Your car should thrill you. That’s the premise of the current 2021 Nissan ad campaign. Its flagship video commercial spot consists of the lovely American actress Brie Larson deftly shifting gears in a drive through time, highlighting some of the more thrilling moments in Nissan’s history. Featured prominently are the classic Datsun Z cars from the 60s and 70s, along with newer generations of the Nissan Z series.
To me as a car enthusiast, it’s music to my ears to hear an automaker make an effort to reignite excitement about their products. We’re living in an automotive era that has witnessed countless coupes and sedans being cut from automaker lineups in favor of increasingly look-alike crossovers and SUVs. In times like these, seeing the current 2021 Nissan ad campaign’s reemphasis on the idea that a car should be thrilling is a bold and welcome development that should resonate with that remaining segment of the market that still believes in the sheer pleasure that the driving experience can be.
But the new 2021 Nissan ad campaign is just that: an ad campaign. And ad campaigns do sometimes put forth empty promises that brands ultimately fail to deliver on, no matter how ill-advised that is from the perspective of sound marketing strategy.
Does Nissan fall into this trap? Or are they putting true thrills behind their slogan from the 2021 Nissan ad campaign?
Let’s take a look at the current 2021 Nissan lineup of consumer vehicles for the U.S. market and see where each model falls on the Thrill-O-Meter, so to speak, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 representing a virtually non-existent thrill factor, and 10 representing mind-blowing, earth shatteringly ecstatic automotive thrills at a level that remains illegal in certain U.S. states.
Follow the links below to skip ahead to our thrill assessments of specific 2021 Nissan models, or just keep on scrolling!
2021 Nissan Altima
Restyled two years ago, the Nissan Altima is an always has been a vehicle that does just what it is supposed to do. It’s a reasonably priced mid-sized sedan with a look that offers well-balanced, tasteful touches of sportiness, style, and class. The Altima has always been in sort of a Goldilocks zone: a little sporty without veering off into a cheesy racer-boy vibe, a little classy but not ostentatiously or expensively so. It’s not boring but it’s a safe choice for a broad swath of the sedan market, accessibly priced with a base MSRP of US$24,300.
2021 Nissan Altima Thrill-O-Meter Score: 6 out of 10.
2021 Nissan Ariya
The latest iteration of a model originally introduced as a concept car at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, the 2021 Nissan Ariya is Nissan’s offering in the all-electric crossover segment. Its range estimate is about 300 miles between charges in the long-range two-wheel drive model, which is competitive with some of the longest-range vehicles in the all-plug-in electric category.
With some notable exceptions, the crossover is a generally utilitarian category, so the thrill expectation on the performance side is low. In its least powerful configuration, the 2021 Ariya delivers a respectable but not earth shattering 215 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, according to CarBuzz.
The more powerful dual-motor version accelerates from 0–60 about 5 seconds. Although there are plenty of faster vehicles on the market today, that’s more than enough for the typical family-duty expectations of a crossover.
From a styling perspective, the Ariya is a cut above most crossovers, with a sleek side profile and a smoothly blended, spoiler-like projection just below the rear window as a sporty touch. The rear, to my eye, recalls some of styling cues of the Porsche Panamera, one of the more interesting sedans on the market today.
Add to that a classy interior with wood-textured details on trim elements like the dash bezel and center console, the vibe does invite comparisons with some of the classier SUV offerings from luxury automakers, like Porsche. Clearly a lot of thought and creativity went into the look and feel of the Nissan Ariya, and that’s essential if it’s to succeed in winning market share away from competing electric crossover offerings.
In the end, it’s the styling that moves the needle in a positive direction on the Thrill-O-Meter.
2021 Nissan Ariya Thrill-O-Meter Score: 6.5 out of 10.
Why not higher, given the exceptional styling touches?
Well, because it’s a crossover, a segment that has a built-in thrill limiter.
The single-motor front-wheel-drive base model starts at $40,000.
2021 Nissan Armada
Now in its second generation, the Nissan Armada, which debuted in 2004, is Nissan’s contribution to the full-size SUV segment. While true in a good way to the classic big-SUV silhouette (think 90s Ford Explorers, Chevy K5 Blazer, Dodge Durango) the first-generation Nissan Armada was starting to look a little tired when the second generation, beginning in 2017, unveiled some much-needed and well-conceived, fresh styling cues to breathe new life into its look. A longer, sleeker profile in the front added a more modern and dynamic vibe while remaining faithful to the essential cred of a full-size SUV as a utilitarian workhorse. Cool-looking chrome air dams and a nicely integrated spoiler extending from the roofline over the rear window were also tasteful touches.
While the refresh in 2021 was relatively light with some design tweaks to the taillights and center console and a bit of additional horsepower, the Armada remains one of the more distinctively styled vehicles in its class, backed by the formidable capability of a 5.6-liter V8 that makes 400 horsepower, and 8,500-pound towing capacity in the standard package.
Thrill-O-Meter Rating for This Highly Capable and Appealing SUV: 7 out of 10.
2022 Nissan Frontier
The Nissan Frontier simply is what it is: a respectably capable mid-size, body-on-frame extended cab pickup that, like its rivals from Ford, RAM, and Chevy, has stepped up the level of interior luxury and comfort. But in the end, the Nissan Frontier is a pickup truck. Some people are thrilled by pickup trucks, others aren’t. So the thrill rating for this vehicle is particularly subjective.
2022 Nissan Frontier Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 6.0 out of 10.
2021 Nissan GT-R
What can you say about a supercar with a legendary motorsports heritage like the GT-R? In the race-tuned version from NISMO, Nissan’s racing division, this front-mid-engine, rear-drive performance car packs a 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 under the hood, rated at 600 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque, packed into a low-slung 2+2 coupe.
At over 3,800 pounds, it isn’t exactly a lightweight. It’s more of a GT car than a sports car, but it has earned a reputation for nimble on-track handling one would expect of lighter cars. And it’s capable of a top speed of 205 miles per hour, according to U.S. News.
The list price of US$210,740 for the NISMO version of the Nissan GT-R is of course hefty, and even the lowest trim level—the GT-R Premium—lists at US$113,540.
So it’s obviously not an accessible car for the average consumer. Last year, only 303 Nissan GT-R models were sold in the U.S., as reported by GoodCarBadCar. And the consensus in the motorsports community is that the most glorious racing days of the Nissan GT-R are behind it.
But just knowing that Nissan makes a vehicle with this level of fast-and-furious capabilities adds a thrill factor that trickles down through the rest of their lineup. Practical grocery-getters are where most automakers make most of their money, but commitment to maintaining serious racing program is the force that continues to drive engineering and design ahead. What automakers learn from making aspirational halo cars like the GT-R benefits their entire lineups.
2021 Nissan GT-R Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 8.5 out of 10.
2021 Nissan Kicks
A ridiculous name and an unfortunate resemblance to the abominable, discontinued-in-the-U.S. Nissan Juke, with its inexplicably goofy, clown-car, “what could the designers have been thinking” styling cues, are among the unappealing qualities of this subcompact crossover.
Add to that a selection of available two-tone paint schemes that look, well, just kinda dorky, the existence of the Nissan Kicks in the lineup is a real eyebrow raiser. There’s no accounting for individual taste, and perhaps this look is geared toward a particular market segment. It’s pretty clear that there is an intent for the Nissan Kicks, like the Juke, to appeal to a feisty youthful mindset among younger buyers, but I just don’t “get” this crossover.
It isn’t as awful as the Nissan Juke was, but it doesn’t have much in the way of redeeming qualities either.
2021 Nissan Kicks Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 3 out of 10.
2021 Nissan LEAF
A ho-hum design, lackluster performance with less than 150 horsepower, and range of only 149 miles are among the features that make the Nissan LEAF, in its base production configuration, a yawner in today’s EV market.
To their credit, Nissan was relatively early out of the post-Tesla gate among mainstream automakers with a battery electric offering, launching the LEAF in 2011. But after 10 years and two generations, LEAF appears to be lagging the intensifying competition in this space.
While the NISMO division has some interesting achievements to its credit with a racing version, the production Nissan LEAF is badly in need of either a transformational update or discontinuation in favor of something more electrifying. It works as an appliance for someone with a short commute or limited around-town errand needs. And the word on the street is that there are some good bargains to be had on used Nissan LEAFs.
But the model has little more to offer beyond that. The NISSAN LEAF falls short of the thrill factor teased by the 2021 Nissan ad campaign.
2021 Nissan Leaf Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 2.5 out of 10.
2021 Nissan Maxima
Positioned as a full-size sports sedan, the Nissan Maxima is a storied model with a legacy extending four decades. When the Maxima debuted in the 80s, it quickly won a following as an aspirational premium sedan that delivered a lot of flair for the price. With domestic automakers abandoning most of their sedans, Nissan deserves props for maintaining a commitment to this category.
At the same time, it’s hard not to look at the 2021 model and see it as a little tired compared to the pulse-rate-raising excitement that quite a few competing sedans have to offer. The price point—US$42,320 for the Platinum edition—is actually quite a lot of car for the money. But for that price you’re getting a 3.5 liter, naturally aspirated V6. In the looks department or the performance department, Nissan doesn’t seem to be making much of an effort to fortify what they call their sports sedan offering.
Considering that less money can get you into the formidable performance of a Kia Stinger GT, or that under $5,500 more can deliver the breathtaking looks of a Genesis G80 (albeit with a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine rather than a V6), the Maxima today looks like an exceedingly conservative choice that has arguably fallen behind even the legendarily staid Toyota Camry when it comes to thrill factors.
It might be a little ironic that I’m rating the Nissan Altima, based in part on its aspirational reach toward the better qualities of the Nissan Maxima, with a higher thrill rating. But that’s where my analysis lands. The Altima rates higher based on what it reaches for, whereas the Maxima loses points based on what it should or could be.
2021 Nissan Maxima Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 5.5 out of 10.
2021 Nissan Murano
I don’t find a whole lot to say about the Murano, Nissan’s contribution to the mid-size crossover segment. With more conservative styling and some upgraded luxury and tech touches, it’s an exceedingly pleasant family errand runner and roadtrip taker that clearly aims toward an older and more conservative audience compared to Nissan’s smaller crossover offerings. It’s a safe and understandable choice that doesn’t even seem to be trying to contribute much of a thrill factor.
2021 Nissan Murano Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 4.5 out of 10.
2021 Nissan Pathfinder
Considering that the Nissan Armada was once a variant option of the Pathfinder model, the Pathfinder now holds an arguably odd position in Nissan’s SUV lineup. Originally a truck-based body on frame SUV, today’s pathfinder is a unibody model that could be said to have more in common with crossovers than with traditional SUVs.
Comparing the current Nissan Pathfinder to the current Nissan Armada, it seems clear that the Armada is the vehicle that Nissan is positioning with more character and workhorse cred, while plugging the Pathfinder into the everyday family transportation slot for a buyer who wants a little more space than their other crossovers have to offer. There isn’t much of anything negative to say about it, but the 2021 Nissan Pathfinder is clearly a vehicle that does not seem to be targeting buyers who are seeking automotive thrills.
2021 Nissan Pathfinder Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 10.
2021 Nissan Rogue
As we work our way through Nissan’s lineup of crossovers—with the admitted arbitrariness of order that comes with organizing them alphabetically—the Nissan Rogue emerges as an example of one of the notable flaws that spans the crossover segments of virtually all automakers. It isn’t so much that there are too many crossovers per se. Rather, it’s an issue of insufficient differentiation. In a lineup that includes several crossovers, they can tend to melt together.
Sure, Nissan’s three crossovers are technically in different classes. The Nissan Kicks is a subcompact, Nissan Rogue is a compact, and the Nissan Murano is mid-size. But beyond that, there isn’t much that makes these three models stand out from one another. Like the crossover lineups of many automakers, a lack of “personality” to clearly appeal to different segments of the consumer market is an unfortunate common denominator. Aside from size differences, there are few elements of design in the Nissan Rogue and the other crossovers in Nissan’s lineup that become clear determinants of choice.
While some automakers, such as Ford with the Mach E, are starting to push the envelope on the look and feel of a crossover, Nissan’s crossovers, including the Nissan Rogue, remain unexciting. Nissan has some work to do if they want to truly move the needle on the Thrill-O-Meter.
2021 Nissan Rogue Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 10.
2021 Nissan Sentra
Now in its eighth generation since its introduction in 1982, the Nissan Sentra, as an affordable, reliable compact, has an important place in the Nissan lineup. With a starting MSRP just under US$20,000, it isn’t the cheapest car in Nissan’s set of offerings in the U.S., but it’s a solidly affordable choice for someone who wants reliable transportation, decent looks and fuel economy but doesn’t need the enhanced cargo capacity that one of Nissan’s crossovers offers. The existence of this model is also critical to maintaining the availability of affordable cars on the used market. Sentra has always offered good bang for the buck, and in particular the interior is a cut above many of its peers from other automakers in the compact segment.
Some might argue that the strengths of the Sentra that Nissan touts—integration of sporty cues from its siblings further up the Nissan food chain like the Maxima and the GT-R—are also weaknesses. Building out a cohesive design language across an entire lineup is a tightrope walk. Yes, you want a sense of brand identity that spans a product line. Honda, arguably, has a weakness in this area in the sense that their design language across their lineup can look “all over the place.” Nissan, on the other hand, could be said to err in the opposite direction: the Altima looks too much like a mini Maxima, and the Sentra looks too much like a mini Altima.
The aspirational ideal—giving each model its own personality while still maintaining a sense of common identity—is not easy to execute. Mazda is among the automakers that do well with this. With Nissan, in contrast, the sameness is a little too much, making their lineup feel not poorly designed but a little redundant.
In the end, our Thrill-O-Meter rating for the Sentra, which is just a hair above the rating we gave to the Altima, is based mostly on its value proposition. That’s what gives the model such an important place in the Nissan lineup, and that alone deserves props.
2021 Nissan Sentra Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 6.5 out of 10.
2021 Nissan TITAN
Equipped with a standard 5.6 liter V8 that’s good for 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, the Nissan Titan is to the full-size pickup truck market what the Nissan Frontier is to the mid-size pickup truck market. With strengths ranging from towing capacity (according to the automaker) of 9,310 pounds in the standard model with an exceptionally classy interior, the Nissan Titan is well positioned to give its full-size body-on-frame truck rivals a run for their money.
Speaking of money, however, that level of capability and amenities comes at a premium. While a base 2021 Ford F-150, for example, can be had for as low as $28,940, the Nissan 2021 Titan starts at $36,650. That said, with the Nissan Titan you get substantially more for that starting price. A base Ford F-150 is relatively Spartan, with a 2.7 liter V6 as the standard engine. So it isn’t really an apples-and-apples comparison.
Clearly, Nissan has solidly competitive pickup trucks to offer. But how has this translated to sales? Let’s take a look at pickup truck sales in the U.S. from Nissan and major competitors:
- Chevrolet Silverado Sales in 2020: 594,094*
- 2020 Ford F Series Sales: 787,422*
- 2020 RAM Pickup Truck Sales**: 563,376
- 2020 Combined Nissan Frontier and Titan Sales†: 103,883
Sources:
*GM Authority
**GoodCarBadCar
†GoodCarBadCar
Looking at those numbers, it’s clear that domestic pickup trucks thrill the U.S. market a lot more. But if I were a truck guy—and generally speaking, I am not—a Nissan Titan would be on my short list.
2021 Nissan Titan Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 7 out of 10
2021 Nissan Versa
As I’ve written before, the Nissan Versa, be it ever so humble, is a very important car. Let’s face it: cars are expensive and, as the economic divide between the haves and the have nots in the U.S. has widened, getting access to the freedom—and in many cases, expanded economic opportunity—that having your own means of transportation provides can be increasingly difficult for many.
In some years, the Nissan Versa has earned the distinction of being the cheapest new car on the market. That isn’t true in 2021, a year in which that honor, according to Car and Driver, belongs to the Chevrolet Spark, which starts at $14,385, a little less than the $14,980 that Nissan cites as the lowest MSRP for the Versa.
No, the Versa isn’t a car that I would drive by choice. It’s actually smaller than it looks. I’m on the tall side, but theoretically I can fit just about any car on the US market. But the Versa would feel uncomfortably small for a big dude like me.
Granted, size doesn’t matter for everyone, and even for me, I could make a Nissan Versa work in a pinch. And I’ve known multiple people of very modest means who have been able to improve their way of life with reliable transportation by scraping enough money together to acquire a new or lightly used Nissan Versa.
Entry level cars are not very profitable for automakers. That’s why they like selling trucks, SUVs, and crossovers so much, because they can charge a premium for their size that gives them a margin that substantially exceeds what it costs for them to deliver that size.
But it’s critical that good entry-level cars like the Nissan Versa continue to exist. It is no small comfort to me that, if my fortune ever took a big turn for the worse and I had to start all over again with a minimal income, I could probably find a way to get myself into a new or used Nissan Versa. That might not be thrilling in the way you think of when you first encounter the 2021 Nissan ad campaign, but in the sense of the difference a car like the Nissan Versa can make in someone’s life, it’s significant.
May cars like the Nissan Versa continue to occupy this important niche for many years to come. Think of the availability of affordable cars like this as part of basic economic infrastructure.
2021 Nissan Versa Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 7 out of 10, primarily for its important role in keeping basic personal transportation affordable.
2020 Nissan Z Coupe
I can’t exactly claim impartiality here, because Nissan’s Z cars, which are a central focus of the 2021 Nissan ad campaign, will always occupy an important place in my heart. When Datsun 240Z first hit the U.S. market in 1969, it was basically a baby E-Type. And the Jaguar E-Type was my childhood dream car.
Nissan has been fairly criticized in recent years for letting the Z series, now in its sixth generation with the 370Z, become somewhat tired and in dire need of fresh energy. As a small (but somewhat heavy) sports car, the 370Z occupies an important—though not strongly selling—segment within the Nissan lineup. And with its long and legendary history, the Z series is featured centrally in the current 2021 Nissan ad campaign, as Brie Larson shifts gears through the decades.
For 2021, there actually isn’t an official edition of the current model, the 370Z, but the 2020 model remains available as Nissan gears up for a heavily touted new generation for 2022.
Anticipation of things to come is what is actually thrilling about the Z series, after the unveiling last year of the Nissan Z Proto, a concept car that points toward the Z-car future. Walking the precarious tightrope between the retro and the modern, Nissan gave the Z Proto a silhouette that more strongly than any recent generation recalls the styling of the legendary Datsun 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z models from the 60s and 70s, which melded the beauty and grace of the sports cars from Britain and Continental Europe that inspired them with a greater reliability for which Japanese cars were beginning in that era to earn a reputation.
While the design falls a bit short on the front end, which looks bulky and overly angular, giving the Nissan Z Proto a top-heavy look, the effort overall is a great step in the right direction. The Nissan Z Proto creates high hopes of breathing new life—and new thrills—into this historically significant series of sports cars.
Let’s hope the market responds strongly enough to make it worth Nissan’s while to keep up this progress. Now, it is important to understand that the 2021 370Z currently on the market is NOT the Nissan Z Proto. If I were inclined to buy a Z car, I would await the release of the new-generation 2022 400Z, which will be based on the Nissan Z Proto and is currently expected, according to Car and Driver, to be released toward the end of this year.
2020 Nissan Z Coupe Thrill-O-Meter Rating: 8.5 out of 10, but only with the benefit of anticipatory “extra credit” for the forthcoming 2022 Nissan 400Z.
The Bottom Line: Is the Automaker Delivering the Thrills Promised by the 2021 Nissan Ad Campaign?
So there you have it. We’ve looked at Nissan’s entire 2021 consumer vehicle lineup for the U.S. from Altima to Z Coupe and, in the case of the 2022 Nissan 400Z, we’ve looked ahead to the promise of the next model year, all in the context of the thrills promised in the 2021 Nissan ad campaign.
Where does the needle on the Thrill-O-Meter land, across the entire lineup?
First, one thing should be said. With 15 vehicles in the U.S. lineup when we have some domestic marques (read: Chrysler) offering as few three, Nissan deserves mega credit on that basis alone for recognizing that there is a market for more than just crossovers and SUVs.
It’s great to see Nissan signaling the market, through the 2021 Nissan ad campaign with Brie Larson, that a car should not only be more than an appliance but that it should thrill you. That said, the combined Thrill-O-Meter rating suggests that Nissan has some work to do if they aspire to truly and consistently deliver a significant thrill factor.
Averaged across the 15 2021 Nissan vehicles we scored, the Thrill-O-Meter lands at 5.8.
That’s not bad. It’s respectable, especially in today’s lackluster automotive landscape. But it doesn’t quite make you feel the earth move under your feet.
Let’s hope that Nissan gloms some internal inspiration from the fine work this year of their advertising agency. Let’s hope their product development, design, and engineering departments put some passion into finding ways to infuse some more thrills into every model, whether it’s an exhilarating track car like the GT-R, a humble entry-level sedan like the Nissan Versa, a grocery-getter like the Nissan Murano, or a workhorse like the Nissan Titan.
The premise behind the 2021 Nissan ad campaign is correct. Every vehicle should, in some way, thrill you. Now, Nissan, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and deliver. What you are doing now is not too shabby. But we’d love to see you move the needle even more.
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