Compare the2023 Nissan MaximaVS 2023 Lexus ES

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Maxima are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ES doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Maxima has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The ES doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Maxima and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 Nissan Maxima is safer than the Lexus ES:

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 Nissan Maxima is safer than the Lexus ES:

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

There are over 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Maxima’s warranty.

The Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 97 more horsepower (300 vs. 203) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (261 vs. 184) than the ES 250 AWD’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 85 more horsepower (300 vs. 215) than the ES 300h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Maxima is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

The Maxima has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (18 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Maxima has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES’ standard fuel tank (18 vs. 15.9 gallons).

For better stopping power the Maxima’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ES:

The Maxima’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ES are solid, not vented.

The Maxima stops much shorter than the ES:

For better traction, the Maxima has larger tires than the ES (245/45R18 vs. 215/55R17). The Maxima SV’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ES (245/45R18 vs. 235/45R18).

The Maxima SV’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ES’ standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Maxima SV has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the ES.

The Maxima has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The ES doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Maxima offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the ES; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Maxima SR handles at .86 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Maxima SR executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (26.6 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

The Maxima is 3.1 inches shorter than the ES, making the Maxima easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Maxima has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

The Maxima has a larger trunk than the ES (14.3 vs. 13.9 cubic feet).

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Maxima’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The ES’ useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

The Maxima’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The Maxima’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The ES does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Maxima’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Maxima has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the ES. The Maxima Platinum also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ES.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Maxima is less expensive to operate than the ES because it costs $37 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Maxima than the ES, including $18 less for front brake pads, $139 less for a starter, $10 less for fuel injection, $11 less for a fuel pump, $224 less for front struts, $635 less for a timing belt/chain and $521 less for a power steering pump.

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