How much is car insurance for a Nissan Maxima?

If you’re considering a Nissan Maxima for your next car purchase, it’s important to compare car insurance costs before you sign on the dotted line.

While most car buyers only consider their new car’s monthly payment when comparing their options, indirect costs like car insurance, repairs and fuel can make a big difference in the vehicle’s overall cost of ownership.

After reading this article to get important details about the Nissan Maxima, enter your zip code into the box on this page for individualized car insurance quotes.

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About the Nissan Maxima

The Nissan Maxima first appeared at U.S. dealerships in 1976 as part of Nissan’s Bluebird line. Due to its popularity, Nissan spun the Maxima off to become an individual line in 1981.

Nissan produced the first though sixth generations of the Maxima in Japan, but it manufactures the seventh generation in Smyrna, Tennessee. This most recent version of the Nissan Maxima debuted in 2008 at the New York Auto Show, and it hit dealership lots the following year.

U.S. News and World Report currently ranks the Nissan Maxima fifteenth in the upscale midsize car category. The Maxima tied with the Volkswagen Eos, and outranked the Lincoln MKZ, the Saab 9-5 and the Lexus HS.

The BMW 3 Series, the Buick Regal and the Chevrolet Volt took first, second and third places in the ranking.

Most vehicles in the upscale midsize car category cost between $30,000 and $40,000. The Nissan Maxima’s MSRP of $30,830 – $33,550 makes it one of the most reasonably priced vehicles in its class, but the Buick Regal still took the prize home for “Best Upscale Sedan for the Money.”

Performance Ratings for the Nissan Maxima

Most critics agree that the Nissan Maxima is not quite the “4-Door Sports Car” that Nissan makes it out to be, but they do concede that its 3.5 liter V6 engine makes it more powerful than rivals like the Toyota Avalon and Honda Accord.

The Nissan Maxima sports a 290 horsepower engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that distributes power to the front wheels. It gets an EPA-rated 19 city mpg and 26 highway mpg.

Reviewers like Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book generally approve of the vehicle’s handling and braking, but Autoblog complains that the car suffers from torque steer during acceleration around corners.

Interior Features for the Nissan Maxima

The Nissan Maxima comes in two trims: the 3.5S and the 3.5SV. The 3.5SV trim costs an additional $2,700, which buys you a Bose audio system, fog lights, leather seats and XM Satellite Radio.

Buyers can further upgrade the 3.5SV with a Sport Package that features a chrome grille, smoked headlamps and gray upholstery stitching.

The Nissan Maxima offers high-tech features like Bluetooth, a push-button ignition and dual-zone climate control. Reviewers like Kelley Blue Book and Cars.com approve of the Nissan Maxima’s spacious interior and wrap-around dashboard.

The luxurious interior draws comparisons to the Infiniti G and M, as well as the Buick Lucerne. However, the Hyundai Genesis remains the most luxurious vehicle in this class, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Nissan Maxima Exterior Design

Though reviewers like Autoblog don’t credit the Nissan Maxima with being a full-on sports car, they do admit that it has “got the look.” The head and tail lights are “sharp,” and Automobile Magazine appreciates the hood and fender designs, which evoke “power and speed.”

Kelley Blue Book describes the Maxima’s exterior as “seductive” and “aggressive,” despite the car’s 4-door status.

Safety Features and Ratings for the Nissan Maxima

Standard safety features for the Nissan Maxima include active head restraints, side curtain air bags, electronic stability control and traction control.

A tire pressure monitoring system and antilock brakes are also standard on both the 3.5S and the 3.5SV trims. Nissan offers a backup camera as an optional feature.

Despite extensive safety features, the federal government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Nissan Maxima mixed reviews.

In tests of the 2011 model, the IIHS rated the Maxima “Good” in frontal-impact and side-impact tests. However, the IIHS rated the vehicle “Acceptable” in terms of roof strength, and only “Marginal” in rear-impact tests.

The federal government’s ratings agency has yet to test the 2011 model, but it gave the 2010 model high marks in rollover tests, as well as front- and side-crash tests.

Nissan Maxima Warranty Info

Nissan offers an industry-standard 3-year or 36,000 mile basic warranty for the Maxima, and it guarantees the vehicle’s powertrain for five years or 60,000 miles.

Nissan warrants the Maxima against corrosion (rust) for five years, regardless of mileage. Seat belts are under warranty for ten years, and all state and federally-mandated emissions warranties apply.

How much is Car Insurance for the Nissan Maxima?

Your cost of ownership for the Nissan Maxima will vary based on where you live, how clean your driving history is and myriad other personal factors. However, Edmunds collects data and reports average cost-of-ownership info, including car insurance rates, which can be helpful in estimating annual operating costs for any vehicle.

Edmunds estimates that the true cost of owning a Nissan Maxima over five years is approximately $46,000. Around $13,500 of this comes in the form of depreciation, so the average out-of-pocket cost to own a Maxima is around $32,500.

Although no repair costs are anticipated in the first year, they average just over $700 for five years, and average maintenance costs are about $3,500 for five years.

Car insurance for the Nissan Maxima costs about $1,750 per year, or $146 per month. Use the box on this page to get personalized car insurance estimates.

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