Nissan Maxima vs Kia K5

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. We drove the Nissan Maxima Platinum trim level for this review.

If you can overlook the real-world fuel economy and unimpressive crash-test ratings, then a 2024 Kia K5 is a steal of an automobile. (Don’t worry, it has an engine immobilizer system to prevent theft.) In Canada, it comes in LX, EX, GT-Line, and GT trim levels. Turbocharging is standard, and all-wheel drive is standard in Canada on every trim except the performance-oriented GT. The latter is a rare offering in this segment, and south of luxury brands it’s one matched only by the Nissan Altima.

Verdict: It’s a shame Kia doesn’t offer the K5 with a hybrid powertrain, and its performance in new, tougher-to-pass crash tests is worrisome. But there is no doubt the 2024 Kia K5 is a stylish, comfortable, enjoyable, and technologically advanced midsize car. And the price is undeniably nice.