Nissan announced pricing for the 2021 Nissan Maxima, and if you were expecting it to stay the same price, well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. While the Maxima carries over from 2020 mostly unchanged, the Nissan Maxima’s base price has gone up. That’s not all either. 

What’s new with the 2021 Nissan Maxima?

Nissan announced not too long ago that it would be adding an all-new trim level to the Maxima lineup. As it turns out, that trim is the 40th Anniversary Edition of the Nissan Maxima. Featuring 40th-anniversary badging both on its exterior and on its red leather seats, the 40th Anniversary Edition of the Nissan Maxima is built on the Platinum trim level.

The 40th Anniversary Edition has more to offer than special badging. It also adds features like 19-inch black alloy wheels, black exhaust tips, a red semi-aniline leather interior with red contrast stitching, heated rear seats, and white speedometer and tachometer faces that harken back to Maxima models of year’s past.

How does it compare to last year’s model?

For the most part, the 2021 Nissan Maxima carries over from the 2020 model year unchanged. While its base trim has been nixed and Nissan has added a 40th Anniversary Edition to the Maxima lineup, that’s really all that’s new with this year’s Maxima. 

Take a look at its specs, and you’ll find that a 300-hp 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 engine remains under the hood. It still comes paired with a performance-oriented Xtronic transmission too. And according to Car and Driver, this year’s model handles well for its size. 

Car and Driver added, “The suspension is nicely damped and firm to the point of being perhaps too stiff for the class. The Maxima exhibits little body lean in aggressive cornering maneuvers, and in our testing, the Maxima SR easily outhandled its rivals.”

Nissan Safety Shield 360 remains standard across the Maxima lineup as well, which includes safety features like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist and rear automatic braking.

This is how much the 2021 Nissan Maxima will cost you

To give you an idea of pricing, the 2020 Nissan Maxima boasted a base price of $34,450. That price, however, was for the base model Nissan Maxima which has since been booted from the lineup. This year’s Maxima, which is available in SV, SR, and Platinum trim levels, comes with a base price of $36,990. Opt for the SR, and that price bumps up to $42,150. And the Maxima Platinum, which sits at the top of the lineup, will cost you $42,220. And if it’s the 40th Anniversary Edition that you’re after? Tack another $2,1251 on top of the fully equipped Maxima Platinum.

But is this year’s Maxima worth the price increase?

There’s no denying that the Nissan Maxima is a popular car. There’s a reason that it’s made it 40 years. People like it. It’s well-equipped, comes standard with a slew of safety features, and, all in all, is just a good car. But is it worth the price increase?

It depends. If you’ve got your heart set on the 40th Anniversary Edition of the Nissan Maxima, then sure. The price increase is well worth the spend. But if you’re not? Well, the 2021 Nissan Maxima is a carryover, after all, so you might as well opt for a more modestly priced 2020 model.