Every Maxima receives Nissan's Safety Shield 360 technology package for the 2020 model year. On long stretches of freeway driving, I enjoyed deploying adaptive cruise control, letting the car lend a hand when it came to traffic spacing and lane keeping.

The interior, while it has some nice materials, shows its age with big swathes of hard plastic. The center area around the shifter is super cluttered with dials, knobs, and buttons, leaving less room than ideal for storage. However, there is a neat cellphone cubby, which is great when a device is plugged into the USB port for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto duty.

The updated Maxima turned out to be a pleasant surprise as a roadtrip companion. However, from the powertrain to the interior, Nissan's biggest sedan could use a few more updates to keep it even fresher. At $44,030 after destination charges, the Maxima SR is stuffed with equipment and has the performance capabilities to make it a trusty all-around daily driver. The Toyota Avalon and the Kia Cadenza are probably its closest competition, and both of those cars are a bit fresher than Nissan's longstanding offering. But with the SR trim's suspension tuning, it's still the sportiest of the bunch.

My biggest takeaway from the time I spent in the 2020 Maxima SR: don't ignore sedans when it comes to road-tripping. My passengers found the Maxima to be comfortable and spacious, and I enjoyed its lower center of mass and competent dynamics to a comparable SUV. It is, however, about time for Nissan to completely overhaul its biggest sedan.

2020 Nissan Maxima SR Specifications
ON SALE	Now
PRICE	$42,345/$44,030 (base/as tested)
ENGINE	3.5L DOHC 24-valve V-6/300 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 261 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm
TRANSMISSION	Continuously variable
LAYOUT	4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD Sedan
EPA MILEAGE	20/30 mpg (city/hwy)
L x W x H	192.8 x 73.2 x 56.5 in
WHEELBASE	109.3 in
WEIGHT	3,664 lb
0-60 MPH	5.8 sec
TOP SPEED	130 mph