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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  Great Car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Andrew M - February 24 - 10:00 am

  I picked up on black on black Altima in the end of July 2003. So far I am extremely satisfied with the car. It turns heads and gets instant respect. The front seats are extremely comfortable and the leather finish is well made. The back seat and trunk are huge. There is a second dc adapter under the armrest which allows you to charge your cell phone without annoying cables exposed (even the shelf on the upper edge of the armrest has a punch out for the cell charger cable). This shows some real thought in the engineering of this car.

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  Great MPG, Comfort and Performance - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Hooboggled - February 23 - 11:43 pm

  Everyone complains about the MPG but driving 70 miles RT in Los Angeles traffic I have never averaged less than 30 MPG and that is with traffic. Without traffic Ive been getting 35 MPG. I couldnt be happier with its performance. In 16 months I have driven 28000 miles. I have a boat in Long Beach at sea level and a cabin in Big Bear Lake at 7500 feet above sea level. The Versa climbs the multiple 8000 plus foot peaks with ease and the manual transmission is great for going down the mountains. Ive had chains on it and almost slid through an intersection on some black ice. That was scary. Ive also taken it off road on dirt mountain roads and have had no problems.

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  2006 nissan murano - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By veronica omalley - February 23 - 10:33 pm

  Make sure you have the car checked out before making a commitment in buying the vehicle. These cars are traded in from someone else, then is not fully checked out by the person selling the vehicle. Too high priced for one thing, and also the mileage on this 2006 Nissan murano is too high for the cost of buying the car. It is a nice looking car inside and out but had a brake problem squelching when stopping which the seller was willing to fix if buying the Murano. Not good gas mileage according to the rating on the web. Only 20 in city and 25 highway if that. The vehicle is too heavy and is the reason for the low mileage. It was fully loaded and that was the reason for the price of 8,995.00 which I thought was too high in price. Still checking other vehicles out to make sure I want this car or not. What is your opinion on what I quoted.?

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  So far, love it - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Pat - February 23 - 2:33 pm

  Looked at GTIs, civic si, minis, Astra, the usual sporty compact crowd. Drove the Sentra Spec V and it just seemed to do everything well where all the others did some stuff better, but fell short in other ways. The Sentra fit my needs - more space, great mpg, Nissan gave me moonroof, LS diff, xm radio, fun ride but not brutal, torque means any gear pulls great. Love it!

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  After one year with our 2011 SR - 2011 Nissan Sentra
  By bridgecross - February 23 - 2:27 pm

  After 20 years owning various Hondas, we test drove nearly everything in this class/price range, and nothing even came close. This has a smoother ride than the Civic, better handling (by far!) than the Corolla, and is roomier than all others. So roomy, in fact, that the EPA classifies it as a mid-size sedan. With the larger tires on the SR model it feels as though youre driving a much bigger vehicle, and Ive noticed that Im sitting ABOVE Altima drivers! The styling is not as frumpy as some reviewers say, it seems to look different from various angles. From the front its positively sleek. Next to it, the new Toyotas and Hondas look dull. We have no regrets.

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  Like it but not keeping it.. - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Lucy - February 23 - 2:00 pm

  Since the day I drove off the dealer lot I have had a constant problem with the windows making a snapping-like sound regardless if the windows are up or down. I took it back in about a week after I leased it, told the service shop about the problem with the window noise and they said they didnt hear it. I mention this all the time I take it in for its maintenance schedule and no one seems to be able to "duplicate" the noise. Other people have heard it when they ride with me but Im sorry, the Nissan service shops are either avoiding the problem or are deaf. I expected this SUV to be somewhat quality-built, but with the window problem Im not impressed with Nissan.

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  Rear End Problem - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By 203 - February 23 - 12:43 pm

  After 43,000 miles the rear-end destroyed itself. Over the course of 43,000 miles it was used to haul a 1000 pound load 10-12 times. Other than that, it was used only for light weight items. The 4 cylinder version severely suffers from acceleration underperformace problems but the fuel milage is good. Dont expect the dealership to suggest that a repair may be covered under warranty. They may act like that the truck doesnt have a warranty.

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  I love my nissan - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By mother of five - February 22 - 11:56 pm

  I love this vehicle. It is comfortable on road trips, gets great gas mileage, and is the hottest minivan on the road in looks. I am sold on this van and will own another after this.

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  Could be a great truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Joe Herzig - February 22 - 9:23 pm

  I had high expectations when I purchased this truck two years ago. I have had two Nissans previously and had good luck with them. The Titan has been nothing but a headache since I have owned it. The brakes, water leaks, severe rust, engine ping, blue smoke, steering column replacement, rear end, squeaks and rattles, missing parts and pieces, and poor Nissan customer support. Nissan fails to recognize that they released a truck before all the kinks were worked out. The build quality was substandard. They forgot to install a important bolt in the frame which created problems and the only fix was to drill a two inch hole in my floorboard. That is an example of poor QA in Canton, MS.

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  Best of the 5 full-size trucks - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By D. Robin - February 22 - 7:26 pm

  This is my 5th vehicle and first truck. First 4 were all Honda/Acura. After signing on the dotted line, the Titan has exceeded my expectations. The throaty factory exhaust audibly transfers the engines power into a beautiful sound when you hit the gas. The Titan interior felt more like what I was accustomed to with Honda cars. All the early defects from 04 have been resolved.