Nissan is on a major product roll after some nearly fatal financial times in the late 1980s and early 90s. In the past few years, the company has successfully updated its entire Nissan car, truck and SUV lines as well as ratcheting its luxury Infiniti brand up a couple of notches, including the addition of two stylish SUVs.

The sixth-generation Maxima is a perfect example. Based on Nissan's Altima, which has been a huge hit since being thoroughly redesigned from the ground up for Model Year 2002, the Maxima was completely retooled in 2004. Although it remains front-drive, it's much more stylish, and powerful as well as longer, wider, higher and heavier than the Altima. It's also the first Maxima built in America.

The Maxima was introduced in 1981 and has generated steady sales - even when most other Nissan models were in the toilet. Maxima owners have extraordinary brand loyalty - some have owned four or five - so this car should be a cash cow for Nissan.

While the Altima basically competes with the strong-selling Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the Maxima is designed to duke it out with higher-line cars such as the V6 versions of the Audi A4, Jaguar X-Type, Acura TL, Mercedes C-Class, and that whole segment of moderately priced sports sedans.

The Maxima comes in two models - the sporty $26,950 3.5 SE, which is definitely upscale from the Altima - no slouch itself - and the more luxurious $28,900 3.5 SL.

Walkaround: The Maxima was originally dubbed a "4-door sports car." A bit of marketing hyperbole perhaps, but never more true than with this version — especially considering its more conservative looking predecessor. Its rounded shape is eye-catching and looks like it's moving while sitting still. The new Maxima is two inches longer, 1.3 inches wider, with a wheelbase that's been stretched three inches for more room and to enhance the ride.

The 3.5 SE includes a sport suspension and 18-inch wheels with wide 45-series tires to offer the most agility. With its softer suspension and 55-series tires mounted on 17-inch wheels, the 3.5 SL delivers a notably smoother ride.

Both versions are offered with the Maxima's unique "Skyview Roof." It's a tinted glass panel with two interior shades positioned longitudinally down the center of the car over the front and rear seats. It looks like something you'd see in an auto show concept car — and from the inside, looks like two sunroofs because of the center interior roof support. A conventional power sunroof - a $900 option - is also available.

Interior: My test car had the optional Elite Package, which has a four-seat configuration, with a custom-car interior look and ample room for four 6-footers. The front bucket seats provided excellent support during spirited driving. The motorcycle-inspired instrumentation is a quick read and illuminated in Nissan's signature amber.

The Elite Package also contains a number of major items, including a navigation system and premium audio. At $6,400, it's spendy for the 3.5 SE, but it only $3,550 for the 3.5 SL because that version is better equipped — and consequently items such as leather upholstery that are part of the 3.5 SE Elite package, are standard.

The sound system controls are small and utilize a central dashboard display screen for readouts, something increasingly common in upscale cars. The screen also handles climate controls, trip information, and the optional navigation system. Some buyers prefer the screen, although no matter what car they're in, none are favored by the technologically challenged.

In the Elite Package, also, instead of a rear bench seat, there are two heated rear buckets, a rear console and a power rear sunshade. However, the rear-seat setup only allows for a narrow pass-through from the trunk, while the standard rear bench has folding seatbacks to enlarge the cargo area.

The trunk offers a moderately high opening, but is long and deep, with the lid working smoothly on hydraulic struts instead of hinges.

The Maxima essentially is a family sedan, so standard safety items include side airbags in front, and both front and rear side curtain airbags.

 Under The Hood: The Maxima is powered by a smooth, 265 horse, 3.5-liter V6 - five horses more than the previous version. It's rated as one of the world's top powerplants, and does the 0-60 drill in 6.5 seconds with the close-ratio 6-speed stick, and almost as quick with the snappy 5-speed automatic.

The 3.5 SE comes with either the manual gearbox or the 5-speed automatic, which has a J-gate manual-shift feature. The 3.5 SL only comes with a 4-speed automatic.

 Behind The Wheel: The Maxima is a fun car to drive. In spite of typical front-wheel drive torque steer during hard acceleration, it's almost as much fun as a rear-wheel drive sports sedan, although the latter has inherently better balance due to less weight up front.

Steering is precise with great road feel. Ride and handling are considerably improved - particularly on rough roads - thanks to a new multi-link independent rear suspension replacing the old-style non-independent design.

Braking is certain, and the standard brake-assist feature delivers sure stops. Fuel economy is an estimated 20/city and 27-29/highway.

Whines: The torque steer causes the front end to jerk a bit to the right or left. You get used to it, but it's still annoying. The back door openings are pretty narrow at the bottom.

Bottom Line: In my view, Nissan is building some of the very best cars and trucks on the market right now. The new Maxima is roomy, luxurious and fast. It's a huge improvement over its predecessor, and promises to keep Nissan's product roll — and Maxima's brand loyalty — intact.