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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  Thumbs up! - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By RUBEN HERNANDEZ - October 22 - 10:00 am

  I drove many popular luxury vehicles and this car finished number one on my list. Great choice among any luxury vehicle.

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  A few surprises - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By mbeach321 - October 22 - 10:00 am

  I am basically happy with the car but there were a few basic features I was shocked to find were not included in this model (2.5S w/convenience pkg): folding side view mirrors; adjustable lumbar support (even with power seat); and ability to play MP3 file CDs in the standard radio. After driving the car for 3 months now I can say that I really dislike the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and hate the droning noise the engine makes on hard acceleration. Lesson learned: spend A LOT more time driving the vehicle before purchasing.

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  A perfect car for me! - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By jaybird311 - October 21 - 1:16 pm

  What most of the other reviewers said is true without a doubt. I have had my SR for about 4 months and 4500 miles now. You get your best bang for the buck here. My SR drives like a car twice as expensive if not better. I truly enjoy cruising around in this car. It has a very high build quality feel to it . Yes it handles very well and even in snowy conditions. The SR body kit make this car really stand out from other sentras. It Looks almost exactly like the SE-R. However, I wanted a dependable commuter car that was good on gas with a sporty flair. This is just what I got. :)

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  Slot Car Racer - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By zman - October 21 - 5:23 am

  The handling with this car is absolutely amazing. It drives like the car is connected to the road similar to the slot cars one had as a child. It rides a little hard but that is expected and desired from the Track model. If you want great performance you cant go wrong.

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  Striking vehicle - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By WranglerDriver - October 21 - 12:36 am

  Driven my Terra for several months now. Great acceleration and fairly smooth compared to my Durango and of course, Jeep Wrangler. Have not taken it off-road but great on heavy snow with 4x4 enabled. It is a truck so not as smooth as a crossover, but I prefer the toughness of the build and the Off-road version gives extra protection underneath and better tires.

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  Sentras - See for Yourself - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Mama L - October 20 - 10:16 am

  I bought a 2001 GXE Sentra in 2001 and paid it off last year (a little early). There was one recall issue that caused the car to die, but it was fixed under warranty. Its not the quickest thing on the takeoff, but does fine on the highway and has a heavy, secure feel -- to me. I had a Corolla before that and its steering touch was so light you could run off the road in the blink of an eye. Its not the most fuel efficient car on the road, but its also one of the cheaper.

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  Just Bought an Xterra - Happy to say - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By DrBIGHead - October 18 - 2:56 pm

  An SUV was not the first on my list of new cars options. I really wanted a sports car but my budget would not comply. Looked around - for under $25K there are not too many cars I would want to own 3-4 years from now. With all that said - If I was going to buy an SUV I wanted a "Real" SUV. The car is incredible - tons of power, comfort and room. I paid $24K out-the-door for the SE - good price. The fuel economy is not great but it is an SUV. I cannot say enough things about the power of the engine. Like other reviewers I wish it had a better exaust - though this may be purchased later. Stereo is good though sub could be bigger. If you need an SUV I would seriously consider the Xterra.

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  Altima is full of pleasant surprises - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Bryan - October 18 - 10:20 am

  I had to settle for the 4-cylinder because of finances, but the trade off is not much. The car handles very well and looks great. It drives as nice as the Accord, is almost just as quiet, and definitely is more powerful. DONT LISTEN to what the "experts" say on the Altimas interior, they really can be biased some times. Nissan really improved the interior for 2005 & 2006. The entire dashboard has soft touch materials, the gauges have classy chrome rings around them and the speakers do too for an upscale touch. Everything fits perfectly too!! Ive driven an Accord 4-cyl, and the materials used on the interior of the Accord are only just as nice, if not worse. Extremely pleased with the car.

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  Armada - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By JT 2004 - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Not a single SUV that matched base model performance at under 33k

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  Best cari n 20 years!! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By ei519 - October 18 - 2:00 am

  This car is comfortable and I love the transmission.