Dear car enthusiasts, Youtubers, and media: We Need Nissan. Stop acting like we don’t.
My first car was an indestructible 1989 2-door Nissan Sentra E.
It was handed down from my parents during high school. I wouldn’t call it ‘a gift’… but I certainly was excited for my first car. It had 2 speakers, maybe 70hp, and manual windows. Hell – it was manual everything, except for the 3-speed automatic that shifted slower than my son when I ask him to take out the garbage. There was only a mirror on the driver’s side, and I used the 3-foot long radio antenna in a fight once… it was that sturdy. In 130,000 accumulated miles driven all over the southeast, the only thing it ever needed was a new exhaust.
The Nissan turmoil might be a bit personal…
Every car enthusiast never forgets their first, and I’ll always keep fond memories of my 2-speaker Sentra. In another article, I’ll go more in depth about Nissan & why I left the brand. But today – I’m here to tell car enthusiasts, YouTubers, and the media to stop acting like you’re holier than thou… and slow down with all the Nissan bashing. Mellow out a minute. Let some of this dust settle. As car-lovers, we’re all frustrated with Nissan. And we all have the urge to say “I told you so!” But please – it’s old, redundant, often ridiculous, and not helpful. Look at the bigger picture.
How many car brands do you want to die before your eyes?
Seriously, how many? Because the constant negatively does have an effect on things. I don’t know about you, but I liked the automotive landscape a bit better when we had SAAB, Scion, Mercury, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Geo, hell Isuzu. Honda surely misses having Isuzu around. Every brand had a gem or two. I know DEI is under attack by people who must intensely hate a box of crayons, but I much prefer a diverse automotive landscape. Wishing for Nissan’s demise is spitting at your own car enthusiast face… unless you dream of white Teslas. So, let’s root for the underdog right now. What’s it hurt? Let’s hope Nissan finds a way to pull through… and let’s hope they find some of that lost mojo along the way.
Article by Shameke Forsythe
