Nissan

New Nissan Titan XD gets Cars.com truck of the year honors

Every car publication annual selects its cars and trucks of the year. It remains a mystery why it’s done early in the calendar year, but Cars.com has selected the Volvo XC90 as its 2016 Car of the Year.  And the debuting Nissan Titan XD as its 2016 Pickup Truck of the Year. In part, here’s what editors at Cars.com wrote about the 2016 Nissan Titan XD: “Not only does this new truck attempt to carve a unique place for itself in between two well-established segments (the half-ton and three-quarter-ton segments), but it also tries to re-establish Nissan as a competitive player in the world of full-size pickup trucks — and that’s a tall order. “Where the previous light-duty Titan was

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Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Dodge get dubious honors

Owning a Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan or a Dodge Charger muscle car might be a dream vehicle of your choice. Both automobiles have long been popular to different buying groups. But both vehicles are also expected to be among the worst depreciating cars in 2016. According to a new report on Forbes.com and compiled from statistics from the used-vehicle website Carlypso.com, the Nissan Leaf is expected to be with the worst anticipated depreciating in 2016. The Leaf will likely be worth only 52 percent of its original MSRP after one year. The Forbes’ article states depreciation values are “essentially educated guesses.” But it also cites the data from Carlypso.com and its most recent tabulation from 2015 of more than 46,000 used

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Ford Fiesta, Nissan Pathfinder among least reliable cars

The Pope gave Fiat the best press it’s ever had recently when he chose it as his preferred transportation during his visit to the United States. Consumer Reports, however, has just given the compact minivan/crossover some of its worst publicity — “least reliable car.” In a throwback to the 1970s when Fiat got the infamous slogan for the acronym of its name, “Fix It Again, Tony,” the Italian carmaker has been bombarded with problems from new owners. Broken tie rods, slipping transmission, shoddy electrical system and even engine failures have all been reported in the publication’s extensive yearly study. As the publication CheatSheet.com detailed, “Maybe the Fiat is just cursed. After all it’s built in the same Serbian factory that

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2015 Nissan Murano: Driving the USA Pro Challenge #2

The USA Pro Challenge, the fifth-year professional cycling event in Colorado, takes the riders throughout cities large and small. In the past few days, I’ve driven the 2015 Nissan Murano from Frisco to Copper Mountain to Aspen to Breckenridge. The route has primarily been along winding and hilly Interstate 70 that advance through wondrous rock formations. I also drove on a several state routes along flowing rivers and on a few frontage roads and on city streets in Frisco and to the top of Snowmass. My guide was the touchscreen navigation system. I liked the clarity of the seven-inch screen and its functionality via  straightforward features. When I was getting low on fuel, I quickly found the closest gas station

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2015 Nissan Murano: Driving the USA Pro Challenge #1

Newly designed for 2015, the Nissan Murano is a midsize, versatile crossover SUV. It’s available in four trim levels and all with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. My weekly driver of the USA Pro Challenge, a seven-day pro professional bike race in Colorado, is the SL trim with all-wheel drive. Standard equipment on the base S model includes: 18-inch alloy wheels, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, dual-zone automatic climate control and cruise control. Electronics and entertainment features include Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 7-inch touchscreen, a rearview camera, smartphone app integration and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and an auxiliary input jack. The SL trim, two trims advanced, includes a host

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2015 Nissan Rogue: Worthy SUV in packed segment

What can an underdog sport utility vehicle offer to gain a share of the vastly competition automotive segment? The Nissan Rogue found a way. It didn’t start well. The Rouge debuted in late 2007 as a 2008 model and was met with a mediocre response. The Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4 and Ford Escape, among others, had well-established audiences. And who wanted a vehicle named Rogue? Did it define its name as “good for nothing” or vagrant? But with its second generation unveiling in 2014 with better gas mileage and a more comfortable, better-made interior, the Rogue was not longer scorned. Its scoundrel, low-selling image was gone. The Weekly Driver Test Drive I first drove the 2015 Nissan Rogue for a

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2015 Nissan Pathfinder: Lots of features, limited space

Now 30 years old, the Nissan Pathfinder continues the carmaker’s midsize offering in the sport utility vehicle segment. The 2015 edition includes slight standard equipment amendments and technology upgrades in various trims like blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert systems. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The 2015 Nissan Pathfinder is available in S, SV, SL and Platinum trim levels, and my weekly driver was the SL trim with 4×4 or all-wheel drive. It also included the Tech Package ($2,030). All trims feature healthy standard features lists, and the Pathfinder is among most well-equipped SUVs in the industry. Standard on the S and SV models: 18-inch alloy wheels, a roof rack, rear privacy glass, keyless entry and ignition, tri-zone automatic climate control,

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2015 Nissan Rogue: Versatile SUV Keeps Improving

It’s hard to believe the Nissan Rogue has been around for eight years. It arrived in late 2007 as a 2008 model and joined the nearly exponentially growing crossover SUV segment with not much to differentiate itself. The second-generation debut in 2014 is carried over for 2015, with Rogue now improved in the tough SUV category. Increased gas mileage averages and an upgraded interior ad exterior are among its strong points. The Weekly Driver Test Drive I last drove a Nissan Rogue in August of 2013 for eight days and about 900 miles throughout Colorado. Mountain driving can stretch the limits of any vehicle, but the Rogue performed adequately even on some steep climbs to more than 12,000 feet into

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Toyota, Nissan styles among 7 cars gone in 2015

Some cars, like the Ford Mustang, Volkswagen Beetle and Chevy Impala, have seemingly been around since the model T. It’s what happens when carmakers get lucky. A new car catches on with the public quickly and stays on the market through many generations — like the Mustang — which just turned age 50. And then there are other cars that, for one reason or another, nearly instantly fail like the Fisker Karma, the Finnish electric vehicle. After poor marketing and vast mechanical issues it folded quickly after about one year of abominable sales in 2012. For other reasons, most notably, slow sales, some vehicles or vehicle trims fade at the end of the calendar year after a few years of

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2015 Nissan Versa Note: Inexpensive but not cheap

It doesn’t seem like the Nissan Versa has been around for nine years. What might be the confusion (at least for me) is the Nissan Versa Note (the hatchback version). It debuted in the summer of 2013 as a 2014 model to replace the Nissan Versa hatcback. And with the 2015 Nissan Versa Note, the subcompact already has changes. It’s now also available in SR and SV trims, increasing consumers’ options to five trims. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As an entry-level sub-compact, what exactly can a consumer expect for a vehicle with a base price of $17,530.00? That’s less than half of the average price of new car in the United States. The answer, depending upon trim and option

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Honda Fit, Nissan Versa among top cheap cars

The Tata Nano was all the rage a few years ago when it was introduced in India as a new car for about $2,500. In the past year, the Elio, a three-wheel concept vehicle with a price of $6,800, has gotten a lot of attention as the first of several pending forward-thinking cheap cars for the masses in the United States. Since neither car is available in this country, two of the most popularity vehicles in the crowd entry level segment are the Honda Fit and the Nissan Versa Note. And a cheap new car in the United States means a starting price of about $15,000 for a base model, sometimes a little more, sometimes slightly less. That’s about half

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Recall madness: Honda, Nissan, Mazda . . . airbags

Honda, Nissan and Mazda combined are recalling about 1.3 million cars in North America and more than 3 million globally for faulty airbags manufactured by the Takata Corp. Honda is recalling 1.02 million Civic, CR-V, Odyssey and Element models manufactured between April 2000 and October 2002. Nissan is recalling 228,00 vehicles. Mazda is recalling about 15,000 of the RX-8 and Mazda6. Takata airbags were last involved in a recall in 2013 when Japanese automakers recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide because of faulty airbags. In early June (2014), Toyota recalled 844,277 with similar problems. The exact cause of the airbag issue has not been determined. One theory is that defective inflators can explode when deployed because of the propellent’s sensitivity to

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2014 Nissan 370Z: Fast, fun, impractical

Now in its sixth year, the 2014 Nissan 370Z is the seventh generation of the Nissan Z-car line that dates to 1969. The 370Z succeeds the 350Z which succeeds five other generations — 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, 280ZX and the 300ZX. The original Z car had innovative good looks for its time, and it was powerful. It didn’t take long for the then Datsun 240Z to become a top seller. In 1972, more than 50,000 units sold in the United States. Fast-forward 45 years since the car’s debut, and the current Z car still has a reputation as a handsome, powerful sports car. The difference: there’s a lot more competition. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My weekly driver was the NISMO

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Nissan testing new trend — self-cleaning cars (video)

Some folks like mowing their lawns and cleaning their cars. They won’t allow anyone else to touch their grass or their wheels. Other people don’t want to be bothered, and that’s what Nissan in counting on with its self-cleaning car experiment. The carmaker is testing a new paint technology that repels mud, rain and dirt. So far, the testing has only been done Europe, and only on theNissan Note. If the idea works, the environmental advantages and time-saving efficiency sound promising. The technology is called Ultra-Ever Dry. It’s never been used on automobile before. The concept works when a layer of air between the paint and the environment prohibits standing water and road spray from remaining on the exterior paint.

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Consumer Reports ruthless in 2013 worst cars list

Consumer Reports annually releases many car lists, best to worst, most efficient to gas guzzlers, unheralded vehicles to those to avoid. The organization’s most dubious list is its Worst of the Year collection. Consumer Reports reviewed more than 80 vehicles is 2013. Two cars from Nissan and Mitsubishi made the top-10 worst list in 2013. Consumer Reports was vicious in some descriptions of its least favorite cars in 2013. The best (worst?) example was publication’s assessment of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark. Here’s the synopsis: The Chevrolet Spark’s low price and clever connectivity features may be tempting, but for daily driving, it is painfully slow, irritatingly noisy, rides uncomfortably, and feels Spartan—and not in a mighty warrior way. We expected at

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CAR REVIEW: 2014 Nissan Versa Note: Roomy, good value

The Nissan Versa debuted in 2007 and it’s firmly in the mix with a good chunk of quality sub-compacts in a highly competitive segment. For 2014, the Nissan Versa Note is the hatchback version of the Versa sedan. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My weekly driver was the Nissan Versa Note’s top-line SV trim. It adds a lot to the base model and makes the entry-level machine an appreciably more attractive option in its segment. As examples, the SV trim adds keyless remote entry, power locks and windows, upgraded and more cloth upholstery, a six-way adjustable driver seat, a driver-side center armrest, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, silver/chrome interior and exterior accents and Bluetooth phone connectivity. My SV

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