Versa

1102_nissan_ellure_hybrid

2011 Nissan Lease Rates – February 2011

Published by G


Wow! check out how crummy the Leaf’s residual value is! That’s a shocker. The MF isn’t exactly what I call desirable either. However, if you live in a state where you get some big fat rebates (like we do in CA), you could get a pretty sweet deal on this car…if you can find one.

Overall, there are some good deals to be had here. The Sentra, as usual, is a great lease. The Rogue shows potential due to the high residual. The Altimate sedan is also a solid choice for those who need the extra room.

Nissan has done a great job positioning themselves as a lease-friendly brand by introduction great lease rates in the past couple years. Let’s hope they keep things up in the coming year.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
MSRP – $20,360
Sale Price – $18,039 ($2500 rebate not applied to leases)
Monthly – $159+ tax
RWG Rating – 116.1

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 NISSAN MAXIMA S
36-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00160 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00097 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE S CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00143 base money factor

2011 NISSAN CUBE 5DR WAGON S CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN JUKE 2WD S AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN LEAF 4DR HATCHBACK SV
36-month | 15k miles | residual 45% | .00204 base money factor

2011 NISSAN MURANO AWD S
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00148 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ROGUE AWD S
36-month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00180 base money factor

2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00011 base money factor

2011 NISSAN VERSA 5DR HB S AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00042 base money factor

Smart Car…Is it really?

Published by G

If you haven’t heard, Daimler-Chrysler has officially brought the new Smart ForTwo model to the USA.  It seems like a good idea.  With fuel prices skyrocketing with no end in sight, why not bring a super compact, efficient automobile to America.  They’ve been selling the Smart Car in Europe for about a decade now and it’s been reasonably successful.

I thought it was a pretty good idea as well.  What’s there not to love?  You get German engineering, great fuel economy, and it’s got to be one of the easiest cars to park.  However, once I looked at the spec sheets and comparable “normal” cars, I had my doubts.

Smart or Not?
Base Price Powerplant Performance Fuel Type Seats EPA
Smart ForTwo $11,590 1.0L, 71HP, 3 cyl, 5 sp auto 0-60, 14.1 secs Premium 2 33/41
Nissan Versa 1.8S $12,990 1.8L, 122HP, 4 cyl, 6 sp manual 0-60, 9.5 secs Regular 5 26/31
Toyota Yaris $11,550 1.5L, 106HP, 4 cyl, 5 sp manual 0-60, 9.48 secs Regular 5 29/36
Honda Fit $13,950 1.5L, 109HP, 4 cyl, 5 sp manual 0-60, 9.0 secs Regular 5 27/34
Scion xD $14,550 1.8L, 128HP, 4 cyl, 5 sp manual 0-60, 8.4 secs Regular 5 27/33
Ford Focus $14,395 2.0L, 140HP, 4 cyl, 5 sp manual 0-60, 8.3 secs Regular 5 24/35

The problem I have with the Smart car is that I expected more.  I’m not saying that the mileage isn’t great.  An EPA rated 33/41 for a non-hybrid is pretty awesome, but when you take into consideration that it only seats two and requires premium fuel, you start to furrow your brow a little.  Maybe it’ll make up in sheer price?  The price is pretty low at a base MSRP of just $11,590, but then your eyes look down the list and you see that the Toyota Yaris is around the same price, has more power, better performance, seats five, drinks regular fuel, and still manages to get 29/36!