Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  My perfect car - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By I - April 2 - 2:00 am

  I had a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, but none of them match the performance, design, power and comfort of my new ALtima Extremely reliable, good quality materials, sporty yet elegant Very satisfied

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  bad Luck - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By pedromesa - April 2 - 2:00 am

  This car was purchased based on design, it is used in every day work, driving some times more than 100 miles daily,but maybe is that I have bad luck or something because right now the car is in the agency with a computer problem and they have to replace it and they dont have a real answer to that

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  Fun to Drive, Great Electronics Too - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By bigstarfan - April 1 - 10:13 am

  I seriously considered (and test-drove) the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES330/350 and IS250, and the Maxima was just a better overall vehicle. Its comfortable, stylish, feature-rich, and extremely fun to drive. The CVT transmission is very responsive, the engine has ample power, handles like a sports car, yet has room for 4 people (it has seat belts for 5, but the 5th one had better be a midget). I fell in love with the iPod integration immediately, and the center console computer (I didnt buy the nav) has bucketloads of information if you desire info. I cant say enough about how I enjoy the SmartKey (breaking the habit of taking out a key was easier than I thought). Terrific vehicle!

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  Great car - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By ANDY MERCADO - March 31 - 10:40 am

  Its a very roomy and spacious interior Im 6ft 270lb guy and I sat in back seat and had leg room. Has sporty road handling and great on mpg

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  Drive it to believe it. - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By jenninc - March 31 - 10:00 am

  For under $20K my car can performs in a class with $40K competitors. Contrary to Edmunds own statistics, its capable of 7-7.1 second 0-60 times. Most 5- speeds will hit 60 in second gear, but the Spec-V is geared lower in 1st and 2nd and hence you must get into 3rd to hit 60 mph - but by that time youll have a smile plastered across your face. The car feels solid, with a suspension that makes most sedans feel like SUVs when cornering. Dual anti- sway bars and a front strut tower brace lend rigidity to the frame. Edmunds says its styling is boring, but compare it to car makers trying to be cool with their wavy lines, and the Spec-V simply looks better.

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  You kidding me!!! - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Mike G. - March 31 - 10:00 am

  This car is great! This car has more hp then most V8s. For the price there is not a better car. I drove the TL and the ES300 and this car performs better then both. Alot of bang for your buck!

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  GLE Review - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By n1west - March 31 - 10:00 am

  The GLE Maxima is a well built 4 door sedan. After owning a 99 Maxima and now a 2002 Maxima Im still concerned that the bose spearkers are to powerful for the doors. There seems to be some vibration coming from the door panels. Also, I was a bit disappointed to see that my Maxima is averaging around 19.7 miles per gallon. Considering the day we live in, this is lousy MPG performance.

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  Xcomfort - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Fred Garvin - March 31 - 10:00 am

  Take a long test drive before you buy. The front seats are HORRIBLE!!! Learn from my mistake; look at all the others before you decide. Im getting 12-13MPG at best, and its not really very fun to drive on the highway. Not happy with this purchase.

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  Ill buy another. - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Armando V - March 31 - 7:52 am

  I just bought a 2014 Altima SV I think the car is beautiful quiet with a load of technical upgrades and options available and Im very happy with it.

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  Sporty SUV - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By whoisthis - March 31 - 5:26 am

  This SUV drives like a BMW 328. Hugs the road in luxury, refined over bumps, takes off in a flash, mileage isnt too bad. A lot of city and some freeway avg. is 20.5. This is my first Nissan but I feel like I have an upgraded Infiniti for $10K less. Im 6 3" and I have a lot of room to spare. Backseat is huge.