Why is Ford doing more than Nissan?

Shamu

Why? Yen is not favorable. Better for them to go with high end cars like GTR and other premium vehicles where exchange rates won't matter as much on cars they import.

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Grant

Shamu

...and Ford has no sports cars. They have an antique v8 with solid axle muscle car and some FWD econoboxes with boost? That's an accomplishment over Nissan who have state of the art GTR, 4 seater skyline coupe, 370z, successful electric car, etc?

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Grant

nuTinmuch

And the forum Oscar for most delusional poster goes to...

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nuTinmuch! -- Platinum Graphite 370Z -- Check out my Gallery thread here!

UNKNOWN_370

While there may be some fanboyism to Shamu's commentary. In the most basic sense. He is right. Only thing is. Fords 5.0 is far from ancient, It's all new, They have a live axle, which is dirt cheap to manufacture compared to IRs yet they sell stangs in the same range as IRS cars. FACT is: The mustang is Not technically a sports car. And nissan has led in efficiency technology over the last 5 years or so.

Altima may be boring but gets 38highway on a large frame, No car weighs 3100lbs and is as big as the altima, which makes it a fast accelerator. Basically, Nissan can do with a regular engine, what ford needs eco-boost tricks to do. No DI or special fuel saving tricks. Pure intelligent engineering. There has to be merit given where due. The Leaf truly is the most successful EV cuz no one else can build a EV as high quality as the leaf and keep it under $40k.

He's not delusional. He's just over-emphasizing based on nissan negativity in the nissan forum. That said. I'm still disappointed with the overall altima/sentra external design... Lacks exciting lines. They should have borrowed a little bit more from the ellure concept. Lets see what the altima/sentra refresh looks like in 2016?

Nissan has produced great sporty entries. But the G37 is no more a sports car than the mustang. (Exception: BOSS302/shelby) I don't subscribe to 2 seats = sports car. There are 4 seat sports cars. Given the performance of the GT-R and its performance features. I would declare it as a bonifide sports car that is amazing. Many will nitpick on the part time AWD and DCT to discredit it as a tried and true sports car. But if some can be open minded about Tesla's? Then there's room to be open minded about DCT's even more-so.

Z_ealot

i'll also add though that the new sentra i see as more of a competitor to hondas civic because when you compare specs between the 2 as far as their sedans go im not even kidding they both look almost identical as far as performance figures go and that's what i think nissan is aiming for in the sentra now is for it to be more of a competitor for the regular civic, just a point A to point B commuter car just a step up from the versa in terms of features, comfort and roominess. honestly after having seen a new sentra actually driving around on the road i kinda like the design, its not sporty thats for sure, but it does have a certain maturity to the design and thats also who i think nissan is aiming more towards as far as demographics of who is going to buy it is the mid 30's to 40's crowd who are just looking for a cheap but comfortable point A to point B commuter car that offers the features they want but cant get in say a versa.

ZBro16

Dude, I'll take a bunch of FWD cars with boost over a bunch of FWD cars with no boost or personality or manual transmission options. Nissan is turning into a strictly utilitarian brand (like I ranted about in my earlier post), and that is hard to swallow when they have created the Z, Silvia, and GT-R among other great vehicles. For us enthusiasts, this approach has us fearing for the future of those very nameplates that brought us to this forum.

And I will go ahead and say that, for the record, in ten years, people will look upon what was deemed the "most successful electric car" as winning in the special olympics. Electric cars are going to flop again. The only place that electric cars have found durable success is the golf course.

UNKNOWN_370

I gotta agree with that part.

Shamu

All I see here are bunch Ford lov'n of Nissan haters. Nissan is doing great stuff - way more innovative than Ford. Let me know when ford comes out with independent suspension 2 seat sports car.

So when Nissan unveils new 2 seater what's Fords response? 350 Hp fwd econoboost? Rolf

Guess you all missed the Nismo announcement too?

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Grant

daisuke149

2 seater sports car with independent rear suspension is a sign of a companies progress??

news to me.

Also NISMO's announcement should have just been a letter they sent to a news paper... nothing big.

nuTinmuch

If I was buying a car today all I can tell you is that I wouldn't be visiting a Nissan showroom. That isn't because they don't make good cars, it's because as of right now they are behind the competition.

What do you think is so innovative about Nissan? I'm curious. The GT-R? Because the Evo X is basically technologically identical. The Leaf? Because while I don't have the same hate everyone else does for electric cars, it isn't exactly a leap forward in technology (if it was you'd see more of them on the road).

Likewise, I don't give two ***** about a car being a true "sports car." I don't care. I don't care at all. And really, the reality is that anyone who trashes a car for the sole reason of "it isn't a TRUE sports car" is... well, the nicest thing I can say is silly.

All I care about is fun. What car offers me fun? If I walk into a Ford showroom I can find cars that I can afford that are fun.

If I walk into a Nissan showroom I can find fun, too. But I can't afford it or it is outdated.

Also -- I don't get this racing legacy talk. What does it matter? If we are comparing Nissan and Ford, then Ford likely even wins there.

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nuTinmuch! -- Platinum Graphite 370Z -- Check out my Gallery thread here!

SS_Firehawk

Explain to me "behind the competition"? Last time I checked, getting 38mpg on a 2.5L gas engine is pretty good. And amongst the 4 cylinder mid size, it's been tested to be the fastest along with the Accord. VVEL is still a technological marvel few companies can produce. Getting something like that to operate effectively at 7500rpm is impressive. 350hp from a 3.7 liter engine without the use of direct injection is also unheard of. Sure Porsche engines of similar displacement are pushing 400hp, but again, $80k+ and direct injection. The car wasn't made to compete with the Mustangs and Camaro's in the world, it was the Cayman S. The only thing comparable is the price range. The Juke is selling damn well, they created that market. Your comment about the Evo X having the same tech as the GTR is crap. Last time I checked, the Evo dual clutch tranny didn't last long when power was boosted. the AWD systems are similar, but I would still venture to say that Nissan's electronic diffs react much faster. Aero on the GTR is in a league of it's own, and how is it the GTR achieves similar mpg and makes 250 more hp? 500hp EVO's have been tested against the GTR, they lost. The Leaf, I don't care for, but it's been around longer than any other full electric car. First to market also means first to age. The Titan and Armada are laughable compared to competition, but the Frontier is still competitive with the Tacoma. Outside of that, there aren't any small truck options. Pathfinder is brand new, it's gotten good reviews. Engine is a bit long in the tooth though. The Quest is a good Minivan, but ugly as sin and massive. The Versa is terrible looking, but I wouldn't say it's a bad car, consumers agree, and they are buying them. They do get 40mpg. Sentra gets 39, it's refreshed, again, it wasn't considered crap when reviewed. There are things about Nissan that need updated. V6's do need refreshed, but they are still competitive. The Maxima faired well in it's last comparo and the only things they really complained about was rear seat space and trunk space.

Ford has it's sour apples. The Flex and the Expedition come to mind. The Taurus doesn't sell all that well and the entire Lincoln brand is a sinking ship they are finally trying to save. They made the 13' GT500, an engine so under matched by it's chassis and tires that are woefully inadequate. Last time I looked, it was owned repeatedly by the ZL1, the car it was supposed to stomp to the ground. Their super special Boss got it's @ss handed by the Camaro 1LE at VIR. A car that is 200lbs heavier, longer gearing, and less horsepower.

I can go on and on about each car manufacturer and their issues. I do not believe you are correct when you say Nissan as a company is "behind the competition".

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Haboob

Styling is what sets them apart.

Ford (and all of the other American companies) lack in artistic capabilities - proven by their "retro" designs of their most popular cars.

Are you seriously marketing your higher-end cars to an older crowd? You're going to lose your fan base quickly.

The new Mustang body style is awful, and don't even get me started on the interior.

Same with the Camaro, Charger, and Challenger. Do they perform? Probably, but I wouldn't be caught dead in any one of them due to their ugly looks. Even the CTS-V Coupe has an ugly rear-end.

There isn't anything out there that compares to the Z's styling in or below it's price bracket - The Genesis Coupe is the closest.

As for legacy, Ford doesn't have much of one outside of NASCAR and post-GT40 era (and Australia). It's all been the other manufacturers (Dodge and Chevy) in the LeMans circuit, Daytona, etc.

UNKNOWN_370

You just contradicted yourself in one post...

the z is probably the most fun of the batch of cars you're bangin on about. (Mustang,Camaro,) Minus the Evo, that fun factor is crazy.


If all you care about is fun, the Z is gonna be on top. The stang is a track god but feels numb and is kinda boring when you factor in, seat position, steering feel, cornering and the overall sense of engaging to drive. Power is the major factor of being a winner. And if someone brings up that weak azz track pack again I'm gonna The Z is much more engaging. The Mustang is just winning on tracks. (Boss302 changes that but everyone svcks 5.0 c0ck for being something overall it's NOT). I'll give Ford props for the little computer accelerometer etc... Great track performance and an incredible powerful engine. But there are so many factors to the driving experience the Z can fill that Stang can't. And to deny this is fanboy...

Deep down inside what it really boils down to is that the mustang is the fastest on the block under $40k and some ego's are hurt they don't have the fastest car. But handling wise, quality and technology wise, the Mustang is still the inferior car. And remember, The Z compares in performance to a v6 and in price to a v8. They give you way more quality in structural design and the VQ 37 has tech advance firsts the 5.0 doesn't. The Z is the compromise car. There is NO Comparison. GEt OVER IT. NISSAN slated us an AFFORDABLE porsche fighter. Not a competitive mustang fighter. Can the mustang beat the cayman around the track? Most likely yes. AND??????????????????
You Make The Conscious Decision Of buying a 370Z to be an individual who appreciates UNIQUE performance atrributes or YOU BUY a mustang based on the muscle power wars and who has the biggest Car C0ck.(mustang, camaro or challenger) Thats's all there is and nothing more.

There are things to complain about the Z. But your post is contradictory to everything we're really discussing. a lot of what this post was about was the lack of tech innovation and OVERALL SPORTY entries from Nissan

Where is the Sentra SE-R?
What will happen to the altima coupe?
Why will the Z be a BRZ fighter instead of carrying the tradition of Cayman stopper?

Cars like the Focus St, upcoming Fiesta ST, the current mustang and the new focus show that they are injecting fun to their cars. Nissan, who was always the leader of injecting fun into cars (along with mazda) are slowing that down with current entries. At least it seems that way. That's the real Argument.

I agree, i wouldn't buy a Z right now if i was buying for strrictly performance. I'd buy a camaro !LE, because the suspension tuning on that car gives more feedback than our current Z. Really? A camaro? lol YES a Camaro. The track pack GT? Ancient history. It's outdated. The Boss 302 is the stang leader. Hmmm? Can you affrd it? Probably not? Which brings you back to 37k for a SS1LE or a Z. for $39k. I'll take the 1LE. If the Z was $35k from the 1Le, i'd choose the Z. BUT I'm looking at it from behind the wheel.

There's so many ways to look at a car purchase. Problem we have here is when we cross reasons for buying. Don't say you're all about fun and bring up tech issues in the cockpit. That's highly contradictory.

XiP