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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  what a true classic - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By terry pritchard - January 23 - 6:06 am

  What a treat to drive. Im in love with this machine all ready. It truly exceeded my expectations.

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  Best Bang For Your Bucks! - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By vikingsfan3 - January 22 - 11:12 pm

  I have owned my 2014 Nissan Ultima for 2 weeks now and my wife and I are (extremely pleased), I have had my eye on this car for about a year. I wanted to purchase a vehicle that would give me the most overall value, quality, for my money and a vehicle under $25,000 with all the features I like. And that was the 2014 Ultima. We test drove the base model and that was nice. But I wasnt going to leave the lot without having a spoiler and remote start. After a little haggling and negotiating about those two features, the salesman found one with the Sports Value package. Spoiler, Remote Start, and 16" Alloy Wheels. We walked away with that added package for the price of the base model.

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  I know, I have one - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By harold - January 22 - 8:50 pm

  The body style is what renders the most compliments from friends. The performance is wonderful. The best car ive owned. Fifty five years old florida man

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  I love my Versa - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By pantherhawk27263 - January 22 - 8:46 pm

  I bought my Versa at the end of September, 2008. I love everything about it. Ive had only one problem (a faulty gas cap causing the check engine light to come on) and I have only two things I could complain about. 1) I would like a lock that can be opened with the key on the hatch door, and 2) the heater/defroster seems to take longer to warm up than any other car Ive owned. Item 1 could probably be solved by having power locks, but I didnt want them so I have to unlock the drivers door to unlock the hatch. I also disagree with reviews complaining of a lack of performance. I cant keep this car at the speed limit! I have a manual transmission, so that may the difference. Buy one these!

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  Tire trouble - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By fred w - January 22 - 1:33 pm

  I had the truck for one day and took it back to the dealership for severe vibration with rear tires. The service manager told me this was a problem on some trucks and to come back in 1000 to 1500 miles if I still had the problem. Took it back next day and they changed both rear tires after the computer said they were out of specs.

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  You Should Buy an 06 Nissan Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Terry - January 22 - 1:33 pm

  The Altima is very under-rated when compared with the Camry & Accord. It is better than good on gas mileage, very spacious inside, beautiful outside and a pleasure to drive on long trips or around town. Im proud to own this car. (Please note that this is my 2nd. Altima, Ive owned an Accord & currently own 2 Corollas).

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  Great Vehicle!! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Lesley Bowen - January 22 - 10:10 am

  This has been a excellent vehicle, no problems at all, and we now have over 40K miles on it. May lease another one.

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  i love this car - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By peter f. - January 22 - 7:05 am

  i keep reading how people have issues with power.have any of you ever driven a car with overdrive before?overdrive is like the fifth gear in a manual,it is only for highway driving.city driving and back roads you turn off overdrive.when i drive mine and am getting on the highway my overdrive is off until i get up to speed and think it has great pickup.i havent had any other problems like the muffler issue or bad allignment.did have to change fuel injectors but not in an amount of time that would make me think it is substandard.had a bad o2 sensor,same story.i would buy this car again

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  Lovin it so far - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By ers - January 22 - 4:30 am

  Ive had the SL for three weeks and I love it. I considered an Avalon, a G35x, a Passat, and the Maxima. For me, it was the best combination of sportiness, size, reliability and looks.

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  Transmission Issues - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By P brown - January 22 - 1:32 am

  I brought this car brand new in 2006. Around 40,000 miles the transmission started to slip. I called the dealership and of course they said there are no issues with the transmission, this is the first time weve heard of this, yeah right. Called 1-800-Nissan but they werent any help either. I had all my service records but I just didnt get the car serviced at the dealership so they said there was nothing they could do since the dealership didnt service the car. 82000 miles in rush hour traffic the transmission goes completely out. The car was towed to the dealership who gave me a discount and put in a new transmission for $3,200.