22/11/2008 18:21. Nissan has rolled out the newest generation of its flagship Maxima sedan, and it’s easily the best effort yet for this premium model that the automaker originally introduced in 1981.

With a starting price of $30,160 (plus $695 freight) for the base S model, and $32,860 for the uplevel SV, the new Maxima is well below the cost of similarly equipped entry-level luxury-brand cars, such as the Lexus ES 350 or Acura TL.

With options, though, the Maxima’s price can easily reach that of one of those luxury brands.

But that’s what you get with the Maxima – a luxury car, minus the trendy name. And in the case of the Lexus ES 350, the Maxima offers more sport and much more compelling styling. Where the Lexus bores, the Maxima dazzles, which is why Nissan calls it a "four-door sports... // Fort Worth Star Telegram