do you do for an encore? Answer: Add a larger cupholder, two new exterior

colors and a power seat on the passenger's side.

That's about all Nissan has done to the 1996 Maxima after its redesigned '95 edition

nabbed several honors and asserted itself as a tiger in the midsized sedan class.

The '95 redesign was prompted by a desire to broaden the Maxima's appeal beyond the

sports-car enthusiast segment.

Nissan definitely succeeded on that front by modifying the body design in a way that

downplayed the sportier looks of the previous Maxima. While the more rounded body

design drew some yawns from the more sportily inclined, the new Maxima scored big

among family-sedan buyers.

But if the appearance of the fourth-generation Maxima doesn't make the heart of

performance enthusiasts go pitter-patter, all is forgiven once they get behind the

wheel. Nissan chose a wise strategy. If the redesigned Maxima may look more

conservative than its antecedents, it actually packs more power.

Therein lies the genius of the redesigned Maxima: Road-burning acceleration in a

quieter, roomier and smoother-riding 4-door sedan.

The Maxima comes in three models: The entry-line GXE, the sport-equipped SE and the

luxury-line GLE. Our test model SE was "granite pearl" in color--that's a deep gray to

you and me--and sported a base sticker price of $22,679.

Standard equipment on the GXE includes air conditioning; cruise control; stereo

cassette player; tilt steering wheel and power seats, windows, door locks and mirrors.

Our SE test model included such standard equipment features as sport-tuned suspension;

liquid-controlled front suspension (on models with automatic transmission); alloy

wheels; rear-deck spoiler; front fog lamps; sport velour seat cloth; leather-wrapped

steering wheel and black-on-white analog gauges.

The upline GLE offers such additional standard amenities as woodgrain trim; automatic

transmission; 8-way power driver's seat and 4-way passenger seat; automatic climate

control; keyless remote entry system and Bose CD audio system.

Our SE came with nearly $4000 worth of options. They included: antilock brakes ($999);

power sunroof ($899); Bose audio system with CD player and six speakers ($799); the

security and convenience package--which includes power driver's seat, keyless remote,

intermittent wipers and illuminated vanity mirrors ($699)--and a cold-weather package

that includes a heavy-duty battery, heated front seats and heated outside mirrors

($199). That brought the total suggested retail price up to $26,274, and Nissan's

standard destination charge adds another $405.

generation, marketed as "the 4-door sports car." But the Maxima is designed with a

different buyer in mind--the one who is currently in a Ford Taurus or Honda Accord and

might be looking for a change.

Although this is still a lean, purposeful shape, the Maxima's back end appears to have

been chopped off a tad early, the shapes of the grille and the lower air intake below

appear visually incongruent with one another. The mirror housings, recessed door

handles and slender side moldings are stylishly body-colored.

If you happen to be following along behind a Maxima, you won't have any trouble

discerning what model it is: The word "Maxima" is emblazoned in bigger-than-average

chrome letters across the trunk. The taillights are square and generously proportioned

for easy visibility.

include more conservative and less sport-minded buyers--it expanded the interior space

to accommodate kids, dogs and rollerblades. That's especially true in the rear seat,

where previous editions were a bit cramped.

The front compartment provides plenty of head and legroom, even for taller drivers.

The front bucket seats, which are swathed in smart-looking gray-velour coverings, are

comfy and supportive. The interior of our test car was done in a monochromatic

three-shades-of-gray decor that's quite handsome. In addition to two small cupholders

for styrofoam cups of java, a new, larger holder has been added for ceramic mugs and

such--and it's notched to accommodate the cuphandle.

In the SE--but not in the GXE and GLE--the gauges are niftily designed so that, during

the day, the dials are marked by black-outlined gray digits on a white background. But

at night, they miraculously mutate into a white-on-black design for greater

visibility.

The switches and dials are cleverly located to allow the driver to spot everything

without having to lean forward and peer under or over the steering wheel.

Though the cruise control on-off switch is still on the instrument panel, the system

can be operated via the buttons on the lower-right quadrant of the steering

wheel--instead of diddling with stalk-mounted switches.

The Maxima claims to seat five. But, as with most vehicles that make such a claim, the

fifth person had better be short, featherlight and skinny-hipped--because she or he is

going to be sitting over a hump in the floor, with a fold-down armrest for back

support.

designers redesigned the Maxima, they built the engine--a 190-hp 3.0-liter

dual-overhead-cam 24-valve V6--from lighter aluminum alloy, allowing the the Maxima to

shed 100 lbs., down to 3010 lbs. They also tweaked the engine's electronic controls.

The result? A heart-stopping time of 6.7 seconds in the zero-to-60 sprint for the

Maxima SE. That's quicker than any other Japanese sedan sold on these shores--including

the ones with 8-cylinder engines. It's also faster than the Taurus SHO.

But buyers of 4-door sedans are more interested in the car's performance in freeway

passing situations or emergency maneuvers than stoplight acceleration. And the Maxima

SE is similarly brisk in freeway traffic, pulling smartly ahead of the crowd when it

needs to.

The SE is equipped with Nissan's patented Multi-Link Beam suspension. By minimizing

camber change, this new system provides precise handling and stability during

cornering. Though its maximum performance limits aren't quite as high as the previous

system, it's more compact, improving interior space, and cheaper to manufacture.

The reduction in camber change also means that softer bushings and shocks can be

used--thereby reducing suspension friction. That translates into a smoother, softer

ride.

Some sport-driving enthusiasts have indeed found the overall ride and handling to be

too soft--at least in comparison to the previous edition of the Maxima. However, that's

not as much a problem with the sport-tuned SE. In any case, the average driver will

likely welcome the trade-off of road feel for softer ride.

The 5-speed manual transmission responded obediently, meshing nicely with the potent

V6 engine. Steering was sure and responsive for the most part, although in really hard

corners the Maxima's rear end seemed to lag behind the front end, a more or less

universal front-drive trait known as understeer. But another trait that commonly goes

with front-drive understeer is absolute predictability--ease off the throttle and the

nose of the car tucks back on line.

When the cruise control was engaged at 65 mph, the Maxima purred along at a quiet 3300

rpm. Nissan designers have also reduced noise and vibration levels at higher speeds,

another plus in the mainstream midsize market.

Initially, the power-assisted antilock brakes seemed a bit grabby. But, halfway

through our test drive, rain began to fall. And on a wet surface, the brakes rose to

the occasion, providing straight, assured stops every time.

knew there was more gold to be had in the midsize sedan market--in spite of the

world-beating sales numbers posted by the Taurus and Accord in the last few years.

By repositioning the Maxima, Nissan has clearly made inroads into that market,

offering Accord and Taurus buyers a speedier, more nimble alternative in the process.

Although the sports car imagery has been discarded, this is still a 4-door family

sedan that will leave most of its rivals in the dust.

What a concept.