2020 Nissan Pathfinder: Keep Trying

There’s nothing overtly wrong with the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder. But competition is intense in the sport utility vehicle marketplace. And the SUV, now in its 34th year, needs a complete overall. Its current generation started in 2013 and competition has improved since the SUV debuted in 1986. Its peak sales year in the United States was 88,632 in 2013, with fluctuating sales since. About 65,000 Pathfinders were sold in the U.S. last year. The Ford Explorer is a longstanding rival and newcomers like the Kia Telluride and Volkswagen Atlas have designed with modern buyers in mind. The 2019 Pathfinder had

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PRESS RELEASE: 2020 Nissan Pathfinder

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The 2020 Nissan Pathfinder continues as an exceptional way for families to turn up the adventure, around town or off-road. It has a unique combination of rugged design, powerful performance and seven-passenger comfort and utility. Adding to Pathfinder’s long list of standard and available innovative features and advanced technologies is the special Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition, available on SV and SL grades, in 2WD and 4WD configurations. The special value option package offers unique exterior and interior treatments that emphasize the rugged Nissan Pathfinder heritage. Two additional Rock Creek equipment packages and a choice of seven available exterior colors allow

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#132, ValChoice goal: insurance trust

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Dan Karr, CEO ValChoice.com, began his insurance analysis company in early 2016 in the aftermath of a near tragedy. A former Silicon Valley executive and avid cyclist, Karr suffered a near-fatal accident with a motorist in 2014 and endured a long legal battle with insurance companies. Karr eventually won his case and recouped his financial losses. But the frustration of what he thought was a relationship with good insurance providers prompted the publication of his book, “Injured Money.” Independent Insurance Transparency The enduring scenario further resulted in his current company. Its motto: Independent. Unbiased. Trusted. Karr is our guest on

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2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid: bright future now

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No one ever calls the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid a Comfortable Runabout Vehicle or a Compact Recreational Vehicle. But like other vehicles known by acronyms, the CR-V is Honda‘s mid-range and most popular sport utility vehicle. It’s quickly likely to become further favored. The SUV segment, according to industry analysts, is expected to approach half of all new vehicles in the United States this year. Which makes it surprising one option hadn’t been previously offered. The Honda CR-V Hybrid, with documented histories to two original given names, debuts this year in a hybrid trim. The Honda CR-V Hybrid has increased

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Rare Dodge Dakota ragtop at auction

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Mini pickup trucks were the rage during the 1970s, 1980s and into the early 1990s. But as sport utility vehicles became increasingly popular, interest in popular mini-trucks from Chevrolet, Datsun, Ford, Mazda and Toyota waned. To be different, Chrysler introduced the Dodge Dakota Convertible pickup truck in 1989. It featured a fixed roll bar and a simple manual top. About 2,500 units of the odd trucks sold in the debut year, only 909 were made in 1990 and eight in 1991. Dodge Dakota convertible at Mecum With all options available included, the Dodge Dakota convertible in 1990 costs about $18,000

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#131, Greg Griffin races a Ferrari, builds Florida homes

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:28 — 39.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreGreg Griffin is likely the only race car driver whose heritage features an Italian grandfather who owned 18 Ferraris including one used as a farm tractor by famed artist Andrew Wyatt. The owner and president of Griffin Builders in Naples, Florida, Griffin has been a custom home builder for nearly 20 years. But he’s been around the supercars for as long as he can remember. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Griffin in Episode #131 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Greg Griffin: A

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Pickup trucks not perfect, but 5 make safety priority

Pickup trucks always seem safe. Sitting high off the road and in a vehicle with all-wheel drive or 4WD capacity provides a sense of security. But trucks don’t always have top safety ratings. No 2020 pickup trucks so far have received a Top Safety Pick or a Top Safety Pick+ — the highest ratings — according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Not all 2020 models have IIHS ratings yet, but at least three reasons contribute to trucks’ surprising ratings. Do pickup trucks seem too safe? Truck drivers, feeling safe, sometimes drive too aggressively in inclement weather. Pickup

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2020 Nissan Titan: new, improved, still struggling

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Nearly 20 years ago, someone decided on the not-so-keen idea of naming a full-sized pickup truck after a mythological Greek god. It’s been a curse for the Nissan Titan. Perennially low-selling in the country’s best-selling vehicle segment, the Titan has had only two generations since 2003 and none since 2016. The Titan had the poorest sales of any mainstream full-sized truck last year, losing nearly 38 percent of its share from a year earlier. Refreshing the truck for 2020 was the least Nissan could after only 31,000 Titans were purchased last year. The brand finished an unlucky 13th and at

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BREAKING NEWS: Mercedes-Benz live celebrity Zoom show

With so many automotive events, the Geneva International Motor Show to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to the Paris Motor Show, all canceled, Zoom had a good idea. In a hastily announced press release, Mercedes-Benz will have an online automotive show on Zoom called the Concours de Zoom. It will feature the Mercedes-Benz vehicles of celebrities and car collectors ranging from Jay Leno to Martha Stewart. The just-announced event will be broadcast on Zoom at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, 5 p.m., Eastern Time. Zoom in to Mercedes-Benz online car show Mercedes-Benz will make a financial donation to the American Red

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#130, Fair provides safe car leasing Covid-19 option

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:47 — 32.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreCraig Nehamen is a co-founder of Fair. It’s among several apps debuting within the past decade that provide a new car leasing option for way for consumers. The app, which launched in September 2017, allows consumers to lease a previously owned vehicle for a short or long time frame. Nehamen is our guest on episode #130 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Nehamen about the business and the process of leasing a vehicle online via Fair. The

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Coronavirus concerns crash Monterey Auto Week

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Increasing health concerns because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Concours d'Elegance, annual finale to Classic Car Week, scheduled Sunday, Aug. With 16, has been canceled.

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Rivian EV debut delayed by Covid-19 crisis

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The debut of the Rivian Automotive pickup truck, the much-anticipated and hugely financed potential competitor of Tesla, has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Amazon, Ford and Cox Automotive have combined for nearly $3 billion in investments for the innovative truck and sport utility vehicle. And the unveiling was scheduled for later this year, perhaps at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The vehicle received global attention when prototypes were unveiled at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. With its investment, Amazon ordered 100,000 custom-designed electric delivery vehicles. Rivian has best EV range Industry analysts predict the R1T and

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#129, A Subaru Impreza, a sudden crash, a family heals

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:46 — 35.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More Ron Richman, an attorney in San Francisco, recently received a phone call from the eldest of his two sons, Sam, a lawyer in Los Angeles. The father immediately heard something in his son’s voice that wasn’t right. His instincts were accurate. The younger Richman, 29, had been driving his 2014 Subaru Impreza hatchback with a friend as a passenger on Santa Monica Blvd. at 30-35 miles per hour. He was hit from behind by a car witnesses estimated was traveling about 80 mph.

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Wacky Aussie trailer a bunker on wheels

It’s part tank, part trailer, part Mad Max movie star on wheels. It’s the latest from Australian Off Road (AOR), and it’s as innovative as a buyer wants to be creative. A small version of the AOR Sierra square drop trailer, the new Sierra ZR is a simple, make-to-your preferred spec cargo hauler. It works and feels like an entry-level, off-road camper. Its base cost is about $19,000, about $8,000 less than its bigger sibling. “We know that many campers start off small and have their own gear loaded up and ready to go,” said an AOR spokesperson. “With the

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2020 Nissan Sentra, a new hipster nearing 40

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Nearing its 40th birthday, the Nissan Sentra has endured weird names and different marketing strategies. Once a sub-compact, it’s now a compact or small sedan. Its peculiar names in different countries include Tsuru, Sylphy and Almera. It’s also a direct descendant of the Datsun B210. The 2020 Nissan Sentra, available in the United States, isn’t named after a crane, a slender young woman or a princess. Its moniker is a variant of sentry, which also isn’t quite right. But guardian or protector-on-wheels is workable. The Sentra has adapted and remains strong in an ever-crowded marketplace. The Sentra’s eighth-generation debut this

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Takata airbag issues affect 250,000 Nissan vehicles

The Takata airbag issue won’t go away. This time, the Japanese supplier of safety equipment to many domestic and international brands is facing a recall from Nissan SUVs, trucks and vans. The Nissan recall covers about 250,000 Nissan NV Cargo and Passenger vans from 2012 to 2017, the 2013 to 2015 Nissan Titan pickup and Armada large SUV, and the 2011 and 2012 Infiniti QX56 SUV. Projectile shrapnel is the problem. The vehicles have airbags with volatile ammonium nitrate that can explode with too much force. The airbags have a moisture-absorbing chemical that was supposed to make them safe. Takata

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