Stone, Not trying at all to be a smart ass. I'm genuinely curious because this is a question I have allways had of manufactureres.

Does the manufacturing of a 250HP V6 cost significantly more to produce than a 170HP V6? Or is it the marketing that creates a more expensive vehicle. Possibly it could be a little bit of both.

You can say that , "Well the R&D of the new engine has a cost attatched to it so therefore that cost is factored into the cost of the new vehicle."

But doesn't that same engine appear or will appear in no less than FIVE different vehicles? By utilizing this engine and getting maximum return on their R&D dollar, wouldn't that , or shouldn't that effectively reduce the costs associated with producing the vehicle? And now consider how much long term usage Nissan has gotten from previous engines and it isn't hard to think that we will be seeing this engine in various incarnations for AT LEAST 10 years.

So, I ask again: Why would this engine be any more expensive to produce? What other aspects of the vehicle would drasticaly (remember there are many who purchased their X's in the neighborhood of $22-$25k) increase the cost?

It does look more solid. We'll probably be seeing thicker sheet metal, thicker glass and you have to figure the rear disks might cost a little more. Outsourcing Dana rear ends take away an in house product thus is marginally more expensive. The interior doesn't look drasticaly more expensive or elaborate and the tires are a bit bigger but when you are purchasing thousands of tires the associated costs are not going to be significant.

Look at a $32k vehicle in real world numbers. With a couple of grand down you are looking at a $500-$600 monthly payment after tax and title depending on your credit rating. How many people here would be X owners if their nut to own it was $550+ a month. $550 a month is a LOT of change.

The question of "how much would you be willing to pay" should not be based on the highest possible denomitor but on what would you consider a great value. Nissan shouldn't be trying to get the absoulete top dollar they can with each vehicle. They should be concentrating on bulding value, customer loyalty and creating customers who are going to graduate trough their line of cars.

The bottom line is that if Nissan puts this at a hard $30k merely because they feel that they can justify it they are going to be losing a huge segment (including the people on this board that have commented time and time again that price and value were two major factors in their purchase descisions and in doing so have opined the the 4runner, although a nice vehicle, was too expensive for their budget at $30+k) of the potential X demographic.]

BTW If anyone at Nissan is reading this , my services are available at a very reasonable consulting fee.