By David Colman

Hypes: Arrive and Drive Racer
Gripes: Fuel Level Gauge Unpredictable, No Rear Wiper

Nissan’s marquee sports car gets better every year. The improvements for 2013 are relatively minor, but enticing nonetheless. A revised front fascia houses new daytime running lights, and if you order the Sports Package ($3,030), the RAYS forged wheels differ in appearance from earlier versions with thinner spokes revealing newly painted red brake calipers. These ultra light 19 inch diameter RAYS replace the standard issue cast 18 inch alloys. The gunmetal finished RAYS measure 9.5 inches wide in front and 10.5 inches wide in back (versus 8 and 9 inch width for the 18 inch wheels). Our Sports Package equipped 370Z mounted Bridgestone’s best all-around performance tire, the RE050A, with front rubber measuring 245/40/R19 and rears 275/35/R19. Nissan has also modified the valving of its Sports Package shocks for a “Euro-tuned” firmer, more controlled ride. The package also includes a Viscous Limited Slip Differential, so the as selivered Z is ideally configured for fast street driving, or track day competition.

The 3.7 liter V-6 in the Z is a hot rod motor thanks to micro-finishing techniques used to polish the crankshaft and camshafts. With variable valve timing and lift, the rev-happy motor makes 332hp and 270lb.-ft. of torque. Connected to a precisely gated 6-speed manual transmission, with rev-matching on downshifts, the Z is the most sporting 2 seater you can buy for the money. It corners flawlessly, with the fat Bridgestones urging you to up your apex speed. It sprints from corner to corner with the breathless stamina of a distance runner. The 370Z merits serious consideration if you like to drive fast because it carries out your orders with military efficiency.

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By Dan Tsuchiya

Pros:

• Great improvement over the successful 350Z
• Nice body lines, Rays wheels are icing on the cake
• Powerful motor with great sound
• GTR influence

Cons:

• Manual transmission not as slick as the competition
• No lumbar support or telescoping steering wheel
• Either less weight or more power and this could be an exotic challenger for a fraction of the cost

41 years ago Nissan (Datsun in the US) launched the 240Z onto our shores and turned the sports car market on its head. Here was a light, nimble, reliable, value oriented sports coupe for two which had decent cargo capacity. I had the pleasure of owning and wrenching on various Z cars through the 300ZX and still found the 240Z to be the purist of them all. Only when Nissan introduced the 350Z in 2003 did it appear that they had something of real value that could match their original Z sports car.

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By David Colman

For: Bargain Buy-In, Interior Spaciousness
Against: Horrid Xtronic CVT, Dunlop Tires Noisy on Concrete

The Rogue is small enough to handle with agility but big enough to pass the mountain bike test. This car-based SUV crossover weighs just 3,428 lb. which is notably light for an SUV. Yet its generous interior affords up to 58 cubic feet of storage space, with a hatchback door opening just wide enough to slip a mountain bike inside the cargo area.

Based on Nissan’s 4-door Sentra platform, the Rogue shares the sedan’s 105 inch wheelbase as well as its 2.5 liter, 16 valve, 4 cylinder motor. The Rogue inherits the Sentra’s nimble performance characteristics, as well, especially when you ugrade to the optional ($3,900) SL package which replaces standard 17 inch rims with 18 inch alloys. These larger wheels mount 225/55/R18 Dunlop Sport SP 7000 tires which react quickly to input through the Rogue’s fat leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Of course, the SL package includes a host of other upgrades. It improves night vision thanks to the addition of foglights and high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps. The package provides a diminutive 5 inch, touch screen, color monitor for the Nissan Navigation system (reading glasses not included). In addition, you’ll enjoy a 7 speaker Bose Premium audio system with XM satellite radio and NavTraffic reports. Finally, the SL upgrade brings you heated leather front seats, power sliding moonroof, and a bevy of cameras to record external surroundings on the dashboard monitor.

When equipped like our test model, the reasonably inexpensive $29,005 Rogue does a very good job of imitating an expensive luxury station wagon. Although you could add optional all-wheel-drive to the Rogue, there’s really no need for AWD’s extra weight and poorer economy unless you live in the snow belt. The FWD Rogue returns a commendable 23 MPG in city driving and 28 MPG on highway jaunts.

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Pros

• Spacious cabin
• Good on-demand V6 power and smooth Continuously Variable Transmission system
• One-touch power sliding doors and lift gate
• Distinct styling sets it apart from the competition

Cons

• Distinct styling is not for everyone
• Distance between rear captain’s chairs too wide to attend to baby
• Only one screen for the rear seat passengers

2011 Nissan Quest Minivan Test Drive & Car Review. This video is brought to you by RoadflyTV

Let’s play word association- I say sexy, you say…soccer moms? If that was the first thought that entered your mind, then do I have a vehicle for you. Nissan has introduced the new 2011 Quest with bold styling that sets it apart from the rest of the box-on-wheels crowd. I can’t tell you how many looks I got in the local high school parking lot last weekend. When one speaks of minivans these days, the Honda Odyssey, the Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan and the Toyota Sienna come to mind. Rarely does the Nissan Quest enter the fray. That’s probably due to the fact that the previous Quests were less than popular with American buyers.

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By David Colman

Pro: Stud appearance, High level of fit and finish, Go-anywhere capability
Con: No sliding visors, Poor XM reception, No external temp. readout

You’d think that a tire as tough as a BF Goodrich “Rugged Trail T/A” in a size as chunky as 265/65R16 would be impervious to any road hazard you could throw in its way. After all, the raised white lettering on the sidewall and the meaty tread blocks lend a sense of invulnerability to your travel. In fact, the motto of the Xterra is: “Tough Gear That Helps You Attack Life.” Unfortunately, a diminutive Phillips Head screw managed to insinuate itself into the BFG’s carcass in the soft underbelly of the tire, between those menacing tread blocks.

First, the low tire pressure warning light illuminated on the dash. We checked the pressures and found them all to be set at 32psi, the manufacturer’s recommended setting. But the warning system knew more than we did, and the next morning the right rear was flat. Thankfully, Nissan provides the Xterra with a full-size spare, so after some fussing with the spindly jack, we just managed to squeeze the spare onto the back axle, and be on our way. If you plan on taking this Xterra offroad, you’ll definitely want to pack a bottle jack, or floor jack before departure.

The PRO-4X version of the Xterra is aimed at the Jeep Rubicon fraternity of intrepid voyagers who think nothing of setting out for a week on the Rubicon Trail or tackling the hinterlands of Moab. The list of special equipment standard on this alluring special edition of the Xterra is impressive. With the rear wheel off, we could see the standard Bilstein shocks that control jounce and rebound with German precision. The frame looks massive because it is fully boxed rather than being dependent on flimsier U-channel construction. All four wheels feature limited slip gearing, and an electronic locking rear differential is standard. The PRO-4X operates in 2 wheel drive unless you select 4-wheel drive “Hi” from the dashboard-mounted rotary knob. You can also engage 4-wheel drive “Low,” but only if you come to a complete stop. Nissan does not recommend using either 4-wheel drive setting on dry pavement, as it wears out the drivetrain and reduces gas mileage (which is already on the low side, at 15 MPG City/20 MPG Highway).

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Video: By Francis Cebedo of Carreview.com

By contributing editor David Colman

Pros:

• The Maxima returns to its sports sedan roots
• Well appointed interior and creature comforts

Cons:

• Be ready with a strong grip to handle the torque steer
• Yearning for a firmer suspension setup reminiscent of true 4DSC performance
• elephant-ear sized shifter paddles behind the steering wheel

Nissan has long touted the Maxima as a four-door version of the company’s Z sportscar. In fact, early versions carried the moniker “4DSC” on the rear windows to let cognoscenti in on the secret that this sedan was really a “4 Door Sports Car” in camera. But as Maxima morphed through subsequent iterations, its styling lost the hard edge of the original. Its power-to-weight ratio also suffered, as Maxima gained size and weight without corresponding boosts in horsepower. Pretty soon, the 4DSC stickers disappeared and the Maxima became just another big sedan without the sporting pretensions of the original.

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By Dan Tsuchiya

Pros:

• 100 miles on a full charge
• Eco Mode for dummies
• Drives like a car, not an enclosed golf cart
• It actually looks good and not a social statement
• Batteries are mounted very low so out of the way physically and lowers the center of gravity
• Total energy cost for a year is about $500
• It turns a new leaf in the saga american motoring

Cons:

• 100 miles on a full charge (run it down, you’re stuck)
• 14-16 hour charge using 110V household current
• Front seats are very basic
• $35k base will keep it away from the masses.

Video from Roadfly.com (click ’360p’ to watch in HD)

Remember the first time you rode/drove an EV? It could have been a battery powered toy car, a golf cart, or even a gas powered car converted to electric, but they all had one thing in common; acceleration like an on/off switch….no modulation. More than 10 years ago Toyota brought the hybrid Prius to the United States and it was one of the first cars with fantastic modulation and packaged in a base car that was previously gas powered. I currently have a second generation Prius in the stable and our staff was lucky enough to test the Chevrolet Volt a couple of months back.

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By Peter Newton

Pros:

• Luxury features
• Notable gas mileage
• Affordable price

Cons:

• Mushy handling
• Sluggish acceleration

The Altima, assembled in Tennessee, is one of Nissan’s best selling cars in North America and provides some touches of luxury in a firmly positioned mid-size car. New for 2012 is the Value Package, available for the Altima 2.5 S model, which includes a Bluetooth® Hands-free phone system, automatic on/off headlights, leather-wrapped steering wheel with steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, a HomeLink® Universal Transceiver, and passenger-side front-window one-touch auto-up/down.

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Video from Consumer Reports

By Dan Tsuchiya

Pros:

• Great mileage
• Sporty Handling
• Decent Value

Cons:

• Lackluster acceleration
• Suspension a little crude below 20 MPH
• Seating not as comfortable as the competition

Sport utility vehicles, especially the front wheel drive kind, are essentially station wagons for those who don’t want to be seen in a station wagon.  Whether it’s the perceived ruggedness or the more sporty looks, small SUVs have been a hot market for young urbanites ever since the RAV-4 and CRV entered the scene many years back. With gas prices remaining high and car shoppers looking to downsize with the recession, this segment of SUV’s has continued to blossom over the past few years.

We recently received the slightly redesigned Nissan Rogue SV front wheel drive, which comes with new bumpers that give the sport utility a less egg-shaped profile and gets rid of the Pokemon face, a criticism of the earlier Rogue. Does the redesigned Rogue SV make the grade in the $25,000 and under field of cute-utes? Read on…..

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By David Colman

Likes:

• Better rear legroom than a BMW 5
• 130 lbs. less curb weight than 2011 Versa

Dislikes:

• About as exciting as driving an Autopia car at Disneyland

Back in the Eighties, my Dad, who lived in snow-bound Boston, needed something besides his Mercedes SL to drive during the relentless winter months. He ended up selecting a Nissan Pulsar, bought from a dealer who wryly observed that “Everybody needs a dinghy.” Basically, the 2012 Versa is today’s version of the Nissan dinghy. Like the Pulsar, the Versa is small, unprepossessing, and noisy at full chat, but eminently practical. You wouldn’t choose it as your only vehicle, but rather as a useful addendum to a well-stocked garage.

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