Infiniti & Nissan - WTF

[#-3]

we got a new car about 6 years ago. test drove the Nissan, comparing the specs apples to apples with brands like honda, kia, ford, mazda... it was not the most expensive (i think that was mazda) but it was the top half, and frankly it just felt cheap when driving it. By the time we left the parking lot we weren't even considering it.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by #-3

we got a new car about 6 years ago. test drove the Nissan, comparing the specs apples to apples with brands like honda, kia, ford, mazda... it was not the most expensive (i think that was mazda) but it was the top half, and frankly it just felt cheap when driving it. By the time we left the parking lot we weren't even considering it.

You can even get that within the same car brand. At this time I don’t see why one would buy an accord over a touring edition civic unless you really really needed that bit of leg room. The civic is just a nicer car inside and out. As an example...

[Ducay]

As someone else mentioned, Nissan think both their brands are above Hyundai, but they're actually lagging behind in almost every respect, including price.

I'd say Nissan and Mazda are probably 2 of the last automakers I'd consider.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

You're simply wrong. This is like saying the GTR TE and FType SVR are competitors, or worse, a Porsche 718S and a Dodge Demon. This just isn't reality when it comes to performance cars.

That kind of cross shopping may not be your idea of how an enthusiast shops and you'd be wrong. I like experiencing tons of different brands. I've owned more different cars from more different brands than anyone I know. I do know a lot of car people like me that cycle through tons of cars just to experience everything there is out there, though.

[btimbit]

Now that I think about it, right now I don't think there's a brand that interests me any less than Nissan/Infiniti. I LOVED my G37 but if I was in that market again I'd be looking at the Audi

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by bagofpucks

I was a huge fan of the Infiniti G series and had a sedan and coupe. For me, just great value and I had no mechanical issues with either vehicle. When I decided to upgrade, I checked out the new version of the G and I was quite surprised at some of the features that were lacking. I think this was in 2015, but none of the models of Q series sedan had blind spot monitoring. I found the interior was still nice, but it just felt like it was lacking something. Funny enough, my sister drives my “dream attainable car” a 2017 QX60S coupe and I couldn’t believe how the interior and displays were almost exactly the same as my 2009 version. There’s something to be said for the familiarity, but it does definitely feel dated.

I recently rented a newer Altima and I’m surprised at some of the comments in here saying that the vehicle is lacking in its class. To me, nothing really stood out as amazing, but it just felt and drove like a solid car with the same features that almost all new cars have.

The Q50/60 is really dated on many fronts, namely amenities. The dual screen layout is drab and the graphics of the nav. system are truly archaic. No ventilated front seats, no heated rear seats are gross omissions on a car of this price point as are the safety features you mention. The interior quality is still exceptional IMO. The VR30DDTT is a wonderful engine, particularly in 400HP guise, that's what should be in the 370Z. Nissan has offered incredible incentives on the Q50 line in August the past couple of years, you could get a 50 Red Sport for just under $50K! I suspect they will do it again this year. At $63K, it is a big no thanks.

The G series were great with the VQ and the optional 6-speed manual transmission in either sedan or coupe.

The QX30 has just been discontinued leaving just the QX50/60/80 and the Q50/60 in their lineup. The QX50 is overpriced and has an overtly complicated variable compression engine seemingly for the sake of being complicated. It gets no better gas mileage than its competitors. I would rather have a new RDX.

The new Altima looks like it could be a winner, also available with AWD which its main competitors lack. Trouble is sedan sales are dwindling for all manufacturer's.

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by ernie

You can even get that within the same car brand. At this time I don’t see why one would buy an accord over a touring edition civic unless you really really needed that bit of leg room. The civic is just a nicer car inside and out. As an example...

Civic/Accord - totally different class of vehicles. The Accord has a way nicer interior, way more room front/back/trunk, more amenities, it's a bonafide mid-sizer. The 1.5T has had oil/gas dilution issues which is all you get in the Civic (sans Type R) but optional in the Accord. The 2.0L in Accord Sport/Touring trims is a great engine. I would not have an Accord without the 2.0L, which also gets you the real good 10-speed automatic and not the frumpy CVT that comes with the 1.5T. Not sure how you can say the Civic is a nicer car inside and out

[zamler]

Renault ruined Nissan.

[Shin Pad]

I own a 2005 350Z, which I bought new when I was going through my mid-life crisis (first and only Nissan product I ever owned). Quality wise, it is very comparable to my Toyota although I would rate Toyota over the Nissan. Anyway, I still have the vehicle but hardly ever drive it. It is in mint condition. It's a nice car, but by today's standards, it's not as "techy" as the new vehicles. It's a fun car to drive. Anyway, I'm just going to hang on to it.

[cam_wmh]

This reminds me of Camaro/Mustang vs M3 debates back in the day,

[Erick Estrada]

Nissan largely builds the junk appliances now. Almost everything they offer comes with a CVT transmission, their interiors are crap, dated engine technology (except for the VC-T variable compression engine which flopped). The only thing they have going for them is that SUV's are selling well and that's the only thing they can do somewhat competitively otherwise they could vanish in thin air and nobody would notice.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I saw one of these in the flesh the other day and really like it, a good looking vehicle, IMO.

I had a 2003 Maxima SE, 6 speed. That car was great fun to drive and tonnes of power.

I haven't owned a Nissan in years. If the brand is in decline that is too bad.

I still think this is a beautiful vehicle:

you are not wrong, the old 240Z is an absolute gem. would love one. never been a fan of the new Z's styling

[rotten42]

Nissan is the Japanese version of Dodge/Chrysler.

[Timbo]

So what this thread is really saying, is sweat pants = Nissan, sweat pants with good shoes = Infinity therefore E/N/I=NG. Is my logic sound here?

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by ernie

You can even get that within the same car brand. At this time I don’t see why one would buy an accord over a touring edition civic unless you really really needed that bit of leg room. The civic is just a nicer car inside and out. As an example...

But you're comparing a 2016 civic which is giant now, to a 2013 Accord. Wait for the 2020 refresh and compare again

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by FLAME ENVY

Based on your description and colour, it was the Z32 300ZX that your Dad owned. The Z32 (1990-96 NA production) is still one of the most revered Sports Cars of the 1990's. It was on C&D's 10 best list every year it was produced along with every pretty much every other magazines 'best list'. The 4 speed automatic is woeful, good reason it sat unsold at Brasso for so long until your Dad bought it. Why did your Dad not get a 5 Speed?

My gripe with current Nissan/Infiniti is the broad use of CVT's and the rather uninspiring dynamics on many of their platforms. The QX80 is essentially a Patrol which is an awesome 4 wheeler. I would still dig a new 370Z NISMO or R35 GT-R. The Q50RS is still great fun, although in need of a re-fresh however.

I think he liked getting a new car that was a couple years old, plus his wife preferred automatics, which he humoured for a couple of cars. I have been reading about the love for Z cars my whole life and have never quite felt it. I looked up my dad's 300zx and the 0-60 is 7.8 - 8.3 seconds depending on the source, which isn't fast now and wasn't then, either. I am surprised people would say they handle well - his certainly didn't. Part of that could be the transmission again, though. If you can't power out of a corner, you lose some confidence, so you basically have to come in hot (and in the wrong gear) if you're going to corner it, and that isn't as fun as coming in perfectly controlled and then powering out of it.

A stick would have improved that a lot. At the time, I had a '91 GMC stepside truck with a 350 in it (looked almost exactly like bcchris's truck) and it was faster and sounded better than this supposed sports car, which made cramming myself into it kind of pointless and unfun except for the T-top, which can keep you entertained for a bit.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

The original s30 Z was probably 8+ seconds zero to sixty and is an amazingly fun car. They're momentum cars - canyon drivers more than anything. It feels like driving a go-kart. If you want them to go fast it's pretty easy to boost the HP, but also pretty unnecessary.

If you like off the line acceleration and pull, that's fine, get some American muscle, but that's sort of the point about different driving experiences. I'll drive an S30 all day every day before I'd want to own a Hellcat.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by rotten42

Nissan is the Japanese version of Dodge/Chrysler.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

The original s30 Z was probably 8+ seconds zero to sixty and is an amazingly fun car. They're momentum cars - canyon drivers more than anything. It feels like driving a go-kart. If you want them to go fast it's pretty easy to boost the HP, but also pretty unnecessary.

If you like off the line acceleration and pull, that's fine, get some American muscle, but that's sort of the point about different driving experiences. I'll drive an S30 all day every day before I'd want to own a Hellcat.

My experience driving it was not go-kartish, but if you enjoy driving them that's great. But, yeah, I like acceleration and pull. I love go-kart handling as well, hence my owning a Cooper S. I specifically bought it for the go-kart handling, in fact. It's not a rocket, but it is fun to drive. That's all it has going for it because it's certainly not practical in any way.

I wouldn't want to own a Hellcat, either, but there are dozens of cars I'd put ahead of an S30, although I definitely like how they look. I'm just not a fan of old, unsafe, slow cars in general, no matter who makes them.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Mazda apparently does. I rode in a new 2019 Mazda 3 and was blown away by how good the interior was. You can get one fully loaded for under 30k with AWD, which is probably going to be what my next car purchase is

What's really sad is that Mazda is doing everything the right way but not getting rewarded with sales. I feel they won't survive the next decade on their own and a larger manufacturer will probably have to become a majority shareholder, meanwhile Nissan keeps rolling with their vastly inferior products. Life isn't always fair I guess.