The 2021 Nissan Maxima Struggles to Have Any Real Safety Holes

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When it comes to safety, the Nissan Maxima holds its own and then some. It has earned excellent scores in crash testing and offers more advanced safety features than some rivals, including its luxury counterpart, the Infiniti Q50. But will that make a difference in Maxima sales this year?

MotorTrend calls it one of the safest cars you can buy in 2021. So, how safe is it? And is it worth the higher price over its sedan sibling, the Altima?

How safe is the 2021 Nissan Maxima?

MotorTrend lists the Maxima among the safest cars, including the Subaru Legacy, Mazda3, and Honda Insight. So, what makes the Maxima so safe? Well, the two most popular safety testing organizations gave it high marks. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hasn’t completed its evaluation of the 2021 Nissan Maxima yet. But the NHTSA gave the 2020 model 5 stars in all of its evaluations, including the rollover test, which is rare.  

And the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Maxima its highest honor, Top Safety Pick+. The sedan earned the highest rating of “Good” on most tests. The IIHS gave it an “Acceptable” rating in only two areas: headlights and structure and safety cage. 

The 2021 Nissan Maxima’s safety features

The Maxima comes with a decent number of standard safety features but not a large number like some rivals, including the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. 

The 2021 Nissan Maxima has Safety Shield 360 on all trims. This package includes front and rear emergency braking, pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, and blind-spot warning. Because this suite comes on every trim, it makes the base model even more attractive. 

Opting for one of the higher trim adds lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control. And the SL trim brings ProPilot Assist, an advanced driver-assist system that uses cruise control and steering assist. 

Is this sedan worth the price?

Consumers who choose sedans tend to fall into one of two groups: those who seek a safe family vehicle or those who value performance and fuel economy. 

The Nissan Maxima excels at safety. With a top IIHS award and high NHTSA ratings, this sedan is a strong competitor. 

However, the 2021 Maxima’s fuel economy doesn’t quite live up to people’s expectations. Expect about 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. But compared with the Nissan Altima (25/34 mpg city/highway), the Maxima falls short. 

Starting prices range from about $36,000 to $42,000, depending upon the trim. So if safety is a number one priority, the Maxima’s high price might be worth it. But if fuel economy is important, you might want to look elsewhere.

Overall, though, the 2021 Nissan Maxima is an excellent, safe sedan. Not only does it offer a decent number of features, but it also smashed the evaluations from the two biggest safety organizations. 

RELATED: The 2021 Nissan Maxima Snuck Onto This List of Quiet Cars

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Consumer Reports Doubles Down on the 2021 Subaru Forester

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Subaru Forester has been earning rave reviews for nearly a decade. In fact, it’s been a Consumer Reports top pick for eight years. In 2021, this compact SUV again appears on the consumer site’s list of the top 10 vehicles of the year. Subaru has a winning formula with the Forester. And as the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

So, what’s so great about the automaker’s best-selling model?

The Subaru Forester is a top pick yet again

Over 250 vehicles compete each year for American car shoppers’ attention. Consumer Reports annually ranks new vehicles based on input from its members and a vigorous series of performance tests. As it has for the past eight years, the Subaru Forester made CR’s list of the 10 best with its 2021 model.

To earn a place on Consumer Reports‘ list, a vehicle must turn in a solid performance in over 50 evaluations at CR’s Auto Test Center. It also must earn high marks on member surveys for reliability and owner satisfaction. And if that’s not enough pressure, it must score well in safety tests and the CR accident avoidance maneuver. Safety scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety factor in too.

How the 2021 Subaru Forester won a spot on the list

You couldn’t ask for a more accommodating vehicle than the Subaru Forester. The CR team likes its roomy cabin, helped by a tall roofline. It also has large doors that make getting in and out of this SUV easy and offer exceptional visibility. That visibility makes this crossover safer and easy to park. 

Plus, the 2021 Subaru Forester offers great fuel efficiency for an SUV. And the fact that it comes with standard all-wheel drive makes it even more appealing.

CR gave the 2021 Subaru Forester an overall score of 89 out of 100 the coveted CR Recommended badge. It earned a 90 out of 100 on Consumer Reports‘ road test and scored 4/5 ratings in both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. It’s also loaded with advanced safety features.

An overview of the 2021 model

A small SUV with a well-thought-out design, the 2021 Forester still bears the same exterior styling that consumers have come to know. Yet over the years, Subaru has made continual improvements to the practical SUV that’s become a consumer favorite. As a result, it offers a comfortable ride, handles like a dream, and provides the safety that many families prefer over style.

Its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine certainly isn’t the fastest in the class. But does it have enough power to navigate highway traffic? Absolutely. The engine pairs with a continuously variable transmission for a smooth ride. However, you’ll hear some engine buzz when you hit the gas.

The Forester absorbs road blows like a champ and boasts responsive handling. Its steering is quick and creates little body in corners.

Plus, the cabin is hard to beat. It’s roomy with easy-to-use controls and that awesome visibility. The Forester also provides a good driving position that allows easy navigating and parking. The driver’s seat also has excellent adjustable lumbar support, and most trims offer power adjustments.

The latest infotainment system in the Forester is fast and easy to use. And it comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. Best of all, the controls are easy to reach.

As for safety features, the Forester comes standard with automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and lane-keep assist.

One complaint might be some inexpensive-looking materials in the cabin. As a result, it feels a little less upscale than some rivals. But if you understand and appreciate the 2021 Subaru Forester’s safety and practicality, that flaw might not be a deal-breaker.

RELATED: Worst Subaru Forester Model Year Has 17 Recalls, Poor Reliability, and Unhappy Owners

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This Incredibly Tiny Camper Van Is Coming to America

by Gabrielle DeSantis

As RVs become more popular, the range of demand has also grown. A giant Class A RV is no longer the only thing people want. In fact, the market seems to show that most customers want a smaller, less expensive camper. The Wingamm Oasi 540 is just such a cool tiny camper van, and it is actually coming to America!

Wingamm Oasi 540 | Wingamm

The Wingamm Oasi 540 is the perfect tiny camper van

Our friends in Europe have been into the camper van lifestyle for a bit longer than we have; at least the marketplace has supported it for longer. The fact that this small camper van is coming to our shores shows that more manufacturers believe our market can bear it. 

Although Class A motorhomes are still popular, they are definitely not the hot item. The size and lack of maneuverability make them poor choices for the modern overlanding and adventure traveling that has swept the nation over the past 10 years. This new tiny camper van is much more in line with the current camper trends; smaller, lighter, easier to drive, and more affordable. 

What is this small camper all about?

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Like most camper vans / RVs of this nature, the Wingamm Oasi isn’t built from scratch. Stellantis had a hand in its existence as it is built on the Fiat Ducato van platform, which in the U.S. is the Ram Promaster. Since this is an NHTSA-approved chassis, we can buy it here. 

When we say this thing is a tiny camper van, we mean it. The Oasi 540 is just 17-ft, 6-inches long. There are several pickup trucks that are longer than that, and we barely notice them. Although this thing wears the suit of a Class C or B camper van, it is truly quite little. Given the dimensions of this small camper van, Wingamm has packed an impressive amount of comfort into this tiny package. 

According to Gear Patrol, this tiny camper van somehow has a full-blown, stand-alone bathroom complete with a shower, toilet, and sink. In fairness, taking a shower will likely require you to take a seat on the throne, but still…

There is a removable dining room table next to the couch and swiveling driver and passenger captains’ chairs. The Wingamm site claims this tiny camper van can somehow swing four to five people around the compact dining table. 

The kitchen is simple but still plenty impressive. It features a stainless steel sink, a two-burner stovetop, a mini-fridge. Of course, no good camper would be worth its salt without plenty of cabinets and creative storage cubbies. 

How many people can sleep in this tiny camper van? 

Wingamm has been pretty clever here. The Oasi 540 makes use of its headspace to house a retractable double bed. The bed is nothing fancy, but it is clever. It is a memory foam mattress on a wooden platform, much like a more comfortable version of the old VW Syncro pop-top vans. Wingamm was even so good as to include a skylight above to really seal the deal on cozy comfort. 

Wingamm claims that this tiny camper van is going to be made to an extremely high-quality standard. As we have seen, campers aren’t always the most high-quality items, but the increased competition seems to have spurred more companies like Wingamm to step up the cabin quality. 

The Wingamm Oasi 540 is supposed to hit the dealer lots by the fall of this year. Pricing will likely vary depending on trim level and options. However, Wingamm has not provided the price list yet. 

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What Is Electric Power Steering and What’s So Great About It?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Whenever you drive your car, it’s easy to take certain things for granted. For example, the fact that you can turn the steering wheel effortlessly at a moment’s notice is a blessing. If you have ever driven any car without power steering, you would know exactly what we mean. If not, then count your lucky stars that hydraulic power steering was invented and you don’t have to turn the wheel with the force of a bodybuilder.

Through the years, that power steering system was refined and made more efficient thanks to using an electric motor instead of a hydraulic pump. But what exactly is electric power steering and what’s so great about it?

The history of power steering

The woman driving an air-conditioned car, Island of Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain. | (Photo by Mediacolors/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images)

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According to Blue Devil Products, the first power steering system was introduced in 1951 on the Chrysler Imperial and the rest was history. From then on, engineers were able to tweak the car’s turning ratio, thus making it easier for drivers to turn the front wheels with fewer rotations of the steering wheel.

From the time that it was invented until the early 2000s, most power steering systems in cars were hydraulic-powered. This means that the system was powered by a pump filled with hydraulic fluid pumped to high pressure. And while this system works well when it comes to providing quick and easy steering, it also has its own set of drawbacks.

For starters, the hydraulic power steering pump is powered by the engine, which means that it has to run constantly. This constant mechanical draw on the engine is reported to have a five to eight-horsepower loss in most cars and can even decrease its fuel economy by around three miles per gallon. Additionally, the hydraulic power steering fluid must be changed periodically and if any of the components or hoses fail, then the fluid can get messy as well.

At the start of 90s and well into the early 2000s, many manufacturers turned to using electric power steering systems instead of hydraulic versions.

How does an electric power steering system work?

A Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle is seen driving down the street
A Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle is seen driving down the street. | (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

An electric power steering utilizes an electric motor in place of the hydraulic pump. Blue Devil notes that the electric motor itself is then guided by electronic circuitry connected to the car’s onboard computer system.

There are advantages with an electric power steering

Now that we can see how a hydraulic power steering system works, it’s easy to see why an electric system has its advantages. First, an electric system doesn’t draw power from the engine since it’s powered by the car’s electrical system. There’s also no need for a hydraulic pump, lines, or power steering fluid either, so you can say goodbye to any potentially leaky messes.

Additionally, auto manufacturers can tune a car’s electric power steering system to be speed-variable. This means that it can increase or decrease the car’s steering resistance depending on the speed that car’s traveling. For example, the car’s steering feel can tighten up at freeway speeds for greater stability and then loosen up at slower speeds for more turning ease and comfort.

Considering the ease, convenience, and fewer messes that an electric power system can provide, it’s easy to see why it’s used in most new cars today. If anything, at least you don’t have to worry about changing the fluid on one either.

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