Nissan

You cannot discuss Nissan ownership in the US without discussing the Jatco CVT. Nissan committed to continuously variable transmissions across nearly the whole lineup earlier and more completely than any competitor, and the results through the 2010s were mixed enough to produce class-action settlements and extended warranty coverage on several models. The symptoms owners report are shuddering under light acceleration, a whine that rises with speed, and delayed engagement when cold.

Newer CVTs are meaningfully better than the 2013-era units, but maintenance discipline matters more than on a conventional automatic. Nissan CVT fluid is specific, it is not lifetime fluid in practice, and a transmission fluid change every 30,000 to 60,000 miles is cheap insurance against a $3,500 to $5,000 replacement. Independent shops that rebuild CVTs are far less common than shops that rebuild conventional automatics, which narrows your options when one does fail.

Outside the transmission, Nissan engines are solid and the cars are pleasant — the seats are genuinely good and equipment per dollar is competitive. Parts pricing is reasonable and heavy incentives make Nissans cheap new and cheaper used. Price a used one on the assumption that you may fund a transmission.