We've had our long-term 2016 Nissan Maxima SR for almost a year now and the semi-premium sedan still gets lots of stares, thumbs-ups, and compliments from other motorists.

The Nissan Sport Sedan concept from the 2014 Detroit auto show heavily inspired the 2016 Maxima's styling. Even though the design was toned down for the production car, much of the concept's character carried over including the V-motion front grille, boomerang-shaped front and rear lighting assemblies, and blacked-out A- and D-pillars for a "floating roof" effect.

All Maximas feature standard LED daytime running lights, but only the SR and Platinum trims gain LED low-beams. A friend I was following on the road said all those LEDs make the Maxima's "face" look cool in the rearview mirror. In addition to the floating roof, the side of the car generates lots of nods thanks to its swooping front and rear fenders body lines. Those lines remind me of the 1978-1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

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Passengers also compliment the interior design including the leather-trimmed seats with Alcantara inserts. Several passengers have expressed appreciation for the heated and cooled front seats, though some would prefer buttons rather than the knobs that remain in their last setting after shutting off the engine. Although many automakers use red contrast stitching for sportier trims, the Maxima SR features a refreshing blue contrast stitching throughout the cabin. Other nice touches include the "Liquid Chrome" trim and heated flat-bottom steering wheel.

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With a variety of navigation apps readily available for our smartphones, the Maxima's navigation system doesn't get much use. Neither does the center console-mounted infotainment controller buttons, as it's much simpler to use the 8.0-inch touchscreen. The Bose sound system, however, produces great sound across the audible range and the rear seats have plenty of room for two adults on long drives, though the similarly sized Altima does as well.

Overall, we've found the polarizing Maxima to be a more stylish—and powerful—alternative to the Nissan Altima.

More on our long-term 2016 Nissan Maxima SR here:

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