{"id":16671,"date":"2015-06-11T09:56:03","date_gmt":"2015-06-11T13:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=16671"},"modified":"2015-06-11T09:56:03","modified_gmt":"2015-06-11T13:56:03","slug":"payne-nissan-maxima-vs-dodge-charger-in-a-diva-duel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/payne-nissan-maxima-vs-dodge-charger-in-a-diva-duel","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Nissan Maxima vs. Dodge Charger in a diva duel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Big<\/p>\n

If SUVs are taking over the market, then how come big sedans are having all the fun?<\/p>\n

Trick question, of course. The answer is the two are related. As ute family haulers like the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot and Chevy Traverse have gained our fancy, big sedans are sitting neglected on dealer lots. So brands are turning on the sex appeal to get noticed. Bling-master Chrysler 300C is a middle-class Bentley, the toned Chevy Impala got a Camaro makeover, the Ford Taurus SHO packs more punch than a Mayweather haymaker, the Toyota Avalon hybrid is quiet elegance.<\/p>\n

But the class fashion divas are the Nissan Maxima and Dodge Charger R\/T.<\/p>\n

Priced in the affordable $35K-$40K range, these low-riding, high-style mainstream sedans boast looks that shame their jacked-up ute cousins. When the kids flee the treehouse and Mom and Dad climb down from their family utes, these beauties deserve a look. Indeed, their sport and performance capabilities rival pricier, comparably sized luxury makes.<\/p>\n

Yet, despite their similar dimensions and shocking wardrobes, the Maxima Platinum and R\/T Scat Pack (awesome rock band names, by the way) that I’ve been driving appeal to very different tastes.<\/p>\n

I’m a real cheapskate when it comes to family vacation rental cars. I’d rather blow money on another Space Mountain ride. I just want fuel efficiency and room. Yet there was a time when I also wanted Maxima. For a little vacation spice, I’d ask for an upgrade to a full-size Maxima. The 2003 car’s raked front and firm handling were the cure for the boring sedan \u2014 bringing g-loaded cheers from my kids at the sacrifice of neck pain for my long-suffering wife (family is balance, no?).<\/p>\n

But in recent years, the Maxima took its own vacation. The styling became stale while competitors \u2014 thank you, 300 \u2014 stepped up. Maxima was minima. Not anymore.<\/p>\n

The 2016 model kicks in the front door with high-stiletto boots, throws a mane of hair from its forehead, and purrs in your ear with a come-hither voice. Let’s drive.<\/p>\n

You’ve seen this wild, art deco wardrobe before\u2014 the signature V motion-grille, the floating roof, the brawny front shoulders \u2014 on Nissan’s more-expensive, kid-sister, crossover Murano (all-new for 2015). But it looks better on the lower, leaner Maxima.<\/p>\n

The V-grille on the Murano sits tall, a sculpted hood ornament with no mechanical purpose. Maxima’s grille, in contrast, is lower with purpose \u2014 feeding air to the V-6 behind it. Like Audi’s full-fascia grates, it reminds of a locomotive cow-catcher hurtling down the tracks. Look out heifers.<\/p>\n

Like Maxima of yore, the athletic curves scream performance. Yet beneath its racier, Lindsey Vonn-exterior, the Nissan is still motivated by the same ol’, continuously-variable-transmission, 3.5-liter six-banger on a front-wheel-drive Altima platform. Oh. Despite Nissan’s best efforts, “sporty CVT” is an oxymoron.<\/p>\n

If you want to talk sports sedan, let’s talk Charger. Rear-wheel drive. Massive brakes. Engines from Olympus.<\/p>\n

While the Maxima features one 300-horse V-6, a 292-horse 6-banger is just the opening appetizer on the Dodge menu. The epic, supercharged, 707-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 in the $60K Charger Hellcat gets the headlines, but the meat of the lineup is the more affordable \u2014 still plenty lethal \u2014 5.7 and 6.4-liter R\/T (Road\/Track) power plants.<\/p>\n

The latter is my favorite. Stuffed inside the R\/T Scat Pack, its 392 cubic inches not only dwarf Maxima, its 485-horsepower out-thumps the Corvette Stingray’s 455 ponies, for goodness sake. My motorhead, soccer-mom neighbor Holly lusts after the Scat for school runs. I imagine her kids awaking in terror at 6 a.m. after the seismic tremors generated by Mom igniting the V-8.<\/p>\n

But mostly the R\/T will appeal to males who want their machismo back after years of drudgery behind the minivan wheel. With the same elegant, wraparound lighting and hood scoop as the Hellcat, Scat Pack is a clean break from the last generation Charger’s more upright, RAM truck-like grille and taillights. It is both menacing and fetching.<\/p>\n

And it masks the fact that the Charger’s old, heavy bones remain unchanged. Stomp on the gas and the beast bellows with joy. Tap the automatic T-shifter into manual mode and you can induce lurid, rubber-burning power slides from the rear wheels as you snap a Michigan U-turn on Woodward. That’s my kinda’ Saturday night special.<\/p>\n

But with 4,400 pounds in its belly, it’s harder to have fun in the twisty bits.<\/p>\n

This is where the 3,500-pound Maxima \u2014 nearly a grand lighter thanks to lightweight steel construction \u2014 earns its sporty chops. Dive into a sharp bend and the lighter Nissan actually has less front push than the over-fed Charger despite its front wheel-drive architecture. What’s more, the well-engineered Maxima also exhibited no torque steer even under heavy coaxing from my size-15 right foot.<\/p>\n

Getting the Charger through a corner can feel like riding a bull, but nail the V-8 throttle on exit and all is forgiven. Driving this pair back-to-back, I yearned for a big sedan “hybrid”: Charger Hemi mated to lightweight Nissan chassis.<\/p>\n

For all the aggression on the outside, this pair of lookers are lounge-like inside. The Charger sports the same crisp, simple layout that has made Dodge\/Chrysler ergonomics the best in the business. So good is the multi-media system that it earns a place in the Maserati Ghibli I recently drove.<\/p>\n

But where the Dodge goes over the top in the engine department, the Maxima earns its bragging rights in the cabin. The different priorities is what separates these peers.<\/p>\n

Think of the Charger as a discount version of the explosive, $100K, 560-horsepower BMW M5. Think of Maxima as a budget version of the serene, $100K, leather-stitched Audi A8.<\/p>\n

While the Charger mimics M-power, the Maxima wants you to think Audi comfort. Its instrument gauges echo Audi. As does its console-mounted, multi-media rotary dial control. And panoramic sunroof. Dash stitching. The Maxima even sports diamond-quilted seats like those in the A8 (though the diamond-etched dash trim jumps the shark).<\/p>\n

Maxima and Charger are proof that four-door sedans can be sexy. Heck, these divas are so slinky they should come with their own soundtracks. How about Rod Stewart’s “Do you think I’m sexy?” single when you turn on the Maxima? And for the Charger, well … the eight-cylinder symphony at 6,000 rpm will do.<\/p>\n

2016 Nissan Maxima<\/p>\n

Vehicle type:\u00a0Front-engine, front-wheel drive, 5-passenger sedan<\/p>\n

Price:\u00a0$33,235 base ($40,685 Platinum as tested)<\/p>\n

Power plant:\u00a03.5-liter V-6<\/p>\n

Power:\u00a0300 horsepower, 261 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a0Continuously variable transmission (CVT)<\/p>\n

Performance:\u00a00-60 mph, 5.6 seconds (Car & Driver)<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a03,593 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:\u00a0EPA 22 city\/30 highway\/25 combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Look-at-me styling; Best-in-class fuel economy<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Diamond-patterned interior trim jumps the shark; AWD, please?<\/p>\n

Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n

2015 Dodge Charger<\/p>\n

Vehicle type:\u00a0Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, 5-passenger sedan<\/p>\n

Price:\u00a0$27,990 base ($41,685 R\/T Scat Pack as tested)<\/p>\n

Power plant:\u00a03.6-liter V-6; 5.7-liter, Hemi V-8; 6.4-liter Hemi V-8; 6.2-liter, supercharged Hemi V-8<\/p>\n

Power:\u00a0292 horsepower, 260 pound-feet of torque (V-6); 370 horsepower, 395 pound-feet of torque (5.7L V-8); 485 horsepower, 475 pound-feet of torque (6.4L V-8); 707 horsepower, 650 pound-feet of torque (6.2L supercharged V-8)<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a08-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance:\u00a00-60 mph, 4.1 seconds (R\/T Scat Pack, Car & Driver)<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a04,400 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:\u00a0EPA 19 city\/31 highway\/23 combined (V-6); 16 city\/25 highway\/19 combined (5.7L V-8); 15 city\/25 highway\/18 combined (6.4-liter V-8); 13 city\/22 highway\/16 combined (6.2-L supercharged V-8)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Epic torque; best-in-class multi-media system<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Porky; thirsty<\/p>\n

Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If SUVs are taking over the market, then how come big sedans are having all the fun? Trick question, of course. The answer is the two are related. As ute family haulers like the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot and Chevy Traverse have gained our fancy, big sedans are sitting neglected on dealer lots. So brands […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16671"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16672,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16671\/revisions\/16672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}