Re: GM's Full Size Vans: Another Unprotected Flank? NISSAN Considers Joining the Fray

Really. The Titan is still a POS, and this comes from the bastion of import biased-ness, Comsumers Reports. The new annual auto issue gives them the worst reliability rating. I don't know a single person that takes the Titan seriously. A commercial version? Who's going to buy that.

Most people beleive the perceived idea that anything from Japan is super great. So those people will by it.

 

Re: GM's Full Size Vans: Another Unprotected Flank? NISSAN Considers Joining the Fray

Most people beleive the perceived idea that anything from Japan is super great. So those people will by it.

No, they wont' . What kind of import lover would buy it? Most of these things are bought by businesses. They don't care about the image their transport or work vans portray. They care about cost...

initial purchase vs operating.

Face it, judging from a long line of Japanese cars in the US, the operating expense will not work in Nissan's favor unless they come up with something revolutionary. parts built in Japan cost a lot of money- just like American parts do.

Its like Kubota vs. Cat vs. John Deere. Kubota spent a lot of money making sure they had parts avalable everywhere in the US. Only after that did they really start to push John Deere around the mid-duty tractor market. Cat is now facing stiff competition, but it is from competitors whose operating cost are lower, because that is all buyers care about.

I can get an old, high mileage chevy small block fixed anywhere on this continent with no problems. Parts are available and cheap..heck, chances are, your employee may even know a remedy for a problem that occurs....oh, and it is a Chevy, and they reallly don't break down that much...but if they do, you have that extra security that you don't get with Nissan.

And do you really think Nissan will sell a Titan based van that is just so perfect for a low price?

lets get worried about something more important:
Hyundai is becoming more mainstream, with more parts available. They can build cheaper, and their parts are so cheap...with their warranty, they would own the fleet market if they had the products.

 

Re: GM's Full Size Vans: Another Unprotected Flank? NISSAN Considers Joining the Fra

I really appreciate the info. By "meet the new safety requirements" I hope they mean side and curtain airbags. Van drivers bleed too.

I'm from a family of eight. My parents had an '87 and later a '99 Econoline. My brother used to drive an Express V8 for his job. All three vans were really good. The only problem was driver comfort in the Fords. The driver had to hold his leg at an odd angle sometimes when not using cruise control, and it got old fast on long drives.

But the average performance of just about any pre-2000 vehicle in any segment in the Insurance Institute frontal offset crash is absolutely pitiful. The new side impact tests from taller vehicles are even worse - and while a van has height on its side, it is also more likely to roll over.

If Nissan put out a fullsize van which performs well in the crash tests, it would automatically top my list for fullsize vans. Otherwise, I'd shop for a used Express.

 

As others have mentioned, it's odd that Nissan hasn't fixed some of its quality and reliability issues yet. CR gives them some trash ratings, including the lowest reliability score for the Quest. The Altima4 gets average, the V6 gets above average, and the Max gets an average.
I am sure the psychological profiles of the ownership group have something to do with the ratings, because identical vehicles like the Taurus and Sable have gotten markedly different reliability rankings.
Anyone for a doctoral dissertation?

 

Re: GM's Full Size Vans: Another Unprotected Flank? NISSAN Considers Joining the Fray

This news is a little surprising considering the company that's considering this move. I would've thought that Toyota would be the one looking at this market since they seem to be hell-bent on automotive world dominance. At any rate, Nissan might make a small dent in the van market, but I don't think Ford or GM will be losing any sleep for the time being.

Toyota has such a beast that they sell in other countries, the HiAce. I have always wondered why they don't sell them here.

 

I talked with a coworker tonight and he reminded that GM is working with an upfitter to make a version of the 610 that will compete better with the Sprinter. I am not sure when it will be out but you be able to stand up in it like you can in the Sprinter.

He also stated that 600 was a completly new compared to full size vans that came before.

 

How the heck does Ford sell 180,000 vans a year? The new ones look exactly like my dads 1996 econoline, they look really dated compared to GM's new vans, GM should be kicking butt in this segment. And Nissan, i like you but just stay outta this.

 

Simple, Ford never stopped selling a full diesel. Chevy/GMC didn't sell one for a couple years and Dodge has that underpowered european spitball.

 

Simple, Ford never stopped selling a full diesel. Chevy/GMC didn't sell one for a couple years and Dodge has that underpowered european spitball.

That and it doesn't realyl cost Ford that much to make it so they can undercut GM when they need to.

 

Re: GM's Full Size Vans: Another Unprotected Flank? NISSAN Considers Joining the Fray

How is General Motors abandoning the fullsize van segment? General Motors is the only company that offers a REAL, GOOD, FULL-SIZE Van. The Express needs much more credit than what it seems to be getting in this thread.

Show me another van that offers:
-The broadest engine lineup
-Class leading 250HP Diesel Engine with class leading 460lb/ft of torque
-Common Rail Fuel Injection
-Elevated Idle, allowing the engine to heat up engine more quickly
-Computer Controlled turbocharger and oil-spray piston cooling
-Compatable with B5 Biodiesel
-Stabilitrak, standard.
-Full time intelligent All Wheel Drive
-Side Access panels, releasable via key-fob
-Driver side 60/40 swing out doors

How can you call this ignoring the segment? Just because the Express doesn't feature hip Japanese styling or totally kewl DOHC engines, doesn't mean it is an antiquated piece of garbage.

Something else GM offers is Pro panels for commercial use.

 

How does Ford sell more vans than Chevy? Simple drive one compare it to a new Express. The Express drives like a Ford Exploder with cruise control on and a blown out Firestone tire on the back end. Pull a small pop up trailer and it will feel like the back end is going to pass the front. We tried everything on my friends 2004 3/4 even going to 4-way shocks and 10 ply tires..You can't find a rear sway bar for these morphadite avalanche vans...Plus the standard engine the 5.3L is way underpowered they should of left the 4.3 six in there. You know when you buy a 45,000 dollar conversion van and the next day the gold washes off the chevy emblem something in quality control is missing. Not to mention that one power seat was missing the power unit, the 7 wire trailer harness speced on the sticker wasn't there (not even a four wire).

Chevy needs to go back to the older style, they were ugly but they worked....An was was wrong with the Astro? 20 years and only one revision! guess they were too hard to make! Check out www.vannin.com for more perspectives on vans in the good ole N.America

 

Re: GM's Full Size Vans: Another Unprotected Flank? NISSAN Considers Joining the Fra

No, they wont' . What kind of import lover would buy it? Most of these things are bought by businesses. They don't care about the image their transport or work vans portray. They care about cost.

Actually, I would have to beg to differ on that part. Businesses do not care purely about cost, delivery vehicles are also essentially mobile advertisements, and unusual vehicles tend to grab more eyes than the average Econoline, witness the dozens and dozens of Scion xB, PT Cruiser, HHR, and Mini Cooper delivery vehicles.

 

Those numbers are very surprising with the Sprinter on the market. It's easily the best in it's class, yet is the worst seller?

Huh?

 

Those numbers are very surprising with the Sprinter on the market. It's easily the best in it's class, yet is the worst seller?

Huh?

It is smaller than the Econoline & Express, only comes with one engine, and I think it's more expensive.

 

Ford is refreshing the Econoline for next year, but i think just the front end and the interior, but the sides and rear end are going to be the same i think.

 

Those numbers are very surprising with the Sprinter on the market. It's easily the best in it's class, yet is the worst seller?

Huh?

There have been reliability problems with the Sprinter.

Also, head to the dodge website and option one out. You can get a Ford or Chevy cargo van with a V8 for $25,000. The Sprinter runs in the $30,000+ range.