Nissan
Quick Drive: 2011 Kia Soul White Tiger
Ask me which of the boxes (Scion xB, Kia Soul, Nissan Cube) I’d drive, my response was, and continues to be, the Kia Soul. That’s because the Kia walks the line; it avoids feeling too big like the obese xB while delivering a firmer ride than the squishy Nissan Cube. It doesn’t hurt that its funky styling is the freshest execution of the box-on-wheels-theme.
Comparison Test: BMW 1-Series M vs. Porsche Cayman R vs. Nissan GT-R
A car that you can drive to work, drive to dinner, and drive on the track on a Saturday. That is, in essence, a brief for very high performance sports cars which automakers have been trying to make good on since the very beginning of motoring. We think that we’ve found three modern cars that do a very good job filling the needs of the road/track set, but at three very different price points.
Model Evolution: Nissan Z
Quite arguably the most iconic Japanese import of all time, the Nissan Z has been in the hearts and minds of enthusiasts since the first 240Z came to our shores back in 1970.
Driven: 2012 Kia Rio Five-Door
The Rio five-door is one of the new B-segment cars that now seem to be proliferating on our shores. If you haven’t been following this closely, we’ll jog your memory by mentioning the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, the Nissan Versa, the Chevrolet Sonic, the Toyota Yaris, and the Mazda2. With EPA regulations forcing up average fuel economy numbers through 2016 and beyond, suddenly Americans are getting small cars whether they want them or not. Turns out the Rio has plenty to offer. But to understand that, you have to view the car from the right perspective.
Blog: A Night With The Nissan Leaf
My evening with the Leaf revealed a few different things. It will deliver near-as-makes-no-difference 100 miles of pure electric power, meaning it’ll do exactly what Nissan advertises. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some caveats though.
Nissan Announces GT-R-Powered Juke-R
Okay, no, Nissan is not planning to offer a production version of the Juke-R. Which is sad, because we like biturbocharged, V-6-powered, all-wheel-drive-equipped, 500-plus-horsepower small crossovers. A lot. At least the two examples being built will be road legal, but still, don’t expect to pick up a Juke-R this time next year.
Winding Road Issue 74 Is Now Available!
In the newest issue, we give the brand new Hyundai Veloster the Winding Road treatment, to see if enthusiasts will like it as much as bystanders on our drive did. Plus, we get to know a bunch of other vehicles in Winding Road Issue 74.
Driven: 2012 Nissan Versa
As a small car, the Nissan Versa does everything it needs to do. It features oodles of room for three people in the back, is exceptionally affordable (base cars start at $10,990), and delivers admirable fuel economy (38 highway and 30 in the city). Opt for the SL trim (which is what we’ve been testing) and you even get steering-wheel audio controls, an iPod interface, and an optional navigation system. As a pragmatic means of transportation, the Versa is truly hard to beat.
Winding Road Issue 73 Is Now Available!
In the newest issue of Winding Road, we review cars with lift gate, from the stylish and compact Scion iQ, to the super sporty new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Plus, there are lots of other fun, practical vehicles in The Functional Issue 2.0.
List: Ten Cars That Would Make Great Convertibles
It’s no secret that there is near-universal love for convertibles here in the Winding Road offices (with the notable exception of cabriolet-hater John Beltz Snyder). In fact, we have an unwritten rule here at WR HQ, that unless it is raining, the top must be down, regardless of other weather conditions. The problem is, convertibles are, for the most part, a precious commodity.
Base Versus Loaded: 2012 Nissan GT-R
When you talk about accessorizing Godzilla, other people might think of a guy in a lizard suit wearing lots of jewelry and fancy shoes. You and we think of loading up the Nissan GT-R with options in an online configurator (or, for a lucky few of us, at the actual dealership).
Comparison Test: 2011 Chrysler Town & Country vs. 2011 Honda Odyssey vs. 2011 Nissan Quest
In the world of the workaday enthusiast, minivans don’t usually come to mind as the fun, stylish vehicle that drivers are clamoring to own or drive. The segment is, however, not without its charms. Especially with the advancement of technology, minivans are seeing more and more in terms of entertainment, convenience, and other ways to keep its occupants assuaged—not always an easy task when some of those occupants are antsy children. Often, it’s the addition of children—and, ultimately, belongings—to one’s life that makes a person begin to see the values of the kind of vehicle they swore they’d never own.
Winding Road Video: 2011 Nissan 370Z – Quick Drive
Last week, we spent some quality time in the 2011 Nissan 370Z. For this video, you’ll want your headphones on to fully experience the 370Z’s exhaust note.
2011 Winding Road Involvement Index Awards
Involvement matters. That’s the heart of the sermon we’ve been preaching for the last six years now. To drive fast is fun, to go around a corner neatly is admirable, to be luxurious is lovely; but to do all of those things and more in a way that enhances the driver/machine relationship is special indeed. When we first started Winding Road, we made it clear that we wanted to have a conversation with readers about the vehicles that we found to be exciting, not because they measured well, but because they inveigled many of our senses most of the time we were driving.
Nissan Launches 26-City Drive Electric Tour
Nissan has announced its Drive Electric Tour, spanning 26 cities in 20 states, that will offer consumers first-hand testing of the manufacturer’s all-electric Leaf plug-in. Each event offers consumers the opportunity to talk to Leaf product specialists about driving and owning the Leaf.
List: 15 Most Involving Six-Cylinder Cars
Winding Road’s inaugural Involvement Index Awards are getting closer and closer. So to whet your appetite for all the index glory that is to come, we present this list of the most involving six-cylinder cars.
List: The 15 Most Involving Cars Per Dollar
We came across an interesting statistic while working on the Quick Drive of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X SE last week. By cross referencing the Evo’s score on the Involvement Index, we discovered that each point of involvement would cost about $411. Compare that to our Index-topping Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sports, which with a $2.58-million price tag will cost approximately $26,000 per point, and you see the bargain that the Evo represents.
Friday Video: Nissan 370Z With Akrapovič Exhaust
Akrapovič Exhaust Systems Technology has some darned tasty videos that help to show off the sound of their products. We like them for the aural experience, of course, but also for the beautiful scenery, photography, and choice of automobiles being caned for the camera. This video features a Nissan 370Z with Akrapovič exhaust.
Secondhand Gems: $25K Hybrids That Don’t Suck
As much as it pains us to say it, petrol north of $3.00 per gallon is looking more and more like the new norm, never mind the $4.00 per gallon prices most of us are paying right now. The good news is that, unlike the 1970s when manufacturers abandoned virtually all bastions of horsepower and performance in the name of emissions and fuel economy, today we live in what could well become the golden age of performance—a time when even family sedans and V-6 pony cars make 300 horsepower.
Quick Drive: 2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X
The Nissan XTerra reminds me of my 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport I used to drive. Firstly the suspension is pretty stiff over the smaller imperfections, but there’s still a lot of bounce in the front springs. While that may seem a bit annoying driving in the city, it makes for good articulation off-road. Secondly, when I shifted the XTerra into four-wheel drive, turning becomes a wholly different affair. Especially with the steering wheel near lock in either direction, the power steering fights against you, and the car is reluctant to turn sharply. I encountered this problem in my old Jeep, and was surprised to find it in a new vehicle. It’s not a big deal, just weird, and probably alarming to a driver who hasn’t encountered it before. The third similarity was in the simplicity of the layout of instruments and switchgear—a good thing in my opinion.
Quick Guide To Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Nissan Leaf will make its motorsports debut later this month at the 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs on June 26. It will be competing in the Electric division (a new and relatively small division). With the evolution of the PPIHC taking place before our very eyes, we thought it a good opportunity to review the various divisions that will be competing this year.
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