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 first nissan - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By BOBRAT - February 13 - 7:30 pm

  My first foreign vehicle. Always been a chevy man. Worked for gm for over 23 years. I love this truck. The 265 hoarses are great. I may never go off-road, but i know if i have to, i can. And i cant wait for a serious snow storm!!!!!

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  Geat car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By DavidAAA - February 13 - 12:50 pm

  If you want afast sedan!

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  Nissan Value - 2016 Nissan Pathfinder
  By William Hart - February 13 - 11:57 am

  Fourth Nissan stretched over 20 plus years. Extremely reliable with great resale value. Nissan service departments have always been easy to deal with and I have been comfortable with their recommendations. I went with the Platinum trim to get the 20 inch vs 18 inch wheel, which may explain the slight road noise. It took awhile to learn the controls and instrumentation. I like the auto adjust on the steering wheel and the electric seat adjustment on the passenger side as well. I purchased the cargo protector which unfolds to protect the third row seat also when down; a nice feature. Overall, very satisfied with this purchase and ready to take my first road trip.

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  Love It! - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Versitile SUV - February 13 - 11:13 am

  After owning several Pathfinders I decided to go with the Xterra, and Im loving it! It handles more like a car than a truck and feels very sturdy on the road. Decided on the automatic instead of the 6 speed, with the 265 HP there is plenty of power. Ive taken it off-road twice and it handled amazing well.

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  Satisfaction - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Robert A - February 13 - 9:54 am

  I am impressed with the gas mileage. I have owned the Rogue since August 2016. So far, I average 27 city and 36 highway. Driving seat is comfortable but I would like another 2 inches of leg room. Plenty of head room. Storage space is ample. Wish they had a sunroof for the base model S. Still figuring out all of the electronics and the weather hasnt allowed me to test winter traction. Speakers are weak but this is a base model. Would highly recommend as a cheap all-wheel drive that is predominantly front wheel drive. Nissan wins with this one.

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  Cant beet the price for a new car. - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Roy - February 13 - 9:50 am

  Bought this car for my daughter and could not beet the price compared to other cars in its class and cheap on gas and fill-ups.

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  Awesome little SUV - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Pwrl3ss - February 13 - 9:00 am

  My wife and I are really happy about our decision to buy a new 2nd gen. Xterra. We were considering buying a H3, but in comparison to what you get for the price, the X made more sense. Dont get me wrong, the H3 is nice (under-powered though) but its not worth the extra $10k for it. I would say the fit and finish of our Xterra is as good if not better than the H3. The cabin is quiet when cruising around. Interior noise under acceleration though seems a little loud but hey thats a good thing because it reminds you got a little monster under the hood. The X definitely has power on tap, which was I think the biggest factor in our decision to buy the X.

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  see you later - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By jerry singh - February 12 - 7:16 pm

  i had a lot of compliment on this vehicle. fun to drive but too much interior noise and poor stability. nissan need to improve in these 2 areas. running a 250h.p. vehicle need some stability on the road. this is my 3rd new nissan i am very pleased with them.

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  Enhanced convenience and comfort - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By CarolAndDavid - February 12 - 1:56 pm

  Overall I cant imagine being more happy in any other van, but I wouldnt give 10s to anyone, hence the 9s. It drives and handles a little better than our 2004SE. Controls are more intuitive. Although still getting used to the new information display, its been very nice so far. Overall arrangement is a little crammed, and the center storage area disappoints. Although that could just be my unique way of using storage areas, unquestionably if you liked the ability in 2004 models to swing your legs around to get in the back area from the front, thats no longer easy to do. Phone and DVD systems work very well and the audio ROCKS!

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  do-it-all SUV and a great value - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By RP - February 12 - 9:43 am

  superb drive train with 6 speed, ample power for running at 2000 RPMs max through the gears (for acceptable MPG) or moving quick if necessary. Only turns 2000 RPMs at 70 MPH. Nice build quality, solid and quiet. Great for family, recreation, hauling, or off-road. The best price / value available in the market.