Nissan Slashes Prices Across Lineup

Nissan is hoping to bolster sales by cutting prices on seven out of the 18 vehicles in its lineup. Starting May 3, prices on model-year 2013 Altima, Sentra, Juke, Murano, Rogue, Maxima and Armada vehicles will decrease by 2.7% to 10.7%, depending on the car.

The sticker reductions vary by model and, in some cases, trim level and will be applied to new vehicles, including those already in dealer inventory. At the low end of the spectrum, new Altimas, for example, could cost up to $580 less; a base 2013 Altima currently starts at $22,550, including destination. At the top end, the Armada's price tag could go down by as much as $4,400; Nissan’s full-size SUV currently starts at $42,285, including destination.

Why were these seven chosen? They make up around 65% of Nissan's U.S. sales volume, the automaker reported, and Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman told Cars.com that the lower prices will help the vehicles perform better when searched online, appearing more frequently and favorably against the competition.  

"While studying our market position against key competitors, there was an opportunity to increase buying consideration for those seven models by bringing MSRP more in line with transaction price," he said.

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Recall Alert: Airbag Problem Affects Millions of Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda Vehicles

Four Japanese automakers — Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda — have announced a voluntary recall of 3 million vehicles worldwide because of possibly faulty airbags; more than a million of those vehicles are in the U.S.

According to the automakers, the problem lies in the front-passenger airbag inflator, which in affected vehicles could deploy with too much pressure due to improperly manufactured propellant wafers, causing the inflator casing to rupture. This could result in injuries to passengers, though none have been reported. The airbags were manufactured by Japan's Takata Corp., a major world supplier of airbags.

According to Toyota, affected vehicles in the U.S. include 510,000 Toyota Corolla compact sedans, Matrix compact hatchbacks, Sequoia SUVs and Tundra pickup trucks, as well as Lexus SC 430 sport coupes, all manufactured between 2001 and 2003. According to news reports, Toyota is recalling 1.7 million vehicles worldwide.

Toyota said it will notify owners by mail. Dealers will inspect the front-passenger airbag; if it is equipped with an affected inflator, the inflator will be replaced with a new one for free. Toyota owners can go to www.toyota.com/recall or call Toyota customer service at 800-331-4331; Lexus owners can go to www.lexus.com/recall or call Lexus customer service at 800-255-3987.

Honda Accord Still Most Popular Car to Steal

The bad news for Honda Accord owners? It was the most stolen car in 2012. The good news? It was also the most recovered.

LoJack Corp., which manufactures the Lojack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System, today released its fourth annual vehicle-theft recovery report based on statistics from 28 states. The study not only tracks auto-theft trends across the U.S. during the past year, but also serves as a de facto advertisement for the device, which in 2012 helped law-enforcement officials recover nearly $125 million worth of stolen vehicles.

Citing FBI reports, the study notes that a vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds and that the recovery rate is at a 30-year low. Still, vehicles equipped with a LoJack were recovered 94% of the time, the company reported.

"Unlike other location-based systems, LoJack Police Tracking Computers can find vehicles in some of the most secluded locations, including shipping containers that are hidden amongst thousands of others onboard a ship that is about to depart the United States," said Patrick Clancy, vice president of law enforcement for LoJack, in a statement.

Click below for LoJack's top 10 "most stolen and recovered" vehicles for 2012 and here for a list of February's 10 best-selling cars; the Honda Accord ranks high on the list.

Honda Shines, Toyota Falls in Latest IIHS Crash Tests

The 2013 Toyota Camry sedan and Prius v hybrid (above, right) failed a new crash test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that simulates a frontal impact overlapping a small portion of the car — say, piling into a tree from your left headlight. IIHS announced today its test of 18 model-year 2013 family cars. It's the largest yet for the so-called "small overlap" frontal test that many luxury brands failed in August 2012.

At the other end, the Honda Accord sedan and nearly-defunct Suzuki Kizashi (above, left) earned IIHS' top score, Good; 11 other cars — including the Accord coupe — earned Acceptable ratings. The IIHS rates cars Good, Acceptable, Marginal or Poor. Of the 18 cars tested, the Toyotas scored Poor, but the Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu and Volkswagen Jetta sedan scored Marginal.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Nissan Maxima

The 2013 Nissan Maxima is a comfortable family cruiser with plenty of power for both the city and highway, says Cars.com Family reviewer Sara Lacey. On the inside, the front seats are soft leather and have a cushion extender for additional thigh support. Sara’s school-aged kids had plenty of room in the backseat, too.

2013 Nissan Maxima Review

Despite Slew of Upcoming Models, Large Family Sedans Are an Endangered Species

With the announcement of more sophisticated, technology-laden versions of the Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala, you'd think the state of large, non-luxury family sedans was pretty sound, but think again.

Over just the past five years, the full-size family sedan market has seen its relevance halved, according to R.L. Polk & Co. The segment used to have 15 models, but in recent years that number has dwindled to just seven, says Polk. Subsequently, market share has dropped from slightly above 5% of all vehicles sold to just 2.3% in the first three months of the year, Polk reports. Today, the segment is only one-third the size of the minivan market, a segment long derided as "dead" and already abandoned by big movers and shakers like GM and Ford.

Nissan Confirms New Rogue for 2013

Buried within the news about the launch of the 2013 Nissan Altima, Nissan confirmed that it's preparing an all-new version of its Rogue compact crossover. We don't know much beyond that, but we expect the model to be heavily influenced by the Hi-Cross Concept shown at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The concept was a seven-passenger compact crossover featuring the Rogue's inline-four engine along with a new turbocharged four-cylinder coupled to a hybrid powertrain, and a new continuously variable automatic transmission. It seems perfectly reasonable to expect all those powertrains on the new Rogue, given the competitive nature of the segment.

Incentives Diet: Buy This, Not That

With new models coming fast and furious via announcements at the four major auto shows —  L.A., Detroit, Chicago and New York — of the season, we thought we'd focus our incentives breakdown on some older, proven models that are still around for the time being.

In this latest round of Buy This, Not That, we focused on midsize sedans, full-sized luxury SUVs and large family sedans. Included in this rundown are the Toyota Avalon and Chevrolet Malibu, which both have new models entering the market now or in the near future.

All the trim levels picked for these comparisons included an automatic transmission, air conditioning, keyless entry, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, and power locks, windows and side mirrors. Final price includes destination charges.

2012 Nissan Maxima, Titan, Infiniti QX56, Others Get Modest Price Boost

Nissan this week announced pricing for its popular 2012 Nissan Maxima large sedan, along with other Nissan and Infiniti SUVs and trucks. This group of models — Maxima, Armada, Titan, QX56 and EX35 — consists mostly of carryovers, with few significant changes. That also means pricing stays pretty much the same compared with last year.

• 2012 Nissan Lineup: Ch-Ch-Changes
• 2012 Infiniti Lineup: Ch-Ch-Changes

Starting with the most popular of the bunch, the 2012 Nissan Maxima (shown above) maintains the same pricing as the 2011 model. The Maxima undergoes an exterior refresh for 2012. The grille, taillamps and wheel designs are new. The interior gets a new instrument cluster, new trim colors, a new look for the center stack and a beige-colored interior option. In addition to the updates, the Maxima gets a new Limited Edition Package, which includes smoked-appearance xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights, 18-inch dark silver wheels, a rear spoiler and metallic trim in the interior. The package costs $710.

It's Time To Buy 2011s, But Incentives Are Hard To Find

Around this time every year, dealers are hard at work trying to sell the remaining cars on their lots as new-model-year vehicles start to roll in. This year is no different, and while some 2012s haven’t arrived yet, it’s still the best time to buy a 2011 … as long as you know what to look for. That’s where we come in.

We diligently report on even the slightest changes between model years as soon as possible. Sometimes this means a car will look the same but get an all-new engine and transmission like the upcoming 2012 Mazda3 sedan that’s expected to get 40 mpg highway. Other times, nothing significant has changed between model years, and then there are the all-new cars that have been redesigned from the ground up.

You’ll find the best deals in that second group of vehicles that go from 2011 to 2012 without much change. It’s been a challenge this year to find bargains because manufacturers are making more significant model-year changes and incentives for these older models just aren’t that alluring.

Here are some of the best deals we could find: