2009 Nissan Altima 2.5 S Coupe Moonroof Clean Car Fax One Owner Best Price! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Nissan Leaf named overall cleanest car in US

A research firm has named the zero-emission 2014 Nissan Leaf the cleanest production vehicle in the US, and that's figuring in the full, wheel-to-well lifetime impact of the car on the environment. The Automotive Science Group (ASG) studied more than 1,300 automobiles with at least four seats across nine categories, measuring everything from the amount of fuel needed to run the car during its lifetime to the extraction of natural resources to build the thing in the first place to end-of-life processing. ASG calls the process "wildly complex." The battery-electric Leaf, with its 84-mile single-charge range, took top honors overall, but there were other highly ranked vehicles in different categories. ASG also said that the Mitsubishi Mirage, with its sub-2,000-pound curb weight and 40 miles per gallon fuel economy, was the cleanest among gas-powered vehicles, while the Chevrolet Spark had the lowest cast of ownership over five years. Last month, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) put together its annual "Greenest" and "Meanest" (notice: we didn't say "Cleanest") lists and put the Leaf at number three. Topping that list was the Smart ForTwo ED battery-electric, but that was followed up by the Toyota Prius C compact hybrid, so fans of those vehicles can now start a healthy debate. The ACEEE uses data from the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board to compile its list. We have ASG's press release below. Life-cycle Assessment of 1,300 Models Reveals Best of 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4 February 2014 [Santa Rosa, CA] – The Automotive Science Group (ASG) conducted a comprehensive life-cycle assessment of over 1,300 automobiles across nine categories to distinguish the BEST model year 2014 vehicles in environmental, economic, social and "all-around" performance. Auto consumers are now equipped with a car buying guide founded on principled facts, a departure from the notoriously subjective test drive "editor reviews" that have long been the industry norm. Using a unique combination of vehicle data inputs that include conventional specifications as well as ground-breaking social, environmental and economic performance indicators, ASG's back-end algorithms are wildly complex, but the front-end results – meaningful vehicle ratings and distinguished awards – are forthright and consumer-friendly. ASG's Automotive Performance Index is for automotive consumers what Google is for web users.

2015 Nissan GT-R updated with new lights, more refined ride

The Nismo version of Nissan's high-tech supercar may be getting most of the headlines today, but we shouldn't forget that the car on which it's based, the garden-variety GT-R, has been significantly updated for 2015, as well.
What Nissan engineers focused on for the new model year was making the GT-R a more well-rounded GT car. That means dialing some more compliance into the car's very firm suspension for a more comfortable ride, as well as lightening up the steering at low speeds to make urban maneuvering easier. The braking calibration has also been changed to be more linear and smooth when slowing from normal, everyday speeds. Does this mean the GT-R has gone soft? We'll reserve judgment until we drive it, but Nissan claims the new refinements giving the car "multi-dimensional performance."
The GT-R also gets new lighting technology for 2015, including multi-LED headlights that lend the car a new light signature at night, and the LED taillight rings are now complete circles instead of rings of dots. The headlights are also now controlled by an Adaptive Front Lighting System, which sounds similar to other systems that aim light where the car is being turned, but Nissan's system adjusts the angle of the lights depending on vehicle speed - at higher speeds the lights are angled to project their illumination further.

Nissan Leaf becomes least expensive 5-seat EV with massive price drop

In a roundtable interview today at the North American International Auto Show, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced a $6,400 price drop for the base-model 2013 Nissan Leaf. Last year's base model was $35,200, while the new base-level 2013 Leaf S starts at $28,800. Ghosn says the new prices make the Leaf the least expensive five-seater electric for sale in the US.
Some of the lower cost is due to a difference in content from last year's low-end model to this year's. But a sizable portion can be chalked up to the Leaf's production moving from Japan to Tennessee. The 2013 Leaf is not only assembled in the US now, but its lithium-ion batteries and the car's electric motors are manufactured in the same southern state.
The Leaf SV will be priced from $31,820 for 2013 compared to $35,200 last year. The high-end Leaf SL now starts at $34,840, down from the 2012 model's $37,250. These models also have differences in content. One big one is a new 6.6-kWh charger that reduces charging times pretty dramatically.