Nissan has at all times been know for making practical and reliable cars that , though they might not at all times look it, are immensely fun to drive as well. Over the past few years, Nissan has launched some exciting cars such as the GT-R, 370Z and even the Leaf, but their focus hasn’t just been on extreme ends. Somewhere in the design functions and factories at Nissan, some people were busy creating a sensible family members saloon that would cater to individuals seeking pretty much everything, and put it altogether in a scarcely believable price tag as well. Enter the 2011 Versa Sedan SV Convenience.

Exterior
The design of the 2011 Versa sedan is nothing unusual, it looks compact yet large, with it’s bulbous proportions all round. A pleasing front grille greets you, with the headlamps and the air dam working up a smile that you will at all times feel fresh. There are several, not very pronounced, lines and curves along the bonnet and the sides of the car that make a lot of difference to the overall appearance. A sloping roof line and somewhat considerable rear tell you pretty much quickly that space is not something this car is short on – for people as well as luggage. The sweeping tail lamps add a nice touch too.

Interior
Step into the Versa, and chances are you will step out again to make sure you’re indeed stepping into the same car. The usage of available space is impressive to say the least. You’re treated to a simple, yet elegant dashboard format with Fine imaginative and prescient electroluminescent gauges giving you all the details you need with various lights all around. The trip computer displays everything from length to empty, average and current MPG to service intervals. Cruise control is normal and features steering wheel attached controls. Add the $350 Convenience package, and you get a lot of usable add-ons like a premium audio system with 4 speakers and audio controls on the steering wheel, as well as speed-sensitive volume control. You also get support for CDs with MP3 or WMA format tracks, an iPod interface, an RDS enabled radio and Bluetooth connectivity, aside from some convenient add-ons like a vainness mirror in the front passenger visor and front map lights. The seats, although simple looking and upholstered in material, feel comfortable and upmarket and offer good support. Rear passengers get great leg room and a pair of cup holders too. The 2011 Versa Sedan SV Convenience takes care of all the right bits on the inside.

Safety
It all comes together in the Versa Sedan SV with Nissan’s normal Advanced Air Bag System featuring dual-stage front airbags with seat belt and occupant-classification sensors, front seat attached side airbags and roof attached curtain airbags for front and rear passengers. There are 3-point seat belts for all positions as well as a latch system for child seats. All four disc brakes with ABS and EBD along with hydraulic brake help are normal, as are the automobile Dynamic control, Traction control and speed-sensitive energy steering system to ensure maximum stability in all conditions. You also get a tire pressure monitor and rear defroster. The doors feature energy door locks with an auto lock system. remote keyless access is also normal. All the important boxes are checked then.

Performance
The 2011 Versa Sedan has an efficient 1.6L inline 4-cylinder engine energying it that makes a decent 109 horseenergy and with 107 lb/ft of torque, has more than adequate pulling energy for individuals highway drives with the family members as well. The Versa SV also comes with Nissan’s Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission driving the front wheels that provides seamless energy supply and good traction. It also delivers on the fuel economy front with a licensed 38 mpg on the highway.

Overall, Nissan’s 2011 Versa Sedan SV Convenience offers a lot of car for the money and throws in some essential features that perfectly complement everyday practicality. It makes a great buy for a wise family members saloon offering convenience, flexibility, safety and reliability all in one package.

Vehicle: 2012 Nissan Versa Sedan SV Convenience

Price: From $14,560, plus $350 for the Convenience package
Body style: 4 door saloon

Engine: 1.6L inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve gasoline engine

Transmission: Xtronik Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System

Power: 109 hp / 6000 rpm
Torque: 107 lb/ft / 4400 rpm
Curb weight: 2,424 lbs.
Wheels & Tires: 15 x 5.5″ steel wheels with 185/65 HR15 all-season tires
Vehicle Warranty: 3 year / 36,000 mile limited vehicle warranty
Powertrain Warranty: 5 year / 60,000 mile limited powertrain warranty
Fuel economy EPA: 30 mpg city / 38 mpg highway

If you know Nissan, you’ll know they have a reputation of developing cars as smooth as their engines – engines that have won prestigious “engine of the year” awards in their classes. Apart from sensible family sedans, company saloons and hot sports cars, Nissan also have a rather exceptional minivan – the 2011 Nissan search LE – top of the line trim, with seating for more folks to appreciate all that it has to offer!

Exterior
The first thing you notice is that distinct chrome outlay just over the front grille. You would be excused for thinking it’s a saloon, and not a 200 inch long folks carrier! It is beautiful, and no less practical correct from the start, with automatic xenon headlamps, power sliding doors – not the power slides like other Nissan cars mind you, roof rails, 18 inch alloy wheels and even a moon roof, which is part of an optional package.

Interior
The equipment list on the 2011 Nissan search LE stretches even more on the inside, in tune with the three rows of seats. There’s an 8-way power driver’s seat, flat folding second row captain seats, and a 60:40 split-folding 3rd row. You have tri-zone automatic climate control, a 120V AC power Magasin, mood lighting, an in-cabin air microfilter, Bluetooth connectivity with streaming music, a hard drive Navigation system and HomeLink transceiver as standard. Also standard is the amazing Bose music system with 13 speakers, DVD Enjoyment system complete with wireless headphones and a 7″ in-dash monitor.

Safety
The 2011 Nissan search LE, being the top-of-the-line variant spares no frills providing the full complement of safety features. Nissan’s advanced airbag system features dual-stage front airbags with seat-belt sensors, side airbags for all three rows, and front seats with active head rests and pre-tensioner and load limiter equipped seat belts. Traction control and car Dynamic control are also present, as are four-wheel vented disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking system and electronic Brakeforce Distribution. The power steering is speed-sensitive as well. The LE is also equipped as standard with the Blind Spot Warning system, which is very useful if you’re looking to do some highway miles.

Performance
Handling propulsion duty is a smooth 3.5L V6 – one of Nissan’s finest engines. With 260 horsepower and 240 lb/ft of torque, it has ample push to make this search quite potent. It features Nissan’s CVTCS and is installed as standard with iridium spark plugs. With independent suspension front and rear, featuring front stabilizer bars for added good measure, a light electronic power steering system and with the electronic aids, handling this big search is a breeze.

Overall, the 2011 Nissan search LE checks all the correct bins. It’s comfortable, practical, spacious, safe, frugal yet has good power on tap, and more importantly, it’s fun and reliable at the same time.

Overview – 2011 Nissan Quest LE
Model: Nissan Quest
Trim: LE
Price: From $41,350
Body Style: Minivan
Engine: 3.5L V6 24V DOHC with Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System
Power: 260 hp / 6000 rpm
Torque: 240 lb/ft / 4400 rpm
Transmission: Xtronix CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) Front Wheel Drive
Curb Weight: 4,568 lbs.
Wheels & Tires: 18 x 7.0 aluminum alloy with 235/55 TR18 all-season tires
Vehicle Warranty: 3 year / 36,000 miles limited coverage
Powertrain Warranty: 5 year / 60,000 miles limited coverage
Fuel economy EPA MPG: 19 city / 24 highway

2012 Porsche Cayman R

The 2012 Porsche Cayman R was one of the most-anticipated cars to ever come through the Roadfly office.  The car’s stats are simply stunning: 0-60mph in 4.7 sec. 330hp @ 7500rpm, 2855 lb.  Even the door handles have been replaced with nylon tabs to reduce weight.

The results are predictable.  The Cayman R is virtually telepathic, to the point that it nearly bores you.  It’s so free of vice that you start to feel that it’s just like a normal, civilized car, with a tad more immediacy…and you wonder what the big deal is.  Only when you go back to your daily driver do you realize how responsive the Cayman actually is.

It’s a nearly perfect machine.  It makes few compromises that interfere with spirited driving, but still manages to be completely docile, tractable, and even practical with its two trunks and stellar reliability.  It also gets great fuel mileage, at 19 city and 27 highway when equipped with the 6-speed manual.

Ever gone to a movie that didn’t blow you away at first, but weeks later you’re still thinking about it and can’t get it out of your head?  That’s what my days with the Cayman R left me with.  This car is definitely on my ‘short list’ of cars I want to own before I die.  It’s slightly expensive with a starting MSRP of $66,300, but given how well-built Porsches are in general and how good their resale values are, the price is fair in my opinion.

YouTube Video link: 2012 Porsche Cayman R

Visit the Roadfly forums for a downloadable window sticker.

Vehicle: 2012 Porsche Cayman R
Base Price: $66,300
Price as tested: $73,280
Engine: 3.4L Horizontally opposed 6 cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Horsepower: 330 @ 7,400 rpm
Torque: 273 lb-ft. @ 4,750 rpm
0-60 MPH: 4.7 sec.
Curb Weight: 2,855 lb.
Warranty: 4 years, 50,000 miles (vehicle)
Fuel Economy: 19 city / 27 highway MPG

The BMW M3 is one of the finest driver’s cars ever made, and I was finally lucky enough to spend a week with one.

The heart of the M3 is an exquisite 4.0L V8, making 414hp at a wild 8300rpm. Peak torque is 295 lb-ft, but that entire figure is available at just 3900rpm, a stunning mark of tractability in such a high-revving screamer.

2011 BMW M3

Our test car was equipped with a 7-speed DCT (BMW’s name for the fancy dual-clutch gearbox), and the transmission—like other vehicle characteristics like throttle response and suspension—can be adjusted from ‘nice and easy’ to ‘neckbreaking.’

2011 M3s equipped with this transmission have gone as low as 3.9 sec to 60mph, and 12.5 sec in the 1/4-mile. Yet due to the engine’s powerband, it’s remarkably civilized around town.

Gearing is perfect; even in 7th gear, the car is never caught flat-footed. In fact, at 2000rpm in 7th the car will be going just 50mph! That is great for acceleration, bad for fuel economy: the M3 manages just 14 mpg city and 20 highway and gets slapped with the gaz-guzzler tax.

That’s really the only chink in the car’s armor, and the M3 instantly became the car by which I measure all sports cars by.

Download the window sticker and see additional photos of the M3 at http://roadflytv.com

Vehicle: 2011 M3 Coupe

Base Price: $58,400

Price as tested: $69,925

Engine: 4.0L 32V V8
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automated manual (DCT)
Horsepower: 414 @ 8300 rpm
Torque: 295 lb.-ft. @ 3900 rpm
0-60 MPH: 3.9-4.5 sec.
Warranty: 4 years, 50,000 miles w/free maintenance
Fuel Economy: 14 city / 20 highway MPG

More pictures:

BMW Forum Link: BMW Forum

M3 Forum Link: BMW M3 Forum

YouTube Link: 2011 BMW M3 Road Test & Review Video

2012 Porsche Cayman R

Porsche unveiled the raw and racy Cayman R at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. It’s a lighter (by over 120lb) and more powerful (by 10hp, at 330hp) than the already-potent Cayman S. That gives the Cayman R a lip-smacking curb weight of 2855lb (6-speed MT), and nearly 100hp/liter from its 3.4L flat-6.

It’s raw inside and out, with unique colors and graphics for the exterior, and lots of visible weight reductions inside to give it a race-ready feeling. For example, the standard door handles have been replaced by cloth straps, both for a retro-racer feel and the all-important whittling down of any excess mass.

This is a hotly-anticipated car at Roadfly! We like Porsches, especially Porsches that hearken back to the golden age of club racing. The Cayman R will go on sale in the U.S. early next year with a MSRP of $66,300, excluding $950 for destination.

For more about the Cayman please visit the owners forum: Porsche Cayman Forum

Porsche Cayman R

2012 Porsche Cayman R

For 2011, Mercedes has retooled their E-Class to increase acceleration, steering dynamics, and comfortability in order to give their stellar convertible a more fun, playful feel than its predecessors. Roadfly TV and host Jessi Lang recently spent some time with the E550 trim, having a blast with its super-quick V8 engine and its gorgeous droptop stylings.

The E550′s engine packs a punch (and a beautiful engine roar)–a 382-horsepower 5.5-liter V8 with 391 pound-feet of torque, nearly 120 horses more than its less expensive trim, the E350. 0-60 times were clocking at around 4.6 seconds, and a top speed restricted to 130 mph. Coupled with a 7-speed “Touchshift” automatic transmission, the E550 gives the driver enthusiast something to really sink their teeth into.

The cabriolet’s soft-top lowers or raises in about 20 seconds, giving you the open air excitement that complements the E550′s quickness. With the soft-top up, cabin noise is much quieter than you would expect, much thanks to the many layers of fabric found woven into the top. With the soft-top down, Mercedes’ new creation, the AirCap–an automatic wind deflector–you’ll hardly get any wind in your face. And Thankfully, trunk-space isn’t hindered like you would expect in a convertible–you’ll be getting just as much room as you would find in any other standard E-Class vehicle.

The interior of the E550 features two highly adjustable driver and passenger seats with lumbar support. This center stack design is identical to those found in the rest of the E-Class lineup; a thunderous Harman-Kardon audio system, a highly responsive and adaptive climate control system, and atypical navigation/infotainment screens. Aside from the comfortable and driver-oriented seats, the thumping audio system and awesome climate control, really the only gripe here is that the rest of the interior amenities are on the plain side.

Altogether, Mercedes might just have what they were hoping for when they designed this for 2011–a new classic. The E550 Cabriolet is fast, luxurious, and a hell of a lot of fun to drive, with or without the top down.

Porsche has a long and legendary history when it comes to sports cars, but new for 2010 is their first addition to the growing luxury sports sedan market: the Porsche Panamera. Our host, Jessi Lang, spent a week road testing and reviewing the Panamera 4S.

With a noticeably Porsche-esque front end, many of the Panamera’s design cues, especially the noticeable sloping roofline that rises toward a high back end, have more in common with the Cayenne than perhaps the Boxster or the 911.

Although the look might be decidedly different from Porsche’s norm, its powertrain is not. Our test car, the Panamera 4S, boasts a 4.8-Liter V8 engine with 400 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and does 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 175 mph. Fuel economy is decent, you retain 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Not bad for a car that weighs nearly 5,500 pounds. The Panamera also uses a variant of its PDK dual-clutch transmission, one designed specifically for the Panamera in order to achieve a lower center of gravity.

Our test car’s interior is beautiful and high-tech as well as highly customizable, but also has a steep learning curve thanks to the dozens and dozens of dials and buttons that control every aspect of the car and its features. Digital gauges in the dashboard are classy and display all your pertinent information and then some. Hand-stitched leather seats and consoles really enhance the luxury aspect of the Panamera.

Be prepared, however, to spend a pretty penny on the Panamera. The base 4S model starts at $93,800 and our test car topped out at $114,515.

Other Links:

Porsche Panamera Forum

Porsche Panamera video on YouTube

Panamera pictures from the video shoot

Window sticker (Monroney Label) for our test car: 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S

Introduction

Boasting a lot of bang for your buck, the Mazda2 is a quick and peppy ride with amazing gas mileage and an extremely agreeable pricetag, all-in-all exemplifying the old Mazda maxim, “Zoom zoom.”

Exterior Styling

Taking design cues from its sporty cousin, the Mazda3, the Mazda2 retains much of the signature hatchback sleekness that the 3 is known for. Its smooth lines give it an aerodynamic aesthetic, and the wide headlights and unique honeycomb front grill make for a fun-looking ride.

2011 MAZDA2 Touring

Interior Styling

Surprisingly, in a car of Mazda2′s size, there’s a good amount of headroom. Being 6’3″, I found plenty of space between my giant head and the car’s ceiling and found that there was plenty of comfortable space for my legs and arms as well. The backseats looked and felt a little restrictive, but on the plus side they come with a 60/40 split fold-down so you can greatly increase the car’s cargo capacity, since the regular trunk space is rather paltry.

As far as interior amenities are concerned, the Mazda2 are rather lacking. Air conditioning, power windows and locks are all standard but you won’t find any navigation screens or state-of-the-art computing here. The most appealing feature I found here is an auxiliary input for your iPod and a pretty decent 4-speaker stereo system. But for someone like me, that’s really all I need, so I can’t complain.

Safety

The Mazda2 features six standard airbags, great visibility, and a confident braking system that makes you feel safe while driving such a compact car.

Powertrain & Performance

The Mazda2 has a 1.5 liter four-cylinder engine that cranks out 100 horsepower and 98 lb.-ft. of torque. This may seem weak, but with the great power-to-weight ratio, the Mazda2 accelerates faster than you’d guess.

Driving Impressions

I got to drive the Mazda2 for a solid week and was impressed. I would have loved to try out the 5-speed manual while I was cruising along curvy country roads, but my as-tested 4-speed automatic was more than diligent, and the handling was responsive and assertive. I had no problem hugging the curves in this car along the backroads or avoiding the common pitfalls of Washington DC traffic. And, as a side note, this the easiest car you will ever parallel park.

Conclusion

With gas mileage that is practically comparable to hybrids (27 city, 33 highway! and even better if you take the 5-speed manual), the Mazda2 is a fun little ride that you’ll enjoy whether you commute in the city or the country, and it won’t break your bank either. With an as-tested price of $17,185, the Mazda2 seems to outclass its competitors such as the Honda Fit or the Toyota Venza with its confident and sporty attitude.

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Join host Jessi Lang and correspondent Steve Hammes as they review the 2010 BMW 750Li. True to this flagship vehicle, BMW makes sure the ’10 7 Series long wheelbase version keeps the ultimate driving machine heritage.

The 750Li is powered by a twin-turbo 4.4L V8 engine that produces 400 horsepower, doing 0-60 in the low 5 second range. Gearing is a six-speed with sport mode and manual shifting. With the quick start, responsive breaking, and impressive turning radius, the only thing that will remind you that you’re in a large family sedan is the herky jerky jumping when starting to accelerate and sensitive breaking. It’s like the 750Li wants to get up and go and it’s hard not to jet off, but the tradeoff is the smoothness of the take off.

The big seller here is the luxury, both for the driver AND the passengers. For the driver, there are technological treats like the camera system to peek around corners and the driver assistance package. In the backseats, passengers enjoy an additional 5.5 inches of legroom in the Li model. They can get comfy for the long haul by utilizing the power shades, put up their feet on the footrests, watch their favorite movie on the entertainment system. Everyone benefits from the supple leather interior.

When it’s all said and done, you will probably be spending a bit more than the $86,000 starting price. With all of the luxury packages, our tester came in at $100,320. If price is an concern, you should also be aware that in addition to the vehicle cost, insurance, and premium fuel for the life of the vehicle ownership, you will also be hit with a $1,000 gas guzzler tax since the 750Li only gets an average of 18 mpg (14 mpg city / 22 mpg highway).

Want to see what actual 7 Series owners have to say? Discuss the ’10 750Li in our BMW 7 Series Forum.