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Used 2018 Nissan Maxima Consumer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
87 reviews

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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Maxima, so we've included reviews for other years of the Maxima since its last redesign.

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Pros
Cons
3 out of 5 stars

Crack Crack Crack!!!

JEO, 06/03/2018
2017 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV 4dr Sedan w/Prod. End 04/17 (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful

I don't recall if the car had a "cracking" noice when breaking to go in reverse or breaking as i go over speed bumps. The car had an "engine support".. replaced. The cracking sound went away for a few days, but it returned again. I have 20,000 miles in the car now. I just hope it doesn't run out of warranty before I am satisfy with the repairs needed.

Safety
3 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Great car but probably not for everyone

2017 SL owner, 06/30/2019
2017 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SL 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful

I purchased my SL used several months ago, and after putting a couple of thousand miles on it I feel comfortable writing a review. Overall I am very satisfied with the vehicle, especially at the price point. The SL had everything I was looking for - the premium has a few more bells and whistles, and the upgraded Bose system would be nice, but I had a difficult time justifying the price differential. The good: The interior is very comfortable, with a cockpit feel for the driver (the driver seems enveloped by the interior, which I like, but I could understand some may feel cramped). The slight angle of the 8" screen is a brilliant touch and cuts down on glare. The seats are comfortable, though the passenger seat does not raise. The electronics are intuitive, and the large information screen for the driver is great. Apple CarPlay is great. The dual sunroof is great and it floods the cabin with natural light. This is important because models without a sunroof feel claustrophobic. The exterior is stylish and unique - lots of little curves here and there that are eye-catching. The floating roof is a neat style feature, though my blue car masks that feature. The driving experience is fun - it has a lot of pick-up, even in normal mode, and it handles great. Four Door Sports Car? Probably not. Fun to drive? Absolutely. The bad: Minor peeves so far. The seating is extremely comfortable, and the front seats hug the occupant. The seats wrap the occupant on the sides and it seems like the leather can make you sweat a little too much (maybe those cooled seats in the premium would have been worth the price after all). The dual sunroof is great, but it comes at a cost. The window slides over the top of the roof and doesn't open as far as typical sunroofs. And the wind noise is very loud - I've tried to get used to it but I don't think I will. Pundits' reviews here and elsewhere offer valid criticisms and observations, the question becomes whether these are deal breakers. Perhaps the Maxima isn't for everyone. People complain about the rear leg and trunk room, relative to the competition. It doesn't bother me and I think this is overblown. The Maxima is difficult to put into a class - it's a little bigger and more cumbersome than the Accord or Camry. It seems more fun than the Avalon or 300. It has good performance and some luxury features, but certainly isn't a luxury sedan. None of this bothered me as I was hoping to get a unique vehicle without breaking the bank (or appear to be having a mid-life crisis). I've owned an Audi and Acura in the past - loved the Acura (hated the maintenance on the Audi) so I was hoping to avoid luxury brands. All this being said, I'm very satisfied with this vehicle so far. It's probably not for everyone, but if the features highlighted by critics don't bother you, it could be the right choice.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Maximas in my blood!

Ron Ashley, 02/24/2018
updated 03/10/2025
2017 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV 4dr Sedan w/Prod. End 04/17 (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I love this car it really gets with the program and consistently gets over 30 mph but I do live way out in the country no city driving.I like the CVT transmission and love the all leather interior. Your vision out the rear sides could be better.The instrument cluster had to be replaced about 34000 miles but warranty took care of it quickly and gave me a good loaner for the two days it took to get the new one and install it. I continue to love the car especially on the country roads that I mostly drive on. Now in 8/2019 I still love to drive this car and have not had one problem in the last year, it was a severe winter here and the car impressed me how it could get around and stop on icy roads, probably will keep for 3 more years.Its 2022 and I still love this car have added better tires which brought the mileage up to a consistent 32 mpg ,have had no problems in the last few years the car also is very stable on ice and snow.The interior still looks new after 60,000 miles. The car now has over 120,000 miles and still is in perfect condition and is still at 30 MPG consistantly.We haul all the grand kids around with it on long trips all over the NW and have had no problems even the original battery still tests good.I would consider buying another if they still made them. I Feb of 2025 I traded the Maxima in on a new Titam ProX-4 but I miss the Maxima a lot it was a very nice reliable car and great milege in my rural area.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Awesome Stylish Powerful Comfortable Sleek Fast!

Paul C, 03/02/2019
updated 09/06/2022
2017 Nissan Maxima Platinum 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful

REVIEW UPDATE Sep 2020: My 2020 Maxima SR is STILL just as Awesome as ever - I truly love getting behind the wheel and experiencing it's sporty quick agile nimble fast stylish ride... If you are in the Market for a Luxury Sport Sedan with lots of Power, Technology, Looks, Comfort, Style, and relatively Inexpensive to purchase and Maintain compared to the European Sport Sedans, or more reliable with better resale value and quality than anything Detroit can imagine to put out, then this is the Car for you. It has a 350Z Engine bumped up to 300HP, coupled with a super responsive transmission with inherent GT-R Technology (You have to drive it in "Sport" Mode - it's designed for this setting. It defaults to "Normal" at start-up, but don't let that bother you much - just push the "Sport" button after you start the vehicle... It is impressive in looks as well as performance as well as luxury - as well as Price... Perfect! UPDATE: Still In Love with this car - this is my third version of the Gen 8 Maxima; The first one was a lease, when expired traded for the same again - a Platinum version which then was traded in for the Sport Version in Nov 2019. I have to admire the car from my Window sometimes just to look at is and look forward to driving it every chance I get...

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars

Squeaky Driver Seat

Perfecto, 12/08/2016
2017 Nissan Maxima 3.5 S 4dr Sedan w/Prod. End 04/17 (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
22 of 30 people found this review helpful

Just bought a 2017 Maxima S at Virginia Beach and 2 weeks later the driver seat started to squeak. The spring in the back area makes so much noise it gets annoying. Every time I move, turn, back up and getting off the car I can hear the springs squeak. I had it serviced at the dealer yesterday and was told they could not do anything about it because it is an a safety issue which to me is a bunch of bull crap. Furthermore, they compared it to another new car and that too makes the same squeaky noise. Is this a design flaw? At any rate I left very frustrated that nothing was done and no resolution offered. So for those thinking about buying a maxima, think twice. Either that or start using ear plugs!!

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