Search results matching tag 'nissan'

Sneak Peek: 2009 Nissan 370Z

Jeffrey Ross — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:15:00 GMT

Nissan recently showed the first official images of its 2009 370Z sports coupe. Building off the heritage from the original 240Z in 1970, the new Z carries a sleek, sporty design as well as replacing the aged 350Z powerplant with a bigger, more powerful engine. The new look and increased power should help make the 370Z a more refined sports car and help eliminate the stigma of being the “poor man’s Corvette”.

The 2009 Nissan 370Z is the latest addition to the infamous Z car heritage and the new design gives a noticeable nod back to the original. While the 350Z was an eye-catching design when the car launched in 2003, the 370Z actually makes the current design look a bit conservative. The new car’s proportions are more in line with the 240Z with a long hood and swept windshield, while the roofline is almost straight from the A-pillar back to the rear fascia. Short overhangs and prominent wheel arches help increase the 370Z’s sporty stance. The wheel arches are even more prominent compared to its predecessor with headlight and taillight designs in line with the design language of the 2009 Nissan Altima.

Inside, the 370Z continues its improved sporty makeover. The most appreciated change inside the 370Z is the new steering wheel. While the 350Z used a three-spoke steering wheel that was seemingly pulled out of a Pathfinder, the 370Z’s wheel is sportier and more rounded helping to give the new cabin a look deserving of a sports car. Like the previous Z car, three gauges still sit atop the center stack above a supersized navigation screen.

Under the hood, the 370Z will use the same engine Infiniti uses in its G37 coupe. No specific details are available on the new Z car, but the G37 puts out 330 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. Like the current 350Z, expect the new car to offer sporty options for both manual and automatic transmission. Power will continue to lay rubber via the rear wheels.

The 2009 Nissan 370Z will make its official debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on Nov. 19, 2008 and will go on sale early in 2009. Stay tuned as we’ll provide more information as it’s released.

Review written by: Jeffrey N. Ross
All photos courtesy of Nissan Motors

The Chrysler Tug of War - GM vs. Nissan

Jeffrey Ross — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:39:00 GMT

By now, the bleeding that is going on at Chrysler has attracted many sharks. The two biggest reports currently involve either General Motors or Nissan consuming the privately held automotive company in the near future – near enough that Chrysler has essentially stopped development of a latest and greatest replacement for the aging V-6 engine lineup. With Nissan and GM circling the SUV and truck-heavy brand, exactly which scenario would play out best for all parties involved as well as the local job markets employed by the companies? Ironically, both situations would mark a reunion of sorts for Jeep to past owners, but here’s our take on both situations:

The most prominent story right now is of a GM acquisition. Not only would this be devastating for Chrysler, but it a huge mark in the win column for the General being able to take out a major competitor. A major disadvantage for both GM and Chrysler in this situation would be the high amount of plant closures and job loss, not only in the United States but worldwide. Most likely, the Dodge and Chrysler brands would meet the same fate as Plymouth did in 2001, leaving Jeep somewhere along the lines of a booster to the HUMMER brand. This would mark the first time that HUMMER (or more so, its heritage from AM General) and Jeep have been under the same roof since 1983. Although most of Chrysler’s unit sales would be shed, the remaining additional sales could help GM take a big enough lead ahead of Toyota for top manufacturer in the world.

If Nissan were to acquire Chrysler, this could be looked at more as a merger than an acquisition. This would be the best possible scenario for all parties. Shedding overlapping models is still a definite concern for Chrysler’s three brands, but platform sharing with Nissan could bring Chrysler smaller, fuel-efficient cars, while Nissan would benefit from the truck and SUV platforms as well as the hybrid technology that Chrysler has already invested in. Currently, Nissan’s only hybrid vehicle is the limited production Nissan Altima that uses technology borrowed from rival Toyota. With the advanced technology behind the Chrysler-GM-BMW-Daimler two-mode hybrid system, Nissan could become the leading Japanese manufacturer

Currently, Nissan is the seventh-ranked automotive manufacturer in the world and a merger of this magnitude would dramatically increase Nissan’s annual sales numbers. Although a few models would undoubtedly be shed in this arrangement, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep would continue to exist and could help put Nissan Motors in the fifth position (according to 2007 sales statistics) worldwide among automakers. If Chrysler were to become a Nissan subsidiary, it would put Jeep back in the same parts bin as Renault for the first time since Chrysler bought the Jeep brand from AMC in 1987.

In the end, we think the best chance for success might be with Nissan-Renault, but in this economic environment, GM may have considerably more pull. And when it comes to a tug-of-war, you always want to have more pull.

2002 Altima rear brake rotor

kevint — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:17:49 GMT

I need some information on removing the right rear rotor off of a 2002 Altima. I have removed the caliper and still the rotor will not come off. Any help would be greatly apprecieated.

Kevin

Hazards Lights

serenitystar — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:16:21 GMT

I have a 2000 Nissan Altima, the hazards lights comes on when the car is not running or whenever. What should I do?

2008 Nissan Rogue

Jeffrey Ross — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:38:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Ross
Autotropolis.com

The crossover SUV market is getting about as hot now as the original SUV craze was during the late 1990s. With car-based crossovers popping up from just about every manufacturer, Nissan saw an opportunity to compliment its popular Murano with a smaller crossover.

On sale now, Nissan extended its lineup of vehicles to include a compact crossover with the all-new 2008 Rogue. Built off the same platform as the Sentra, the Rogue gives Nissan a stylish competitor in the compact SUV market.

Outside, the Rogue looks like a watered-down Murano. While the Rogue is definitely an attractive little crossover, Nissan designers obviously decided to keep it safe and stay away from any groundbreaking or unique design elements that made the Murano popular.

Most of the Rogue’s individuality are apparent once inside. Once afforded only to high-end vehicles, the Rogue’s Intelligent Key System adds a touch of luxury and convenience. The Intelligent Key is simply a transponder that allows for quick, keyless entry into the vehicle and push-button ignition features are on the inside. Storage and cargo are also easily catered to with Rogue’s interior offerings. A cavernous glove compartment, 60/40 second row seat and front passenger seat and rear cargo area storage compartment all make the interior versatile and functional. The cargo capacity is ample holding 57.9 cubic feet with the second row seat folded down (28.9 cubic feet with the seat up).

In addition to many convenient features, Nissan made sure the Rogue was a safe vehicle, too. Standard safety features include: roof mounted side-curtain air bags, seat mounted front passenger side air bags, tire pressure monitoring system, traction control and vehicle dynamic control standard.

The largest downfall for the Rogue will most certainly be its lack of powertrain options – just one engine and one transmission.

When compared to its main competitors like the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson, the lack of an optional V6 may limit sales numbers. Similar to the Honda CR-V, the Rogue will rely solely on a four-cylinder engine. Rated at 170 horsepower, the Rogue’s DOHC 2.5-liter engine outperforms its four-cylinder equipped competitors (and almost the V6-powered Tucson).

The continually variable transmission (CVT) may help improve fuel economy and produce a smooth ride, but without a conventional five- or six-speed automatic transmission or even a manual transmission, Nissan severely limits the options on the Rogue. On the upscale SL model, the Rogue drivers are given a manual shift mode thanks to steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters.

Now some good news for the Rogue’s drivetrain. The Rogue comes standard with Intuitive All-Wheel Drive System that automatically switches from powering all four wheels to just the front wheels depending on the driving situation. During initial acceleration or cornering, the Rogue has power at all four wheels for optimal handling and once the vehicle reaches a cruising speed, power is diverted to the front wheels only to help the Rogue attain its EPA estimated 21 MPG city/26 MPG highway.

The Rogue hit showrooms in September with a starting MSRP of $19,250.

2003 Altima transmission fluid

Leonard Dequinia — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:04:38 GMT

Hi,

I accidentally drained the reddish transmission fluid from my 2003 Nissan Altima. How and where do I replace the fluid? And can I use the same fluid that I dispensed?

Thanks

1995 Nissan Altima

kene — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:17:49 GMT

I have a 95 Nissan Altima with the check engin lite on, I went to Zone and rec a printout with three error code (1) p0325 (2) p1605

(3) p1400. I know what # 1 is but not 2 and 3 can any one help with some info ?

oil pan gasket

shon — Thu, 10 May 2007 02:54:17 GMT

I need a little help. My car is a 1999 Nissan Altima and it previously had a very small leak and in just the last week the leak has increased. I was told that is was the oil pan gasket. Can you give me some suggestions of where the leak might be coming from and how many gaskets does the oil pan contain.

Need Help ASAP (1998 Nissan Altima SE)

andyd100 — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:22:35 GMT

I currently drive a 1998 Nissan Altima SE, 5 speed. The engine has about 100,000 miles on it, but was replaced about 3 years ago since the timing chain blew out on my original engine and took everything with it. The problem that I have with my car now has been going on since about November. The problem is:

Everytime I start the car it shakes relatively bad and wants itsself to stall out. During the colder months it was more prevalent, and I have to give it gas to make sure it doesn't. It still does it though, and when I pop it into first gear it kicks really bad, and again have to give it more gas a couple times to smooth it out a bit. The car has stalled out randomly at higher speeds, especially in 5th gear on the expressway, which is not cool. I replaced the gas cap thinking I was just losing some pressure, but that's definitely not it (and that was the code that came up from the AutoZone rep). I replaced the air filter, and nothing. I have free tomorrow to work on my car, and I really need it fixed, since this is incredibly annoying and eats into my gas mileage hardcore. I'm assuming it has to do with the emissions system, fuel system, or many other things. Also, the spark plugs and wires & fuel filter were replaced in January. I really appreciate the feedback to all who respond. Thank you.

1997 Nissan Altima Noise

BONNEY TRENT — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:42:36 GMT

I have a 1997 Nissan Altima SE that was making a clicking noise usually when I am in 2nd gear or higher. 24 hrs later it more like a clunking noise and it is also happening in 1st gear and reverse now. By the way the car has a manual transmission. Could this be the fyywheel or something else and if so about what should it cost to fix.