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W ednesday, February 16, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER C1 BARGAIN-RATE CAR INSURANCE WITH BARGAINRATE SERVICE IS NO BARGAIN. Wayne McGill :337-5567 D o n 't tr u s t ju s t a n y o n e to in s u re y o u r ca r, see m e: * Maxima remains spiritual leader of Nissan I t doesn't seem like alm ost a year ago that the 2000 ver sion o f the N issan M axim a appeared on these pages. S ince it first bow ed a full fiv e g e n e ra tio n s ago, the M ax im a has been the spiritual le ad e r o f th e N issan cam p through the glory days, then through a recent tough stretch, an d now w ith new R en ault m oney and new energy, b urst ing w ith enthusiasm . F irst im pressions o f any car tend to play an im portant part an d m y first acquaintance w ith the 2000 M axim a w as as a p as senger, w h ile a m uch m ore co m p e te n t h ig h -sp e e d d riv er put the sedan through its paces. H e and I both agreed that this M axim a, even in basic form w as a han d ler 'par excellence'. A ccording to the statistics, the suspension, drivetrain and rela ted ru n n in g gear are the JIM ROBINSON Road Worthy sam e as the 1999 except that the sw eet N issan V 6 now pro duces 222 hp. But w hat we did n't know w as an increm ental change in the position o f the rear trailing arm s o f the m ulti link system had transform ed the car all out o f proportion. If you ever w ondered why those racecar drivers w ant their suspension m odified a m illim e ter o r so, the M axim a proves the reason behind it. M a x im a is offered in C anada in the usual three trim levels o f G X E, SE, and GLE ranging in price from $28,590$32,600 for the G X E, $34,000- $36,200 for the SE, and a flat $34,900 for the luxury going GLE. T he G LE gets the full luxury treatm en t w ith "W oodtone" trim , 16-inch w heels, leather ev ery w h ere an d a 2 0 0 -w att BO SE sound system . There are no o p tio n s on the G LE. It com es w ith everything. T he beauty o f the G X E and, m ore the point, the SE, is that both are offered with a fivespeed m anual transm ission. All 2000 M axim as have A BS, rem ote keyless entry, im m obi lizer secu rity sy stem and retained accessory pow er that can com e in very handy w hen you need it. Even w ith the car shut off, the battery will still provide pow er for a lim ited time. T he SE as tested here, is the real charger and it com es with sportier (believe it or not) sus- 2000 Nissan Maxima SE Mazda Tribute Sport sedan ofsport utilities M azda has launched a brand new entry, the 2001 M azda Tribute, that M azd a says carves out its ow n unique niche in the rapidly SU V grow ing segment. D esigned and engineered by M azda in Japan, the Tribute is being described as "the sport sedan o f sport utilities." W ith available 200 hp, 3.0litre engine, the Tribute has a sp acio u s interior, w ith m ore front and rear seat legroom than som e luxury sport-utility vehi cles. Its room y cargo area will ac co m m o d ate 4x8 sheets o f building m aterials with the flipup rear w indow open, and the liftgate closed. It also offers features nor m ally found on m ore expensive, u p m ark et S U V s, including available leather seats, six-way p o w er d river's seat, prem ium audio system w ith six-disc in dash C D changer, leatherw rap p ed ste erin g w heel and overhead storage bins T he Tribute is designed to appeal to young adults w ith active lifestyles w ho will be d raw n to its sophisticated styling an d exceptional func- pension, front fog lam ps inte grated into the spoiler, 16-inch alloy w heels, leather seating, titanium -tinted gauges, and that lovely five-speed m anual. In fact, the only option on a SE is the four-speed autom atic trans m ission. Its heart is the V Q 3litre, one o f the sm oothest in the w orld and now producing 222 hp. Instead o f one day, this tim e I had a w eek w ith the car and all the prow ess o f the engine and in d ep en d en t su sp en sio n cam e back. T hings are a lot m ore gritty on Hwy. 401 than C alifornia back roads where I drove the car last year. In ju st enough sn o w /rain to m ake things greasy, the w ide track and hon esty o f the handling is com m u nicated to the steering w heel ju st like it should be. W ith four-w eek discs and anti-lock brakes, the car also stops w ith alacrity w hen one o f O ntario's m indless m inivan d ri vers realizes he is going to m iss his off-ram p and cuts across three lanes o f traffic sans turn signal. Being able to see and anticipate says a lot for the w ay the driver is seated in this car. A nother m ajor plus for the M axim a is the generous back seat area for three fellow w ork ers, all o f adult (dare I say am ple) size. W hat I enjoyed the m ost was the fact this very pow erful car is available w ith a five-speed m anual tran sm issio n . O th er than the L incoln LS 3.0-litre or the B M W 5281, I can't really think o f anything that brings together this m uch luxury w ith a sense o f perform ance. O ne th in g fo r sure, the M axim a certainly doesn't cost anyw here near the other two. T h is alo n e m ak es the M axim a a serious contender for the com m uter w ho also has to im press people heading out for lunch. T h e M ax im a also com es along at a fortuitous tim e by holding the fort until the next generations cars like the potent 2001 P ath fin d er and re-bom 2001 Sentra take th eir spot on N issan show room floors with the evergreen A ltim a and hotselling new X terra. Verve, I think, is w hat this car has. O f course it has the kind o f passenger room that has alw ays m ade the M axim a pop ular. W ith even m ore handling and g o -p o w e r th an before, M ax im a is still a seg m en t leader in every way. M azda will launch its first SUV later this year calling it the "sport sedan o f sport utilities." tionality. M azda expects Tribute buy ers will likely be young couples with two children. Finding a balance between theircareers and time together is im portant for these buyers. They enjoy family outings to the beach or m ountains - areas w here the Tribute's flip-up rear glass and 3,500-pound towing capacity (with optional trailer tow package) com e in very handy. A dditionally, the T ribute's sophisticated, expressive style is right at hom e on date night at the jazz club. M azda is confident that both women and men will appreciate the excellent visibility o f the Tribute's com m and seating posi tion, the power o f its available 24-valve, 3.0-litre V 6 engine and the responsive handling o f its car-like m onocoque co n struction and tuned, m ulti-link independent suspension. 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