Compare the2023 Lexus ISVS 2023 Nissan Maxima

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus IS 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 IS’ optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Maxima doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The IS 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 IS offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Maxima doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the IS 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 and available around view monitors.

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 IS is safer than the Nissan Maxima:

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 IS its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Maxima is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the IS first among compact premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Maxima isn’t in the top three in its category.

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.

The IS 350 F Sport’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 11 more horsepower (311 vs. 300) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The IS 500’s standard 5.0 DOHC V8 produces 172 more horsepower (472 vs. 300) and 134 lbs.-ft. more torque (395 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the IS 300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6 is faster than the Nissan Maxima:

As tested in Motor Trend the IS 500 5.0 DOHC V8 is faster than the Nissan Maxima (base engine):

On the EPA test cycle the IS 300 RWD gets better fuel mileage than the Maxima (21 city/31 hwy vs. 20 city/30 hwy).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus IS higher (5 out of 10) than the Nissan Maxima (3). This means the IS produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Maxima every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the IS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Maxima:

The IS stops much shorter than the Maxima:

The F Sport Design’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Maxima SR/Platinum’s 40 series tires.

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

The IS offers an optional 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.

The IS’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the Maxima’s (60.8% to 39.2%). This gives the IS more stable handling and braking.

The IS 350 F Sport handles at .93 G’s, while the Maxima Platinum pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The IS 500 Performance executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Maxima Platinum (25.2 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the IS’ turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Maxima’s (34.2 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The IS AWD’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the Maxima’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

The IS is 7.4 inches shorter than the Maxima, making the IS easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The IS has .1 inches more front hip room, .2 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear hip room than the Maxima.

The engine in the IS is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Maxima. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The IS has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The Maxima doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

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.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Maxima SR/Platinum, the IS offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The IS’ 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 IS’ 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 IS’ 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 IS offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Maxima doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The IS will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the IS will retain 44.72% to 48.44% of its original price after five years, while the Maxima only retains 43.69% to 43.8%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the IS is less expensive to operate than the Maxima because it costs $72 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the IS than the Maxima, including $224 less for a muffler, $20 less for front brake pads and $5 less for a fuel pump.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the IS first among compact premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Maxima isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Lexus IS outsold the Nissan Maxima by over two to one during the 2022 model year.