Classic Cars Nissan Dealer Blog

There’s been a lot of talk lately, at least among folks I know, about how Honda is just going gangbusters when it comes to auto sales. To some degree, it’s true; in May, their sales numbers were top. However, I recently read some interesting things about what happened among Japanese auto makers in June.

Nissan, for example, increased its output in Japan by 17 percent in June. The small SUVs, the Murano and the Rogue, and a full 50% increase in shipments to the United States. That means more and more of these wonderful vehicles are showing up on our lots.

It’s no wonder. The Rogue is an excellent alternative family vehicle for people who are tired of paying $4 per gallon of gas. Larger SUVs that may get as little as 12 miles to the gallon are no match for the Rogue, or for the Murano.

This is good news, of course, for enthusiasts of Nissan cars (like me). The more Nissan can produce and bring to the states, the more folks who will have the opportunity to experience their quality, affordability and performance. Like many others, I’m completely satisfied with my Nissan Rogue, and would recommend it to anyone.

I have to be honest with you about something.

I keep talking about my Nissan Rogue as if it’s an SUV. Technically, it falls into the compact Sport Utility Vehicle category.

But I don’t use it like one.

You see, here’s what I use my Nissan Rogue for: to run errands around town. I’m not going to be driving over curbs, which I could do in theory. I don’t need skid plates, but I do need the DVD entertainment system for the kids and the Bluetooth functionality for me. See, I probably treat my Rogue more like, say, a Nissan Sentra, than a “real” truck.

Sure, I haul things in the cargo area. I haul kids and soccer equipment and art supplies. And I don’t think my Rogue would look all that great in a commercial driving down some rocky country road, or driving up a hillside. No, my Rogue fits into a commercial with a family loading groceries or, when we can find a reliable babysitter, my partner and I driving to the theater to see a play.

I’ll let the marketing people call the Rogue whatever they want to. “Compact Crossover SUV” or whatever. All I know is that this Nissan car works for our family, and that’s what matters.

I’m not an environmental activist, I swear. I do my part to recycle, to avoid products I know are harmful to the environment, and all of that. I’m all for a cleaner world and for doing my part.

The truth of the matter is, though, that had nothing to do with my decision to buy a Nissan Rogue. Yes, the Rogue gets 26 miles per gallon on the Highway. That’s better mileage than most of the other compact SUVs out there. In part, that’s due to the CVT transmission. The CVT greatly improves fuel economy, and it also reduces shift shock.

See, I bought the Rogue, in part, because it gets good mileage, but it had nothing to do with the environment. It had to do with $4 per gallon gas. As I’ve got a sizeable commute every morning but need to be able to bring along quite a bit of equipment and materials for my job, the Rogue was the natural choice for me. I can get 400 miles on a single tank of gas. That’s enough, if I fill up on Monday evening, to get me through the rest of my week.

Of course, I enjoy the Rogue on the weekends, too. Like other Nissan cars, it’s got style. It has a wonderfully smooth ride, too, so our family doesn’t mind riding along on longer trips.

The fact that this car is better for the environment is just a bonus, in my book.

I talked the other day about why I started waxing my Nissan, how much better it looks now that I do and how I think it will help protect the body from the elements. Today, I want to give you step-by-step instructions on how to wax your Nissan cars.

1. Wash your car and make sure it’s completely dry before you wax.
2. Choose a wax that’s nonabrasive. Abrasive waxes can damage finishes, and can harm dark paint jobs. A nonabrasive wax means you might have to wax more often, but it’s gentler on the car.
3. Wax your car in the shade, if possible. This keeps the wax from baking onto the car.
4. Rub the wax onto your car using small circular motions. Try to keep wax from getting into the seams. If it does, use an old toothbrush to get it out.
5. Apply the car wax one section at a time.
6. Wipe down the wax in the same order that you applied it. As you progress, shake out the cloth to avoid streaking or buildup of wax.
7. When you’re all done, get down close to the surface of the car. Look for residual wax that should be wiped up.
8. Finally, use a cheesecloth to polish the surface of the car.
9. Once you’re done, use only liquid cleansers for your cloths, so that next time you won’t scratch your car when you wax it.

There’s nothing more exciting than packing up your new Nissan car and heading out for a family vacation with your kids. Ironically, there is also nothing people dread more than having to spend hours in the car with their kids. Here are a few tips to help you survive the summer as you head out on vacation.

1.    Set an appropriate pace. Children, especially the younger ones, have a limited attention span. There is only so much “I spy” you can play before they get bored. A good pattern is two hours of driving your new Nissan car and then a brief stop for gas or snacks.

2.    Many new Nissan minivans have an available entertainment package as an option. Consider having a DVD player installed to keep the kids entertained on long trips.

3.    Make sure to pack some car-friendly activities to keep your kids occupied. Crayons and notebooks are small and easy to pack but can entertain children for hours. Allow your kids some say over what is being packed, but make sure to include a few surpises that will delight them when they get bored with crayons.

4.    New Nissan cars come standard with CD players. Make sure to bring music your kids will enjoy, but make sure to bring some music for yourself as well. You want to keep your kids calm and entertained, but you don’t want to get into an accident because you have listened to “Barney’s Greatest Hits” one too many times.

5.    Be aware when your children are getting tired. Letting your children sleep in the car is a great way to kill some time, but it is difficult to wak them from a deep sleep because you’ve reached your destination.
Wherever you are going, have a great summer and enjoy your vacation.

In my mind, nothing will make your Nissan look better than a good wax. On top of that, waxing your car will help prevent blemishes and even rust.

I didn’t used to wax my cars, until a few years back. A good friend and I both bought a new Nissan Altima. We lived in the same neighborhood, and had similar driving habits. He waxed his car at least once a month, which I would tease him about. After all, an Altima is a nice family car, not a hot rod. Well, a few years later, I noticed that there were spots of rust starting to show up on my car. Dave’s car wasn’t showing any signs. It wasn’t from the harsh Pennsylvania winters; I made sure to go to the car wash as much as I could to get that salt off the bottom of the car.

No, it was all about the wax. When I bought my new Altima, I got into the habit of waxing it on the first and third Saturdays of the month. I’ve only had it for a year, so I can’t say for sure it’s helping with rust yet. I can, however, tell you that my car looks better than it ever has.

So, Dave, if you’re reading this, thanks for setting a good example for me. I hope that others will benefit, too, and keep their Nissan cars waxed, looking good, and protected.

Like many people, my first car wasn’t exactly top of the line. It was a 1968 Ford truck, with at least 200,000 miles on it and more rust than you can imagine. When I bought it, it had new tires on it, though, and I paid less for the truck than I would have for a full set of tires, so I was happy.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really know enough about cars at the time to pay attention to those tires. Within 6 months, I had to replace the two front tires because the truck’s alignment was so bad.

Now, I know better. I know what to watch for when it comes to tire wear. And, while I’m driving Nissan cars and not big old trucks anymore, the ideas behind tire maintenance are the same.

Here are some of the things to look for on your tires that may indicate a problem:

Inflation. Tires can be over- or under-inflated. Too much air inside the tire makes the center of the tire push outward, and causes just a small band on the tire to actually meet the road. This causes the tire to wear quickly. Too little air in the tire causes the tire to wear at the shoulders, causing uneven wear and causing the tire to wear out sooner.

Camber. If the top of your tires seem to tilt either inward or outward when you look at them from the front of the car, it’s called camber. A small amount of camber is normal, but if it looks severe, there may be an alignment problem.

Toe-In or Toe-Out. This refers to the degree to which your front wheels point toward each other. A small amount of toe-in, where your car’s tires point toward one another, is normal when the vehicle isn’t moving. This keeps the tires from being forced out at high speed. If there is severe toe-in, or if the tires point away from each other while not moving, there is a problem.

When you’re packing up the family in your new Nissan car, the kids are bound to get antsy. The easiest way to keep the kids in a good mood is to make sure you’ve got plenty of healthy snacks on hand. You want things that are kid friendly without breaking the bank or loading them up with sugar.

Here’s a list of snacks that are kid and parent approved:

Grapes — Green or purple grapes are a big hit with kids who are old enough not to choke on them. They’re probably the least sticky fruit, meaning the impact to your new Nissan car will be minimal. If you’ve got a cooler, try freezing them for hot days.

Prepackaged Raisins — Raisins are great because they’re a small snack, perfect for tiny hands. As the parent you can rest easy knowing that even if your kids dump the entire package on the floor of your car, all it takes is a quick vacuum to get your new Nissan car back to, well, new!

Natural Juices — Liquids in all capacities are scary for car owners with kids. It seems like there’s so much that can go wrong. The best way to go here is spill-proof sippy cups for the little ones and drink containers with built in spouts for bigger mouths. These limit the amount of spillage onto your upholstery.

Bagels and bagel chips — Probably the least crumbly bread product, bagels are great for car rides. This isn’t the place for peanut butter, though, so find a flavored bagel that tastes good just as it is. Bagel chips are great because you can package them yourself, saving the expense of the pricier packaged varieties from the store.

Granola bars — Like raisins, granola bars are great because even when they make a mess, it’s never anything a vacuum cleaner can’t fix. Granola bars are getting healthier these days, and most come in peanut free varieties to eliminate allergens.

If you’re taking your 2008 Nissan Altima to a theme park like Walt Disney World or Disneyland, there are some things you can do to make your trip go much more smoothly and be more enjoyable.

First of all, when you’re planning your trip, make sure you understand the theme park ticket policies. Make sure you know what options are available and which you bought. You’ll also want to keep your kids’ ages in mind. Many theme parks offer a variety of attractions for children (and adults, for that matter) of all ages. Finally, make sure you choose the time of year for your travel carefully. Some times of the year are busier than others, and some may have worse weather than others.

When you travel, make sure to travel safely and comfortably. Take a break every couple of hours to stretch. Consider packing a picnic lunch, rather than buying meals. Bring along some games that the kids can play in the car.

Once you get to the theme park, consider arriving early in the day. This will help you get a good parking spot. It’ll also help you get onto the rides that you want on early in the day. You’ll also want to take a break in the afternoon. If possible, go back to your hotel or resort, and come back to the theme park in the evening. Many theme parks feature fireworks or other special programs and attractions after dark.

Finally, make sure that you keep cool when you’re at the theme park. Wear cool clothes. Use comfortable and cool walking shoes. Bring or purchase plenty of water to avoid dehydration. If the theme park has a water park component, visit it during the 10 AM to 4 PM period, when the sun is at its hottest.

I spent some time visiting with an old college buddy of mine the other day. We were catching up on old times, enjoying a nice meal and we got to talking about how we both drive a 2008 Nissan Hybrid. It wasn’t that surprising; we’d both always loved Nissan cars and the Altima Hybrid makes the most sense with the high price of gas these days.

Anyways, we compared notes about gas mileage. We noticed that I was getting about two to three miles a gallon better mileage than he was. We talked about our driving habits (he does more long distance driving than I do, for example) and about our driving styles, as well.

I pointed out that I tend to drive right at 50 miles an hour most of the time. I set my cruise to that speed. I knew it sounded very much like Jimmy Carter, 1970s energy-crisis talk, but then I pointed out that you have twice as much drag on your car at 70 as you do at 50. That alone is bound to affect mileage.

We got curious and did some research, too. We found out that you can also improve mileage by stopping in a slower manner. Something about the way the electric engine interacts with the brakes makes this more efficient than stopping quickly. We also discovered that driving a consistent speed is better for your mileage, because you aren’t forcing the engine to do extra work to speed up and slow down.