By Kevin Harrison

With a potential transit strike looming in Halifax, the idea of car ownership may now on some level seem like less of a burden. Since many in the city seem to think our transit service is non-existent in the first place, perhaps a strike will seem like any other day anyway. But for some people like my friend Erin, having absolutely no transit means absolutely no work or social life. She just can’t afford to lose it.

Likewise, she can’t afford a new car either. While she may be able to get a decent second hand car which would have someone else eat most of the depreciation, there’s still that unsettling feeling that something could go wrong with her ‘new-to-her ride’ at any moment. The question then remains, will she have the money to fix it?

With close to zero knowledge of cars in the first place makes car ownership for Erin more anxious than Charlie Sheen at a drug testing lab. Luckily for her, her friendship with yours truly has many advantages not least of which is someone to help her pick out a good reliable used car.

But why ‘settle’ for a used car when a new one is actually within Erin’s grasp? Nissan has just redesigned the Versa sedan and they’re boasting the lowest MSRP of any new car in Canada in the process.  It certainly makes for an interesting new versus used argument.

Has Nissan come up with just a cheap car or a good valued car? I tested one to find out.

The redesigned Versa sedan is much improved looks-wise from the previous generation no matter how you stack it, despite its ability to look awkward at certain angles. Those tiny 15 inch wheels make the Versa seem even further uncouth. And those are the biggest wheels you can get, and you can only get the alloys in the top of the line SL trim. Still, there is grace to be found in the Versa’s design as the front end is decidedly handsome. Likewise the rear quarter view exudes a classy curvacious look. You may need to try hard to find the Versa’s non-awkward sides, but they’re there. The SL trim helps out with chrome accents and the aforementioned alloy wheels.

Step inside the Versa and you’ll notice right away a bit of sparsity in the interior design. Try not to feel around too much either as the Versa’s hard, cheap plastics become apparent when you do. They especially become evident during cold days when the plastics on the centre stack seem to rub together to create one hell of an annoying creaking noise. Only cranking the adequate sounding radio helps to drown out the sound. The cold also seems to affect the Versa’s power windows, which are standard on the SL trim, as they were frozen shut more often than not. This is more the fault of mother nature than the Versa, but it’s clear the Versa is not a fan of the cold.

Nissan likes to market the new Versa as having essentially mid-size interior room for a sub-compact price and boy are they right with that one. To say the Versa is spacious for its size is quite an understatement and I have no doubt that Nissan’s claims of ‘the most head room in its class’ is true. Shaquille O’Neal would likely feel comfortable in the Versa. I might suggest to all the Halifax cabbies using Town Cars and Crown Vics that the Versa sedan would make an excellent, efficient replacement.

Speaking of efficiency, the Versa sedan is rated at 6.7 L/100 kms and 5.2 L/ kms on the highway. It achieves those impressive numbers thanks to the CVT transmission with is standard on the SL trim. While CVT transmissions are generally unfavourable with performance purists, there really is no denying the transmission’s ability to help sip fuel and frankly Nissan has one of the best, if not the best CVT in the business.

That transmission is mated to a 1.6 litre four cylinder which produces 109 horsepower and 107 pound feet of torque. With those numbers it’s therefore unsurprising that the Versa posts a rather slow 9.2 second 0-100 time. The optional six-speed manual in lower trims would likely help with some more get-up-and-go but no matter how you slice it, the Versa is not a fast car. The CVT is rather noisy and intrusive to the cabin as well when pushed. CVT’s tend to work a bit better when mated to larger engines, so the CVT connected to this small 1.6 litre just gives the impression of unrefinement and vulgarity at times. This translates into what seems like the Versa begging you to stop when trying to pass on the highway. However, once at cruising speed the Versa is stable and a tad more graceful.

You aren’t going to get any sort of thrills by flogging the Versa in the bends. Those tiny wheels matched with its tall stance means that any sort of aggressive driving is out of the picture. The Versa does actually have a bit of weight in the steering feel and while point and shoot steering isn’t BMW-like, the Versa very much surprises with its agility when you suddenly crank the wheel. The top heavy feel and screeching of the tires eventually consign you to give the Versa mercy, however.

But here’s the thing. While I may be able to ding the Versa on power, handling, looks, and overall performance, the Versa just plain isn’t made for a guy like me. Its purpose for being is for people like Erin who really want to trade in their bus pass for a fuel efficient, practical, no-nonsense car that will get them from A to B without a fuss. This is really where the Versa shines.

I can’t think of any other new car that can do the ‘regular’ travel routine for such a low price so well. Sure you can name off the Fiesta and Fit, arguably the top contenders in the segment, but then again there’s where the price advantage of the Versa comes into play.

When the Versa is looked at from a typical automotive journalist point of view, it comes up short. But for Joe Public the Versa really does make a strong case for itself for good value. Nissan has essentially closed the gap for people thinking they should buy used instead of new for their budget conscious car purchase. It’s arguably a perfect city car. Great on gas, decent ride for around town, easy to park thanks to its small size and room for all your friends with some to spare. What’s not to like?

As such, I don’t think I’ll hesitate in strongly suggesting to Erin that the Nissan Versa is well worth a look on her car shopping list and yours.

Base Price: $11,798

Pros:

• Truely impressive head room and leg room
• Good fuel efficiency
• Comfortable ride
• Handsome from certain angles
• Great value with low MSRP

Cons:

• Noisy CVT
• A bit underpowered for the highway
• Hard plastics in abundance
• Can look quite goofy from other angles

Overall: 7/10

 Looks like Ford’s Explorer is going to be getting some steep competition in the form of the new Nissan Pathfinder….concept. Yes, despite its production ready looks, Nissan is still dubbing this one a concept.

Despite this, Nissan is giving a few details. Probably the biggest change in the new Pathfinder is its unibody platform which, as Nissan points out, reduces weight significantly. This, in addition to a new V6 mated to a CVT, means that the Pathfinder will be more efficient than the outgoing model. 25% more efficient in fact.  While there are no official fuel economy numbers just yet, a 25% reduction in fuel usage for a 7-passenger CUV is fairly impressive.

“Nissan is in a great position today.  Sales are up, market share is increasing and our dealers have a great selection of 2012 Nissan cars, trucks and SUVs in inventory,” said Michael Colleran, Regional Vice President of Field Sales and Sales Operations, Nissan Canada Inc.  “This new Pathfinder Concept is just the beginning of a far-reaching wave of new products on the horizon for Nissan.  By the end of 2012, more than 70 per cent of our sales volume will be all-new or redesigned.”

Indeed, big things are happening at Nissan and it’s a bit risky to change over the platform of a tried tested and trusty model such as the Pathfinder, but Nissan hopes this will generate into more agreeable reactions to city driving all while keeping the Pathfinder’s offroad prowess.

Once the Pathfinder is revealed in non-concept mode, there will likely be more specs to report and Car Driven will have all the details. What do you think of the Pathfinder Concept?

[Nissan Canada]

One of the best bang for your buck super-cars is now going to be even more powerful.

The GT-R will get a 15 horsepower bump to 545 horses as well as an increase in torque to 463 pound feet from 448 pound feet. There’s no mention of an increased 0-100 time yet, but this will likely shave a bit of time off the current GT-R’s official time to be sure, which will translate into a more agile Godzilla on the track.

Also helping out with lap times will be the GT-R’s re-worked suspension along with a handmade dry carbon spoiler for the Black Edition model. The new GT-R will also get an updated transmission that promises to be more refined.

The 2013 GT-R will hit certified Canadian dealerships January 2012.

[Nissan Canada]

With the leaves starting to change colour and steadily falling to the asphalt, this seemed like a fitting time for Nissan to introduce another kind of leaf to Nova Scotia’s roads: their all-electric LEAF 5-door hatchback.

It was announced yesterday that Nissan Canada will partner with the province of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Power to introduce the electric vehicle to the province.

“This announcement adds the Province of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Power to a growing list of like-minded partners equally as committed as Nissan to promote and encourage the adoption of zero emission vehicles as a way to combat climate change,” said Allen Childs, President of Nissan Canada Inc. “As a manufacturer we provide innovative vehicles that Canadians love and want to drive, but our partners play an important role in helping build the infrastructure support for electric vehicles that will make a roll-out of the Nissan LEAF, and other electric vehicles in Nova Scotia possible.”

Indeed a key partner in promotion and building infrastructure is Nova Scotia Power who also announced their purchase of 10 Nissan LEAF’s for its ShareReady Electric Vehicle program. The program will help NS Power to study and understand the impact of electric vehicle use in Nova Scotia.

Here’s hoping I can snag a LEAF sometime soon for a review!

[Nissan Canada]

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone pitted a drag race between a BMW 1-Series M, a Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a Chevy Corvette Z06, a Ferrari 458 Italia, a Nissan GT-R, an Audi R8 GT, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a Lexus LFA, a Porsche Cayman R, and a Lotus Evora S? Of course you have. And so apparently has Motor Trend because they actually had the pull to make it happen.

All 11 vehicles are definitely among the best of the best in terms of performance vehicles that are currently made. With that said, they all excel at different things. For instance, there’s no question that the 1-series M is going to lose to the 458 Italia. So, why bother doing it? Because each one of us has a 5 year old boy in us that’s why. Without giving too much away, it’s clear that Motor Trend arranged the obvious front runners to be in the middle of the starting line and then worked backwards. The result is a spectacular flying ‘V’ made up of American, Japanese and European brilliance. The symphonic notes coming from each of the exhausts comes together exquisitely.

Click the above video to see it all unfold.

[Youtube]

Fresh off the heels of my complaining that the current Nissan Altima looks dated, comes some spy pics of the next generation.

This new Altima will get a revised front facia with more styling headlights, grille and fog lights. Yes, even the rear of the Altima will get a refresh with the new generation.  The rear tail lights look to be more attention grabbing along with a higher deck lid.

The new Altima is expected to get a new 2.0 litre turbocharged four replacing the aging (and sometimes whiney) 2.5 litre naturally aspirated four cylinder. The range topping 3.5 litre V6 will stick around with a likely power boost. Manual transmissions are expected across the line, not just on the base model like Toyota and Hyundai have done with their family sedans. Thanks for that, Nissan. If, for some reason, you prefer the automatic, Nissan’s slick shifting CVT is the order of the day.

Expect the 2013 Altima to bow next year and it can’t comes soon enough with the new Camry hitting the streets soon along with the hot-selling Sonata and Optima nipping at the heels. Not to mention credible product in the form of the Ford Fusion. Hit the jump for a rear snap.

[Autoblog Canada]

By Kevin Harrison

The last Nissan I reviewed was the Sentra and it got me thinking about Nissan’s specifically, the odd overlap between models. I wondered why the Sentra was necessary since it is quite an old design and seemingly lagging compared to its competition. Besides, the new Versa is just as big and is thousands cheaper. I later came away from the Sentra concluding that the Sentra was much more refined than the Versa and that that alone might be enough to convince some people to plunk there money down for it as opposed to the Versa.

Well here we are again with the same sort of conundrum. The Nissan Altima has gone from an after thought to a credible contender in the mid-size (which really has become full-size) segment. So, why would anyone pay more for a Maxima when the Altima is just as big and just as stylish? Wouldn’t the most value be found in the form of a base Altima as well?

I took one out to find out.

Firstly, you’d be forgiven if you think the Altima is getting on in age. This current generation has been on sale since 2007 and only minor face lifts have taken place since then. The latest came in 2010 in the form of a very slightly redesigned front facia. Everything else, exterior-wise stays the same. For some reason Nissan isn’t in the habit of changing the rear design of most of its models during mid-cycle refreshes. I would suggest they revise their thinking on that, because when viewed from the hind quarters, the Altima looks very outdated. Who uses Altezza style clear lense tail lights anymore anyway? Plus the only thing new for 2011 is the addition of a rear view camera in all trim levels (optional, not standard on the S) and new colours. That’s it. However despite my nitpicking of the Altima showing its age, the design is definitely still more interesting than the Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry.

Inside, soft touch materials are appreciated as well as a well thought out, logical centre stack. The buttons are large and clear. The stereo system is actually decent considering the base model guise. However, on the whole, the interior looks a bit bland. The cloth seats are actually quite comfortable. I had no complaints for the 2 and a half hour trip when I took the Altima down to Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Rear seat legroom is excellent, beating out most of its competition. The rear seats fold 60/40 at the touch of a button and the large trunk can easily swallow 15.3 cubic feet of your junk.

The base 2.5 S comes with, you guessed it – a 2.5 litre 4 cylinder engine making 175 horses and 180 pound feet of torque mated to my tester’s CVT transmission. Anyone who frequents this site knows that I am an avid manual transmission advocate and, for the most part, an avid automatic transmission hater. Why? Well in most cases the automatic tends to rob power. In the Altima’s CVT, it’s very much the case. While those power numbers aren’t earth shattering, they are decent enough to expect some get-up and go. The Altima could barely get up. CVT transmissions are made with fuel efficiency in mind, so the transmission would rather you didn’t have too much fun while driving because, after all, fun driving usually means more gas consumption. As a result, the Altima pretty much whines when it’s pushed and 0-100 takes a longish 8.4 seconds. With that said, the shifts from the CVT were very smooth. In fact, I’d wager to say that Nissan makes one of the best CVT’s in the business. And on top of that, the CVT did its job as a averaged 8.8 L/100 kms with an equal dose of both city and highway driving. The Altima 2.5 S is officially rated at 10.2 L/100 kms city and 7.3 L/100 kms highway. Still, if you want a ride that matches the Altima’s sporty appearance, do yourself a favour and opt for the 6-speed manual. I’m convinced there’s more to this engine than the CVT is letting me see. In fact if performance a la Maxima is what you’re looking for, don’t even bother with the 2.5, opt for the more powerful 3.5 V6.

The ride on the highway is decidedly solid and comfortable. In fact the Altima borders on, dare I say it, Buick levels of comfort. At least Buicks of the past anyway. Everything is quite cushy and relaxed. When pushed to the limit, the Altima’s compliant suspension adds some fun into the mix, despite the cushy ride when driven normally. The fun handling experience could be heightened by more steering response as it feels quite numb.

And that’s the thing. There are plenty of cars out there that do what they were built to do fairly well with an added touch of something else. In this case, the Altima does family sedan decently well with added flares of performance here and there. The Maxima is the opposite. It does performance well, with added touches of family capabilities. It depends on what your priorities are.

In the end, after experiencing the Maxima it very much has its place among the Nissan line up. The Altima is adequate in most respects, but a re-design is definitely in order.

Base Price: $23,998

Pros:

• Excellent rear leg room
• Comfortable seats
• Comfortable ride
• Good fuel efficiency for its size
• Logical interior
• Smooth shifting CVT

Cons:

• Exterior getting on in age
• Drab looking interior
• CVT sucks out performance
• Whiney engine at high RPM’s
• Handling leaves little to be desired

Overall: 7/10

Nissan Canada has just announced pricing for the redesigned Versa sedan and it comes in at $11,798. That makes it the cheapest brand new car you can buy in the country.

The new Versa sedan will be powered by a 1.6 litre four cylinder mated to either a manual transmission or a CVT. Notable options include Bluetooth, a 5 inch navigation touch screen and XM satellite radio.

This is particularly interesting because the Hyundai Accent has long held the cheapest-new-car crown. With its redesign, it offered even better value, but now Nissan has raised the bar in short order. The new Versa sedan is actually closer to being mid-sized that compact which makes that compact price even more desirable. It also reinforces my questioning the existence of the 2011 Nissan Sentra. Perhaps it will be a question of whether people want value or refinement.

Oddly enough, the Nissan Versa hatchback, which is arguably the more desirable variant of the two by Canadians, will continue on unchanged for 2012.

In Canada the Versa sedan will come in three trim levels:

• 1.6 S 5 MT starting at $ 11,798,
• 1.6 SV 5 MT starting at $ 13,798
• 1.6 SV CVT Starting at $ 15,098
• 1.6 SL CVT Starting at $ 16,298

[Nissan Canada]

By Kevin Harrison

I never understood why anyone would buy canned goods. Price advantage aside, the ‘real’ version of peaches, mushrooms, chicken, and tuna etc can all be found in the very same grocery store. It’s all just one aisle over. So buying canned goods is not a convenience thing. Some people apparently just prefer to buy canned versions of above mentioned items. And I suppose there’s nothing wrong with that, however, I prefer my food to be more, shall we say, pure.

This sort of discrepancy sometimes happens with car manufacturers too, and I’ve noticed it with Nissan especially. While the Maxima may be marketed as being of a more sporting nature, and it’s design perhaps more compelling, the Altima is almost identical in size, available power, sharp looks, but costs way less.  This is true of the Versa and the Sentra as well. Why would anyone take a Sentra over a Versa when you get just as much space, more versatility (that’s probably where the Versa gets its name from), better fuel economy and costs less? Does that not make the Sentra redundant? But the public is preferring the Sentra to the Versa. In fact, the Sentra sells approximately two thirds more Sentras than they do Versas.

So, what’s the big draw? I drove the latest version of the Sentra to find out.

Nissan’s Sentra is about a 4 year old design, however it seems as if the Sentra was in need of a refresh years ago. It seems a bit tired looking as Nissan has not significantly changed or refreshed the design over the years. For 2011, Nissan has refreshed the front facia giving it a more corporate look with the signature Nissan grille, larger emblem and restyled front turn indicators. There’s also a few new colours to choose from and new interior cloth. That’s it. My tester had the optional value package which added 16 inch alloys and a trunk mounted spoiler, 60/40 rear seats, keyless entry, A/C, and power mirrors. The package costs about $2,000 however, with current Nissan incentives, Nissan will throw it for free. The added cosmetic upgrades definitely help with the tired looking exterior, but a complete redesign really needs to be in the cards here.

The interior is a decent place to be, however hard plastics are in abundance. All the controls are excellently placed and the seats are fairly comfortable. One gripe however is that they are not height adjustable. One thing I did notice is that all the mirrors never seem to be in the right position, no matter how many times you adjust them. This could be attributed to the fact that they are a bit smaller than average side and rear view mirrors. There is a decent amount of rear seat and cargo room. The Sentra’s interior is adequate for sure, but is mostly outdone by competitors such as the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Chevy’s new Cruze, which exude a more premium feel. A big cubby hole right behind the gear shift is quite nifty and much appreciated. The stereo sounds about what you’d expect it to sound like in this price point. With such a high rear deck, backing up the Sentra is somewhat challenging but that rear spoiler isn’t completely useless as it provides a bit of point of reference when reversing.

The Sentra is powered by a 2.0 litre four producing 140 horsepower and 147 pound feet of torque. Acceleration is, again, adequate but outdone in terms of refinement from other makes in the class. The optional CVT, however, is smooth. While I’m not a fan of CVT transmissions in general, this one is quite nice. There is no optional manual mode, but since the transmission is so good, it’s almost as if it doesn’t really need one anyway. A six speed manual is standard if you prefer to row the gears yourself. Which you really should. Besides, the six speed manual will at least make the Sentra feel faster. The CVT gives a feeling slowness when pushed since there’s no rise-and-fall RMPs.

The Sentra’s road manners are more Buick like (that is, the old school Buick of yesterday) than performance oriented. This means vehicles such as the Mazda3, Ford Focus and even the new Chevy Cruze have it beat for sportier driving, but the Sentra still offers decently weighted steering -even if it oddly does not translate into much road feel. Still, throw the Sentra into a corner and it will do its best to stay composed even if it loses that composure more often than not.  It’s clear that the Sentra is a bread and butter point A to point B car, not a thrill inducing compact. It may not excite the senses, but what it will do is get you to where you need to go quietly, comfortably and frugally.

Speaking of, with the help of the CVT transmission, the Sentra is able to achieve a combined fuel efficiency rating of 5.8 L/100 kms. Pretty respectable, but with new engines coming from Chevrolet and Honda, the Sentra’s 2.0 litre is outdone in the fuel efficiency category as well. I had the opportunity to take the Sentra down to Bridgewater and I averaged about 6.0 L/100 kms. Not bad at all, but I imagine it could have been better if my tester had cruise control as standard. Even without cruise control, the Sentra exudes a sense of refinement on the highway. It feels more stable than the Versa and certainly has more available passing power.

Which brings me back to my original question: is there still a need for the Sentra since the Versa seems just as capable for less money? Yes. While I feel as though the Sentra is a bit behind the pack in the compact market, it definitely has its place. And when compared to the Versa, you get a much more refined, better looking car that will likely do better at keeping its value and offers quite a variety within the trim levels. The hotted up SE-R comes to mind, for instance, for those who desire an extra kick of performance. The Versa offers no such option.

With that said, the Sentra is still the canned fruit of the car world. It’s not entirely ideal in certain situations, and it’s definitely cheaper (Nissan Canada has pretty decent incentives right now) but getting rid of it seems, well, wrong. Once a complete redesign is on the table, I would suspect that the next generation Sentra will upgrade to fresh fruit.

Base Price: $15,398

Pros:

• Smooth, efficient CVT
• Respectable power
• Comfortable ride
• Lots of interior storage

Cons:

• Tired looking exterior
• Tired looking interior
• Hard plastics
• Uninspiring drive
• Difficult rear visibility
• Sub-par sounding stereo

Overall: 6/10

Top Gear will be back to creating awesomness on June 26th, according to finalgear.com. There isn’t much info as to what we can expect other than an adventure with May, Clarkson, the Nissan LEAF and Peugot iOn (that’s Mitsubishi i-Miev in Canadian speak).

I would imagine that the bloakes will take a few shots at Tesla for filing a lawsuit against them, May and Hammond will take a few shots at Clarkson for an alleged affair and a falling out with some locals and everyone will take shots at Hammond for being short. Also expect lots of crazy challenges, reviews of your favourite exotic supercars and of course stars in the reasonably priced car.

The only rumour right now is that the McLaren MP4-12C may have taken the top spot on the leader board for the fastest lap around the Top Gear track.

Can’t wait!

[Final Gear, photo credit: Daily Mail]

I must say, Top Gear might very well be the best show ever made. Seriously. No car show has ever received the viewership or fanbase that they have and no car show has ever been able to lure people otherwise uninterested in cars before. With that said, a good chunk of the reason why Top Gear is able to attract such a wide variety of viewers is because of the dynamic between hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, but also because it’s wildly entertaining.

The latter should be considered when watching the above clip. Clarkson and May decide to have a go at the Peugot iOn and the Nissan LEAF – both full on electric vehicles. However, to ensure that it’s still entertaining they decided to see if they could trek across the country is said vehicles. Since most electric vehicles are designed to be city dwellers, this is obviously an attempt at entertainment. And knowing them, they succeeded.

May and Clarkson found themselves at the University of Lincoln as they stopped to ask where they could charge their cars. Inevitibly no one could point them to a charging station because there weren’t any. So then the duo decided to just drive around looking for a charging station until the cars ran out of juice and had to be towed.

This really seems like more of a middle finger to Tesla, who has filed a lawsuit against Top Gear and the BBC for allegedly rigging the test of their roadster which gave the impression that the car is useless because you have to charge it too often. Even though Tesla wasn’t involved in this video, it’s clear that Top Gear are not fans of the electric car industry in general. However, James May has actually written a column saying that electric cars aren’t all that bad and can work in certain instances. Obviously in this instance, they aren’t ideal.

[The Lincolnite]

Ah, where would we be without marketing? Probably way better off, but every now and then those marketing kids come up with something entertaining and funny. Case in point, Nissan decided to pit its 370Z against a Mexican chicken.

Random? Yes. Funny? Yes. Should you try to race a chicken too? No. I know that probably goes without saying but considering I saw a guy on the highway attempting to secure the canoe on his roof using his, wait for it…. arm, I suppose human beings think almost anything is a good idea.

Check out the chicken take on a 3.7 litre V6 in the video above.

The race for the best selling electric vehicle is starting to get a bit messy as GM is throwing a few shots Nissan’s way.

Mark Reuss recently spoke out on his opinions of the Nissan LEAF.  Says Ruess:

“[The Leaf] has a finite range and requires infrastructure and charging to run it, where the Volt is really an extended-range electric vehicle. The Volt can really be the only car you own. You better be living within a certain range for the Leaf. … It’s a lot different market, a lot different car and a completely different driver.”

Not too bad, right? A well thought out, logical answer. But Reuss unfortunately didn’t stop there when maybe he should have. He continued:

“I’m not sure if I’d put the Leaf in the hands of my three kids. Say, what if they can’t charge it? What if they get to school and can’t charge it? The Leaf is a single-purpose car”.

Not good enough for his family? Ouch. Reuss’ comments come on the heels of the recent sales release stating that the LEAF outsold the Volt in the month of April. Coincidence or carefully timed remarks?

This isn’t the first time GM has stacked the Volt up against another fuel miser. Their CEO recently said he “wouldn’t be caught dead” in a Toyota Prius and that it was a “geek-mobile”.

Sticks and stones, or will this turn people to GM showrooms?

[Nashville Business Journal]

The electric car race is getting tight between the Nissan LEAF and the Chevrolet Volt. The duo have been on sale for a few months now and in March it looked as though the Volt was taking a very early lead with 608 units sold compared to the LEAF’s 298 units sold in North America.

Last month, however, it seems Nissan has gained some sales as the LEAF beat the Volt. Nissan sold 573 versions of the LEAF and GM sold 493 Volts. That brings the total count to 1,044 units sold for Nissan and 2,029 Volts sold for Chevrolet since their respective debuts in 2010.

The Volt and the LEAF aren’t officially on sale yet in Canada, however both have already been taking orders. The Volt’s Canadian pricing was also recently announced at $41,545. If you live in Ontario you’ll qualify for an $8,230 rebate from the provincial government and if you’re in Quebec, the provincial rebate is expected to be $7,769.

[Nissan, General Motors]

Forbes, the people obsessed with making top 10 lists about, well everything, has just released its list of the worst vehicles on the road. How do you make such a list without accusations of being biased or opinionated? Well with the way Forbes did it, they essentially compiled six studies done by Consumer Reports on the most reliable, best and worst safety, best and worst fuel efficiency, best and worst value, and highest cost of ownership. They then compiled a top 10 list made up of seven American makes, two European makes and one Japanese make.

The Cadillac Escalade embarrassingly took the top score for least value, highest cost of ownership and worst safety scores. I’ll throw in that the Escalade is probably the easiest to steal for good measure.

The Chrysler Town & Country took worst reliability and faired pretty badly for cost of ownership. The Jeep Wrangler and Liberty scored for poor reliability and fuel economy while the Dodge Nitro and Dakota shared in those honours failures as well.

Along with the Escalade, GM took some hits with the Aveo, Colorado and Tahoe Hybrid making the list. All got marks for worst reliability, high cost of ownership and worst safety results.

The two Euros to make the list were both from Mercedes-Benz. The S-class made the list for high cost of ownership and low fuel efficiency scores while the Smart Fortwo was dinged for poor reliability and value.

The lone Japanese vehicle on the list was the Nissan Titan for poor fuel efficiency, reliability and cost of ownership.

With the exception of the three imports which are low volume sellers, people still seem to not get that the above mentioned domestics don’t excel in much. Yet they still sell in large numbers. Are there just that many stupid people out there? But before anyone starts on an anti-domestic vehicle tirade, it should be noted that not a single vehicle from Ford made the list.

[Forbes]