Cars.com Videos: 2009 Honda Fit, 2009 Nissan Maxima and more

2009 Honda Fit: Joe Wiesenfelder takes on the Fit is Go mantra for almost a minute and then throws in the Cars.com family to get their feedback on Honda's popular sub-compact.

2009 Nissan Maxima: With its V-6 engine and good suspension, the Maxima is a premium-esque sedan that deserves a look, says Kelsey Mays.

2008 Kia Sedona: The Sedona might not be the flashiest minivan out there, but Kelsey says it’s an excellent value with an emphasis on usability and durability.

2008 BMW Z4: Kelsey says this coupe is a strong performer with a powerful engine, but he just can’t get over its “rat-like nose.”

View and share all of Cars.com’s videos via YouTube.

End-of-the-Model-Year Deals: Nissan

It's that time of year again: Manufacturers need to make room on dealer lots for new 2009 models, so the 2008s have to hit the road, and that means more incentives. We'll be highlighting deals from a number of manufacturers, along with notes on which models will change substantially for 2009.

Like many manufacturers, Nissan is offering huge cash-back offers on its trucks and SUVs — the Armada and Titan, specifically — but is also offering a good variety of cash-back deals on other 2008 models. A full list of 2008 Nissan deals from our incentives page is below:

• 2008 Altima: $1,000
• 2008 Armada: $5,000
• 2008 Frontier: $2,500
• 2008 Maxima: $2,500
• 2008 Pathfinder: $2,500
• 2008 Quest: $3,500
• 2008 Sentra: $1,000
• 2008 Titan: $5,000
• 2008 Xterra: $3,000
• 2008 Versa: $800

Those offers are available across a variety of regions we tested, but as always, be sure to use your own zip code to make sure offers apply in your region.The deals are good through Sept. 2.

The Maxima is all-new for 2009, and you can read our coverage of it here. The Frontier and Xterra receive some upgrades, but they aren't as significant. Check out the changes here.

2009 Nissan Maxima Starts at $29,290

Nissan announced pricing today for its redesigned Maxima, which we drove earlier this month. The cloth-equipped Maxima 3.5 S starts at $29,290, while the leather-clad 3.5 SV, which Nissan expects to account for the lion’s share of sales, starts at $31,990. Neither price includes a $660 destination charge. The Maxima is officially on sale today.

Nissan says the 3.5 S represents “nearly $400” more in value than last year’s base Maxima 3.5 SE, which started at $28,630 but kept items like stability control and a power passenger seat on the options list. Both are now standard. All the same, Nissan expects just 10% of buyers to get the 3.5 S, so if you don’t want leather, one might be hard to come by.

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Nissan Maxima

The redesigned Nissan Maxima was a big surprise during this year's auto show season. When we saw early pictures of it, we were sure blog readers would scoff at the new design. Instead, the Maxima got some of the most positive reactions of any car that debuted at the New York show this past spring. Kelsey Mays spent some time in the Maxima and its various trims, and came away with the impression that it is a luxury-brand fighter, likening the interior to a Lexus ES 350. High praise indeed for this funky-looking sedan.

2009 Nissan Maxima Expert Review

Diesel Nissan Maxima on the Way

Today, Nissan announced it will sell a clean-diesel version of its new Maxima sedan in the U.S. starting in 2010. This is one of the first Japanese models announced for the U.S. to feature a diesel engine. Honda previously announced a diesel Acura TSX would go on sale in 2009. With regular gasoline prices rising, more diesels may be introduced, even though diesel prices are skyrocketing even higher than normal gas right now.

Nissan’s diesel — developed with French manufacturer Renault — is said to be 30% more efficient than Nissan’s popular 3.5-liter V-6 which in the 2009 Maxima returns 19/26 mpg city/highway. The current price of diesel is roughly 18% higher than gasoline, at $4.77 a gallon. New diesel versions of Mercedes-Benz vehicles are selling briskly, and a new TDI Jetta is slated to go on sale later this summer. 

Nissan announces 'clean diesel' SUV and Maxima (USA Today)

First Drive: 2009 Nissan Maxima

Nissan invited journalists this week to amble through North Carolina in the 2009 Maxima, a car we raved about at last winter’s New York auto show, before driving it. The sedan hits dealerships later this month, and though pricing is still under wraps, Nissan said it will likely run from about $28,000 to $34,000. Time to see if the Maxima has some bite to back up our bark.

The short answer: Yes and no, but mostly yes. 

Do Large Sedans Have Big Future?

In an age when crossover SUVs and fuel-sipping small cars are all the rage, some may wonder why automakers still pursue large, relatively gas-thirsty sedans. No slowdown is in sight: Ford reportedly will debut a redesigned Taurus early next year, and Nissan took the wraps off its seventh-generation Maxima at last week’s New York auto show.

That’s in spite of the fact that the market for such cars is stalling: J.D. Power reports that large-car sales dropped 21% over the past two months. Automakers are committed to sticking it out because they say the cars represent flagships for their brands, and they’re confident the road ahead won’t be quite so rough.

Maxima's Face Leaves Some Qs

We've been scratching our heads at the Maxima's new front-end styling. The more we look at it head-on, the more we see a resemblance to a certain flagship from Nissan's luxury division. Maxima, meet Q45, the full-size Infiniti sedan that was axed from the automaker's lineup in 2006. In its swan song year, the luxury sedan cost some $58,000, a figure that put it up against the Lexus LS and Audi A8.

The resemblance is more than passing, so we asked Nissan design VP Bruce Campbell if the late Q had provided any inspiration. He chuckled — apparently we weren't the first to ask him that.

"In short, no," Campbell said. "But, you know, that's thinking of it in retrospect. There was no picture up there on the board, [with us] thinking 'Oh, that was a nice car.'"

The Maxima's head designer, in fact, might have been "too young" to remember the Q's glory years, Campbell said. That's a shame, because it would seem fitting that Nissan's latest flagship would follow in the footsteps of Infiniti's former top dog. Or maybe not — given the Q's demise, the Maxima might just as well do without its ill-fated legacy.

Video: 2009 Nissan Maxima

We knew when we saw the first images of the new Nissan Maxima that it would be one of the most-talked-about debuts in New York. The big-mouthed sedan has won over nearly all of us, including Kelsey Mays, who delivers an up-close look at the Maxima live from the show floor.

More on the 2009 Nissan Maxima

Up Close: 2009 Nissan Maxima

Nissan calls its latest Maxima a four-door sports car, a description that once graced previous generations of the car. I’ll have to wait until I drive one to see if that’s true, but after poking around in the all-new car at the auto show today I can say it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if Nissan simply called the car a full-blown luxury sedan. Cabin quality is palpably better than in the latest Altima — not a quality-lightweight itself — and the leather seats would feel at home in any Infiniti product. Both the front and rear seats have considerable side bolsters to hold you in during turns, but their cushioning is forgiving enough that I didn’t feel squeezed. (That also postpones my diet — woot!)

The dash combines the Altima’s wraparound panels with the center controls and navigation system from Infiniti’s G and M sedans. Cabin storage is abundant, with a decent-sized center console and a huge glove compartment. One complaint: Like in the Rogue, the compartment’s cover opens right onto passengers’ shins. The dashboard materials are low-gloss and soft to the touch.

I wish I were as jazzed about the exterior as I am about the interior. The rear is the one high point — it looks much better in person than the pictures show, and I can see bits of the Altima coupe and Mercedes S-Class. Up front, though, the grille seems too low and wide, and the lower air dam looks a bit busy. Oh, and don’t get me started on those headlights.

Our gallery of live and manufacturer photos is below.

Related:
2008 New York Auto Show: 2009 Nissan Maxima