This post is the first of many in a new series called "A Brand Review". Basically, instead of reviewing one particular model that a manufacturer makes, I'll be reviewing the entire product line-up. Each post will have a general list of vehicle specs broken down per model, the starting price minus any optional equipment, the price if you wanted to order it fully loaded, the good/bad parts, and finally my driving impressions (if I've driven it yet). Ok let's start with the Nissan product line for model year 2016.
Versa
Versa Note
Z
GT-R
Sentra
Altima
LEAF
Maxima
Quest
Juke
Rogue
Murano
Pathfinder
Frontier
Titan XD
NV200
NV
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MODEL: Versa
ENGINE: 110 hp 4-cylinder
STARTS AT: $13,000
FULLY LOADED: $18,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
S+
SV
SL
THUMBS UP: Fuel Economy; Interior Space, Price
THUMBS DOWN: Looks, Engine, Seats
ON THE ROAD: Should you find yourself trying to merge onto just about any LA freeway while behind the wheel of a Versa, it's best to simply buckle up, hunker down, mash the throttle to the floor & pray to god the hamsters up front are able to successfully intertwine you with the crazies comin at ya FULL SPEED AHEAD! I don't think further elaboration is necessary here is it?
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MODEL: Versa Note
ENGINE: 110 hp 4-cylinder
STARTS AT: $15,000
FULLY LOADED: $20,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
S+
SV
SR
SL
THUMBS UP: Fuel Economy; Interior Space, Price
THUMBS DOWN: Useless Divide-N-Hide, Engine, Seats
ON THE ROAD: Maybe it's a marketing thing, I don't know but why isn't this car just known as the hatchback version of the Versa? I mean why the "Note" portion at the end of it's name? Best piece of advice I can give regarding leasing or purchasing a Versa Note is this. If all you want is some basic cheap transportation for a low price that gets great mileage then go with the Versa Note S w/ the 6-speed manual transmission. It's the only way this car feels like it could have some underlying "oomph" hidden somewhere.
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MODEL: Z
ENGINES: 330 hp V6
350 hp V6
STARTS AT: $34,500
FULLY LOADED: $51,000
TRIM LEVELS: 370Z
370Z Sport
370Z Sport Tech
370Z Touring
370Z Touring Sport
370Z NISMO
370Z NISMO Tech
THUMBS UP: Fun to Drive, Throaty Exhaust, Looks
THUMBS DOWN: Poor Visibility, Outdated Infotainment, Rotary Seat Controls
ON THE ROAD: Ok Nissan...time for a serious re-fresh of the Z and please don't F*CK it up! The Z is now and always has been a seriously fun little rear-wheel drive rocket. However, it makes for a great second car but NOT a great everyday driver. On the Roadster with the top up you cannot see shit from shinola!
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MODEL: GT-R
ENGINES: 545 hp Twin Turbo V6
600 hp Twin Turbo V6
STARTS AT: $103,500
FULLY LOADED: $167,500
TRIM LEVELS: Premium
Anniversary Edition
Black Edition
NISMO
THUMBS UP: MY GOD IS THIS THING FAST!
THUMBS DOWN: MY GOD IS THIS THING NOISY & CLUNKY!
ON THE ROAD: Dayyyyum is this thing neck-snapping fast! However for over $100k I would like my supercar to make a LOT less clunkity clunk sounds and be a bit more polished overall.
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MODEL: Sentra
ENGINE: 130 hp 4-cylinder
STARTS AT: $17,500
FULLY LOADED: $25,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
FE+ S
SV
SR
SL
THUMBS UP: Fuel Economy; SR looks, Price
THUMBS DOWN: SLOW as SHIT; Uncomfortable Seats
ON THE ROAD: You can dress this car up as much as you'd like but it's speed on the open road does NOT match the sporty appearance what-so-ever! Yet again I say...THIS THING IS SLOW AS SHIT! Plus, the seats are not the least bit comfortable!
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MODEL: Altima
ENGINES: 180 hp 4-cylinder
270 hp V6
STARTS AT: $23,000
FULLY LOADED: $34,500
TRIM LEVELS: 2.5
S
SR
3.5 SR
SV
SL
3.5 SL
THUMBS UP: Fuel Economy; Zero Gravity Seats; Looks
THUMBS DOWN: No Sat Radio or Sunroof on SR?
ON THE ROAD: The new "SR" trim level is a half ass attempt at offering a sporty yet affordable Altima to compete with the Accord Sport or Camry SE models. The competition did a much better job with theirs and I will just leave it at that.
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MODEL: LEAF
ENGINE: 110 hp Electric Motor
STARTS AT: $30,000
FULLY LOADED: $39,500
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SL
THUMBS UP: No Maintenance Costs! Win-Win!
THUMBS DOWN: Frog Looking, Uncomfortable Seats, Range Anxiety!
ON THE ROAD: Well I guess electric vehicles are here to stay. Personally, I would go for a plug-in hybrid vehicle first. Have you ever experienced "range anxiety"? It's sort of like when the low fuel light comes on and you start to panic because there are no stations around. So you start to think how far can I go on this last drop of gas? Well magnify that feeling by a 100 because when it says 11 miles left to empty...IT MEANS EXACTLY THAT! Nissan dealers and/or other charging stations are a lot fewer and far between than your local Exxon or Shell. Plus, the damn thing looks like a frog! Oh and FYI...each headlamp on the LEAF costs $1000!
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MODEL: Maxima
ENGINE: 300 hp V6
STARTS AT: $33,500
FULLY LOADED: $41,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SR
SL
Platinum
THUMBS UP: Aggressive Styling; Outstanding Performance; Interior Room
THUMBS DOWN: Distance Control; Poor Shift Handle Placement
ON THE ROAD: Words cannot describe how much I love the new Maxima. In fact, once my lease is up on my Altima Coupe, I'm seriously thinking the Maxima will be my next car.
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MODEL: Quest
ENGINE: 260 hp V6
STARTS AT: $27,500
FULLY LOADED: $46,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SL
Platinum
THUMBS UP: Versatility; Dual Sunroof
THUMBS DOWN: Everything Outdated & Oddly Placed
ON THE ROAD: Every year I ask...THEY STILL MAKE THIS THING?? Let me just say that if you MUST drive a Minivan the Honda Odyssey or Kia Sedona are a MUCH better choice.
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MODEL: Juke
ENGINES: 190 hp Turbo 4-cylinder
215 hp Turbo 4-cylinder
STARTS AT: $21,000
FULLY LOADED: $32,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SL
NISMO
NISMO RS
THUMBS UP: NISMO Aggressive Design; Peppy; Somewhat Fun
THUMBS DOWN: Odd Looking, Loud CVT, HORRIFIC NISMO Seats
ON THE ROAD: If i were in my early 20's I might like the Juke a little more. But I'm not and therefore I'm going to tell you what I really think of it. It's looks are polarizing to the human eye. It's loud, buzzy, uncomfortable, has terrible blind spots, and hardly any rear cargo room. But quite possibly the worst feature about this little crossover are the HORRIFICALLY uncomfortable seats in the NISMO RS version. Words cannot describe how bad these seats are. It's a shame really because the NISMO versions actually look pretty cool on the outside and they have a slight bump in horsepower but those seats man....my GOD are they bad!
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MODEL: Rogue
ENGINE: 170 hp 4-cylinder
STARTS AT: $24,000
FULLY LOADED: $34,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SL
THUMBS UP: Looks; Overall Ease of Use, Price
THUMBS DOWN: Ridiculous 3rd Seat option; Whiny CVT, Sorta-Gutless
ON THE ROAD: The Rogue is roomy, versatile, easy to drive, and if optioned right can be a little cheaper than the RAV4 or CR-V. On the down side, the CVT is very loud and whiny. It revs really high at times without really going anywhere. If you get the SV family package it comes with a 3rd row seat that is more suitable for a bag of groceries than an actual person of any age.
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MODEL: Murano
ENGINE: 260 hp V6
STARTS AT: $30,500
FULLY LOADED: $46,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SL
Platinum
THUMBS UP: Good Power; Much Better CVT, Interior Room, Overall Design
THUMBS DOWN: Long Front End, Hard to Park, Too Expensive
ON THE ROAD: The Murano can go up against the best in this class & probably come out on top. There are a lot of things to like about it however, I feel they should probably come down on pricing a bit. It should start at just under $29,000 & top out at no more than $42,000 with all the bells/whistles. Just my opinion....love it or leave it.
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MODEL: Pathfinder
ENGINE: 260 hp V6
STARTS AT: $30,500
FULLY LOADED: $47,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SL
Platinum
THUMBS UP: Versatility; Interior Space, Competitively Priced
THUMBS DOWN: Feels Outdated, Poor CVT, Blind Spots
ON THE ROAD: This gen Pathfinder has only been around for 3 model years & is already feeling outdated in every aspect. That's probably not a good thing for Nissan I'm guessing. It's very competitive overall including pricing but in general it just feels old, tired, & in need of a refresh.
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MODEL: Frontier
ENGINES: 150 hp 4-cylinder
260 hp V6
STARTS AT: $19,000
FULLY LOADED: $36,500
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
Desert Runner
PRO-4X
SL
THUMBS UP: Reliability; Towing Capability; Lowest Starting Price
THUMBS DOWN: VERY Outdated, Anemic V6, School Bus-like Turning Radius
ON THE ROAD: How has this generation Frontier not been massively re-done yet?
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MODEL: Titan
Titan XD
ENGINES: 310 hp Cummins V8 Diesel
390 hp V8
STARTS AT: $35,000
FULLY LOADED: $61,500
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
PRO-4X
SL
Platinum Reserve
THUMBS UP: Very Smooth Cummins Diesel; Pulling Power; Overall Ride
THUMBS DOWN: I feel like I'm 12 y/o behind the wheel; Poor Turning Radius
ON THE ROAD: Nissan wanted to play in the big boy sandbox and the new Titan XD is what they brought to play with. A medium duty truck that rides quite comfortably, has gobs of diesel torque, and is as elegant feeling inside as any F-150, Ram, or Silverado out there.
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MODEL: NV200
ENGINE: 130 hp 4-cylinder
STARTS AT: $21,500
FULLY LOADED: $25,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
THUMBS UP: Dual Sliding Doors; Unbelievable Cargo Carrying Ability
THUMBS DOWN: A Whiteknuckle Doorstop; Anemic Engine; Um...it's Ugly!
ON THE ROAD: There is no denying it...this thing looks like a doorstop. I do have to say on the positive side if I were a small business owner just starting out & in need of a little cargo van I'd look no further than the NV200. If you can get past it's looks & accept that it doesn't handle well over 75 mph then it's a damn bargain!
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MODEL: NV 1500/2500/3500 Cargo
NV 2500/3500 High Roof Cargo
NV 3500 Passenger
ENGINES: 260 hp V6
315 hp V8
STARTS AT: $26,000
FULLY LOADED: $41,000
TRIM LEVELS: S
SV
SL
THUMBS UP: Massive High Roof Cargo Area; Interior Comfort; Price
THUMBS DOWN: High Roof is Ugly! Poor Visibility; Anemic Engines
ON THE ROAD: I think if Nissan would just make the glass package standard fare & put the new "Endurance" V8 in it, the NV would blow the doors off the competition
