This Large SUV Is Loaded With Safety Systems

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Nissan Armada is a longtime favorite large SUV. If you’re in the market for something which can haul your entire family and maybe a couple of dogs and a small boat, you may be considering buying one. Is the 2021 Nissan Armada safe? Let’s take a look at its road test and safety features.

2021 Nissan Armada | Nissan

How does Consumer Reports test SUVs?

Every year, Consumer Reports buys and tests a whole bunch of vehicles in their Colchester, Connecticut facility. They combine their own road tests with the results of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association’s crash test ratings. These organizations don’t test every vehicle, so sometimes their results are not available. 

The 2021 Nissan Armada scored an overall rating of a 55, placing it at number 7 of 8 large SUVs tested by Consumer Reports. This score includes safety ratings as well as road tests and predicted reliability and owner satisfaction ratings. 

How were the 2021 Nissan Armada performance test ratings? 

The 2021 Nissan Armada’s acceleration score was a four out of five, while its routine handling was only a two out of five. Emergency handling was also a two out of five. The maximum speed that the Nissan Armada could go and still successfully navigate the course was 51 mph. 

The 2021 Nissan Armada’s brakes got a four out of five star rating. The Armada could stop from 60 mph on dry pavement in 133 feet and 147 feet on wet pavement. 

The Armada only got a three out of five for its headlights. Headlights are important because they allow full visibility, especially at night or in foggy and wet conditions. 

What kind of advanced safety systems does the Nissan Armada come with?

The 2021 Nissan Armada comes with all of the advanced safety features that Consumer Reports car shoppers look for. These safety systems are important because they reduce the likelihood that you will be involved in a crash. 

The Armada’s safety features include forward collision warning, which operates at speeds above 3 mph. The 2021 Nissan Armada will send visual and audible signals in the event of a likely collision. It will also push the accelerator pedal up and precharge the brakes so that the vehicle can stop more easily. If the driver doesn’t do anything with the collision warnings, the Armada will automatically apply brakes to try to minimize or avoid a crash. 

The Armada’s lane keeping assistance works at speeds of 40 mph and above. The Nissan Armada’s steering wheel vibrates and brakes are automatically applied to return the car to its lane. Turning it off means you’re also turning off blind spot warning, another valuable features the Armada has. 

The Armada comes with moving object detection

The 2021 Nissan Armada also comes with moving object detection, which works at 5 mph and less. It will alert the driver while the vehicle is in drive or reverse of objects in the path of the SUV. Unfortunately, the objects have to be in the camera’s range, so it is not all-encompassing, and will not alert the driver if there is something in the path of the vehicle (say, underneath the tires), but not in view of the camera. 

The Nissan Armada also has daytime running lights, which are on whenever the car is on. They help other cars see your vehicle more easily. The Nissan Armada comes with front side airbags and head protection standard with rollover. 

The fact that the 2021 Nissan Armada comes with all of the recommended advanced safety systems is a good start. However, without knowing how the Armada would do in crash tests makes it difficult to determine how safe the Armada is.

RELATED: Is the 2021 Infiniti QX80 $20,000 Safer Than the 2021 Nissan Armada?

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Pathetic State of 2022 Camaro: “Two Totally New Colors”

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The new Camaro is in a pathetic state. Chevy has given up on it. There is nothing really new to say about it, so they’re making a huge deal about some new colors. And numerous auto sites are actually running with this “news.” But the only real news about the 2022 Camaro is that it exists at all.

The Camaro brand is priceless except when there is poor stewardship

2022 Chevy Camaro | GM

For such a legendary brand, Chevy sure is giving it little to honor that legacy. Rather than adding some compelling options, it is taking many away in an effort “based on customer demand.” Especially disappointing is the elimination of the 1LE packages, and both the turbo-four cylinder and V6 optional engines. 

Oh, and Chevy has killed the Wild Cherry and the Shock & Steel design packages because, well, they weren’t much to rave about in the first place. But the big news is that “Shock Yellow” and the Wild Cherry Tintcoat remain. That’s some news.

So with nothing left Chevy is raving about new colors. Some sites are exclaiming, “We get to see a 2022 Chevy Camaro wearing the new Vivid Orange Metallic hue.” Like it gets the first look at a twin-engine Camaro for the first time. Wow!

New colors are all that’s left to hype for the 2022 Camaro

2022 Chevy Camaro pace car in blue
The Corvette-exclusive Rapid Blue color is featured on Camaro and will make its debut as an available option on the 2022 Camaro | HHP/Harold Hinson

But wait. There is actually a second new color for a total of two-yes two new colors! Since there is nothing to say, pundits are giving the lowdown of everything there is to know about said new color. It’s called “Rapid Blue.”

The background is that it was first made public at the 2021 Daytona 500. Gee, that’s some story. And not only that, but it is available on the C8 Corvette. And for those that don’t remember, it was a summertime color option on the 1968 Ford Mustang. So there’s that. 

In all this is a dreadful sendoff for such a storied Chevy brand. There just isn’t enough staff, budget, or stamina left at GM to warrant any dignified take on the last of the Camaros. But for years it represented what Chevy Performance really was.

The real performance Chevy was not the Corvette but the Camaro

1969 Camaro in Hugger Orange
1969 Camaro | GM

Many think it was and is the Corvette. But the Corvette has always been a compromise. For years the independent rear end was a weak link for serious track runs or drag racing. And for many years the smogged, detuned V8 was a joke. Plus, it only seats two people. 

The Camaro was a car you could race, wrench, wreck, and still take the family out for Puffy Tacos on a Friday night. And it held records in Trans Am, drag racing, Pikes Peak, and more. Chevy even gave up on it for a few years only adding to its inevitable dance with bankruptcy. 

Building a recognizable brand is priceless. Just ask Coca-Cola and Disney. But it takes work and superior stewardship. Squandering that brand establishment is a serious waste and a mark of poor corporate decisions. Camaro deserves better.

RELATED: 2020 Camaro Sold Like Crap: When Will Chevy Kill It Off?

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What Is Nissan ProPilot Assist Technology?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

In order to provide the best driving technology on the market, Nissan planned, researched, and tested its own semi-autonomous system to compete with the likes of Tesla’s Autopilot and other rival vehicle programs. The ProPilot Assist is the system it came up with and now offers on some of its newest vehicles. 

According to Nissan, this program will be quite helpful to drivers. They explain its system, how it works and which vehicles currently offer it in their list of features. 

How does the Nissan ProPilot Assist work?

The 2020 Nissan Altima | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

The automotive industry comes with a few different semi-autonomous systems that help drivers by automating various types of their drives. Tesla made this technology popular with its Autopilot program that allows you to sit back while it drives for you. Nissan is one of those automakers that have come up with its own semi-autonomous technology, which is how the ProPilot was born. 

This system is a combination of the Steering Assist and Intelligent Cruise Control features. It also contains a stop and hold function, which will stop with the traffic, hold, and then will resume driving when the traffic moves along again. Located on the front of the vehicle is a sensor that will send information to the computer system to let the car know how far away you are from the vehicle in front of you.

It will then adjust speed to make sure you’re at a safe range away from the other car on the road. A camera, installed near the top of the windshield will aid in keeping the vehicle centered on the pavement. However, there are a few things that can affect its performance. Those would include snow and ice build-up, light reflecting off of wet pavement, heavy rain and foggy conditions, and running your wipers on high. 

How to use the Nissan ProPilot Assist technology 

To activate the Nissan ProPilot Assist technology, all you need to do is to press its assist button, which will turn it on. Now all you need to do is to set the vehicle to whatever speed you feel is appropriate, and the distance you need between you and the car in front of you. 

Once its ProPilot is activated, the vehicle will begin inputting information it gathers from the sensor and camera on the front of the car. Once that’s done it will start making adjustments to the vehicle’s speed and will get the car centered on the road. 

It will also maintain the speed until it senses traffic is close, in which case it will automatically slow down to the flow of the cars nearby. With the stop and hold feature, it determines when it’s OK to resume driving again. 

You can easily turn off the ProPilot feature by pressing the button again. Then you can resume manually driving the vehicle to your destination. 

Which Nissan models have the ProPilot Assist?

While it’s a Nissan technological feature, it isn’t actually available on all of its vehicles. You can only get the system with a few different models. This program began with the 2020 Nissan Altima, and it was meant to help relieve some of a driver’s stress, which they experience with daily driving. This version offered adaptive cruise control and lane-centering.

It’s now being offered with some of the 2021 models as well. The Nissan Leaf markets it as a new way to drive. Some of the more popular vehicles in the Nissan lineup also offer it. The Rogue and the Rogue Sport have it as an available option along with other driver’s assistance features. 

The last Nissan model that carries this technology is the newest kid on the block so to speak. The Nissan Ariya has the ProPilot 2.0, which focuses on Intelligent mobility to help drivers safely travel on the road. 

Nissan’s ProPilot Assist is one of the newest technological features that the automaker recently developed. With a combination of other systems designed to bring semi-autonomous driving to the Nissan lineup, drivers can stay safe while they get around in their vehicles. 

RELATED: Which Cars Can Almost Drive Themselves?

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How Does Keyless Entry Actually Work?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Keyless entry in cars is something we all expect in newer vehicles. It’s a fantastic modern convenience that has been slowly evolving in the background for decades. The system has also greatly affected the price of getting a new key. It used to be all you needed was a locksmith, but now you need an army of tech wizards and probably a frog’s leg. Regardless, this modern convenience is more complex than you think.

Keyless entry is older than you think

Mercedes-Benz models have been half keyless for some time | Dmitry Rogulin via Getty Images

If you asked any stranger on the street how old keyless entry is, they’d probably say something like “get away”, or “2010-ishhh??”. They’d be wrong. In actuality, systems like this have existed in one form or another since the 1980s. Ford was an early pioneer of the system, calling it “SecruiCode”. It was effectively a MasterLock keypad glued to the door of various Ford models like the Thunderbird.

Input a code, and the car granted you access. However, the key was still necessary to start the vehicle. It was a huge plus if you locked them in your car. No more clothes hangers and tennis balls. The French made the next leap with the technology in 1982, pushing it into its final form in the Renault Fuego.

This is how it works

Early keyless entry and start in a Toyota Prius
Early remote start in a Toyota Prius | Koichi Kamoshida via Getty Images

This “fuego” technology is somewhat complex, despite basically being a small radio in your car keys. A transmitter sends a code to a receiver, just like a remote locking system does. These codes are all randomly generated, according to How Stuff Works. If the receiver in the car gets the right code, which it is also randomly generating, the doors open.

But what happens if the system breaks? Say the sender (your keys) or the receiver (the computer in your car) is damaged. Even if it’s only a little damage, the computer may no longer send or receive the correct code. Should this happen, most manufacturers include a hard key in the fob, which you probably play with incessantly while in line at the deli.

The future of remote vehicle access

Mercedes' idea of the future of remote access
Mercedes-Benz Keyless Go | Jens Kalaene | via Getty Images

It took automakers a while to get to that point, however. Some brands required the key to be extremely close to the vehicle, others needed the key to be touching a point on the door to send the code properly. Now, all the kinks have been worked out, and you can even use your phone to accomplish the task. Mercedes has it on their brand new electric SUV, and Tesla will let your phone do all sorts of wild things with your car, like summoning it to you.

Phone integration with cars is something we can continue to expect to see develop. Most everyone has a phone on them at all times, and it likely won’t be long until phones replace your car keys entirely. Ford is trying this with the Mach E currently. It remains to be seen how much farther this integration goes.

RELATED: Tesla Model 3 Owner Tortures Thieves With Tesla App Until They Give up

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