Nissan Maxima vs BMW 5 Series

The 2021 Nissan Maxima celebrates 40 years on sale, making it one of the oldest Japanese automotive nameplates in continuous use. While it’s impressive for any model to survive four decades, the Maxima has spent most of its history mired in mediocrity.

The Nissan Maxima name first appeared in 1981 as a rebranding of the Datsun 810 sedan. The original Maxima/810 was a true enthusiast’s car, boasting rear-wheel drive (RWD) and a sporty character that led Nissan to declare it a “four-door sports car.” However, that only lasted for a few years.

With its first redesign for the 1985 model year, the Maxima switched to front-wheel drive (FWD) and was positioned as Nissan’s flagship sedan. It’s been that way ever since. Nissan has continued to gesture in the direction of that original RWD model, but for most of its 40 years, the Maxima has been a slightly sportier alternative to full-size sedans like the Toyota Avalon, rather than a BMW beater.

So it is with the current, eighth-generation, Maxima, which debuted for the 2016 model year. It enters the 2021 model year with few changes, the most significant being a 40th Anniversary Edition option package for the top Platinum trim level, which sits above the base SV and mid-range SR trim levels. That’s what we test drove for this review.

Long revered for how they make drivers feel, BMWs are credibly marketed as the ultimate driving machines. However, if the future is digital instead of analog, do driving dynamics still matter? And if not, what does BMW bring to the table? What makes one special? Desirable? Gives it a soul? Driving the all-new 2024 BMW 5 Series suggests that aside from design, technology, and comfort, the answer is not much—at least not in the 530i specification.

Verdict: Driving enjoyment is not a requirement in a luxury car. But it is in a BMW. That’s what separates a Bimmer from the crowd. While the new 2024 BMW 530i is a capable sports sedan that does double duty as a plush people mover, joy is missing from the recipe.