Top 10 cars at the New York auto show;;;;;9

Nissan Maxima

Nissan has always sought to position the Maxima as a "four-door sports car". But while it has added costly features meant to differentiate the sedan from mainstream competitors, those cars – including Nissan's own Altima – have added power, handling and amenities that make the Maxima's proposition increasingly dubious.
Nissan, however, has reason for hope as it brings the eighth generation of the car to market. It was introduced at the show by president and chief executive Carlos Ghosn, who emphasized that the brand's longest-running nameplate was primarily intended for US customers.
Nissan argues that styling cues such as blacked-out roof pillars and crisply sculpted forms will help set the Maxima apart. The sedan also makes use of a 300hp, 3.5-litre honey pot from Nissan’s vaunted VQ V6 engine family, which is claimed to be 60% new.
The top-line Platinum edition even offers Driver Attention Alert, a system that monitors steering inputs to determine whether the driver might be in danger of sleeping at the wheel. There seems little risk of that, however, judging by the pulse-quickening vehicle on the Nissan stand. (Credit: Jeff Jablansky)