Honda Accord Or Nissan Altima: Which One Does V-6 Better?
A decade ago, both the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima were offered in base four-cylinder versions... Read More
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SAFETY | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
'Good,' frontal offset; 'good,' side impact; ‘marginal,’ rear impact; ‘acceptable,’ roof strength
IIHS
Not yet rated
NHTSA
If you have a lit of safety items to check off, it's all here: Electronic stability control, front side airbags, side curtain bags, active front headrests, and anti-lock brakes are all standard.
Good visibility is another positive attribute; considering its curvaceous sheetmetal, the driver has a pretty good view outward.
In crash-testing, the Maxima has a mixed record; the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given it top 'good' scores for frontal and side impact, but it still receives only a 'marginal' in the seat-based rear-impact category—indicating a much higher chance of whiplash than in other vehicles—and it rates only 'acceptable' in the agency's new roof strength test.
The 2011 Maxima hasn't yet been tested under the federal government's tougher new crash-test and safety ratings system, but under former NHTSA testing, the Maxima earned top five-star ratings in each category.
Conclusion
In a class of top safety achievers, the 2011 Nissan Maxima is merely mid-pack.
