Nissan

Florida dealer tells Toyota customers to stop car payments and buy Nissan

General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. announced sales incentives in January aimed at luring Toyota customers to trade in their cars for a GM or Ford vehicle. But in Riviera Beach, Fla., Napleton’s Nissan, according to an article in the Palm Beach Post, is sending Toyota owners an official-looking mailing urging them not to make their next car payment and instead trade in their car. The letters are sent in envelopes marked with “TOYOTA RECALL NOTICE” in red, uppercase block letters, according to the newspaper. “Why spend another day driving a potentially unsafe vehicle while you wait for a correction remedy?” the letter reads, before saying the customer’s car qualifies for the Buyout Program the dealership is offering. The

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Nissan Leaf orders will begin in April for electric car's December debut (Video)

Nissan received $1.4 billion in federal government loans to build the Leaf and its the battery packs in Tennessee. It will go on sale in Nissan showrooms simultaneously in the U.S., Japan and Europe. Nissan, which is anticipating about 20,000 potential customers to sign-up to purchase the vehicle, will announce the price for the Leaf in April. It’s expected the Leaf will cost about the same as the base-level Toyota Prius hybrid, which starts at $22,800. The Leaf’s pricepoint will make it more accessible to the general public than other electric cars on sale today, like the Tesla Roadster, the battery-powered sports car that retails for $109,000. Nissan will build the Leaf in Japan until 2012. Then production of the

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Hertz plans to introduce Nissan Leaf into rental car fleet

The Leaf can seat five adults and is designed to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge. It will be available at select Hertz rental sites, though the company did not specify where. Nissan expects to begin selling the Leaf in the United States later this year. The Japanese company also plans to use its partnership with French automakers Renault to mass market electric vehicles worldwide in 2012. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut

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Nissan will join crowded India car market with July debut

“We are well on track to open the new factory in March,” Production will start in May and the first hatchback on the V platform will be sold from July,” Kiminobu Tokuyama, the Nissan Motors India managing director, told Dow Jones Newswires. Annual auto sales are expected to triple in India by 2016. Two-thirds of the cars sold will be small cars. Nissan will join Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Co. in the assault for part of the share of the small-car market. Suzuki Motor Co. currently sells more than half of the cars in India. Tata Motors, which now has its Tata Nano available only in India as the world’s cheapest car, has already capitalized

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Nissan Versa (2009), Ford Escape (2005) Among Cars.com Best Used Cars For About $10,000

In the writers’ words: “Whether it’s a weekday commuter or a Saturday grocery-getter, drivers need their set of wheels, but the average price of a new car — $28,929 including financing, according to Comerica Bank’s latest Auto Affordability Index — is awfully high for many people. “Not to worry; we’ve singled out some good buys for you. With reliability, safety and bottom-dollar value in mind, we looked at new and late-model used cars whose retail values hover around $10,000. We crunched reliability and crash-test scores. We considered standard and optional safety features and looked at how easy it is to find cars with those options. Finally, we considered gas mileage along with our own qualitative impressions — things such as

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Edmunds.com unveils recommended cars, trucks for 2010

The guide contains Edmunds.com’s Top Recommended Vehicles — shopping lists for consumers interested in any market segment. Another section of the guide, What You Should Know before Buying, provides valuable segment-specific guidance no car shopper should miss. “You’re ready to buy a new vehicle, but how do you go about narrowing down the choices?” Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief of Edmunds.com asked. “Consumers can really use a friend in this overwhelming process; our buying guides give them the benefit of our extensive experience testing and researching every car on the market.” Here are Edmunds.com top recommended vehicles for 2010: Sedans Under $15,000 —- Honda Fit, Hyundai Elantra Under $20,000 —- Mazda MAZDA3, Suzuki Kizashi, Ford Fusion Under $25,000 —- Honda

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Audi R8, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Volkswagen GTI among Market Watch cars of the year

Ron Amadon, an auto writer and morning news anchor on the MarketWatch Radio Network based in Washington, D.C., has just published his best-of-the-end-of-the-decade list. Details of how he selected his list aren’t provided, except the reviews are for the calendar year, not model year. Fun to drive is also a high priority. Best sports car: Audi R8. Simply the best Audi ever. Biggest surprise: Kia Soul, Nissan Cube. Auto styling goes cubist. Cars of the year: Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Volkswagen GTI. Best sedan: Hyundai Genesis. Smooth and solid at a good price. Best family value: Volvo XC60. Nowhere will you find a smoother, more refined ride. Best gas sipper: VW Jetta TDI. You will never know it is a

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Nissan announces sponsorship with Lance Armstrong's new Radio Shack team

Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) has announced an agreement with Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France and founder of the LIVESTRONG Charitable Foundation, to sponsor his new Team RadioShack team. The multi-year partnership includes the use of various Nissan products as the official vehicle of the team. Jaguar is the official sponsor of the new Sky Team based in England. Skoda is the official vehicle of the Tour de France. Team RadioShack features 25 riders, including Armstrong,  from numerous countries.  The squad will debut Jan. 17 at the Tour Down Under and will compete in major events throughout the season, including Tour of California in May and the Tour de France in July. Nissan has a strong

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Honda, Toyota dominate Kelley Blue Book car searches in 2009

Honda has the top two searches with the Accord and Civic and also the fourth position with the Honda CR-V. Toyota has four spots in the top 10 and Nissan has one position. American manufacturers combined for only five spots among the top-20 most search cars on KBB.com. Ford and Chevrolet each had two vehicles represent, but Chrysler wasn’t represented. The Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (in varying orders each year) have been the top three most-researched new vehicles on kbb.com each year since 2004. The top-20 cars researched in 2009 in KBB.com: 1. Honda Accord; 2. Honda Civic; 3. Toyota Camry; 4. Honda CR-V; 5. Toyota Corolla; 6. Toyota RAV4; 7. Toyota Highlander; 8. Toyota Prius; 9.

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Honda Fit to Lexus GS450h, The Weekly Driver's Cars of the Year, 2009

Lots of car buyers purchase $15,000 cars or prefer SUVs and midsize sedans. Hybrids and sports cars are fun drives, but they still comprise niche market choices compared to more popular choices — Honda Accord to Ford F-150 pick-ups to Toyota Camry. It’s these cars I’ve most often reviewed since 2003. In 2007, I began a Best-of-the-Year list. Like during the list’s previous two editions,  I waited until the end of the year — the opposite approach of the major car publications. The industry’s renowned magazines and web sites often select their lists to outdo each other. Sometimes, some of the cars chosen have just debuted or in some instances they’re not yet available to the public. How does that

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Nissan Versa, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

It ain’t true. With a base price of $10,000 and change, the Versa base model has a lot to offer — whether it’s in the U.S. and Canada, or in Mexico, Japan, China and several other countries where it’s called the Tiida. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (5) It’s easy to forget the car has only 107 horsepower. Because it’s lightweight and nimble, it gives the impression it’s quicker than it really is. That’s not a bad thing. Rather the “illusion” makes the Versa all the more fun to drive. Braking/Steering/Handling (5) A few experiences when the brakes seemed “soft.” Steering and handling, though, are a strong point. It’s fun to shift through the five-speed manual transmission, particularly since the

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Nissan Altima Coupe & Murano, 2009: Weidel on Wheels

While Honda and Toyota deservedly receive praise for their competent vehicles, Nissan has resided quietly in the shadows. But test driving Nissan vehicles during the past 10 years has made me appreciate the high quality of the lesser-revered Japanese automaker. I recently drove two of my favorite Nissan vehicles, each for a week. The 2009 Altima Coupe and the 2009 Murano are solid choices for any scrutinizing car shopper. Here is a look at both vehicles: Altima Coupe Although the standard midsize Altima is a wonderful family car, the Coupe offers a different quality – a sporty appeal. Added last year to the Altima lineup, the Coupe resides on a shorter wheelbase and has its own styling. The smaller size

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Nissan Maxima, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With an increase of 35 horsepower to 290 in its 3.5-liter V6, the new Maxima has a fine presence and further blurs the distinct line in what once were clear car segments. Paddle shifters to the sleek, shorter new body, it all adds to a new appeal for the more than 30-year-old model. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings (Rating low to high, 1 to 10 points) Acceleration (8) The increased horsepower makes a lot of difference. Quick, steady and powerful, the Maxima is impressive for quick bursts around town and it’s authoritative with power in reserve on the open road. Braking/Handling/Steering (7) Firm and tight in all areas. The engine has a noticeable growl at high speeds, but it’s not annoying.

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Nissan Altima (Hybrid), 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A midsize sedan with strong competition among hybrid and non-hybrid family vehicles, the Altima hybrid offers surprising versatility and holds its own in many areas against non-hybrid leaders Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. There is one problem. Hybrid buyers throughout most of the country are out of lucky since the Altima hybrid is available in only eight states. My weekly test drive (in California) included a 500-mile round-trip from Sacramento to the Monterey Peninsula. As I’ve referenced many times in reviews, I make the same drive at least a half-dozen times per year and there’s no better testing conditions. High speed, wide-open freeway segments to the tight-cornered ascents and descents on and near Pacheco Pass and the San Luis Reservoir,

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Audi to Honda, BMW to Nissan: The Weekly Driver's Cars Of The Year, 2008

The biggest automotive news of 2008 remains the ongoing crisis among the “Big Three” manufacturers — General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. But beyond all the serious stuff, there was a lot of fun and intrigue for automotive enthusiasts in 2008. This year marked the sixth full year of The Weekly Driver reviews. I reviewed 32 new cars in 2008 — Audi to Volkswagen, BMW to Suzuki. I drove about two dozen other vehicles at car shows and manufacturers’ functions. A few dozen additional reviews from contributing writers also appeared on dev.theweeklydriver.com during 2008. My friend Bruce Aldrich and I also collaborated on about a dozen car videos in 2008. It was great fun, and I learned something. I said the

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Nissan To Soon Offer No-Frills Versa For Less Than $10,000

The new Versa model is made in Mexico and will be available beginning Nov. 18, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. The sub-$10,000 price is $3,000 less than the current cheapest Versa available. The cheapest car now sold in the U.S. is the Hyundai Accent at just over $11,000. “A sticker price under $10,000 is certainly appealing to customers in an economy where people don’t have money anymore,” Robyn Eckard of Kelley Blue Book told the newspaper. The new Versa will have a 1.6-liter engine, rather than the 1.8 liter offered on the current Versa. It will get 34 mpg on the highway, compared with 33 mpg currently. General Motors was the last automaker to offer a

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