The Maxima is Nissan's flagship sedan and is for those who need family sedan room but also want a car with extroverted styling that is fun to drive.

The fast, sporty Maxima shares its basic design with the automaker's top-selling Altima four-door but is longer, wider, higher and heavier, with a more solid feel.

Both the front-drive Maxima and Altima share a smooth, dual-overhead-camshaft 3.5-liter V-6, but the Maxima engine has a higher output, at 265 horsepower. The Altima is offered with the V-6 or a four-cylinder engine, but the Maxima comes only with the V-6, befitting its higher station in life.

The latest version of the Maxima arrived as a 2004 model. It costs more than the Altima and is nearly in the lower end of the premium sedan class, with list prices up to $30,150. However, it has lots of performance and features for the money.

Maxima rivals include the Buick LaCrosse, Chrysler 300, Ford Five Hundred, Kia Amanti and Toyota Avalon -- and high-line versions of the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Mazda 6.

Nearly all those cars didn't exist when the Maxima was introduced in 1981.

The sportiest Maxima is the $27,900 SE, which has such features as a sport suspension and wider 45-series tires on 18-inch wheels.

The higher-line $30,150 Maxima SL has leather upholstery, heated and power front seats and a higher-line audio system. It also has a softer suspension with 55-series tires, which have more sidewall area for a slightly smoother ride.

Both the SE and SL are loaded with comfort and convenience equipment. They include the usual power assists, along with air conditioning with dual-zone automatic controls, tilt-telescopic wheel, cruise control and AM/FM/cassette/CD player.

An unusual feature is Nissan's Skyview roof. It's a fixed tinted-glass panel running longitudinally down the middle of the car above the front and rear seats and has two interior shades. A conventional $900 power sunroof, put sideways across the front of the roof, is available for those who don't want the glass panel.

A nifty option is the Elite group, which mainly features heated individual rear bucket seats and a rear center console instead of a three-passenger bench seat. But it deletes that standard split-folding rear bench seat that lengthens the cargo area -- and only allows a narrow pass-through area from the trunk.

That option costs $4,600 for the SE, but only $1,750 for the SL because the latter version is better equipped.

Also optional are a navigation system, satellite radio and a new hands-free wireless cell-phone link.

Standard safety items for both SE and SL include anti-lock brakes, traction control, front side air bags and head-protecting curtain side air bags. A $600 anti-skid system is offered for versions with the automatic transmission.

The strong V-6 makes the Maxima quick off the line and whisks it to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. The SE version is offered with a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox or a responsive five-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift feature that was in my test SE. The higher-line SL comes only with the automatic.

Estimated fuel economy is 20 mpg in the city and 28-29 on the highway. Premium fuel is recommended.

The steering allows quick, sure directional changes, and the suspension copes nicely with rough roads, although even the SE with its sport suspension doesn't feel as tightly tied to the road as many sports sedans during spirited driving. But then, most such sedans have rear-drive that gives them inherently better balance because they have less weight in front.

Stopping distances are better than average, and a standard brake assist feature helps allow surer emergency stops.

Five tall occupants fit with the supportive front bucket seats and rear bench seat, and that's the "family way" to go -- rather than the four-passenger arrangement with the sportier Elite package. However, a sloping roofline and narrow rear door bottoms can make it a bit difficult for taller folks to slide in and out, no matter what seating arrangement.

The quiet interior generally is upscale, despite some hard surfaces. It looks best with the SE's metallic trim instead of the SL's rather bland woodgrain accents.

Motorcycle-inspired gauges can be read easily, although some might find the central dashboard screen rather gimmicky; it displays such information as audio and climate settings -- and information from the navigation system. There are a fair number of interior storage areas.

The long, deep trunk has a moderately high, rather small opening, but its lid smoothly swings up on struts that don't steal cargo space.

The Maxima long has been a solid seller. While sporty, it provides a good blend of luxury and practicality.