There are amazing automobiles and then there are amazing appliances. For example the Nissan GT-R is an amazing automobile. It’s 0-60 times, braking distances, and lateral G capabilities rival the new Porsche 911 Turbo. The Nissan Murano on the other hand is an amazing appliance. No, wait… don’t hit the back button… not yet. Let me explain…

Personally, I think there is a place for both. The GT-R would be perfect for weekend getaways up coast highway and the Murano, well, for everything else. You see - I’ve come to appreciate vehicles that do a lot of routine things really well, but nothing perfectly. In my youth a stripped down Porsche 911 without any sound deadening material, without back seats, or even a stereo - but extremely taut suspension would be the perfect vehicle – it did one thing perfectly. Today, I know there’s a difference between a perfect vehicle and one that you can live with. I also appreciate things like my kidneys, teeth, and ability to hear passengers… although that may change when I have children.

Continue reading "2009 Nissan Murano LE AWD – Amazing?" »

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Earlier this week, a whine of American auto journalists gathered in Cascais, Portugal to drive Nissan cars and trucks from around the world. (Maybe I should explain "whine". A "whine" is a group of journalists. Kinda like a flock, or bevy, or pod, or herd. You can guess why some PR flack came up with the term "whine"). During two days of driving, we were exposed to Nissan vehicles from Japan, North America, Europe and elsewhere. We were able to drive them on public roads through the coastal area surrounding Cascais (a resort area on the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon) and into the hills to Sintra - a picturesque tourist haven filled with tour buses and mini cars.

Automotive Ecstasy - Nissan GT-R

But the piece de resistance was the opportunity to drive Nissan's GT-R Super Car. Couldn't drive it on public roads, but we were able to put in five laps at Circuito Estoril a famous race track near Lisbon. There were three GT-Rs to drive and one that was giving hot laps with a Nissan race driver who could really make the GT-R fly. But back to the actual experience. I teamed up with Pedro, a Portuguese driver from Sintra who demonstrated the features of the GT-R while lapping the course. The first lap was to get familiar with the course. The second was to get familiar with the car. Impressive car. Impressive driver.

For the third through the fifth laps, I got to drive and experience Nissan's $70,000 rocket ship. Check all the boxes and you can get it up to $72,000. Compared with a Porsche Turbo, the GT-R is a deal.

Continue reading "Nissan GT-R and Nissan Clipper Pickup" »

Posted by George Peterson at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Chrysler LLC has not been shy about going after a partner. Chrysler needs access to the expertise in small cars that they don't have, as well as to benefit from the kinds of economies of scale necessary to make any sort of profit on vehicles expected to sell at the bottom end of the scale. After signing with Chinese maker Chery for help in the international arena, announcements have come on new relationships with Nissan. The OEM agreements with Nissan announced this week are examples of two companies finding a win-win relationship.

Nissan and Chrysler Serve as OEM Supplier and Client
Often deals like this are announced with one partner clearly benefiting more than the other, no matter how many times the phrase "win-win" is used during the presentation. But in this case, the relationship will benefit both partners. Each company is contributing in areas where they have expertise and market success, areas where solo development costs are prohibitive. Each company is also using production capacity that might otherwise be difficult to fill.

Continue reading "Chrysler and Nissan: Sharing Can be Fun" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 03:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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When It's a FORUM.
Nissan created the Quest for buyers who needed a minivan but didn't really want to drive one. It was given an aggressive exterior supported by an odd and innovative interior, which took a major update that made it more conventional with the 2007 model year. But the Quest is too much for most minivan buyers, and sales have disappointed Nissan. Nissan must have done some things right, though; Quest owners gave it AutoPacific's 2007 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Minivans.

Despite lukewarm response to Quest, Nissan has not given up on the cool minivan concept, proven by this year's FORUM concept. Jury's out on whether FORUM succeeds with showgoers, but much thought and detail went into development and it sports features that would be appreciated in any minivan. The not-minivan FORUM's angry-appliance looks would stand out in a sea of sameness.

FORUM's dramatic exterior is wrapped around clever features to keep all rows happy. There's no doubt that FORUM explores features and style for a new Quest, but Nissan executives indicated that if they don't think a new generation will be profitable, it won't be built.

Continue reading "Nissan Forum: When is a Minivan Not a Minivan?" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Nissan pulled the cover off the long-awaited GT-R at the Tokyo motor show. This 473HP (480PS), all-wheel-drive coupe promises to be a monster on the road for those willing to part with its mid-$70,000 price next summer. The transmission is a BorgWarner six-speed dual-clutch setup, and if it's as good as Audi's you might not even miss the old days of clutch-pedal shifting.

Pricing in Japan starts the equivalent of about $67,500, where it is offered in three trim levels; these trim levels are primarily organized around features, as the GT-R offers only one powertrain setup. In the States, Nissan's most expensive product is likely to start in the mid-$70,000 range. For perspective, the 2008 Corvette Z06 (505HP) has an MSRP of $71,000 and the 2008 Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra an MSRP of nearly $43,000. Neither of those offer AWD and the Vette only has seats for two, but the GT-R's interior and fit/finish needs to be outstanding to help support the price point they are looking for. Being the legend it is, it won't be a difficult sell its first year. Beyond that, buyers need to see what they're getting for $75,000, and 473HP and all-wheel drive might not be enough for this to be considered a strong value.

Continue reading "2009 Nissan GT-R: The Wraps Come Off Nissan's Supercar" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Couldn't help but take this shot of the former Nissan Headquarters Building. The first time I saw it in 1982 it had both Nissan and DATSUN nomenclature on the fascia. So we'll put this blurb under the "History, Heritage, and Yarns" section.

You remember way last year, Nissan North America moved its headquarters from Gardena, California to Nashville, Tennessee. They moved from a complex at the intersection of 190th Street and Figueroa. Not the best neighborhood, but withing shouting distance of the American headquarters of Toyota and Honda (both in adjacent Torrance). Nissan's complex included the headquarters tower... a 1960s edifice that really is much smaller than it looks. The tower is visible from the 405 Freeway, 91 Freeway and the 110 Freeway. And as an added bonus, if your office was in right place you could stare the pilot of the Goodyear Blimp in the face as he jockeyed the blimp to its field just blocks away.

The NNA complex included not only the headquarters but also separate buildings for marketing, planning, engineering, vehicle storage and display... all things necessary to have a fully functioning automotive distributorship.

Well, NNA moved to Nashville into temporary digs in the Bell South Building. If you Google "Batman Building Nashville" you can find many images. While the Bell South Building is very distinctive, the Nissan folks are housed in typical cube farms with practically nothing to remind them that they are in the auto business. That comes next year when they finally get their own building in Franklin, Tennessee on the outskirts of Nashville.

No wonder they have been disoriented.

Posted by George Peterson at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Though the Tokyo Motor Show is still a few weeks away and the buzz of the Frankfurt auto show isn't over, Nissan is whetting the appetite for their main announcement this year, the production GT-R. Announced today were some minimal facts and one photo, while at the same time GT-R's own website (www.gtrnissan.com) went live. The website, though not chock full of data on the new car just yet, does give a good history lesson for those not necessarily up to speed on the various Skyline GT-R gems that led up to this generation. A longtime favorite of gamers in Gran Turismo and enthusiasts in right-hand-drive countries like Japan and the U.K., for the first time the GT-R will be found on U.S. shores.

With this generation, Nissan drops "Skyline" from the hot coupe's traditional name, keeping only GT-R. Though Nissan considered selling this race-ready rocket through Infiniti dealers, in the end they opted for keeping its historic Nissan badge. The price for the Japanese market was among the few details announced today. Starting from "around 7.8 million yen" at home, using xe.com's conversion tool today, means a base price in the $67,500 neighborhood. On the expensive side for any Nissan, this price point may ensure exclusivity as much as its expected low volumes will. The GT-R (expected to offer a twin-turbo engine with 380-420HP) will compete with everything from the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ($71,000), Audi RS4 ($70,000), BMW M Coupe ($51,875) or upcoming fourth-generation M3, and even personal-use toys like boats.

Keep reading for Nissan's official press release, and a couple photos of the 2005 concept.

Continue reading "2009 Nissan GT-R: Nissan Teases Next Year Entry" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Nissan Titan is the Ideal Large Light Duty Pickup among very tough competition. Three areas particularly shine: (1) power and acceleration (2) package related items like passenger room, ease of getting in and out and interior storage and (3) size and appearance of wheels and tires. In part, this can be explained by the fact that the Titan is available only with a large V-8 engine and only in extended cab and crew cab configuration. This focus gives Titan a tightly defined product definition that Nissan designers and engineers deliver well. The irony is that some of the same factors that make the Titan “Ideal” also limit sales potential.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Nissan Rogue is a small Crossover SUV derived from the Nissan/Renault global C-Class platform - i.e. Nissan Sentra, Nissan Qashqai, Renault Megane. VehicleVoice was given the chance to drive several Rogues in the desert East of San Diego. Here's the scoop.

Justification for Rogue - It Was Easy to Do

The 4-cylinder-only Rogue begs the question, "Why?" Did Nissan feel they HAD TO add a small Crossover SUV to their lineup to compete with the Honda CR-V? Yes. Is there anything particularly intriguing about Rogue? No. It is another is a plethora of conveniently sized, pleasant to drive, reasonably priced small wagons available with all wheel drive. So, I guess it is OK to call it a "Crossover SUV" because definitions in the segment are very broad.

Rogue's styling does not turn heads. Its target market is the same one as all the other small wagons - married male in early 30s just starting a family and needing more utility than his previous sporty coupe (or more likely Chevrolet Silverado or Dodge Ram full size pickup) gave him. Not that we are down on the Rogue. It's just that it doesn't answer questions much differently from any other small Crossover SUV.

Conclusion: Nissan had a competent, flexible global platform that could be efficiently stretched from a sedan (Sentra) to a small Crossover. It couldn't carry a V6, but that's OK because the class leading Honda CR-V doesn't have a V6 either. So here we have a low cost program, assembled in Kyushu, Japan that can fill a niche in the broad Nissan lineup.

Continue reading "Nissan Rogue Adds to Crossover Count" »

Posted by George Peterson at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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The Motorist Choice Award is in its second year and is a collaboration between AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com. AutoPacific, widely known for its industry expertise and research, and IntelliChoice, known for its comprehensive cost of ownership information, designed the Motorist Choice Award to help consumers identify the most satisfying cars and trucks that are also the least expensive to own.

Using data from AutoPacific's national Vehicle Satisfaction research and the IntelliChoice Best Overall Value information, AutoPacific and IntelliChoice have developed a unique tool that can be used by consumers to help them sort through the myriad of choices in today's automotive marketplace.

Here are the 2007 Winners of the 25 individual segment awards:

SEGMENT - Winner

Aspirational Luxury Car - Lexus IS
Compact Car - Mazda3
Compact Crossover SUV - Chevrolet HHR
Compact Pickup - Toyota Tacoma
Compact Sport Utility/ORV - Toyota Tacoma
Economy Car - Honda Fit
Image Compact Car - Volkswagen GTi
Large Car - Toyota Avalon
Large Heavy Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado HD
Large Light Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Large Luxury Car - Cadillac DTS
Large Sport Utility - GMC Yukon XL
Luxury Crossover SUV - Acura MDX
Luxury Mid-Size Car - Nissan Maxima
Luxury Sport Utility - Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mid-Size Car - Volkswagen Jetta
Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility - Toyota 4Runner
Minivan - Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury Car - Lexus LS
Premium Mid-Size Car - Nissan Altima
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Nissan Murano
Premium Sports Car - Lexus SC
Sports Car - Porsche Boxster
Sporty Car - Scion tC

The press release can be found below the fold.

Continue reading "2007 Motorist Choice Awards Announced" »

Posted by George Peterson at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Nissan Murano Win – Well rounded, both literally and figuratively, the Nissan Murano takes over the Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV Class and grabs this year’s Motorist Choice Awards®. Scoring well in most categories the Murano’s easy ingress/egress, pleasant interior materials, and top rated reliability and dependability push its ratings over the top.

IntelliChoice take on Nissan Murano win - The Nissan Murano is a strong model in a very competitive class. The Murano has a solid retained value, as well as performing above average in fuel, insurance, maintenance, and repairs.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Nissan Altima Win – Winning the Premium Mid-Size Car class in this year’s Motorist Choice Awards® the all-new Nissan Altima is on top of its game. With a solid reputation and confident exterior styling the 2007 Nissan Altima comes out on top. Owners really appreciate its easy to use controls and fun to drive performance.

IntelliChoice take on Nissan Altima win - Within a very competitive class the Nissan Altima stands out with a strong retained value and very low maintenance costs.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Nissan Maxima Win – The Nissan Maxima leads the class; winning this year’s Luxury Mid-Size Car Motorist Choice Award®. Owners rate the Maxima as being more fun to drive with segment leading power and acceleration. The Maxima has the right technology, image and size.

IntelliChoice take on Nissan Maxima win - The Nissan Maxima’s solid retained value and best in class maintenance costs helped the Maxima edge out the competition.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Nissan Altima Wins AutoPacific 2007 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Premium Mid-Size Car:

“The Premium Mid-Size Car segment is one of the toughest in the market. There are strong contenders like the all-new Toyota Camry, evergreen (and soon to be replaced) Honda Accord, all-new Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Impala battling for first place," says AutoPacific president George Peterson. "Owners of the all-new Nissan Altima rated their vehicle significantly higher than the segment average for both Performance and Economy (most unusual), Passenger and Luggage Room and Innovative Technology. Instrument Layout and Audio Controls were also well received. Based on owner satisfaction ratings, Altima is an easy car to live with”.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Nissan Maxima Wins AutoPacific 2007 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Luxury Mid-Size Car

“The Nissan Maxima is the top of the sedan lineup for Nissan providing Nissan buyers with high value, high feature, luxury transportation," says AutoPacific president George Peterson. "As a car from a mainstream brand, it does battle with entries from luxury car divisions. The Nissan Maxima is highly rated for Power/Acceleration with Nissan's outstanding VQ V6 engine. Passenger and Cargo Capacity, Instrument Layout/Ease of Use, Wheel and Tire Size and Appearance also received high scores”.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Nissan Quest Wins AutoPacific 2007 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Minivans:

“Perhaps the most controversial entry in the conservative Minivan market, Quest is a love-it or hate-it affair. Clearly, Quest owners love it," says AutoPacific president George Peterson. Quest owners find their vehicles to be Fun-to-Drive (at least relative to the other vehicles in the segment), and they rate Power/Acceleration highly. Quest ratings for Entry and Exit are excellent. Showing that they were looking for something different, owners rate Image higher than other vehicles in the Minivan segment”.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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What a difference a top can make.
Last summer, I drove the Nissan Z roadster, and while it was a nice car it wasn’t the type of bat I’d like to swing at a fast ball. The soft top looked terrible when up, the body wasn’t stiff enough (due to the chopped top), and there were other niggly-bits that made me fee this wasn’t a great driver’s car. I’d pass.

This week, I spent several hundred miles with a hardtop Nissan 350 Z and, um, WOW! I can’t believe these two vehicles came from the same mold. This is an absolute driver's car and Nissan has done a remarkable job packing a 3.5 liter V6 (306-hp and 268-lb-ft of torque) into this delightful chassis. There are several versions of the Z available, all of them related to features packages. I was in the “enthusiast” model, which is priced under $30,000. You can read all of the techno-speak on the Nissan website, but what you can’t get there is the driver’s point of view, so let’s hit the road.

Continue reading "2007 Nissan Z - Driver's Car" »

Posted by dbarrett at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Everything You Need?
The Nissan Xterra slogan “Everything you need and nothing you don’t” has always made me wonder… What exactly do I need? I’d like to think that I could probably survive without many frills, but it almost begs the question… “What about some of the things I really want?” Is the Xterra a knock down, drag out, take no prisoners SUV that needs no further trimmings, which might detract from its purpose driven nature, or is it a bare bones box on wheels relying on it’s motto as an excuse to cut costs? AutoPacific and Vehicle Voice staff wanted to know the answer. We may have all agreed that the Xterra fulfilled all of our SUV requirments but with so many options out there would we want one?

Continue reading "2007 Nissan Xterra – Plastic Makes it Possible" »

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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