Nissan Armada Platinum 2011

For 2011 the Nissan Armada is available in SV, SL, and Platinum trims. The SL and Nissan Armada Platinum Editions feature upgraded wheels and exterior trim, as well as Intelligent Key? And leather seat trim.

The Nissan Armada SV replaces the previous Armada SE, and the Armada SL replaces the previous Titanium model.



The Nissan Armada Platinum model continues unchanged. All three models are offered in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive. Armada’s expressive exterior design combines modern styling with traditional Nissan SUV ruggedness. Nissan Armada also features two-piece body-color side moldings with chrome insert strips on SL and Platinum models, along with SL and Platinum badges on the respective models.



The front bucket seats feature 8-way power adjustment and a manual lumbar support, while a 4-way power-adjustable passenger seat is standard on SL and Platinum models (4-way manual on SV models). Nissan Armada SV models include a flat-fold front passenger seat with recessed work area. Heated front seats, heated steering wheel and Platinum logo embroidered front seats are offered on Platinum models. The 2nd row offers a fold flat 40/20/40 split bench seat while the elevated 3rd row 60/40-split folding bench seat (folds flat into floor) includes a standard power-folding feature (optional on SV 4x2).



Luxurious Seton leather-appointed seating is standard on Nissan Armada SL and Platinum Editions, with cloth seating on Armada SV. Every 2011 Nissan Armada also offers up to 14 upholders and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Nissan Armada offers a 9,000-pound maximum towing capacity for SL and Platinum 4WD and 8,200 for 2WD models (when properly equipped).



Three wheel and tire packages are offered, depending on model: Nissan Armada a SV features 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels (painted finish) with P265/70R18 Conti-Track tires on SV models; 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels (painted finish) with P275/60R20 Michelin tires are offered on SL Edition; and the Platinum features



20-inch chrome-clad aluminum-alloy wheels with P275/60R20 Michelin tires.

In addition to the long list of standard equipment offered on the Nissan Armada SV, the SL model includes Nissan Intelligent Key, leather-appointed seating, Rearview Monitor, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, premium Bose audio system with 11 speakers, power folding 3rd row 60/40-split seat, auto-leveling rear air suspension and 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.



The Nissan Armada Platinum model adds heated front seats and steering wheel, power rear lift gate, moon roof, DVD Family Entertainment System and Nissan Navigation system with XM NavTraffic system with Real-Time Traffic Information (XM subscription required, sold separately) and 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive. The Driver Package (Armada SV 4x2 only) features Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, fog lights, Rearview Monitor, premium Bose audio system, XM Satellite Radio (XM subscription required, sold separately) and power-operated 3rd row seat.



The 2011 Nissan Armada offers rugged construction and a strong engine, but a lackluster interior means that it doesn’t standout in the class.

On paper, the Nissan Armada seems like a good choice for an Affordable Large SUV. Check. Check. Check. Available luxury features? Check. So, given what it looks like on paper, why don’t car reviewers like the Nissan Armada?

For 2011, Nissan has updated the available trims on the Armada. The former SE trim is now the SV, and the Armada SL replaces the Nissan Armada Titanium.

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Mazda Miata Special Edition

2011 Mazda Miata Special Edition-This 2011 Mazda MX-5 is the first convertible I've been in this summer, and the weather was perfect. Visually, the hardtop gives the Mazda Miata a buttoned-up look, but I was a little surprised that it didn't muffle out the wind noise better. The car feels nimble, and the combination of the six-speed manual transmission and high-revving, 2.0-liter four-cylinder make this car flat-out fun. There's decent jump off the line, and the quick steering response made this car perfect for dodging Michigan potholes and maneuvering through traffic.



Everything on this car is so well tuned from the steering response and feedback, suspension, clutch-pedal take up and slick-shifting manual gearbox. It's hard not to drive the MX-5 hard because the car seemingly demands you to. It does add 82 pounds over the soft top, but the car still behaves like a Mazda Miata should even with that weight up high.



Simply put, driving a Mazda Miata is a pleasure--top-down on a sunny afternoon cruise or terrorizing a local autocross course. Throughout the years, Mazda hasn't diluted the formula for the Mazda Miata too much. With just 2,600 pounds on its bones, the Mazda Miata, even in hardtop form, is still lithe and lean. The acceleration is strong, giving this car plenty of gusto.



The sparkling black metallic paint glittered in the sunlight, giving this particular Mazda Miata more dimension. Operating the hardtop was a cinch. Time spent driving this car made up some of the most fun I had throughout my weekend. EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I'll never turn down a blast in a Mazda Miata, even an over equipped, too-expensive one. Could it be one of the world's best-handling cars? Prices start at $23,110 for the soft-top. I felt as if I was crammed into the Miata Mazda Miata a. It was designed to be a small, lightweight roadster meant for those who loved minimal mechanical complexity and longed for a fun little car.

The Mazda Miata fits this mold perfectly. The car remained composed the whole way through.



The defining characteristic of the MX-5 Miata – beyond its nearly iconic shape – has been its handling, which is in line with the high expectations for such a low, light car. The same applies to the MX-5 Miata's engine. The tested MX-5 Miata comes with a six-speed manual transmission and a stubby, short-throw shifter. The clutch isn't difficult to use – it's friendlier than in some mainstream cars – but this Mazda has little tolerance for sloppiness in gear changes. EPA estimates are awful for a small car – 21 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway – but the tested MX-5 returned a far more reasonable 30.7 mpg.



That mileage is still not stellar, however, for a car wit the MX-5 Miata's specifications – especially considering that it demands premium fuel. The seats on the tested Special Edition model are trimmed in white leather.



In a nod to American tastes, Mazda squeezed four upholders into the Mazda Miata interior, though all are small. The tiny doors also house stretches of mesh that could conceivably serve as pouches for small items; a small glove box and lockable cubby behind the seats round out the car's cabin storage.



The tested Mazda Miata has a hardtop that splits into two pieces to automatically disappear between the seats and trunk. The tested MX-5 Miata, a limited-run “Special Edition” model, seems to eschew the original car's emphasis on attainable driving fun. At $31,720, it's certainly affordable compared to any similar car – a Porsche Boxster, the car most similar to this Mazda's size, shape and handling focus, runs $48,000 and up.



A six-speed automatic transmission – for drivers who want to enjoy the MX-5 Miata's handling and open-top motoring, if not its power train – costs about $1,000 extra, available on all models.



The car was a hot seller 20 years ago; today's car offers the same virtues to the driving enthusiast but much less of the originality that turned heads then.



To help celebrate that occasion, it unveiled the 2011 Mazda Miata Special Edition in Chicago. Only 750 of these commemorative variants will be built, all based on the top-line Grand Touring version of the Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT) model.



The 2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a two-seat roadster that is offered in three trim levels: base Sport, well equipped Touring and premium Grand Touring. In Sport trim, standard features include 16 inch cast aluminum wheels, a black vinyl convertible top with a glass rear window, air-conditioning, cloth seats, a six speaker sound system with a CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio jack, a height-adjustable driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and power windows and mirrors.



Touring and Grand Touring models can enhance the Miata’s already nimble handling with the Suspension package (only available with a manual transmission), which includes a sport tuned suspension with Brillstein shocks and a limited slip differential. It’s essentially a Grand Touring PRHT with the Premium package and, if it’s a manual transmission, the Suspension package.

The Mazda Miata Special Edition also includes unique exterior and interior colors.

Sport models come standard with a five-speed manual transmission, while touring and Grand Touring models come with a six-speed manual transmission. The six-speed manual and automatic sacrifice only 1 mpg in city mileage.

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2012 Nissan Juke

2012 Nissan Juke-Each is offered with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain-side airbags, and front-side airbags. SV and SL have a standard sunroof, keyless access/engine start, and automatic climate control. Leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a rearview camera are SL-exclusive standard features.



Nissan's five-seat Juke small crossover is about 20 inches shorter than the Rogue, the previous smallest crossover in the automaker's lineup, but it packs a more powerful engine and a sophisticated available all-wheel-drive system that together give the Nissan Juke a decidedly sporty bearing.



Exterior features include:

17-inch aluminum wheels

Interior

Interior features include:

Standard CD stereo with steering-wheel controls and iPod connectivity

Standard Bluetooth connectivity

Available automatic air conditioning

Available leather upholstery

Available heated front seats

Available backup camera

Available push-button start

Available moon roof

Available navigation system with a 5-inch touch-screen



Available performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system can evenly split engine torque between the front and rear wheels, and also transfer torque between the rear wheels

Should you wait for the 2012 Nissan Juke or buy a 2011 Nissan Juke? Buy the 2011 Juke if you want to catch the subcompact urban crossover wave while it’s fresh. The 2012 Nissan Juke won’t change appearance for its second year on the market.



The 2012 Nissan Juke will continue to share some design influence with the larger Nissan Rogue compact-class crossover. Nissan may add to the 2012 Nissan Juke lineup a fourth model called the Krum edition. Every 2012 Nissan Juke model will continue available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (AWD). The CVT should remain the sole transmission for AWD Nissan Juke and for all S models. Since Nissan Juke is an urban vehicle and not a trail-basher it uses a basic AWD system that normally operates in front-wheel drive but automatically shuttles power front-to-rear if the front tires slip. Normal suits everyday driving. Front-wheel-drive Nissan Juke will continue with a torsion-bar rear suspension and AWD versions an independent rear suspension.



Features: The 2012 Nissan Juke will remain targeted at a younger audience -- buyers early in their career climb, for example. Among returning standard features on the 2012 Nissan Juke will be Bluetooth hands-free cell-phone connectivity, driver-information and outside-temperature displays, and steering-wheel mounted Bluetooth and audio controls. Remote keyless entry should also remain standard on all Nissan Juke, with push-button start and satellite radio standard on SV and SL models.



Every 2012 Nissan Juke will again include cruise control and power door locks, mirrors, and windows. Also likely to remain standard on 2012 Nissan Juke SL models and optional on SUVs is a navigation system.

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