Ted 
2017 Nissan Maxima Sedan 3.5 SL 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
Dream Empty Nester Cruiser
 This sweet girl is turning out to be everything I had hoped for. Having owned a Nissan Altima SL for the past 9 years convinced me to look hard at Nissan again. By the way, the Altima has proved to be the most trouble-free car I have ever owned. At 125K miles she is tight, uses no oil (synthetic) between 10K mile oil/filter changes, absolutely no rust here in the rest belt. Our previous Accords all rusted sooner or later! Well, I digress. Back to the Maxima. Once I decided to start looking for a newer, more sporty car my eyes fell on the 2017 Maxima and I was bitten before a test drive. I love everything about the exterior design: special likes are the front V-motion grill, front bottom spoiler (designed like the '17 Corvette, it has a kinda stingray shape), the fantastic "lighted boomerang" style headlights, and the all glass top (the SL has 2 huge panoramic sun roofs, or is that moon roofs?... always confused by that terminology). Finally, as for the exterior, those 18" aggressively-styled polished aluminum rims trimmed in black are the bomb. One little gripe here is that those wheels are not tucked inside the tire sidewalls offering almost no protection from curb rash so be real careful with your parallel parking. I'm still in the break-in period so I have not put my foot into it yet although I did hone-out a few demo's and was very impressed with the off-the line and running 30mph acceleration. Some writers complain about the torque steer with full-pedal launches but I did not notice a problem with that. The V-6 engine is Nissan quality so I expect zero problems with seeps, leeks, oil consumption and the like. As for the CVT transmission, well as I said I've owned one for 9 years now and I just love this tranny. Some writers complain about rubber band launches on hard and continuous acceleration. I agree that the old 4-banger CVT exhibits that a bit but the very good "immediate" acceleration, lack of shift "bumps" experienced with non-CVT transmissions, and better gas mileage more than make up for basic CVT characteristics. Now I was just talking about my old 4-cylinder, 182HP Altima. The new Maxima CVT is a no-shifting dream and once you push the "Sport" button on the console, the transmission mimics a standard automatic to a high degree. If you want to feel "shift points" then that is what she mimics and the seemingly endless rush of "pushing you back in your seat" acceleration is amazing from this 300HP V-6! Now about the interior: This is the most "sport esthetic" sedan I have owned and for comparison I also own a '95 and'07 Vettes so I know what a sport interior is all about. As soon as you open the door you are greeted with miles of beautifully contrast-stitched leather seating everywhere and as I sink my 5'9", 170lb. frame down into (but not much) what Nissan calls "Zero Gravity" seats I feel the seats were custom designed for me. There is a pull-out seat extension on the front of the driver's seat which tends to distribute my weight over more of my butt and lower thighs. I'm sure this is going to be a very comfortable long-distance cruiser because the feel is similar to the Vette and I can drive all day without cramping up in that. As I said leather is everywhere and just about all major "touch points" down to the bottom of the door arms rests are all stitched soft-touch materials. Nissan has done a wonderful job with the interior design and quality fit and finish. The Bose audio system is great for my ears and the surround sound and extended bass is perfect to me. The cockpit is very well laid out and reminds me of some fighter jets I've been in. The cockpit reminds me of my Vette, without the poured-in feel, due in part to the upper part of the instrument panel being angled in toward "me", and not everyone else in the car. It gives the impression that the cockpit was designed around the driver. The infotainment system in this thing sealed the deal. It has a huge and colorful 8" audio/GPS in the upper part of the center console and that is supplemented with a huge 7" engine/car management screen in front of the driver. With the 8" screen showing a GPS map you can even take your finger and "swipe" the map from there to the 7" screen in front of you! Amazing. I could go on-and-on about the dash layout and infotainment goodies but you'll have to try that yourself because I am getting tired of typing and I really want to get out and drive my new Maxima anyway! One final word: the front and rear seating is plenty roomy for my family and friends. Many have remarked how comfortable and spacious the interior is for a "sport luxury" sedan. As for the trunk it is just fine for me and my family. I can easily load my large RC planes in the trunk plus I can pull the two rear seats down to near flat for hauling TV's, bikes, lumber, sleds, etc. Out for now.............