Compare the2023 Lexus ESVS 2022 Nissan Maxima

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus ES have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Nissan Maxima doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The ES has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Maxima doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The ES 250 AWD has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Maxima doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the ES and the Maxima have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lexus ES is safer than the Nissan Maxima:

	ES	Maxima
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	120	252
Neck Injury Risk	24%	25%
Neck Stress	239 lbs.	289 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus ES is safer than the Nissan Maxima:

	ES	Maxima
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	85	119
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	160 lbs.	225 lbs.
Hip Force	264 lbs.	337 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	41 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ES its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 124 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Maxima is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The ES comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Maxima’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the ES 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Maxima. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Maxima ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ES’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Maxima’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 13th.

Engine

The ES 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 2 more horsepower (302 vs. 300) and 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (267 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the ES gets better mileage than the Maxima:

			MPG
ES
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/44 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/32 hwy
		F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
Maxima
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/30 hwy

The ES can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 1.6 miles. The Maxima can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the ES Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Maxima doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the ES Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Maxima doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lexus ES uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Maxima requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus ES higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Nissan Maxima (3). This means the ES produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Maxima every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The ES stops shorter than the Maxima:

	ES	Maxima
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The ES has standard front gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Maxima’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The ES offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Maxima’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ES’ wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the Maxima (113 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

Chassis

The design of the Lexus ES amounts to more than styling. The ES offers aerodynamic coefficients of drag from .26 to .29 Cd (depending on bodystyle and options). That is lower than the Maxima (.29 to .3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the ES get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The ES has .8 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 5 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear hip room than the Maxima.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the ES easier. The ES’ trunk lift-over height is 27.4 inches, while the Maxima’s liftover is 28.8 inches.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the ES’ power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Maxima doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 48% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

The ES offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Maxima doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The ES’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Maxima’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the ES and the Maxima have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the ES is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Maxima prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The ES’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Maxima’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The ES’ headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Maxima’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the ES offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Maxima doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the ES and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the ES Ultra Luxury to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Maxima doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lexus ES offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Maxima doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the ES owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the ES will cost $2210 less than the Maxima over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the ES is less expensive to operate than the Maxima because typical repairs cost less on the ES than the Maxima, including $9 less for a water pump and $154 less for a muffler.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Lexus ES will be $338 to $4426 less than for the Nissan Maxima.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus ES and the Nissan Maxima, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Lexus ES outsold the Nissan Maxima by almost three to one during the 2021 model year.

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