Nissan got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. A year later, a merger with another Japanese manufacturer created a new entity dubbed, The Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
Nissan began manufacturing cars under the Datsun brand in 1934. After World War II, Nissan forged offshore relationships outside of Japan and began a partnership with British based Austin Motor Co. as well as establishing a presence in the United States. Vehicles hit US shores by the 1950’s with cars like the Datsun 1000 which were based on Austin platforms. The 1960’s and 70’s saw the Datsun brand rise to prominence as Nissan focused its efforts on crafting more luxurious cars for the American market. Cars such as the Datsun 510 sedan and performance machines such as the original 240Z helped Nissan push their export units past the 10 million mark by the end of the 1970’s. In the early 80’s, Nissan shelved the Datsun brand and began selling cars worldwide under the Nissan name. Over the last 2 decades, Nissan has moved much of its production to American shores with a state of the art facility in Tennessee. Redesigned models like the Sentra and Altima have been well-received, as were new models like the Titan and Armada. In 1999, an alliance with Renault, a European automaker, also helped to shore up the company’s finances. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of vehicles capable of going head to head with the best of the best when it comes to overall quality, dependability and performance.
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Driven: 2010 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 SR Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 7:07 am
For G37 fans on a strict budget.
It’s easy enough to be wooed by the svelte form of the Infiniti G37 coupe, but its $36,915 entry price isn’t exactly an easy hurdle for all consumers to clear. Perhaps G37 fans on a strict budget may be intrigued by the 2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR Coupe. It’s hard to argue that the two-door Altima isn’t an attractive car, but does the midsize, front-wheel-drive coupe have enough substance to support its good looks?
Photo Gallery: 2010 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 SR – Driven – Automobile Magazine
2010 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV Wednesday, 21 July 2010, 6:07 pm
No four-door sports car.
Contrary to Nissan’s “4DSC” marketing campaign, the Maxima is no four-door sports car in my eyes. It’s definitely a sporty four-door, but it feels too heavy to be a true sports car. The 290-hp V-6 does make the front-wheel-drive Maxima quite peppy, but a consequence of this is that there’s a fair amount of torque steer under hard acceleration. It doesn’t help that a CVT (the only available transmission in this car) is the least sporty type of transmission out there. The CVT does its job pretty well, although the engine takes a while to wind out in “first gear” when you’re shifting manually through the six simulated ratios of the CVT (selectable via the console shifter or the column-mounted paddles).
Photo Gallery: 2010 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV – Automobile Magazine
2010 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 SR Friday, 16 July 2010, 1:07 pm
This Altima SR is far more mature than its predecessors.
Very mixed feelings about this car. On the one hand, it’s hard not to really like something this pretty – it’s a convincing Infiniti G37 knockoff – and this quick. And believe me, it is quick. The six-speed manual transmission is well worth the $2330, as it wakes up the ol’ VQ and turns a well-mannered family car into a snorting, rorting beast capable of some very impressive second-gear pulls. There’s more cause for celebration inside, where, despite some tacky faux leather and brushed aluminum trim, this Altima SR is far more mature than its predecessors. The small color screen on the non-navigation-equipped stereo unit is also a nice touch.
Photo Gallery: 2010 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 SR – Editor’s Notebook – Automobile Magazine
Sport Coupe Comparison: War of the Sports Car Worlds Monday, 28 June 2010, 4:06 pm
The United States, Japan, Germany, and Great Britain may play nice with each other when it comes to diplomacy and economics, but in the sports car arena, it’s an all-out war.
Once upon a time, before globalism became a favorite buzzword, cars really said something about the countries that produced them. The frugality and reliability of a Honda subcompact spoke to the ingenuity and determination of post-war Japan. The power and size of a tail-finned Cadillac convertible embodied American swagger. And so on. The automobile used to be as much an expression of culture as a country’s art or food.
2010 Nissan Murano SL AWD Thursday, 3 June 2010, 9:06 pm
A great crossover for a long road trip.
Nissan’s 3.5-liter V-6 and the continuously variable transmission work well here. Hammer it from a standstill and the initial acceleration won’t blow you away, but the Murano builds speed smoothly, and it’s kinda cool to watch the tachometer needle move toward 6000 rpm without a single hiccup, by which point you’re going 80 mph. Nissan has its CVT technology pretty well figured out.
Photo Gallery: 2010 Nissan Murano SL AWD – Editors’ Notebook Review – Automobile Magazine
Tall Wagon Comparison: 2010 Toyota Venza vs. 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour vs. 2010 Nissan Murano Tuesday, 1 June 2010, 2:06 pm
A new segment for an old battle.
For nearly two decades, the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, and the Nissan Altima have been slugging it out atop the mid-size car segment. After so many years of close combat, it’s only natural that the feud has spilled over into a new arena — tall wagons.
Photo Gallery: Tall Wagon Comparison – Toyota Venza vs Honda Accord Crosstour vs. Nissan Murano – Automobile Magazine
First Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke Friday, 28 May 2010, 5:05 pm
A very strange concept, very well executed. No joke.
Every once in a while, a car comes along that makes you scratch your head a little. Look at the pictures of the 2011 Nissan Juke and stop scratching your head. If you’ve ever complained about all cars looking alike, here’s your big, Nissan-badged can of shutyourmouth.
Photo Gallery: 2011 Nissan Juke – Nissan Compact Crossover SUV Review – Automobile Magazine
2009 Nissan Model Lineup
- 2009 Nissan Z
- 2009 Nissan Xterra
- 2009 Nissan Titan
- 2009 Nissan Rogue
- 2009 Nissan Quest
- 2009 Nissan Pathfinder
- 2009 Nissan Murano
- 2009 Nissan Frontier
- 2009 Nissan Armada
- 2009 Nissan Versa
- 2009 Nissan Sentra SE-R
- 2009 Nissan Sentra
- 2009 Nissan Maxima
- 2009 Nissan Altima Coupe
- 2009 Nissan Altima
