The flags are flying high again.

Last week, we told you how Nissan is reforming its company, improving its product, and again becoming a force in the car world.  That's nowhere more evident than in the new Maxima.

We've driven a couple of 2000 Maximas, and are happy to report that it's a much better car than just two years ago.  Don't let the Nissan nameplate fool you ­ this car competes with the luxury brands. It's ace is a quality ride that can be made more exciting through judicious use of the option list.  There's even a five-speed!  And while the Maxima's priced against the lower end of the competition, it has the room of an upmarket car.

The new styling isn't for everybody, and there are some quirks in the interior design.  More on that tomorrow.  But the new Maxima is much more solid, better put together, and in every way a more rewarding car than the one it replaced.

Nissan's flagship is back at full steam.



Watch those hands!

Automotive ergonomics -- the science of how well cars fit people -- has come a long way.  From more legible gauges to seats contoured for the American posterior, designers now recognize that what you don't notice is as important as what you do.  If you don't notice how well a gear shift fits your hand, or how smoothly a seat motor moves, the ergonomics people have done their job.

Take the Nissan Maxima.  Nissan's interior designers liberated the trunk and fuel releases from the floor to the drivers door.  That makes them harder to find the first time, but much easier and cleaner to operate.

Not as well thought out: The radio tuner and temperature selector are very close to each other, and use the same shape knob.  If you try to make adjustments without taking your eyes off the road, it's easy to get the wrong one.

Which makes us ask: Would you rather drive along listening to static on 72 FM -- or with the cabin temperature set to 1500 degrees?