The Nissan Maxima is the high-end model in the nameplate's sedan lineup, starting with the budget-friendly Sentra and rounding out with the mid-level Altima.

For 2017, the Nissan Maxima has introduced a host of new features that make it an even more exciting choice for those looking for a stylish sedan with a little something extra to offer. With the 2017 Nissan Maxima, you get comfort, performance, advanced technology and handsome styling.

The 2017 Nissan Maxima isn't a sports car, but it is designed for optimal performance. Part of that includes a stiffer body that results in better handling and cornering even when you are driving at top speeds.

In fact, the new generation Nissan Maxima is 25 percent stiffer than the outgoing model. The new Maxima also has a stiffer yet lighter strut tower brace, and it uses high-strength steel in the body and ultra high-strength steel in the B-pillars. Aluminum is used where reasonable to save on overall weight, such as in the hood.

You can get a sportier look and performance for the 2017 Nissan Maxima by opting for the SR trim level.

The Nissan Maxima SR comes with larger and more performance-oriented wheels and tires for improved handling, traction and speed. This trim level also includes stiffer suspension tuning for a smoother ride and greater control while pushing the Maxima to its limits. You'll get much tighter handling with this model and experience less body roll. The front suspension has a front damper to minimize excess vibration.

Aesthetic changes with the SR trim also make the Maxima look sportier, such as an interior with Alcantara upholstery instead of microsuede.

The 2017 Nissan Maxima is one of the most powerful sedans on the market, thanks to its V6 engine. The Maxima puts out an impressive 300 horsepower, which makes acceleration seem to happen almost instantly.

Most sedans that reach these higher horsepower numbers do so with the use of forced induction in the engine. Not the 2016 Nissan Maxima.

Paired with an Xtronic continuously variable transmission, the 2016 Nissan Maxima is able to get impressive fuel efficiency for a sedan of its power. It is estimated to get 30 mpg on the highway.

Five trim levels are available for the 2017 Nissan Maxima to give you options in deciding what features are most important to you. The trim levels are:

In the previous model, only two trim levels were offered, an S and SV. However, the 2014 model offered optional packages to get additional features that weren't already included. The 2017 Nissan Maxima does not offer any additional packages. The goal is to provide as many features in the car itself as possible, and the Maxima succeeds by loading each of the trim levels with attractive options.

One of the features you will notice on some of those trim levels is a Drive Mode Selector, which is being introduced for the Nissan Maxima for the first time with the 2016 model. 

The Drive Model Selector appears next to the shifter and a small dial similar to what you would see on the radio. The selector includes two buttons that say "normal" and "sport." You hit one of the buttons for the drive mode you want, and the selector automatically adjusts things like throttle response, transmission tuning, and sound management. You hear an artificial sound that matches the sound of the engine, helping you to really get into the feel that the increased power provides.

The selector also influences the way your steering feels and responds.

The Nissan Maxima has always been a leader in the comfort and convenience features that it offers, and the 2016 model is no exception. 

To start, the 2016 Nissan Maxima comes with an infotainment system on an attractive, 8-inch color display. That is one of the largest infotainment display screens on the market, and it will make browsing apps or looking at directions much easier.

The system will include navigation as a standard feature. Many sedans offer navigation as an optional upgrade or include it only with their premium trims. 

Numerous other services are included with the infotainment system, including NissanConnect, Sirius XM Radio and Sirius XM Travel Link. With these services, you will have the ability to stream your mobile devices to check email, text, makes hands-free calls or use apps. You will be able to stream music from your device or from an app like Pandora or iHeart Radio. You'll even be able to get local information such as movie times and the location of nearby restaurants and gas stations.

Some services require that you sign up for a subscription, such as Sirius XM. However, you get a free trial to see how you like the services first.

Numerous airbags, stronger seat belts, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, and crumple zones are standard safety features that the 2016 Nissan Maxima offers. However, these are the kind of features you can find on just about any vehicle on the market right now.

The 2016 Maxima goes beyond these standard features with a suite of advanced safety technology. You get more "eyes" around your car with forward-collision warning, blind spot warning, and rear-cross traffic alert, which all help you to see cars that pose a collision hazard and then help you to respond quickly.

The new Maxima also includes intelligent cruise control that brakes automatically when you get close to another car, as well as forward emergency braking. The Maxima also includes the driver attention alert system, which monitors your driving behavior for signs of drowsiness or intoxication. It will alert you if it thinks you need to pull over and take a break. 

In keeping with its striving toward sports car status, the new Nissan Maxima shares a color with the GT-R. This dark blue color is called "Deep Blue Pearl," and it is only available on the GT-R and the all-new Maxima.

Two other colors -- Forged Bronze and Coulis Red -- are also available for the 2016 Nissan Maxima and are exclusive to the sedan.

You can choose one of these exclusive colors to match the impressive styling of the Maxima and truly stand out on the road.

The team of designers for the new Maxima went big with their design. In fact, they went so big that they actually had to pare it down and make it a little more sedate for the production version that was released for mainstream audiences.

The result is an aggressively stylish sedan that looks like a combination of sporty and luxury vehicles. It has a bold design with strong lines, plenty of chrome accents, flared wheel arches, and well-placed sculpting. It is aerodynamic but also strong, graceful but also muscular. Not a detail on the exterior looks out of place. 

The overall design is also 1.3 inches lower and 2.2 inches longer, which makes it look a little leaner but also more substantial. 

The Platinum trim adds even more chrome accents on the grille, rear bumper and door handles. The changes are just enough to make the Platinum trim look even more luxurious without going overboard and making it seem like too much. 

The Nissan Maxima has been in production since 1981, and the 2016 model is part of the eighth generation of Maximas. Only the Nissan Z sports car has been being produced for longer than the Maxima, but since the Nissan Z was out of production from 2000 to 2002, the Maxima holds the title for the longest-running continuous model.

The Maxima's longevity is partially the result of its popularity, though its popularity is also partially the result of its longevity. The Maxima has many long-term loyal customers who stick to the nameplate for all their future vehicles.