Comparo: 2009 Nissan Maxima vs. Acura TL

Story and photos by John LeBlanc There’s little to argue about. Rear-wheel-drive cars offer a better balance of handling and a clarity of steering that’s just not possible with front-wheel-drive vehicles. Period. Full stop. So even though Acura—Honda’s premium brand—would prefer you to compare its all-new 2009 TL sports sedan to Nissan premium brand Infiniti’s G37, no driving enthusiast worth their string back gloves would choose the front-drive Acura over the rear-drive Infiniti on driving prowess alone. Hence, we’ve decided to pitch the TL against a more appropriate opponent: the also-new-for-‘09 Nissan Maxima. Based on their respective spec sheets alone—size, price, features, configuration, and performance—these two five-passenger front-drive sedans are eerily close in form. Numbers, though, only tell half the story… SECOND PLACE: 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV The 2009 Maxima is still based on the same FWD platform as the mid-size Altima. But in shortening the Maxima’s wheelbase (compared to the last model) and blessing it with more aggressive styling (that Nissan says was inspired by its GT-R supercar), from the outside at least, the car looks ready to reclaim its “four-door sports car” moniker. In Canada, the Maxima is only sold in 3.5 SV trim. Starting at $38,700, our tester also came with the $3,150 Premium package. It added twin moonrofs, power rear window sunshade, HID Xenon headlights, automatic entry/exit system with two-driver memory, paddle shifters, premium leather-appointed seats, wood trim, back up monitor and satellite radio capability. Clean cockpit design Compared to the intimidating “wall of buttons” presented in the Acura, the Nissan’s interior controls are much easier to navigate at first blush. The centre console has large knobs and a simple-to-learn central controller unit married to the large digital screen at the top of the dash. If it looks familiar, it’s straight out of the more upscale G sedan. Trunk space is important in sedans, and the Nissan beats the Acura here: 400 litres to 370. In regards to passenger space—and except for rear legroom and extra hip space back and front, where the TL excels—both cars here are within centimeters in measurements. Fedora lovers note: Although the Maxima has belts for five occupants, be warned that the centre hump spot in back has limited headroom. “Four-door sports car”—NOT! With the same displacement as the Acura, the Nissan’s 3.5-litre V6 manages 12 more horsepower and 7 more lb-ft of torque than the 278 hp/254 lb-ft the TL’s V6 delivers. The difference is negligible at the pumps. The Maxima is rated at 10.8L/100km city, 7.7 hwy. While the TL is 11.6L and 7.5L, respectively. In a straight line, though, the Maxima wins. It gets from zero to 100 km/h quicker by almost half a second: 6.5 seconds versus 6.9. Too bad the Nissan is stuck with a continuously variable transmission as the only way to change” gears.” The CVT has six fake “ratios” that can be accessed by steering column paddles or the console lever. Up against the TL’s more conventional five-speed torque converter autobox, at times, the Maxima feels like pedaling a one speed bike. Perhaps the most egregious error in the Maxima’s driving experience is it’s waffling character: is it a luxury cruiser?; or sports sedan? Well suited for highway slogs, the Maxima’s front seats are relatively soft and comfy. But there’s little lateral support. The tall front fender shapes help you pilot the sedan through corners. But the Maxima’s steering is much lighter than in the TL and with a lot less lateral weighting. Its almost as if Nissan engineers tried to mitigate the dreaded torque steer—that’s inherit with high horsepower FWD cars like these two sedans—by not making the front end too taut. When pitched into a corner, the front of the Nissan rolls more than the Acura. Almost tiptoeing through the turns. And with plenty of torque steer, still. And its ride over bombed out spring roads was busier and not as calm as the Acura. One schizophrenic sedan… If you want some of the car’s features that Nissan doesn’t offer on the Altima … or are intimidated by the RWD setup of the Infiniti G37 … or want a more mainstream badge: get the Maxima. But all the sacrifices in interior space Nissan made to gain handling prowess, the 2009 Maxima is really neither fish nor fowl. BUY THIS CAR IF ... if you’re smitten with its aggressive and unique exterior; clean cockpit design; exclusive luxury features. DON'T BUY THIS CAR IF ... you want luxury car ride and room; sports sedan handling and steering. FIRST PLACE: 2009 Acura TL First things first. If you can ignore the Acura TL’s—ahem—polarizing styling, then please continue reading. Because behind its medieval grille and cartoonish fender lines, a competent yet comfortable road sedan lies. At $39,990, the base model TL comes similarly equipped as the Maxima. Standard kit includes leather seating, sunroof, two-memory keyless entry and the requisite power-this-and-that that’s expected in this entry-level luxury class. A $3,500 Tech package with a navigation system, back-up monitor, upgraded sound system and leather seating and push-button ignition is available, if your wallet is so inclined. Roomy, but busy on the inside From the driver’s seat, the TL’s myriad of similarly sized buttons—both on the steering wheel and centre console—is like trying to read Egyptian hieroglyphics. We’re sure some time with the car would create some form of familiarity with owners. But this is an ongoing problem with Hondas and Acuras designed in North America that needs to be fixed sooner than later. Even at rest, though, the Acura’s driver’s seat feels more cosseting and supportive than the Nissan. Side and thigh bolstering are prominent. Unlike the Maxima, you feel like you are sitting in the seat instead of on it. Better yet, from that perch, you can’t see that big shiny hunk of fake aluminum mounted on the Acura’s schnoz… Because the TL is (again) based on the Honda Accord platform, it benefits from a 150 mm stretch in wheelbase relative to the outgoing model. In fact, it is now essentially the same size of the $63,900 RL luxury sedan. Competency meets composure Drivers know. That split second when the front wheels—already bridled with putting power to the tarmac—are now asked to also alter the path of a car, it’s make it or break it time for any FWD car with sporty pretensions. And it’s at that moment, at initial turn-in, that the Acura shines over the Nissan. Unlike the Maxima, the TL responds naturally to any inputs from its leather-wrapped helm. It jumps into corners with less understeer, with its rear end tracking obediently. Overall, for sedan with the Acura’s generous proportions, it’s a tidy handler, feeling much smaller overall than the Nissan. And its five-speed automatic might be down a gear compared to what’s becoming the norm in this class, but shifts from either the paddle shifters or just your right foot are crisp and fast. And while the TL betters the Maxima in the twisties, it also gets a leg up on the Nissan as a luxury sedan. Its ride is more composed and less brittle than the Nissan, especially on poor pavement. Plus there’s that extra rear seat leg- and hiproom. The better “four-door sports car” wins Like the Maxima, the TL is not a “four-door sports car” as much as a BMW 335i or Infiniti G37. To a certain degree, though, the 2009 TL is what the new Maxima should have been: a roomy, FWD luxury sports sedan for those customers who also want to be coddled when not playing boy racer. If you don’t mind being a step behind the Nissan in a stoplight grand prix, and have the patience to figure out its myriad of buttons and switches, the 2009 Acura TL will reward you more on a day-to-day-basis than the 2009 Maxima. BUY THIS CAR IF ... RWD-like steering; balanced ride and handling; roomy back seat. DON'T BUY THIS CAR IF ... can’t get over the Knight of the Round Table styling; messy interior controls; (relatively) weak straight line performance.

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