Is your ride finally showing signs that it’s nearing the end of its useful service life? Perhaps it can no longer accommodate your growing family, signaling it’s time for a replacement. Or maybe it’s your first time buying a car after months of saving up for a down payment.
If so, you’d want to pick a model that has excelled in safety tests and is fuel-efficient. It should also boast innovative entertainment, navigation, and security technologies.
Luckily, you’ll find those features in the best Nissan cars.
To that end, we created this guide discussing the features you can expect from Nissan’s best models. So read on, as what you learn here can help you decide if buying a Nissan is worth it.
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Safety Award Winners
Considering the prevalence of car crashes in the U.S., you’d want your new ride to provide as much crash protection as possible.
Several organizations in the U.S. perform crash tests on new vehicles to evaluate their crashworthiness. One is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Another is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Vehicles that excel in the IIHS safety tests receive either a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award. Many Nissan models have obtained such awards throughout the years, with the latest being the 2024 Ariya and Pathfinder. You’ll also find other models, like the Rogue, Sentra, Altima, Maxima, and Murano, on the awardee lists of previous years.
As for the NHTSA, it ranks vehicles with its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. The more stars a car receives, the safer and more protection it offers its occupants. You’ll find most Nissan models have overall 5-star ratings by searching the NHTSA website.
Nissan Safety Shield 360
Nissan Safety Shield 360 consists of six innovative Nissan Intelligent Mobility features. It combines the power of camera, radar, and sonar technologies that provide front, side, and rear views of the vehicle as it moves. These help make every drive in your new Nissan safer.
Here’s a brief overview of the six Safety Shield 360 features that are standard in many models, from the 2024 Nissan Altima to the Sentra, LEAF, and Maxima.
Automatic Emergency Braking With Pedestrian Detection
This technology detects potential collisions with pedestrians and cyclists while the vehicle moves forward. It then notifies you of the danger by providing audio and visual warnings. It even applies the brakes automatically to help mitigate or prevent a collision.
Blind Spot Warning
This system uses radar sensors on the sides of the rear bumper and, in some models, a rear-mounted camera. Their primary function is to detect other vehicles in blind spot areas.
If the system detects a vehicle in the Nissan’s blind spot area, it flicks on an indicator light near the side mirror. If you engage the turn signal on the same side as the other vehicle in your blind spot, your Blind Spot Warning system sounds a chime. These two “alerts” warn you not to change lanes, helping you avoid a crash or reduce the severity of its impact.
Lane Departure Warning
This technology uses cameras and sensors to monitor a Nissan vehicle’s position on the road. It confirms the car is within the white or yellow lane markers. If it detects the vehicle drifting out of its proper lane, it displays a visual warning on the dashboard and sounds a chime.
Rear Automatic Braking
The average U.S. driver spends under 1% of their driving time reversing their vehicle. Despite this, statistics show that one in four crashes in the U.S. occur while motorists back their cars. Such incidents often result from poor driving techniques but can also be due to limited rear vision.
The best Nissan cars can help minimize the risks of back crashes with their integrated rear automatic braking technology. This feature monitors stationary items behind the vehicle, including those you might not see. It then automatically engages the brakes if you fail to stop, helping prevent a crash or reduce the impact’s severity.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
The radar sensors installed on both sides of a Nissan’s rear bumper can also detect other vehicles approaching from either side. If you put your car in reverse and the system senses an oncoming vehicle, it’ll sound an alarm. You’ll also see a flashing indicator light on the door mirror on the side of the approaching vehicle.
High Beam Assist
Do you often drive at night?
If so, you’ll be happy to know that many Nissan models come standard with the High Beam Assist system. This automatically switches on the high beam lights from low beam mode when it senses a vehicle in front. It also helps you detect pedestrians early, helping you avoid low-light or night crashes.
High Fuel Economy Ratings
In the U.S., the average motorist spends $150 to $200 monthly on fuel. That’s a whopping $1,800 to $2,400 yearly on topping up alone! And for families, those figures go up to $5,000 annually.
You can minimize those costs by choosing a new vehicle with a high fuel economy rating.
The good news is that Nissan makes fuel-efficient cars with annual fuel costs of under $1,800 to as low as $700. So, if you want to save money on gas starting this year, consider buying one of these models.
NissanConnect Services
NissanConnect Services is a suite of in-vehicle entertainment, navigation, and security features. Many 2024 models offer this subscription free for the first three years of ownership.
If your new car features NissanConnect Services, you can enjoy the following:
- Remote Climate Control
- Walk Away Status
- Google Assistant
- Automatic Collision Notification
- Emergency Call
- Maintenance Alert
- Google and Apple CarPlay
To make things even more convenient, Nissan developed the MyNISSAN App. You only have to download this to your smartphone to control many of your ride’s features with just a few taps.
Enjoy These Features of the Best Nissan Cars
As you learned in this guide, the best Nissan cars are safety award winners with high fuel efficiency ratings. They also boast innovative safety, security, and infotainment technologies. All that should be enough reason to consider investing in one of them.
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