When it unveiled the 2016 Maxima at the New York Auto Show,->ke226 Nissan->ke62 left enthusiasts in awe. The new full-size->ke4304 showcased a concept-like->ke169 exterior design and an interior packed with premium features previously not available in this class. It had just one fault in the fact that it didn't have AWD. Despite that, Nissan is very optimistic about the Maxima,->ke540 claiming it is one of the sportiest full-size vehicles. To prove it, the company took it to the Buttonwillow Raceway Park for a comparison against other sedans with sporty ambitions: the BMW->ke178 328i, Audi A4 2.0T, and the Acura TLX V6 Tech.

The test itself was more that just a couple of times laps. Nissan did put all four cars through their paces on the 1.8-mile track, but it used all sorts of technology to see which performed better and was fastest around corners. All cars were driven by professional racer Andy Lally, who also took his time to explain the intricacies of the test.

The result was a bit surprising, as the Maxima proved to be the quickest of the pack, beating the BMW 3 Series->ke290 to the finish line by nearly a second. The reason why it's surprising is because although the 328i is less powerful than the Maxima, it's significantly lighter. Not to mention that, according to most tests, it's also one of the most agile compact sedans. So what does this mean? Well, either Nisssan has pulled a fast one on us or the 2016 Maxima is simply that good!

2016 Nissan Maxima

Read more about the 2016 Nissan Maxima in our full review here.