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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  Disorientingly Fast! - 2009 Nissan GT-R
  By Nate - December 16 - 3:50 pm

  I only have 117 miles on the car so far, but what I can say is that it is really an experience. I purchase the car for a daily driver in Wisconsin. The ride is not that harsh, the gear box is a MANUAL for all intense purposes and the shifts feel like a good manual transmission would feel. There is a little too much road noise for my personal taste.

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  best in class - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By peacefrogx - December 16 - 1:36 pm

  I bought this car used (a year old) with 25k on it and have not been disappointed at all. Great power, easy handling, and abundant interior comfort make this a great mid-size SUV. Great site-lines as well as an excellent stereo system make driving both easy and enjoyable. The mpg (about 16- 18/gal) could be better but is pretty standard for this class.

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  3.5SR, Good choice! - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By vgvg - December 16 - 3:20 am

  3.5 winter frost with blonde leather interior. Sport and Premium package. Looks good and drives even better! A lot of power and great performance. Fun to drive. I mean really, really fun to drive! For instance, I can merge onto the freeway, going uphill, from a near crawl, from being behind a semi. Hit 70 or 80 without an effort. Before I an count to 4! Love the CVT. The Bose 9 speaker stereo sounds great. Its better than the Bose premium system I had on my 02 Maxima. 3.5SR Altima is a economical choice of a car that maintains power and performance but not the price of a new Maxima. At 1300 miles, city and highway avg 23mpg.

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  Attention Getter! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jenifersue - December 15 - 11:36 am

  Boy does this suv draw attention. I have owned mine for 17 months and since day one it has drawn looks, stares, and strangers asking me if they can get a closer look. I can see why, I like to look at it too, I love the color (woodland bronze) and how unique it is. I drove several suvs when trying to decide on one, and the fact that you dont see a lot of pathfinders on the road is what sold me on it. I went from a minivan to this and can not even believe the power! I also love the dvd for my 3 boys and the cargo space for traveling. I too can not roll my rear d. side window up, but my 4 year old can do it himself with the rear control. It just cant be operated from the driver seat.

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  so far, so good - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By jasmine - December 15 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE HAD THE ARMADA FOR ONLY 1 WEEK, BUT I WANTED TO WRITE A REVIEW WHILE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY. WE DID NOT GO TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BUY AN ARMADA, WE WERE GOING TO CHECK OUT THE PATHFINDER. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD DRIVEN ONE BEFORE AND LIKED IT. WELL, MY HUSBAND IS ABOUT 62" WITH LONG LEGS AND THE PATHFINDER WAS NOT A GOOD FIT. THE SALESPERSON SUGGESTED WE TEST THE ARMADA. WE FELL IN LOVE, I WENT HOME, DID SOME RESEARCH ON-LINE. WE WENT BACK AND BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND GAVE IT TO ME TO DRIVE THIS FIRST WEEK. I WORK ABOUT 20 MILE FROM MY HOME, I AM AN AVON LADY ALSO, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE RUNNING AROUND I DO, ALL I CAN SAY IS "SO FAR, SO GOOD" I LOVE IT.

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  VERY GOOD CAR FOR THE MONEY - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Row - December 15 - 10:00 am

  my wife and i brought the 2004 model used we both like the car very much but the only problem is the back seat i would like to see more room in the back seat .But overall we really like thecar for the price and looks for a compact car in it class .we could not afford the honda accord not at this time but we are please

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  Daily Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By ben flores - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Overall, I give the Quest 2004 a 9 out of 10. Ive driven its 2 major competitors,Sienna and Oddysey, and I favor the Quest for its power, stability and style. It drives like a car and can make turns very easily unlike the Oddysey which can only make wide turns. On the other hand, Sienna is a much quieter ride but it lacks the power of the Quest which a car enthusiast like me looks for. The Quest engine roars smoothly as you accelerate and shifts like a sports car. One downside I observe is the glare on the dashboard and the "hard to learn" controls of the front console. The interior design is both unique and futuristic which makes the Nissan Quest on top of its competitors.

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  Its a blast and ego booster - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By jlim - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Great design with matching performance and quality. Owned over 25 autos/trucks, from Ford to Lexus, and the 350Z is the most bang for the buck. The Z is a true sports car and before purchase, test drove the G35 coupe, Corvette, RX8, and Boxster. The Z shines and is well worth a serious look.

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  Pros are Wrong, Drivetrain is Strong - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By kevin - December 15 - 5:30 am

  I find the power and the CVT to be very adequate. On the freeway at even 80 mph the pickup is outstanding for such a vehicle. The handling is precise and the road feel is excellent. I see no downsides to this vehicle. I get almost 23 mpg at 80 on the freeway, and about 20 around town.

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  Great for high miles - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By great for high miles - December 14 - 9:56 pm

  I drive 300 miles a day on a route, mostly highway miles, and this Nissan performs very very well. On a good day, I can AVERAGE 40.58 mpg! The worst I got was 37 mpg. All with great power and really good comfort. Id highly recommend this car to everyone, based on performance.