Nissan's clean-up act has done wonders for the company. It takes a lot to turn around from billions in losses to billions in profits: new management, plant closings, fresh engineering, you name it. Among the savviest moves was the aggressive cut-down in platform count. Remember Nissan's previous two-pronged family car attack with the Altima and Maxima? Effective, but expensive. So for 2002 the Altima grew up, gained room, and re-armed with optional V6 firepower, effectively replacing both cars. Problem: the aging Maxima suddenly looked like old news.What to do? Well, you can't let a moldy car stand still, nor can you kill one with that much fame in its name. Nissan didn't seem to want to push it into the full-size segment either, yet Maxima must remain the flagship. So for 2004, they took the new Altima, stretched the body an inch or two, tweaked the engine, and changed the styling. If not exactly a new car, it at least makes for a new definition of the name Maxima.