By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Nissan Murano’s grinning grille has turned into a toothy skeletal scowl for
2009 and we think it’s one of the most unusual front-end designs in the business.

Unfortunately, people who are so turned off by the gap-toothed grin that they easily dismiss the Murano from their purchasing consideration. That’s unfortunate because we think they are going to miss out on what is one of the best mid-sized crossover sport utilities in a rapidly growing segment.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

By Jim Meachen

By Al Vinikour 
MotorwayAmerica.com

Many vehicles have famous names — like Mustang and Corvette. However, only one is known by single letter — Nissan’s legendary “Z” sports car. From day one it has conveyed a macho image but unlike most other vehicles in the segment, the Z is affordable.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

In the 1980s Nissan proclaimed its upscale Maxima a “premium four-door sports car.” It came with a healthy-for-the-time V-6 engine and a manual shifter for those of the sporting set. The Maxima is still the company’s flagship, but it now offers more luxury than sportiness.

Nissan still builds what many consider a family sports sedan — perhaps the sportiest of all the popular mid-sized brands — but it no longer wears the Maxima emblem. Altima has inherited the sports sedan tagline.