2016 Nissan Rogue to Feature Plenty of New Technology

Nissan redesigned the Rogue back in 2014, so it’s no surprise that its changes for the 2016 model year are minor. Though they are not significant changes, some of the features Nissan is adding are ones that you would expect from a higher-end car, not a compact crossover from Nissan.

Looks-wise, the 2016 Rogue carries over almost unchanged. Fortunately, the redesign in 2014 put it ahead of the curve in terms of styling, so it can carry on with this look for a few more years. What’s more, the 2016 Rogue continues with its unique seven-person seating capacity, which is not easy to find in a crossover with this small of a footprint.

View Our New Nissan Rogue Inventory

The changes for this new model year include tweaks to its safety equipment, infotainment system, and a few light exterior tweaks.

In the safety department, Nissan adds Forward Emergency Braking to the SL trim level. This feature uses radar technology to sense a vehicle ahead and adjust the speed or stop as needed, Also new on the safety side of things is the change from a camera-based to a radar-based Blind Sport Warning system.

The Rogue SL’s infotainment system will gain NissanConnect Services, while the SV trim with the Premium Package and SL trim will get Siri Eyes Free. Also new for the Rogue SL is a motion-activated power rear hatch, so there’s no fumbling around to find the hatch release with your arms full of groceries.

The final changes that Nissan announced today are minor tweaks to the exterior appearance. These include body-colored outside mirrors with integrated turn signals and chrome door handles on the Rogue S Appearance Package and a new Magnetic Black exterior color option.

by Justin Culper - Insider Car News

With Crossover Conversion, Nissan Pathfinder Blazing New Trail

Now that Nissan Pathfinder has shed its truck-based platform to join the popular crossover world, sales have soared.

Buyers may wonder how it stacks up with the brand’s similarly sized and priced Murano. Interestingly, Pathfinder sales – almost 80,000 last year – now overshadow its cousin, which was redesigned for 2015.

 Pathfinder looks more like a traditional sport utility than the curvaceous Murano. Matching that look, it’s a tougher, stronger crossover with a little more interior space and standard third-row seating. Murano, however, offers a somewhat smoother, quieter ride and more refined interior.

Both are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine rated at 260 horsepower, but the heavier Pathfinder loses by one with combined miles per gallon topping out at 23. A hybrid version, new last year, increases that to 25.

Both come with a continuously variable automatic transmission. Towing capacity is a hefty 5,000 pounds and a leader in the class.

View Our Nissan Pathfinder Inventory

 Next question: How does Pathfinder stack up against other midsize crossovers?

With prices starting at $30,515, including destination, it’s on the high side along with popular rides like Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Hyundai Santa Fe.

But, as noted, it’s a tougher rig, retaining a hint of its former off-roading ways. Think of it as a solid family weekender or security blanket on slick roads rather than hopping boulders or slugging through mud and such. The $1,690 all-mode 4-wheel drive system allows drivers to select front front-wheel, automatic and 4-wheel lock settings.

It’s not a sporty driver by any means, and while acceleration is smooth it’s not particularly quick. Fuel economy, however, is above average for the class.

 The interior is quite classy and has some thoughtful touches. For example, that standard third row is about as good as it gets on midsize crossovers. Access is aided by second-row seats that easily slide fore and aft, and you don’t have to detach child seats. Another plus for those in back is the standard tri-zone climate control. You also get a monitor that beeps when you fill tires to the recommended pressure.

Options include a rear entertainment system, power tailgate, dual sunroof, leather seats, and navigation with real-time traffic and weather. Oddly, the rearview monitor and Bluetooth hands-free phone technology are standard on uplevel models, but not even available on the base S.

 New features such as a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert as well as CVT improvements highlight changes since Pathfinder’s 2013 makeover. Expect minor tweaks, including a cold-weather package, when 2016s come out in December.

Now that Pathfinder has crossed over, loyal Nissan fans looking for off-road thrills will have to go with the big Nissan Armada. The back-to-basics Xterra will end production this year.

Nissan Pathfinder
Midsize sport utility

Base price: $30,515

MPG: 20/27, front-wheel drive; 19/26, 4-wheel

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: 4 of 5 stars for front impact; 5 for side; 4 for rollover resistance; www.safercar.gov


Review by Phoenix Business Journal - Cathy Luebke

Driver Attention Alert System

A safety feature that helps reduce drowsy driving

According to a study[*] conducted by the AAA and published in 2014, most people view driving while drowsy as a serious threat to their own personal safety and a completely unacceptable behavior. Virtually all drivers (94.9%) consider it unacceptable for someone to drive when they are so sleepy that they have a hard time keeping their eyes open.

Despite these strong attitudes, more than 1 in 4 drivers (28.3%) reported having driven when they were so tired that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open. One in five (19%) reported having done this more than once, and 2 percent reported having done this fairly often or regularly.

A separate study[*] by the AAA shows that drowsy drivers may be involved in as many as 328,000 police-reported crashes a year, including 6,400 fatal crashes.

This is obviously a serious problem on our roads, so Nissan decided to help address it—we developed the Driver Attention Alert (DAA)[*] system. This technology helps detect erratic driving caused by drowsiness or inattention.

How does it work?

Using steering angle sensors, DAA monitors steering input patterns to establish a baseline or a “snapshot” of how you were driving. Then, it continuously compares subsequent driving patterns to the most recent snapshot using a statistical analysis of steering corrections.

If DAA detects driving behavior consistent with drowsy driving, it will let you know by:

1. Sounding an audible chime
2. Displaying an amber coffee cup in the instrument panel
3. Displaying the message “Take a break?” next to the coffee cup

The system also includes logic to help address false detections such as lane changes, braking events, and even poor road conditions. It’s even smart enough to know when you may be drowsy, and also know when your driving patterns have to be adjusted to fit the circumstances.

Driver Attention Alert resets itself automatically when the engine is turned off, and you can turn the system off entirely if you wish.

The system is currently available on the 2015 Murano, and will be available on the 2016 Maxima Platinum Grade.

"A study by the AAA shows that sleepy, drowsy drivers are involved in hundreds of thousands of accidents a year[*].  The good news: we can help do something about it."

Visit Laurel Nissan Today!

5 Tire Tips You Didn't Know

Some of the best advice we’ve ever heard: Invest in what goes between you and the ground. That means good shoes, a good mattress and good tires. People often neglect their tires or just don’t pay too much attention to them in general. It’s important to check your tires’ PSI once per month and have them rotated every 5,000 miles.  

Here are a handful of tire tips from caranddriver.com we bet you didn’t know :

1. Skinny tires, much taller and narrower than the norm, are coming back. BMW’s i3 electric/plug-in hybrid, which relies on minimal rolling resistance to achieve acceptable driving range, is leading the charge. The i3’s Bridgestone Ecopia EP500 tires have aspect ratios ranging from 55 to 70 (narrow tread, tall outside diameter) to reduce energy loss as the tire rolls into and out of its footprint. This shape also reduces the car’s frontal area and aerodynamic drag. To compensate for a reduced air cavity and a smaller-than-normal footprint, Bridgestone uses an elevated inflation pressure to deliver the desired acceleration, braking, and cornering traction.

2. In the strictly theoretical sense, increasing just the width of a tire does nothing to improve acceleration or braking traction. A wider tire will have a shorter contact patch, which is precisely what you don’t want when the goal is maximum longitudinal grip. Jamie McNutt, the replacement-tire development manager at Bridgestone Americas, says that a longer, not wider, contact patch helps you climb faster to maximum braking grip.

3. Wider tire treads do, however, increase cornering grip. Again, though, tire engineers are always working with multiple variables. See our first point about the modern Corvette, which uses skinnier tires than its predecessor yet increases its roadholding with a stickier compound. To maximize traction in all directions, tire engineers aim for an even pressure distribution throughout the contact patch.

4. Static electricity build-up is an old concern that has returned to haunt modern tires. An inadequately grounded vehicle is an issue during refueling and when occupants slide out of the car’s interior. Modern tire compounds have become less conductive as manufacturers have greatly reduced the amount of carbon black in rubber compounds to cut weight and rolling resistance.

5. A run-flat tire can roll for more than 100 miles after it loses pressure. Tire manufacturers typically claim that a deflated run-flat can cover 50 miles at 50 mph, but if you slow down, you can stretch that distance much farther. Lee Willard, a product development engineer at Michelin, says the range roughly doubles if you drop your speed to 40 mph. Slow down more, and the range continues to grow. It’s all about reducing the amount of heat generated in the tire.

For the full list of tips head over to Car and Driver’s Blog: http://bit.ly/1IKbyxg

Top 10 Excuses People Used When Being Pulled Over

“Well gosh officer, I didn’t see the speed limit sign!” – the most common excuse police hear when pulling drivers over, according to an article from Cars.com about a survey done by Insurance.com. The comparison pooled licensed drivers 18 an older. More than a fifth of the drivers polled said when they gave an excuse to the officer that pulled them over they said they couldn’t see the sign that told them not to do something.

There were 10 other popular answers given among drivers polled. They are listed with their percentages below:

1. I couldn’t see the sign telling me not to do it :20.4%
2. I’m lost and unfamiliar with the roads: 15.6%
3. I didn’t know it was broken: 12.4%
4. Everyone else was doing it: 6.4%
5. I’m having in emergency situation in my car (for instance spilled a hot drink on your lap): 5.4%
6. I missed my turn/exit: 4.8%
7. I had to go to the bathroom: 5.6%
8. I didn’t do anything dangerous: 4.2%
9. I was on my way to an emergency (for example, to help someone who was ill or injured): 4.0%
10. My GPS said it was the right thing to do: 2.2%
11. I’m just helping out; I wasn’t even supposed to be driving (for example, your friend is intoxicated): 2.0%

To read the full article from Cars.com, click the link : http://bit.ly/15XAT5U

Driving in The Rain: 3 Tips to Stay Safe

Getting caught in a rainstorm while driving can be a scary thing. You’re not only worried about yourself but those driving around you as well. Defensive driving techniques should always be applied to the road, but even more so when driving in the rain. There are around 707,000 automobile crashes each year due to rain, resulting in approximately 3,300 deaths and 330,200 injuries.

Statefarm has offered a few tips for driving safely in the rain:

1. Turn on those headlights. It’s the law in all states to turn headlights on when visibility is low, and many states also require having the headlights on when the windshield wipers are in use. Praeter says that well-working wipers and relatively new (not threadbare) tires also are must-haves when driving in rain.

2. Beware of hydroplaning. That’s the technical term for what occurs when your tires are getting more traction on the layer of water on the road than on the road itself—the result is that your car begins to slide uncontrollably. It’s easy enough to hydroplane: All you need is one-twelfth of an inch of rain on the road and a speed of more than 35 miles per hour. If you start to hydroplane, let off the accelerator slowly and steer straight until you regain control.

3. Turn off cruise control. Ironically, on rain- or snow-slick surfaces, cruise control may cause you to lose control. You might think it’ll help you stay at one steady speed, but if you hydroplane while you’re in cruise control, your car will actually go faster.

Read the full article from Statefarm here: https://learningcenter.statefarm.com/auto/safety/5-tips-for-driving-safely-in-the-rain/

How Much Auto Insurance is Enough?

Your auto insurance plan is a collection of policies that cover various things in the event of an auto accident. It’s illegal to drive without auto insurance and the bare minimum you must hold is a liability insurance policy.

Wall Street Journal has laid out other various policies and what is covered under each one. Some drivers may need more insurance than others so it’s incredibly important to review your policy before choosing one.

• Liability coverage – These policies help cover liability and expenses when you’re at fault in an accident. The money will go to the people you hit, but it won’t cover the people in your car.

• Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) – This policy pays for the medical expenses of people injured in a crash in which you’re at fault. You’ll often see BIL policies described as a “20/50” policy or a “100/300” policy. These numbers describe the maximum dollar amount the policy will pay for a single person’s injuries and the maximum for all the injuries sustained by all the occupants of the other car. For example, a 20/50 policy will pay a maximum of $20,000 for a single person’s injuries, and up to $50,000 total for the injuries of everyone in the car you hit.

• Property Damage Liability – This policy pays for damage done to the other car if you’re at fault in an accident. Property liability is sometimes referred to alongside BIL as a third number, so a 20/50/10 liability package will cover up to $10,000 for damages to the other car.

The following policies cover you and your card in an accident:

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – This covers your and your passengers’ medical expenses after an accident. If you lose time at work because of your injuries, this policy may also cover lost wages.

To see the other types of policies including uninsured motorist, collision and comprehensive coverage, check out this link: http://guides.wsj.com/personal-finance/insurance/how-much-car-insurance-do-you-need/