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Nissan continues its masterful comeback with a makeover of the 2004 Maxima, boosting its power and prestige and finally turning the family sedan into a worthy flagship.

The styling is highly distinctive, from Maxima’s gleaming chrome nose and sloping silhouette to the unique Skyview window in the ceiling. Here’s another bold design from Nissan, which has been pushing the envelope successfully for several years.

The Japanese automaker has shuffled the deck in its lineup, moving formerly compact Altima up to midsize, where it competes with Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, and Maxima moves up to a sports-luxury category to go against such sedans as Acura 3.2TL and Volkswagen Passat.

Though sharing its front-drive platform with Altima, Maxima is marginally bigger with a roomier interior. Maxima also uses the same 3.5-liter engine as the top-end Altima, but churns out 265 horsepower compared with Altima’s 240.

There are two models available, a luxury-oriented SL and a sporty SE. The test car was an SE equipped with six-speed manual transmission and 18-inch alloy wheels with performance tires. Compared with the SL, the suspension on the SE is stiffer and the interior trim more trendy.

The SE test car was also a base model, unadorned with options but still well-equipped.

What it is

The four-door sedan is reborn with a great new look and performance to match.

Engine and transmission

Nissan’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter V-6 engine, found in everything from the Quest minivan to the 350Z sports car, delivers 265 horsepower in the Maxima. That’s 25 horsepower more than the Altima, but 22 less than the Z-car. It’s plenty of power to fulfill Maxima’s sports-sedan mission.

As noted in previous reviews of Nissan products, the 3.5 is smooth and powerful, with little noise or vibration under acceleration. The Maxima engine feels a bit harsher than the less-muscular versions in Altima and the Murano sport utility crossover, but it’s still a sophisticated engine that pulls hard without being too raucous.

One downside to delivering 265 horsepower through the front wheels is a fair amount of twisting torque steer under power. Engineers have tamed the beast in modern automobiles, and Maxima skews just a small degree off-track.

I was glad to find the optional six-speed stickshift in the test car. This is the best way to experience the sporting aspects of the SE, which also comes with a five-speed automatic. The SL comes only with automatic.

The close-ratio six-speed slips nicely into gear, with the flexible engine power making gear choices fairly arbitrary.

Handling and drivability

This is a sweet chassis, first appreciated in Altima, with responsive rack-and-pinion steering and excellent brakes.

Though not up with the top Europeans, notably BMW, Maxima is a sharp-handling car that should satisfy most driving enthusias ts. Cornering is flat and balanced, the sport-tuned suspension delivering a firm but compliant ride.

Vehicle Dynamic Control, Nissan’s anti-skid system, which includes traction control, is available only on automatic-transmission models. On the SE, the performance tires did a nice-enough job of gripping the asphalt without the system.

Styling

Maxima represents another styling coup for Nissan, which turned the formerly placid-looking sedan into a real standout.

The rounded rear shape and canted nose create an athletic look while still maintaining an aura of luxury. The roofline is the most striking feature, the sharply raked rear window evoking the fastback look of a coupe.

Inside, passengers can look up through the Maxima’s signature Skyview window. This is something new, a fore-to-aft window in two parts, front and rear, that provides light and, naturally, a sky view. A shade can be employed when the sun gets too intense.

One problem: Skyview doesn’t open. It’s a fixed glass panel with no mechanism for letting the breeze in. There is an optional, standard-issue moonroof that does open.

Interior: Trendy brushed-aluminum tones, textured surfaces and a sporty-looking gauge cluster create a suitably modernistic environment. In the SL, there are wood accents for a more luxurious tone.

The look is good, but not all the execution is up to snuff. There’s too much hard, cheap-feeling plastic in here, and some of the brushed-aluminum trim looks too fake.

The SE comes with a wealth of standard features, including dual-zone climate control, steering-wheel-mounted switches for audio and cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering-wheel rim, full power components including remote power locks, an eight-way power driver’s seat, a decent audio system with CD and eight speakers, alarm system, trip computer and information center and a Homelink transceiver.

Also available is a GPS navigation system, a 329-watt Bose audio upgrade and a rear center console that creates two bucket seats in back.

Pricing: This one is simple. Base price is a reasonable $26,950, with the only additional cost $540 for shipping.

That comes out to a still-reasonable $27,490.

Bottom line

A lot of stylish car for the money, Maxima swims upstream with newfound handling and performance. Another direct hit for Nissan.

Nissan Maxima SE

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door sedan, front-wheel drive.

Base price: $26,950.

Price as tested: $27,490.

Engine: 3.5-liter V-6, 265 horsepower at 5,800 rpm, 255 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.

Transmission: Six-speed manual.

Wheelbase: 111.2 inches.

Curb weight: 3,432 pounds.

EPA mileage: 20 city, 29 highway.

Highs:

Unique styling.

Engine power.

Responsive handling.

Lows:

Chintzy interior parts.

Mild torque steer.

Skyview doesn’t open.