Nissan has offered few compelling reasons to step up from a loaded Altima to Maxima the last few years. There was no 2015 model, 2014s continued to sell until... generation eight arrived. The 2016 version pulls away from its sibling inside and out. Have to wonder if the Nissan designers are trying to out- French their partner Renault. Soft lines flow into something more... uh, bold. Lovers gonna love, haters gonna hate here. (ON CAMERA) Maxima can trace its roots all the way back to 1980 when it came to the United States as the rear-wheel drive Datsun 810. Remember Datsun? It was also available as a station wagon. The third generation, which by then had ditched the wagon, Datsun name, and rear-drive, was marketed as the four-door sports car. Like Easter eggs? There you go. Nissan serves up five distinct models, none have any option packages. There is one powertrain, a heavily revised 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 (SOUND UP) with 261 lb-ft of torque. The front tires are driven by a continuously variable transmission. Manual gearshifts are simulated. Sport mode changes steering weight, transmission dynamics, (SOUND UP) even the engine note. This sport oriented SR gets no power bump (SOUND UP) but 0- 60 in six seconds is satisfying. Safety tech includes radar assisted cruise, plus collision warning and auto braking that looks two cars ahead. (ON CAMERA) Powerful front drive cars often have torque steer, that’s a tugging of the wheel under hard acceleration It’s fairly tame here, I’m not in the ditch. But rear and all-wheel drive cars don’t have it. Something to consider if true sport sedan dynamics are what you’re after. (ON CAMERA) This does handle pretty well for a front-drive car as long as you don’t push it hard. Power into corners on patchy pavement and Maxima feels a little jittery due in part to SRs firmer suspension. Maxima is quiet and stout, with structural rigidity up by 25 percent. (ON CAMERA) Continuously variable transmissions often have a rubbery droning dynamic that I do not like. I have to hand it to the engineers at Nissan, they’ve done a good job of tuning this one to feel like a regular geared box. Fuel economy? Maxima does well in class. Drinking specified premium, it’s rated at 22 city 30 highway by the government. I’m averaging 23. (ON CAMERA) One gripe I have about the SR. You can not get the panoramic sunroof in this model. Apparently it reduces rigidity. Raises the center of gravity too. SRs high rent interior gets a crafted appearance with Alcantara for your hands and more stitching than a Levi’s factory. There’s a fascination with diamonds. The center console is canted toward the pilot, inspired by fighter jets. Sadly, no anti- traffic missiles. If you catch air often, the seats are inspired by the shape of a human spine in zero gravity. The interface is intuitive, and the screen more crisp than this bad camera angle might suggest. (ON CAMERA) I am 5’ 9” one of the many reasons why I’m not an NBA player. It does happen to be the average size of an adult though and I am perfectly happy back here. But, competitors Impala, Lacrosse and Avalon have more legroom. No power port. The raised center position means smaller folks should fill the middle. (ON CAMERA) I am kind of curious how Maxima’s trunk stacks up against sister Altima’s. Yes, I am fascinating at parties. Hauling long cargo is no problem. Altima can pack 7 bundles, these hinge arm protectors take up space. It means less usable room, that’s an easy six. Starting at about $33,220, SR models retail for 38.5, encroaching on a well-equipped rear-drive Infiniti Q40. Maxima lives in a curious spot between that and Altima with a design that’s all its own.