Why I Daily a 7th-Gen Maxima: Where Performance, Budget, Reliability, Luxury, and Style Meet
I’ve always been a car guy. From an early age, I was hooked on anything with four wheels, watching Top Gear with my dad and dreaming about the perfect balance between performance, comfort, and practicality. While my garage doesn’t house a fleet of supercars, my daily driver—the 7th-generation Nissan Maxima (2009)—hits a sweet spot that few cars manage to achieve.
It’s not the fastest car out there, nor the flashiest, but it nails a combination of performance, budget, reliability, luxury, and style that makes it the perfect choice for me. Here’s why I love it and why it’s a hidden gem for enthusiasts who need a solid daily driver.
The Day I Bought It
I still remember the exact moment I bought my Maxima—July 13th, 2021, at 8:39 PM. I picked it up for $7,000 with 124,222 miles on the odometer. It was a well-kept example with a solid history, and from the moment I got behind the wheel, I knew it was going to be a great car for me. Now, as I write this, it’s approaching 170,000 miles, and I still have no regrets about my decision.
Performance That Holds Its Own
Let’s be real—when most people hear “Nissan Maxima,” they don’t immediately think of performance. But the 7th-gen Maxima is a bit of an unsung hero in that department. Under the hood, it packs Nissan’s legendary 3.5L VQ35DE V6, pushing out around 290 horsepower. While it’s front-wheel drive and comes with a CVT (which some enthusiasts turn their noses up at), in real-world driving, the power delivery is smooth, and there’s enough grunt to make highway pulls enjoyable.
The Maxima isn’t a sports car, but it has a sporty edge. The chassis is well-balanced for a sedan, the steering has decent weight, and it doesn’t feel like a bloated boat around corners like some competitors. For a daily driver, it offers just enough excitement to keep the commute from feeling dull.
A Budget-Friendly Sleeper
One of the biggest wins for the 7th-gen Maxima is its value. You get a near-luxury experience for a fraction of the cost of a BMW or Audi, without the nightmare maintenance bills. When shopping for a reliable, comfortable, and somewhat quick sedan, the Maxima stands out because it delivers a lot for the price.
Since these cars don’t have the same cult following as older JDM legends, they tend to be underappreciated in the used market. That means you can pick one up for significantly less than similar-performing sedans. Plus, with the solid VQ-series engine, maintenance costs are relatively low as long as you stay on top of the basics.
Reliability You Can Trust
Nissan’s VQ-series engines are known for their durability. While some CVT transmissions from this era have had issues, with proper maintenance, they hold up well. Unlike European luxury sedans that demand constant expensive repairs, the Maxima is a car you can daily without worrying about it leaving you stranded.
For me, reliability is key. I need something I can depend on to start every morning, handle long drives without hesitation, and not require an absurd amount of upkeep. The Maxima delivers on all fronts. Regular oil changes, CVT fluid flushes, and basic maintenance keep it running strong.
Maintenance and Repairs Over the Years
Despite being over a decade old, my Maxima has held up incredibly well. The maintenance has been reasonable, and most of the parts I’ve replaced are just standard wear items that lasted impressively long.
Here’s a list of what I’ve had to replace over the years:
- Washer Fluid Pump
- Climate-Controlled Driver Seat TED (Thermal Electric Device)
- Electric Gearbox for the Steering Wheel
- Power Steering High-Pressure Hose
- Front-End Suspension Kit, including:
- CV Shafts
- Struts
- Control Arms
- Tie Rods
(All of this was done at 161,149 miles)
These are all common wear components, and at that mileage, it’s pretty incredible they lasted as long as they did. And let me tell you—after the new parts were installed, the drivability came back to life. The car felt super snappy and tight again, making it even more enjoyable to drive!
Other than that, the only maintenance has been consumables like brakes and tires—nothing out of the ordinary for a car that gets daily use.
Luxury Without the Gimmicks
Step inside a 7th-gen Maxima, and you’re met with a surprisingly upscale interior for a car in this price range. Leather seats, a well-laid-out dashboard, heated seats, and a Bose sound system—it has everything you need for a comfortable drive. It’s not trying too hard to be futuristic or overloaded with touchscreens and gimmicks. Instead, it gives you a straightforward, driver-focused experience with a touch of class.
That said, one outdated feature that does stand out is the built-in navigation system. Like most cars from 2009, it no longer receives updates, making it more of a relic than a useful tool in today’s world of smartphone navigation apps.
One of my favorite parts of the interior is the Bose sound system. It’s clear, well-balanced, and fun to listen to without being over the top or excessively loud. It adds to the driving experience in a way that some stock systems just don’t match.
For someone who appreciates good design without unnecessary complexity, this car is a great place to be. It’s comfortable enough for long road trips and well-built enough to feel solid even after years on the road.
Style That Ages Well
The 7th-gen Maxima has a design that still holds up today. It was marketed as a “four-door sports car” (though that might be a stretch), and you can see hints of that in its aggressive front-end styling, sculpted body lines, and sleek profile. While not as wild as some modern designs, it has a presence that makes it stand out in a parking lot full of bland sedans.
Final Thoughts
There’s always a temptation to chase the next big thing in the car world—something faster, newer, more luxurious. But for me, the 7th-gen Maxima strikes the perfect balance. It gives me enough performance to have fun, enough comfort to enjoy daily driving, and enough reliability to not stress about repairs.
It might not be the car that turns heads at every stoplight, but it’s a car that does everything well—and that’s exactly why it’s my daily driver of choice.
So, if you’re in the market for something that blends performance, budget, reliability, luxury, and style, don’t sleep on the 7th-gen Maxima. It just might surprise you.