Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged Nissan
2009 Nissan Xterra
01070 days
The Xterra has always been about going out and getting dirty. Even the most urban Xterra seems to dream of going off-road, and might even make a break for the hills if a Yuppie owner doesn’t feed its need for dirt. While Hummers, Land Rovers and Jeep Wranglers have to suffer the installation of low-profile tires and oversized wheels from owners more interested in cruising Main Street than exploring uncharted territory, the Xterra seems to have been largely spared this indignity, at least that we’ve seen.
Which is not to say that the Xterra is so uncivilized that only the most grizzled outdoorsman would want one, of course. The Hummer H1 and Wrangler have both tried the rolling penalty-box approach, and it didn’t keep the posers at bay. To tell the truth, I’m not sure what keeps Xterra owners honest as to their vehicles’ intent. Whatever it is, it’s working. The Xterra is updated for2009 with a slight facelift and standard side airbags, but it’s been around long enough to be a familiar face on the SUV landscape.
Strap this SUV to the side of a Godzilla-sized backpack with some orange bungee cords and it would look just as at home as it does in a driveway. The styling puts utility before fashion, and the gear rack on the roof, raised rear section and asymmetrical rear window are the Xterra’s defining features. Nissan’s mid-sized brawler has a proud, square nose and the grille and headlight assemblies have been cleaned up and restyled to match those of the Titan and other trucks in Nissan’s lineup. The Xterra has a high stance and bulged fenders. The rear bumper includes a built-in side step for attaching gear to the roof. A new set of available roof lights for off-roading only enhances the Xterra’s piece-of-equipment styling.
Inside, the Xterra is similarly businesslike. Luggy, easy-to-clean cloth upholstery is comfortable, but also looks and feels durable and rugged. Leather is available, but seems out of place in a no-nonsense vehicle like this. The flattish floor makes 3-across seating in the back possible, though the body is narrow. The seats are comfortably wide and firm, but the fronts are too close to the floor, resulting in a legs-out driving position that might be uncomfortable for some drivers. The console is full of useful flat spaces, and the dash resembles that of the Frontier pickup, with an apparent focus on easy cleaning over style. At the rear of the Xterra, the carpetless 35.2 cubic foot cargo area is also easy to clean but adds noise and requires cargo to be secured or it’ll slide around. That’s not hard, of course, with channel-style cargo tiedowns in the floor and cargo hooks in the walls and ceiling, and space for gallon jugs built into the side walls. The Xterra is still available with a first-aid kit in the tailgate. Side-curtain airbags are new for 2009, as is a new Technology option package that includes a Rockford Fosgate sound system, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel controls for the audio system.
Power is provided by Nissan’s excellent 4.0 liter DOHC V6. This all aluminum engine produces 261 horsepower and 281 foot-pounds of torque, which in the 4400-pound Xterra translates to decent acceleration and excellent low-end grunt. Continuously variable valve timing and an electronic throttle keep it relatively efficient for its size. In the Xterra, I didn’t find Nissan’s throttle to be twitchy or hard to manage, which was a first. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. There’s a two-wheel drive Xterra offered, but to use this truck properly you’re going to want the four-wheel drive, which includes an electrically locking rear differential, hill descent control, and hill-start assist.
The suspension uses carlike double wishbones up front, and a very truck-like leaf-sprung solid axle at the rear. Handling on-road is decent, but definitely truck-like. Off-road, the Xterra is confident, thanks in part to a tough, fully boxed “F-Alpha” ladder frame that’s shared with the full-size Titan pickup and Armada SUV. Opt for the Off-Road package and you’ll get Bilstein shocks and a full set of skid plates. Four-wheel disc antilock brakes and Nissan’s Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) stability control are standard across the board. The Xterra may look like the Pathfinder is its closest sibling, but it’s really got more in common with the big trucks.
Somehow, the Xterra wraps all of this no-nonsense confidence into a package that is just honestly what it is, and doesn’t attract many buyers who don’t plan to use it as it was intended. Sure, there are a few out there, but for the most part Xterra owners are on-message. That’s a good thing for Nissan, since the Xterra is very good at what it does. Xterra pricing is reasonable for its class; my tester featured the Off-Road package and stickered for $30,600.
Specifications: All specs are for the 2009 Nissan Xterra.
Length: 178.7 in.
Width: 72.8 in.
Height: 74.9 in.
Wheelbase: 106.3 in.
Curb weight: 4402 lb.
Cargo space: 35.2 cu.ft. (seats up); 65.7 cu.ft. (seats folded)
Base price: $29,340
Price as tested: $30,660
Engine: 4.0 liter DOHC V6
Drivetrain: five-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 261 @ 5600
Torque: 281 @ 4000
Fuel capacity: 21.1 gal.
Est. mileage: 15/20
2009 Nissan Maxima
01098 days
When I first slid behind the wheel of the Maxima, I had no idea that it would be so hard to classify. I mean, how difficult is it to figure out where a four-door sedan fits in?
Rather, it turns out. Nissan’s attempt to return the Maxima to its halcyon days as the “4-door sports car,” has resulted in a vehicle that’s not quite what it was, but not quite what it needs to be, either. Whether that’s a step forward or backward, one thing is certain: the Maxima definitely has personality.
At a glance, it’s clear that the previous-generation Maxima has been completely re-thought. The domelike silhouette and wacky Mohawk sunroof that set the previous Maxima apart are gone, replaced by a more conventional three-box sedan with striking front and rear treatments. Like the new 370Z, the Maxima features boomerang-shaped headlights and matching LED taillamps. The hood is gracefully and aggressively sculpted, with twin bulges down each side that create a catamaran-like shape from the front seats. The curvy hood bends gracefully into aggressively flared fenders and a large grille. The car’s track has been widened, and coupled with a slight decrease in overall length gives the Maxima a compact, more athletic stance. A choice of eighteen- or nineteen-inch wheels is offered.
The interior is comfortable, in a rough-and-tumble boardroom sort of way. There’s a distinct “cockpit” feel that is uncommon in sedans, and will please drivers who’d rather be in a sports car. A dual-pane sunroof is available, but the Maxima’s interior is somewhat dark even when opened up to the sky; this is a somber and serious performance sedan. Electroluminescent gauges and lots of chrome detailing improve things slightly. There’s a narrow, three-spoke steering wheel, and the extra-bolstered driver’s seat has an extendable thigh support to help keep the driver in place. The Maxima’s interior is comfortable and sporty. It can also be luxurious, of course; heated and cooled seats, a navigation system, pushbutton start and a subwoofer-equipped sound system are available. The navigation system’s information screen has a handy shroud over it, and Nissan remains one of the few companies to understand that a bird’s-eye navigation screen is easier to follow than the map-style view.
The styling inside and out is executed nicely, but I’d hesitate before announcing that the “4-door sports car” has returned. The Maxima alternates between being not quite luxurious enough and not quite sporty enough to justify the price tag. The ride is taut and responsive, but the suspension and body still feel heavy. The Maxima is equipped with coil-sprung struts up front and a subframe-mounted multilink independent rear as well as a front strut tower brace to improve rigidity. Extremely responsive four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes bring the speed down with confidence, and the ultra-fast Twin Orifice Power Steering is a rack-and-pinion unit that’s shared with the sporty 370Z. Vehicle Dynamic Control stability control and traction control are also standard equipment, so the Maxima is very sure-footed. So what’s wrong with the way it drives?
It’s not that there isn’t ample power. The Maxima gets a 3.5 liter V6 engine with continuously variable valve timing and 290 horsepower, a 35-horse jump from the previous model. Nissan’s gone to great lengths to improve the Maxima’s engine’s sophistication; this engine has lightweight pistons, microfinished cam lobes and crank journals, coil-on-plug spark and variable induction. Nissan has improved the engine’s breathing and exhaust flow, as well as maximizing (no pun intended) the fuel’s combustion to improve efficiency. For all of that technology, though, the electronic throttle is twitchy, and the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) drones and holds gears in a very wimpy-sounding way. The CVT’s reflexes have been sharpened and it’s been retuned for sporty driving, even with a “Ds” mode that selects the right gear for the conditions from the nearly infinite ratios available. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow for instant gear selection as well. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel or sound particularly sporty. As a result, the Maxima tends not to feel or sound much like a performance car from the driver’s seat. Throw it into a corner and it’ll react like one, but it takes a lot to remind it, and during mundane driving it’s rather dull.
So where does that leave the hero of this review? It’s too soft to be seriously compared to the Cadillac STS, and too hard to woo Buick LaCrosse or Toyota Avalon buyers. While the luxury items are there, the Maxima isn’t carry itself on the same level as the sports sedans from Audi, BMW or Acura. The Maxima compares favorably with large, semi-luxurious sport sedans like the departed Lincoln LS, the Pontiac G8 and possibly the Volvo S60. Unfortunately, the Pontiac G8 will soon be as dead as the Lincoln LS, and the Maxima lacks the curbside style of the Volvo. (Twenty years ago, saying that would’ve been heresy).
After driving it for a week, I was left with a sense that the Maxima can’t decide what it is. It doesn’t feel pricey or luxurious enough to compete with near-luxury cars, and it’s not quite as sporty as other vehicles available from Acura or even Nissan’s own Infiniti division. All in all I found it curiously disappointing.
Pricing for the new Maxima starts at $30,160. My test car was optioned-up thanks to the Sport and Sport Technology packages, which include XM satellite radio, a navigation system, heated steering wheel, HID headlamps, iPod interface and 19-inch wheels. The total damage? $37,360.
Specifications: All specs are for the 2009 Nissan Maxima.
Length: 190.6 in.
Width: 73.2 in.
Height: 57.8 in.
Wheelbase: 109.3 in.
Cargo space: 14.2 cu.ft.
Base price: $32,860
Price as tested: $37,389
Engine: 3.5 liter DOHC V6
Drivetrain: continuously variable automatic transmission, front-wheel drive
Est. mileage: 19/26
2009 Nissan 370Z
01137 days
Thanks to the luck of the draw, I spent almost two full months driving nothing but one truck or SUV after another. Not that I don’t like trucks, of course, but the difference was sharply evident when I slipped behind the wheel of my first real car for eight weeks–the new Nissan 370Z.
If you’re looking for wheels that are far removed from SUVs, it’s hard to go much farther than the new Z. This low-slung two-seat coupe features a taut, race-bred suspension, driver-oriented interior appointments and street cred that’s been established by three decades of predecessors. The Z’s most recent incarnation had turned it into a hard-edged sports car, uncompromising and cutting-edge to the point of being futuristic. With the arrival of the giant-killing GT-R on U.S. shores for 2009, however, Nissan had the video game-style performance angle pretty well covered, and the Z needed to find a new gig.
Nissan took the opportunity to redirect the Z slightly, and with a dash of retro-modern styling, it’s shaping up as an alternative to the new wave of muscle cars coming from the Big Three. The 370Z actually even has a bit of credibility when going head-to-head with the Mustang, Challenger and Camaro: after all, it’s descended from the original 240Z, which roamed American highways during the twilight of the muscle car era as well. Since the 240Z was also a budget-priced sports car, it’s also fitting that the 370Z no longer sits at the top of Nissan’s price list.
Melding the sharp-edged styling of the 350Z and the long-hood, short deck profile of the 240Z is no easy task, but the 370Z manages this trick elegantly. The boomerang-shaped front and rear lighting is striking and adds tension to the design for a ready-to-roll look. The 370Z’s cabin is moved slightly rearward, and wide fender flares at the rear end give the car the back-heavy look common to many high-performance coupes. Perhaps most important is the slight upkick of the rear quarter window, which mimics the distinctive line of the original 240Z. On the functional level, the 370Z is almost four inches shorter than the 350Z thanks to a rear axle that’s been moved forward in the chassis. Overall length decreases by just under three inches for a more compact and lightweight body. The new Z’s doors, hood and hatch are all aluminum.
Inside the 370Z, the driver is king, a fact that’s driven quietly home by the differently-contoured seats that are faced with slip-resistant cloth. The driver’s seat has cutouts in the lower cushion that make it easier to work the pedals, and the instrument panel’s main gauge pod is attached to the off-round, racing-style steering wheel to keep it in the driver’s line of sight. The interior styling is much more human-friendly than the machine-like plastic-and-aluminum appointments of the outgoing 350Z. There’s a center-dash cubby in place of the GPS that’s kind of useless, but it’s faced with attractive, good-feeling material. Baseball stitching and brushed aluminum trim are used extensively, and the interior is a pleasant place to be. I had only one complaint; even after spending a week with the car (which lacked an owner’s manual), I couldn’t figure out how to open the hatchback. Not that I desperately needed the 6.9 cubic feet of space back there, but it was an interesting thing to be unable to find. Available equipment includes Bluetooth connectivity, a navigation system and a 9.3 GB music hard drive.
Despite the new equipment, the 370Z is about 100 pounds lighter for 2009. Extensive lightening measures were undertaken in order to offset a weight gain thanks to a radically stiffened body structure. Nissan’s engineers succeeded in making the 370Z taut; there’s not a trace of flex in this car’s athletic body, even over rough pavement. The new front suspension uses double wishbones with lightweight aluminum components, and the four-link rear features a one-piece cradle. Eighteen-inch wheels are standard, with lightweight 19s available as part of the Sport package. The reflexes are just as sharp as before, but with a bit more personality and feedback. The new Z doesn’t feel like a video game, which means it’s just as much fun at the speed limit as it is at higher speeds. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard, of course, and Nissan has tweaked the 370Z’s braking system for better feel and fade resistance.
The lighter body is propelled by a more powerful engine, which I have taken my sweet time getting around to. Want numbers? The 370Z is powered by a 3.7 liter V6 engine with 332 horsepower, which is about thirty horses more than last year’s model. The engine itself is a jewel, being a member of Nissan’s renowned VQ engine family. Variable Valve Event and Lift improves low-end power and high-end torque, providing a manageable, confidence-inspiring rush of power. Nissan offers a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmissions. The six-speed is a close-ratio box featuring the innovative new SynchroRev Match system, which automatically adjusts the engine’s speed to wheel speed when downshifting, just like a professional driver would on the race-track. It’s one less thing for the driver to think about when diving into a corner, and it smoothes out the ride for the passenger as well. The self-blipping transmission is cool, though it takes some of the fun out of nailing a perfect heel-toe downshift. Don’t worry, trained drivers, it can be switched off. Opt for the automatic and the 370Z comes with paddle shifters and Downshift Rev Matching and Adaptive Shift Control, which do pretty much the same thing as the SynchroRev Match system does.
Thanks in part to the upgraded engine and extra gears, the 370Z manages respectable fuel economy, getting 18mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Thanks to aggressive pricing by Nissan, the 370Z starts at just under $30,000: the base entry fee to this ride is $29,930.
Specifications: All specs are for the 2009 Nissan 370Z.
Length: 167.2 in.
Width: 72.8 in.
Height: 51.9 in.
Wheelbase: 100.4 in.
Curb weight: 3232 lb.
Cargo space: 6.9 cu.ft.
Base price: $29,930
Engine: 3.7 liter DOHC V6
Drivetrain: six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 332 @ 7000
Torque: 270 @ 5200
Fuel capacity: 19.0
Est. mileage: 18/26