Nissan cars have been in the spotlight lately as Nissan motors has opened the doors to performance Nissan tuners fresh out of the movie, Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Quite popular with the import tuner crowd, Nissan has come forward as a high performance vehicle rather than just an economy box of the olden days. Of course Nissan is not all sports cars and high performance; but that is exactly where we are going to begin.
Popularized by the movie, Fast and the Furious; the Nissan Skyline (GTR) is a rather underrated vehicle on the street for the most part. This car is prepared at the factory for extreme sportive driving, with features such as an adjustable rear wing, underbody diffuser, and a host of other cool Nissan parts; the Skyline looks like a steadied Samurai warrior ready to pounce at just about every stop light. Of course the overrated Nissan 350Z is hard to miss these days, as just about every light you will find one revving its engines beside some poor Ford Gremlin, just begging to race. Not that 300 horsepower is anything to smack around, but nor is it anything to flaunt.
You really want a lovely car, might I suggest the extinct Nissan 300ZX turbo. These beasts were loaded with potential then; and guess what? They are still loaded with potential now. Rated at 300 horsepower in the late 90’s, which means that you have at least 100 horsepower waiting to be freed due to unperfected emission standards that can be easily altered with a few carefully purchased high performance Nissan auto parts. I am definitely not one for antiques; but in this case I will definitely make an exception. If you can’t find the 300ZX turbo, then might I suggest a late 90’s Nissan 240SX; which can be purchased these days for under $5,000.
So what do you get when you put aside performance and style and add a heaping scoop of practicality? Why you get the Nissan Altima. The Altima is by far Nissan’s top selling vehicle today, and is by all intense purposes an all around good value. With engines option that vary anywhere from 175 horsepower to 260, and enough safety features to make the daily driver breathe a slight sigh of relief when they slip behind the wheel every morning; the Altima is a rather conservative option for anyone to consider. An even less stylish alternative is the aging Nissan Maxima, but as nothing has changed on this model since 2002, I think I will leave this one where it stands.
Back to the price-conscious slice of the market we find the all new Nissan Versa which is basically your typical hatchback subcompact that you find with every other manufacturer on the streets. Albeit not a huge thrill to drive; just keep telling yourself what great gas mileage you are getting! Nissan of course also realizes the value of the human desire to carry stuff around with them, thus opens the door for a line of trucks, minivans, and SUV’s.
Starting with the introductory level Nissan Frontier, we find a 265 horsepower V-6, extended crew cab option, antiskid control, and a base price less than $20,000. This light duty truck is certainly not a bad way to go under any circumstance. Of course if your needs are more among a heavy-duty capacity, then the Nissan Titan is there for you. The Titan is the only import-brand truck that can actually match the domestic models power and capacity pound for pound. So if you are looking for a work truck, and your looking import; then stop right here and look no further, as there is no further to look.
The Nissan Murano is Nissan’s version of the SUV. The Murano is based on the Altima sedan platform and hosts a fair amount of standard features, such as all-wheel drive, ABS brakes, and side air bags. Along the same lines of the Murano is the Nissan Quest, which changes up the exterior with more of a minivan appearance. Besides the appearance, optional rearview TV camera, and run flat tires; the Quest is not that much different from the Murano. Flip your coin and go with it!