Nissan is Lost in Broad Daylight
Nissan is one of the largest auto manufacturers in the world. Last I checked, they were just outside the top five largest behind the likes of Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and General Motors. What helps is that they have two of the best selling cars in 2017: The Sentra and the Altima. They also have the Rogue, one of the best-selling SUVs of 2017. That should make Nissan one of the best in the business!
Indeed, in one way it does. It makes them the best in the same way that Wal-Mart is “the best in the business” when it comes to retail stores. Wal-Mart is great for certain things, like when I need some Advil at 3:00 A.M. and nobody else is open. It’s great when I forget to buy that ingredient my wife needs, right now, because the cake is in the oven and the icing needs to melt over her freshly baked desert. The point is that Wal-Mart is the best because it’s everywhere and they have something for everyone… it’s convenient. Truth be told, I could go to a myriad of other places to get what I need, and it would probably be better, even cheaper sometimes. It may not be more convenient, but we all like better in the long run.
Right now, Nissan is just like Wal-Mart. They offer something for everyone, cover just about every segment, and they do it at a pretty good price point. They give the consumer what they need at the moment, but none of their cars really has anything better to give that you couldn’t get anywhere else, with just a few exceptions. I know that you think I’m just talking about performance. Partially I am, but there’s more to it than that. Nissan used to make some genuinely good cars. They used to make cars that weren’t just made to compete with everyone else. Effectively catering to the least common denominator, they now seem content to offer lifeless, odd, and banal automobiles in the name of economy and convenience.
Consider the 240Z. It was introduced in the 1970’s as a Datsun, because at that point, Nissan in the American car market was still an experiment. They didn’t want to tarnish their own name and reputation if their cars flopped. The 240Z certainly didn’t flop. It was an affordable sports car that always started and looked great! Even now, collectors and tuners alike are showcasing their own at car shows everywhere. Today, some regard the 240Z as one of the first true modern sports cars.
The Nissan “S” cars were also great. More commonly called the Silvia, these were a great alternative to the “Z” cars, and in my opinion, often overlooked for their tuning potential, especially in the later generations. Having gone through several name changes throughout the years in various markets, all of the Silvia’s evolutions came to a head in the early 2000’s when Nissan decided to end production with the S15, the most famous in the “S” family. These cars are still heavily used today in drifting because of the ease of tuning, engine swaps, and rear wheel drive layout.
The second generation 300ZX was a fresh return to the “Z” car family roots. Many had complained that the true purpose of the 240Z had been gradually corrupted by “improvements” and consumer demand. Those things mellowed the car out a little too much. It had evolved through the years and through the generations as something it wasn’t meant to be. The second gen 300ZX tied everything back down in 1989. Offering a twin turbo V-6 engine, it was a serious performer and a legitimate sports car.
Let’s deviate from the sports cars for just a second, even though the Silvia isn’t technically a sports car. My whole point is that Nissan can do better as a whole. Ever heard of the Pulsar? More specifically, I’m talking about the Pulsar GTI-R. We didn’t get it in the U.S., but this car was phenomenal. It was an all-wheel drive hot hatchback with a 2.0 liter, turbocharged engine. It was also quick and complete with a hood scoop. What hot hatchback today has a hood scoop?
The Nissan Xterra is an interesting example. It was recently discontinued, but that was a mistake. It’s true that you didn’t see a ton of Xterras on the road, but there weren’t that few either. Jeep has dominion over the “true off-road SUV” segment, meaning that you or I would probably never take our brand new CR-V or RAV4 off the highway. The Xterra was a legitimate Jeep competitor and an SUV that hadn’t lost its grit. A good used example now will put you back a pretty penny.
As with any car list when we are talking about Nissan, we have to include the Skyline. The GT-R is the name given to the current skyline that we have in the U.S., but for the longest time, the most forbidden of the forbidden fruit was the Nissan R34 Skyline. The R32 and R33 versions were also great, but the R34 set the world on fire. In a few more years, when these will be legal to import to the U.S., it will be likened to a Best Buy on Black Friday. People aren’t crazy for them for no reason. The R34 is part of automotive royalty and to own one is to be idolized by any enthusiast. Nissan showed the world what they were capable of when they made this car, and there are few cars, both past and present, that have ever been as good.
These examples are just a few that have shown the world what Nissan is capable of doing. Others include the Nissan Stagea (a station wagon that would put you back firmly in your seat with its claimed “276 horsepower” sent through all four wheels), the 240RS (an odd looking “S car” that was built as a homologation model to compete in rally racing), and even the early Sentra SE-R V Spec (A Sentra with even a little more “special sauce” than the SE-R, it would zip anybody’s family around in reliability and fun). And that brings us to today.
The current Versa, Versa Note, and Sentra are cheap. Notice, I didn’t say inexpensive. There’s a difference. The Versa actually has the dishonor of being the cheapest car you can buy in America. One thing that both of these cars do have going for them is size. In their respective classes, they have the most space, but every other category remains completely underwhelming, especially performance. Let’s be clear on this point too. In this case, when I say performance, I don’t mean sports car performance. Both of these cars are completely devoid of any kind of performance… they aren’t even average. The new Sentra SR Turbo that came to the Nissan line this past year, give the Sentra buyer a bit better of an option here, but Nissan does far from enough to make either of these cars any good.
Oh I forgot to mention the Leaf. The Leaf is Nissan’s all-electric car. I’m going to leave it at that because I’m not a fan of electric cars to begin with, even though I do believe that they are the future and will continue to improve. As for the Leaf, if I had to pick my favorite electric cars, the Leaf would be last. It has less range than a 9 iron at a driving range and the resale value is horrific.
The Altima and Maxima, two of Nissan’s best selling cars, are next in line. I like that both of these cars are still available with a naturally aspirated V-6, and because of that, I definitely think they both have more merit than the Sentra and Versa, but the truth is that both of these models have become bloated over the years. They’re a little over-styled, especially the Maxima. The CVT transmission lets the car down. What really does these cars in is the competition. Everyone is starting to pull miles ahead of Nissan with the brand new Honda Accord, redesigned Toyota Camry, and the newly restyled Mazda 6.
Their SUVs don’t offer anything too much better. The Rogue, one of the best-selling SUVs in America, offers AWD at a price that many can afford. The issue is that it’s not the most reliable, nor the most engaging, nor the most stylish, nor the most… anything. It just is… The Pathfinder is just another SUV and nothing more. The Armada is like the Pathfinder, but have you really even heard of the Armada?
Their trucks cancel each other out. Nissan redesigned the Titan for 2017, and it definitely needed it. The redesign does make the Titan look a little more like it should! The Frontier is actually one of my favorite Nissan models because Nissan hasn’t changed it for about 30 years. And that’s its downfall. Really it’s only been about 10 since the last refresh, but that’s an eternity in “car years”. Still, nobody buys them because of that alone, even though they are proven to be pretty good and pretty reliable with all that experience under their belt. Think of the Frontier as the last remaining cousin of the Xterra.
But wait… Nissan has done a lot this past year to make its cars better right? Let’s take a look. They released their star wars version Rogue, which didn’t change the Rogue. They offer “Midnight Edition” trim packages with their Sentra, Altima, Maxima, Rogue, Murano, and Pathfinder. This trim level also does nothing to the car except add some black accents here and there, a spoiler, and a look that says, “I’m desperately trying to blend in by not blending in with other cars like me that offer blacked out wheels and sporty extras.” That doesn’t cut it for me. If I’m going to pay more, I should get more.
Speaking of more… Nissan released its Sentra SR Turbo and Nismo version this past year, a car that I’ve mentioned several times before in this article and others before it. Even though this is a welcome addition to the Sentra as it adds much needed power, it only just brings the car up close to the level of its competition. Even in its Nismo version, the Sentra only has a few more horses under the hood than the new Civic, Mazda 3, and less than the new Hyundai Elantra GT. Nissan… to you I say congratulations for just now catching up to all of your competition. Now that I’ve gotten that over with, I’m going to find a Civic, Mazda 3, or Elantra Sport to drive so I can have some fun today!
You know, I’m really not saying that Nissan is terrible in everything that they do now. I just don’t personally appreciate all they have to offer, because I see so many better options from everyone else. One thing that I do like is the Nissan Juke. It looks really stupid, but it’s one car in their lineup that has some amount of character. It’s fun to drive as compared to the competition, and it was completely polarizing and cheeky. Oh wait… Nissan decided to discontinue the Juke and replace it with something called the Kicks.
So I just spent all this time saying that the Juke was kind of endearing, and they are killing it? Yes they are. The Kicks, which by the way is probably one of the best car names since the Ford Probe, comes into the world as a small, front-wheel-drive only crossover “SUV”. This will be fun… Without the option of all-wheel-drive, I’m not so sure that it can really be called an SUV. The only engine offered produces a little more power than my microwave oven. The Kicks is a Versa Note with added ground clearance. That being said, you can always scroll up a little bit to see my thoughts on the Versa again if you’ve forgotten already.
This brings us to the two cars I think Nissan does right. The 370Z is aging, but that’s what makes it a real driver’s car. It has remained fairly analog compared to some other comparable sports cars. It handles well and doesn’t overdo anything. The GT-R is Nissan’s Lamborghini killer that is basically the equivalent of a computer on wheels. The electronic systems that this car has are why the car can do the impossible, but that’s what makes it great! Its legendary name propels it into the class of “Nissan’s best” even though many say the driving experience is little lacking and not as engaging as it should be.
And there you have it. It may be hard to tell that I’m not a fan of Nissan, but I really do believe that they’ve fallen so far from where they used to be. There’s no rules dictating that a car has to be boring. Mazda does a fantastic job of creating an experience through their entire lineup, and they don’t sacrifice reliability to do it. Hyundai and Kia are both coming out with unexpectedly exciting cars that are lighting a fire under the consumer. The Hyundai Elantra Sport and Kia Stinger are both signs of something great on the horizon. Honda brought us their Type-R… finally. Ford makes the Fiesta and Focus ST, both of which are some of the best cars you can buy today. They are both hatchbacks which mean that neither are limited by the impracticality that many sports cars bring. Even Toyota offers the 86, a fun little car that gets great gas mileage and even more smiles as you drive it every day.
Nissan used to be great. They aren’t anymore, and it’s sad. They can rectify their issues, though. All they have to do is look at where the competition is, formulate a game plan, and start remembering the past. They need to get back to the art of doing what they used to do best: make cars that the world remembers.
-SWF
