The Strange Options of the 6th Gen Nissan Maxima

Kinja'd!!! by "dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
Published 01/28/2017 at 01:12

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STARS: 4


Everyone’s seen the 6th gen Nissan Maxima. It looks like a car and supposedly is kinda fun to drive. But did you know it has some of the weirdest options for a large sedan?

The first I’ll show is the SkyView dual sunroof.

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It’s a fixed glass panel with two interior openings. It was standard and buyers had the option to upgrade and get a traditional opening moonroof. The moonroof car is a bit more common, mostly due to most Maxima’s being pretty loaded and the opening moonroof option getting selected from factory. While there are no official production numbers, after searching it appears it’d be 60:40, moonroof:SkyView.

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Oh, and it also looks like a toaster from above:

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The second strange option is the Elite/Executive Package (name is different depending on who you ask). It’s a strange choice for what is marketed as a sporty family sedan, and buyers agreed. It’s very rare to find one for sale as very few were made. The rarest Maxima I’ve seen (can’t find the pics of it) was a manual, SkyView, and Executive Package equipped car. Almost all were SL’s (luxury) with the regular moonroof, but a very select few were SE’s (sporty) with Skyview. It also had an exclusive “Peanut Butter” leather color:

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But most of all, it had a drinks cooler, a la S-Class or Mulsanne:

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While it may appear to be a boring car, the 6th gen Maxima is more than meets the eye.


Replies (16)

Kinja'd!!! "Amoore100" (amoore100)
01/28/2017 at 01:18, STARS: 5

But the interior is still that disgusting, blocky mid-2000's Nissan design that they aped from Renault.

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Although if we’re honest, Renault did it ten times better because they’re French.

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Kinja'd!!! "dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/28/2017 at 01:24, STARS: 2

Idk I kinda like it but people have told me I don’t have good taste so... ¯\_()_/¯

Kinja'd!!! "not for canada - australian in disguise" (for-canada)
01/28/2017 at 01:48, STARS: 3

I still maintain to this day that the 6th gen Maxima is some sort of rejected Renault executive car design. Maybe as a more conventional alternative to the Vel Satis, compete more in the C5 and 407 territory. Personally, I love it inside and out. Especially the concave rear window design, which is surprisingly hard to find a good picture of.

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Kinja'd!!! "Amoore100" (amoore100)
01/28/2017 at 01:56, STARS: 1

I love the exterior for what it’s worth. The interior, though, tries to be both sporty and luxurious which is usually a mistake.

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Kinja'd!!! "Amoore100" (amoore100)
01/28/2017 at 01:58, STARS: 1

Indeed, it would have been great wearing a Renault badge, named “Talisman”, and with the interior of the Vel Satis. The Vel Satis had a VQ V6 anyways so it was just a nicer, hatchback Maxima.

I’m still team A33.5 myself, though, since that’s the first new car I ever went car-shopping for when I was four with my grandmother.

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Kinja'd!!! "not for canada - australian in disguise" (for-canada)
01/28/2017 at 02:03, STARS: 1

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The Teana/Cefiro (basically a fancy JDM Maxima) interior would make a pretty good Renault interior. I think the main thing wrong with the Maxima interior, and most 2000s interiors really is all the brushed aluminium. Why did people ever think that looked good? It’s just so cheap looking.

Kinja'd!!! "Noodles" (hilgyjeep)
01/28/2017 at 02:04, STARS: 1

That’s funny, I’ve refered to it as the toaster Maxima for years. I never knew it opened in pieces. I always just thought it was a long hole designed for a piece of bread.

Kinja'd!!! "Amoore100" (amoore100)
01/28/2017 at 02:06, STARS: 1

Ahhhh, now that’s more like it. I remember back in 2009 when my grandma still had her A33 Maxima she took me to Taiwan and there were J31 and J32 Teanas everywhere and I was obsessed since omg it’s not sold in the US.

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I still haven’t forgiven them for making the new L33 just a rebadged Altima. Oh, and I’m salty about the fuckin third-gen X-Trail too.

Kinja'd!!! "Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
01/28/2017 at 05:57, STARS: 1

I really like that car. We didn’t get that model in Australia, the Maximas here are plain as can be. It’s amazing how, just 10 years ago, they could make an interesting looking car without curves and creases and overdoing everything. It’s got flair but it’s not bullshit .

Kinja'd!!! "Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve)
01/28/2017 at 07:18, STARS: 2

I always thought the “coin slot” sunroof was a poor execution of a neat idea.

Kinja'd!!! "dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/28/2017 at 10:03, STARS: 0

It is, but still very strange.

Kinja'd!!! "dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/28/2017 at 10:04, STARS: 0

It’s shame that most of the are pretty beat or go for too much, otherwise I’d more strongly consider one. As it is though, it is still a pretty decent car considering it is a 13 year old design.

Kinja'd!!! "dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/28/2017 at 10:05, STARS: 1

I can see that. I’m not saying it’s pretty, but it has aged decently well.

Kinja'd!!! "Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
01/28/2017 at 16:30, STARS: 1

Shame. It would be a great car to bust out at a car show in pristine condition, 20 years from now. Like one of those old Cressidas with the fridge in the back. That sunroof is absolutely unique! And how many boring sedans have goddam buttresses!?

Kinja'd!!! "Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's" (africantacoman)
01/28/2017 at 18:22, STARS: 1

A friend of mine has one with the drink cooler in the back console! Didn’t know they were so rare. But the transmissions among, other things, are quite unreliable on these

Kinja'd!!! "PanchoVilleneuve ST" (PanchoVilleneuve)
01/29/2017 at 19:08, STARS: 2

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I miss this Nissan, the one who did this with the dash in the Quest.