Nissan Maxima vs INFINITI Q50

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.

In the early 2000s, Infiniti had it all, then lost it.

As the 2003 model year dawned, Nissan’s Infiniti luxury brand had finally succeeded at matching the German establishment with the G35—a legitimate challenger to the epochal BMW 3 Series. But while BMW has been able to build on its success, Infiniti failed to maintain momentum. The G35’s descendent—the 2021 Infiniti Q50—is a case in point.

Like the G35, The Q50 emphasizes style and sportiness, but with some questionable decisions made along the way. It’s also getting old. The Q50 was introduced for the 2014 model year, and rivals, including the 3 Series, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Acura TLX, Lexus IS, and Volvo S60, have all been redesigned or heavily updated since then. The Cadillac ATS, meanwhile, has morphed into the CT4, while the Genesis G70 didn’t even exist when the Q50 launched.

With Infiniti putting most of its resources into SUVs, the Q50 only gets mild updates for the 2021 model year. The only changes are a new Sensory trim level, more driver-assist tech, and a built-in WiFi hotspot.

In addition to the new-for-2021 Sensory, Infiniti also offers entry-level Pure, Luxe, and Red Sport 400 trim levels, along with a choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Our test car was a Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD—the sportiest version available.