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New Post Category: Vehicle Redesign

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:45:18 +0000

In an effort to keep Road Reality well-organized, some changes will periodically have to be made. The first of which is today’ introduction of a new category: Vehicle Redesign. This change will be made retroactively to posts I feel fit best in it, but for existing posts, they will also stay in the “Hot Car – Upcoming” category, for legacy reasons.

With the likes of Ford and Nissan seemingly releasing refreshed designs of their automobiles on a weekly basis, I thought it necessary that Road Reality have a more descriptive category to put them in, one which is less “catch all” than the “Hot Car – Upcoming” category.

In the mean time, here are some prime examples of “Vehicle Redesign” posts that are currently filed under “Hot Car – Upcoming”:

2011 Jeep Wrangler
2011 Nissan Murano
2011 Nissan Rogue
2011 Scion tC

And here are a couple cars which have a few new changes but are mostly about the pricing information:

2011 Nissan Maxima
2011 Nissan Sentra

Let me know what you think in the Comments section below.

by John Suit

Announced: 2011 Nissan Murano

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:00:04 +0000

Ever since it’s introduction in 2002 as a 2003 model, Nissan’s Murano has had polarizing looks… you either love it, or hate it. For 2011, the automaker has given its biggest crossover a makeover of sorts. While its engine is the same and the underpinnings haven’t been touched, the body and interior have seen a working over, and I like what they’ve done. Plenty of details and pictures after the jump.

The Nissan Murano has always been arguably less attractive than its stablemate, the Infiniti FX45, but with this slight redesign, I think Nissan has pushed the Murano’s looks a tad higher than before. Extra sculpting here and there make the Murano look smaller, while its dimensions remain roughly the same. The whole design is more organic, far less pieced together like the previous generation’s front grille. Graphite Blue is the only new color for the 2011 Murano, and the LE models get a different wood trim than before.

Inside the new Murano is an interesting story. Center console controls are cribbed from the Maxima. Instead of the Maxima’s red gauge lighting, however, the Murano has blue lighting which lends itself to a calmer environment. As a whole, the new interior is decidedly up-class from its current iteration. The lack of any manual mode on the transmission is an interesting omission, seeing as how Nissan seems to portray itself as having more fun-to-drive vehicles than its competitors. Other changes on the inside continue the proliferation of the Bose 9-speaker stereo with iPod and USB connectivity, BlueTooth audio and “Music Box” music storage.

Two new models, the SV FWD and SV AWD show up, spreading Nissan’s “S/SV” trim designations further, as they are currently seen on the Leaf, Maxima and Rogue. That brings the total number of models up to eight. I think eight models is about 4 or 5 too high for the Murano, but sales will tell the story, and you can bet that if 2011′s sales dictate fewer models, that Nissan will make it happen for 2012.

Nissan continues to power the Murano with its corporate 3.5-liter V6, dubbed the “VQ” series, as well as its “Xtronic” CVT, as is seen in the Altima, Leaf, Maxima, Rogue, et al. It’s also continuing the AWD setup for 2011, naturally. So no matter what trim level of Murano you buy, you’ll be getting their highly regarded V6 for power.

Prices have not been announced for the 2011 Murano yet, but expect to see them here on Road Reality when they’re made known.

by John Suit

Source: Nissan

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Updates

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:00:34 +0000

According to the 2012 Boss 302 minisite, the iconic nameplate will be returning “Spring 2011.” If Ford has timed the 2012 Mustang to show up at the same time as it did for the 2011 model, then late March to early April will be when the Boss 302 shows up as well. More pictures follow, after the jump.

by John Suit

Source: Ford

2011 Nissan Rogue gets refresh

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:31:32 +0000

Nissan’s Rogue was introduced in 2007 as a 2008 model, and for 2011 it will be receiving its first refresh. The model names are being changed to follow in the Maxima’s footsteps, so you’ll find S and SV models on dealership lots. Newly-available features include a USB port for your iPod, navigation, backup camera, automatic climate control and automatic on/off headlights. That’s a lot for a compact crossover, and a big boost to the feature (and option) list on the Rogue.

In addition to S and SV models, Nissan is offering a Krom version of the redesigned Rogue, just as it has on the 2010 model. The Krom model features more chrome, unique body kit, special 18″ wheels and a sport-tuned exhaust.

The front end gets a more grown-up look which is more cohesive and more in line with the Murano’s face, especially in the grille area. There’s more chrome on the exterior as well, which I’m not sure if I like, but since even the average AWD Rogue won’t see much more than some snow-covered roads, it might work out well.

Out back, on the other hand, screams boy racer with its long overhanging spoiler. The spoiler itself looks tacked on as an afterthought, while the rest of the rear of the Rogue looks very similar to the new Hyundai Tucson.

Inside the Rogue, you’ll find a two-tone black over beige theme, with the standard Nissan color scheme of red and white for its gauges and needles. An overly large hood covers the main instrument panel, and the center console looks out of place with its squared-off lines, in stark contrast to the rounded shapes found elsewhere in the Rogue. The information display found between the two main gauges in the instrument panel, however, looks decidedly upmarket, reminding me of the ones used by Mercedes-Benz. The 5″ touch screen for the navigation seems a bit small, especially considering the 7-8″ screens found in other cars, and its distance from the driver.

Overall, I think the new model looks better than the one it’s replacing, but Nissan still has a ways to go before they get a really cohesive design on this car. It’s as if Nissan isn’t sure what to do with the Rogue – should it be an entry-level vehicle, and thus mass market, or should it play a smaller, but more expensive role? When it first went on sale, it was the 3rd best-selling vehicle Nissan had, and it still continues to sell well.

The 2011 Nissan Rogue will be officially unveiled to the public at the 23rd Annual International Z® Car Convention in Nashville on July 31st, and should go on sale August 13th.

by John Suit

Source: Nissan

Owner’s Log: 2010 Nissan Maxima, Update 1

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:00:03 +0000

I’ve had my 2010 Nissan Maxima SV for a little over 3 months now, so it’s time for the first update! With over 4,000 miles on the odometer, I’ve spent a lot of quality seat time in the car, and have plenty of observations. Some of these parallel the review, which was posted last week, and some are new. Read on for what’s been going on for the last 3 months.

Stats:

Time Period: 3/15/2010 – 6/15/2010
Miles Driven: 4,225 / 4,225 (this update / total)
Average MPG: 21.6 mpg (reported by on-board computer)

Costs:

Service Costs: $0.00
Maintenance Costs: $0.00
Total Cost (non-fuel): $0.00

Services Performed:

3/20/2010 – Non-operating sunroof. Dealership performed the sunroof reset procedure and oiled the sunroof tracks; malfunction wasn’t reproduced.

3/24 – 3/26/2010 – Car was brought in again for sunroof on the 24th, returned on the 26th after replacement of the sunroof motor.

Summary:

After the sunroof debacle, no more issues have been found with the Maxima, although some Internet users are reporting problems with noise from the sunroof, CVT noise, iPod connectivity issues, and front seats that “rock” during acceleration or deceleration. Overall, the Maxima has proved to be fun to drive and a willing participant in back-road corner-carving. So far, so good!

Dated Notes:

3/20/2010 – Moonroof’s automatic functionality has disappeared. Using the online Factory Service Manual to do a reset on the moonroof worked. Complaint was lodged with the dealership the car was bought at.
3/24/2010 – The sunroof has lost its automatic functionality again, as well as its tilt feature. The car was dropped off this afternoon at the dealership, and I was provided with a rental car.
3/26/2010 – Got the Maxima back from the dealership. Interior is clean and free of smudges/stains/rips, which bodes well for this particular dealership. Moonroof is working as expected. Service advisor reports that the moonroof motor was replaced, due to an intermittent short.
4/6/2010 – Although the Maxima is supposed to be “sporty,” the vibration and noise from the exhaust is a bit much. I took the afternoon to apply sound-deadening material to the trunk, in order to quiet down some of said noise. Results were good.
4/10/2010 – Nav system has trouble with long trips, it seems. (275 miles) Refused to figure out a route. Finally worked about 65 miles into the trip, but crashed the whole audio system several times during the road trip. Very disappointing.

General Observations:

Heated steering wheel is great on cold mornings, keeping the driver’s hands from freezing after the car sits outside all night.
Heated seats work quite well, and the cooled driver’s seat is a lifesaver on hot days, which the Washington, D.C. metro area has had a lot of this spring.
The Navigation system needs some new software, to keep it from crashing the entire audio system. This is inexcusable on a $40,000 car, especially since this isn’t Nissan’s first nav system.
The dual-panel moonroof is nice, with a very large opening. Since the front glass pops up and slides back instead of sliding horizontally to open, it presents quite a bit of noise at highway speeds, but is fairly quiet when driving on local roads. Both the front and rear power sunshades open at the same time, so you’ll want to leave them closed if your rear passengers don’t want all the light.
Car handles fairly well at its limits, with plenty of warning before the front or rear loses traction.
Acceleration is wonderful, allowing the car to quickly maneuver around traffic. Better-than-average steering feel helps as well.
CVT takes some time to get used to, but provides nice, smooth acceleration. For a more traditional feel, push the gear shift lever to the left to enter “Drive Sport” mode, where “Ds” shows up on the instrument cluster.
On trips of more than 4 hours, the driver’s seat side bolsters can dig into one’s shoulder blades, leading to some discomfort, although thigh support is especially nice in these situations.
Trunk is big enough to swallow a load of groceries from Costco – impressive!
Automatically lowering mirrors (in reverse) are nicer than previously thought, easing parallel parking situations.
Crisp, clear backup camera is a boon in tight situations.
Infotainment buttons are set up quite well, allowing oft-used features to be accessed via buttons instead of always having to look at and use the touch screen.
BlueTooth is nice, but some extraneous noise exists with certain phones (iPhone 3GS paired with the Maxima).
Steering wheel controls are well-designed and laid out, easing use at night.
Paddle shifters are a fun diversion, when traffic allows. Proper setup (left = downshift, right = upshift) works well. With the paddle shifters, the gear shift lever’s manual-mode operation is redundant.
“Distance To Empty” function is interesting, as it doesn’t just count down, but when on the highway, will rise as well. Thoughtful.
Rear audio controls are superfluous, but fun for passengers.
DVD player is clunky in its use, but works. Requires both being in Park and the Parking Brake be engaged.
iPod integration is wonderful, with no problems reported.
Tires (Goodyear Eagle RS-A) are very loud and transfer a lot of road noise into the cabin. Not a great amount of grip either. Nissan should have equipped the Maxima was proper sporting tires, instead of the more pedestrian RS-As. Apparently, some Altimas are equipped with Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires, which would’ve made a much better choice.

by John Suit

New Road Reality Feature: Owner’s Log

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:00:23 +0000

The review for the 2010 Nissan Maxima that I bought in March is still forthcoming … I promise! It’s been one hurdle after another to get some good pictures of it. The wording is all ready to go, but alas, it’s been mostly crappy weather here in the DC Metro area, and when the weather IS nice, I’ve been too busy or the camera’s batteries weren’t charged. But enough excuses, I’m at least going to start the “Owner’s Log” section of the web site!

Much in the way that the major magazines have their long-term test fleets of cars, I will be featuring all the services, gas mileage averages, notes from both myself and passengers, and anything else I can think up.

The purpose of this section of the site is to track the reliability and Total Cost of Ownership for whichever car(s) I happen to own, or yours if you’d like to join. I encourage any of you out there who keep track of gas mileage, repair costs or other data relevant to car ownership, to email me and we will set up your own vehicle as part of the Owner’s Log. This may include interviews (via phone or email), pictures of your car, repair/maintenance bills. With privacy in mind, any license plates in pictures will be redacted, and no actual receipts will be posted on the site – only the bottom line figures. Also, names can be omitted as well, if you’d like.

Come back soon for the first Owner’s Log entry, on my 2010 Nissan Maxima, after 3 months of ownership.

The format for the Owner’s Log updates will be as follows:

Stats:

Time Period: Start Date – End Date
Miles Driven: Miles Driven during Time Period / Total Miles on Car (this update / total)
Average MPG: Average MPG over the lifetime of the car

Costs:

Service Costs: Service Costs
Maintenance Costs: Normal Maintenance Cost

Total Cost (non-fuel): Total Non-Fuel Costs

Services Performed:

A list of all Services performed during the Time Period

Summary:

Summary of overall experience during the time period

Dated Notes:

A list of notes which were logged on a certain date

General Observations:

List of general observations, by driver and/or passengers

by John Suit