Nissan
2011 Nissan GT-R
What it Is: An ultra-high-performance, two-door, four passenger sports car.
What's Hot: Performance that rivals cars costing two, three and four times as much.
What's Not: Not exactly a family hauler.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth, USB.
How It Got Its Score: The $85,000 Nissan GT-R already starts off at a disadvantage because of that price. The lack of crash test data and its so-so fuel economy don't help. Neither does its lack of LATCH points.
OK, we'll admit we put this one in just for fun. But if you're an enthusiast, or have simply seen a Nissan GT-R plying the streets, you may have wondered how it would fare as a family car. After all, it does have a rear seat and a trunk, right? Well, it turns out there's more to a family car than just how many seats a car has. There's no crash test data available for the GT-R from either the NHTSA or the IIHS -- not uncommon for exotic cars -- and although there is a rear seat, its tiny, hard to access thanks to the two-door configuration, and it lacks support for a LATCH equipped child seat. But although the GT-R is far from an ideal family car, you could make an argument for it if you absolutely had to. If your kids are out of the strollers-and-car-seats age range, they could squeeze into the small rear seat in a pinch. The trunk isn't very big, but it's still enough for a few bags of groceries. The stability and traction control are designed for performance, but will nonetheless help prevent a crash. For such a high-performance car -- 480 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged V-6 engine -- fuel economy isn't too bad at 18 mpg on the EPA's combined cycle. But most importantly, you'd be the coolest parent of them all dropping your kid off at school, and that has to be worth something.
Specifications
Price |
|
| MSRP |
$84,060 |
| Destination |
$1,000 |
| |
| |
| |
Mechanical
Engine Size |
3.8 liters |
|
Horsepower |
485 hp |
|
Torque |
434 lb.-ft. |
|
Fuel |
Premium Unleaded |
|
Drivetrain |
All Wheel Drive |
|
Transmission |
6-Speed Automatic |
Fuel Economy
EPA City |
16 mpg |
|
EPA Highway |
21 mpg |
|
EPA Combined |
18 mpg |
Utility
Vehicle Type |
Subcompact |
|
Family Friendliness |
4.5 |
|
Doors |
Two |
|
Seat Rows |
Two |
|
Passengers |
Four |
|
Cargo Space |
8.8 cu. ft. |
|
Stability Control |
Standard |
|
Traction Control |
Standard |
|
Brake Assist |
Standard |
|
Side Airbags |
Thorax and Curtain |
|
Collision Avoidance |
Not Available |
|
Active Cruise Control |
Not Available |
|
Photos
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