2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster Starts at $36,970

September isn’t the best time to start selling convertibles. In much of the country, the weather is just starting to turn cold, and that may chill some to the idea of dropping nearly $40,000 on a droptop. Nonetheless, that’s when Nissan will send its new 370Z roadster to dealers nationally, with a starting price of $36,970.

The 370Z roadster is completely redesigned and sports a more powerful engine, which you can read about here. However, the new starting price is just $100 more than the outgoing 350Z roadster.

Full pricing details for the four 370Z models are below.

Nissan to Unveil New Electric Vehicle Aug. 2

Nissan announced via Twitter earlier today that it would introduce its all-new electric vehicle at an event in Japan on Aug. 2. The EV will go on sale sometime in 2010 and is described as being able to “comfortably seat five people, drive on any American road or highway and have an initial range of 100 miles before recharging.” The picture here is of last year's Nissan Sport Coupe concept, which would be our pick for a sporty EV if there ever was one.

The company had already announced plans to build the vehicle at a plant in Tennessee starting in late 2012 as a stipulation for receiving U.S. federal funds to help develop new green vehicles. Prior to that it will be built in Japan and exported to the U.S. 

Ford, Nissan and Tesla to Get Green Government Loans

The Energy Department will loan money from a $25 billion retooling fund to Ford, Nissan and Tesla. The money is meant to help the automakers develop and produce cutting-edge green vehicles.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu will eventually decide how much each company will receive, but Ford has applied for $5 billion in loans by 2011, while Tesla wants $450 million. Nissan has announced it has been approved for a $1.6 billion loan.

Ford plans to invest $14 billion over seven years in developing advanced technologies, and will use the government loan to finance that effort.

Ford has said it will bring a battery-electric van to the market by 2010, a small electric sedan by 2011 and a plug-in electric vehicle by 2012. We previously reported on how Ford plans to convert a truck plant to build the electric Focus and what that will mean to Ford’s lineup.

2009 Nissan Cube Video

Standing beside the 2009 Nissan Cube, Cars.com reviewer Bill Jackson couldn’t help but notice how small the vehicle actually is. Small packages occasionally have a few surprises, though, and Jackson takes you through those surprises — both good and bad — in this video review of the Cube.

Cars.com Compares Midsize Crossovers

Drivers who need the space and utility of an SUV to accommodate their families but who prefer the handling and better mileage of a car have made midsize crossovers a popular option. In our last look at the midsize crossover category, the Honda Pilot came away from our panel of reviewers triumphant. Now we stack the 2009 Pilot against the 2009 Nissan Murano and Ford Edge Sport. Find out which vehicle excels in which categories, and which took the overall prize.

Cars.comparison: Midsize Crossovers

Recall Alert: Nissan Murano

Nissan has issued a recall for 362,891 Murano vehicles from the 2003-07 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In some vehicles, the intake air ducts may separate from the intermediate resonator in the air intake system.

The separation is due to premature aging of the duct material, and engine movement exacerbates it. This may even cause the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of an accident.

Dealers will inspect and replace the necessary components for free. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

The Weekend Athlete Compares Compact Cars

Compact cars usually garner attention for their low price tags and advantageous fuel economy numbers, but our Weekend Athlete, Bill Jackson, wants to put the spotlight on the utilitarian side of these vehicles. With this in mind, he lined up three of the most popular compacts: The Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris. Which vehicle best matches utility with economy? Read this Cars.comparison to find out.

Cars.comparison: Weekend Athlete Cars

Nissan Cube Mileage Announced, On Sale Now

The Nissan Cube, which went on sale yesterday for a starting price of $13,990, will get an EPA-estimated 28/30 mpg city/highway with its continuously variable automatic transmission, Nissan spokesman Darryll Harrison said. With the base six-speed manual, mileage drops to 24/29 mpg. Firm mileage figures for the Cube had been hard to come by, with the only word from Nissan saying projected mileage would be “over 30 miles per gallon highway with the CVT” at the Cube’s unveiling last November.

It didn’t quite make that, and we doubt Nissan’s marketers will make a big deal out of 30 mpg on the highway, especially considering some small hatchbacks easily rack up mid-30s highway figures. The good news is that city figure, especially considering the Cube’s urban-runabout pretentions. Put it this way: If you drive mostly city miles, the Cube is the most fuel-efficient box on wheels. Now, if only Nissan could do something about that swing-out tailgate.

Mileage comparisons to the Scion xB and Kia Soul are below.

New York City to Experiment With Hybrid Cop Cars

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have announced that the city’s police department will add 40 Nissan Altima Hybrids to its fleet. This is the first time the city will have used hybrids as patrol vehicles.

Twenty of the vehicles will be unmarked, two will be disguised as taxis in an anticrime fleet, and the rest will get the blue and white paint that’s typical of patrol cars. That may not seem like much in a fleet of 3,000 patrol cars, but the 40 hybrids will serve as a pilot program. After a year, their performance will be evaluated to see if the city will add more.

At a cost of $25,391 per vehicle for the department, the Altima Hybrid – which is only sold in seven states – will cost the city about $1,500 more than a Ford Crown Victoria or Chevy Impala, the current patrol vehicles, but the department expects to make up the difference in fuel savings. With a top speed of 113 mph, the hybrids are also slower, but patrol vehicles are meant for the stop-and-go traffic of a city, not high-speed chases.

Of course, we expect comments on why New York City isn’t buying American cars, but Mayor Bloomberg made special note that the Altima Hybrid is built in the U.S., while both the Crown Vic and the Impala are built in Canada.

In Green Test, Police Acquire Hybrid Patrol Cars (The New York Times)

2009 Nissan Murano: She Said, She Said

Nissan may have found two new advocates for its recently redesigned Murano. Beth and Amanda discuss living with it daily in the city and on a weekend road trip, along with their surprising love — or lack thereof — of the SUV/crossover segment as a whole. Yes, you read that right.

Beth: The Nissan Murano is great at what it does. It’s a midsize crossover with five seats and a generous cargo area, just the right amount of power, a comfortable ride and enough amenities to be practical without crossing the line into indulgent. If I had a couple of small children, an interest in antiques or the need to make frequent home-improvement-store runs, I’m fairly sure I’d be head-over-heels in love with it. For a single girl who lives in the city, though, it just strikes me as too much car.

Amanda: I can always count on the two of us having opposing views on the SUVs we drive. I didn’t think the Murano was too big at all. If anything, I was surprised by how much more compact it was from what I pictured. We often get cars I fall in love with (like the adorable Volvo C30), but that I can’t ever see myself buying because they don’t ultimately suit my needs or budget. The Murano, however, is a car I could actually picture myself buying whenever my ’99 Ford Explorer calls it quits. I really don’t have much to complain about with this car. And don’t underestimate the fun that can be had at Home Depot on a Saturday morning!