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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  2007 Murano - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By joey - November 21 - 9:06 pm

  This car is really worth your money. Stylish and got power when you need it. Great on the road.

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  The best for less. - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By dean_car - November 21 - 4:13 pm

  The four cylinder is quick and responsive. The handling is great. The interior gives you lots of leg room. The trunk is huge. Great car for the money.

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By P.J.R. - November 21 - 2:36 pm

  I bought Altima 2.5SL with all rings and bells. It was worth it! This is my first Nissan. I wish it was 3.5 lit but the saving on fuel prevailed. The car is zippy, great acceleration up to 100 km/h. Over 100 km/h, I wish I had 3.5 lit. The car is great looking - people often make a comment "Cool car!"

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  Very nice practical vehicle - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By MR HOFFY - November 21 - 12:16 am

  Nice car, smooth quiet ride, great mpg. On both city driving and highway the car has adequate handling and acceleration. The 2.0 engine and the CVT transmission are not sluggish. Plenty of room in the cabin. Build quality is excellent. The drivers seat is very comfortable with plenty of leg room for tall drivers. A cheaper car with more trim line features than Mazda, Toyota, &Honda. Remember the sentra sr is not a true sports car so dont expect it to perform like one! Its a great commuter car and fun to drive.

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  Totally Awesome Car - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Dave the Rave - November 20 - 11:19 pm

  I bought this for my daughter, whose used car was on its last legs. I am very happy with our Versa S 5 speed manual. Attention Tall drivers: I am 6 6" and I fit comfortably with plenty of head and leg room in the front seats. Rear seating has less headroom, but plenty of leg room. The seats are comfortable with lumbar support even on my base model. I do not feel like I am in a subcompact when in this car. It feels roomy. The AC is nice and cold and instrumentation is easy to see and use. What makes this car special, though, is how much fun it is to drive. We have the zippy 5 speed manual. I really had forgotten how much fun it is to drive a stick, and the versa puts a smile on my face. The gearing seems well spaced with just enough growl to enjoy. Braking is good and solid, and the handbrake is easily used to prevent rollback. The only drawback for me is that there is only one keyhole, on the drivers door, which I will hope stays functional. Having replaced power window mechanisms and keys with chips in other cars, I am happy with the crank windows and standard keys ( get a copy at Home Depot) that will keep my money in my pocket. Overall, for the price, an excellent value and a fun car to drive. Update: The above review was for my daughters car, but 3 months later my own car died. Because I continue to be impressed by this car, I went and got a Versa S 5-Speed Manual for myself. I love zipping around in this car. It is fun, roomy and comfortable. BTW the Bluetooth Phone system is excellent. Callers cant tell Im talking hands-free and I can devote my attention to shifting. I am very happy with my decision to buy two of these - for what I had previously paid for one car.

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  7,000 miles in, I would buy another - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By skoorbmax - November 20 - 8:48 pm

  Prior to this vehicle I had a 3rd gen Prius. I much prefer the drive of this. The power train is more responsive, and at low speeds the car is much quicker (though no quicker at higher speeds). I am in NY state and have taken this through a winter now. Including winter my average miles/kWh are in the low 3s. 3.9 miles/kWh that EPA claims are quite optimistic. The heat destroys range, as does highway driving. Nonetheless, at 3.2 miles/kWh and at 75% charge efficiency (120V charging) and $.11 kWh I am still about 87 miles per $4.00 in electricity.

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  Somewhat disappointed - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Daniel in Florida - November 20 - 5:03 pm

  Ive driven this car for 2 years. Plenty of power, very pretty car to look at from outside, feels pretty plush inside. Corners well. But unfortunately I have had a spat of maintenance problems. Ive had to go to the service 4 times in the last 6 months, for a total of $2500, for various things the car computer reports. Had to replace the A/C compressor at 80K and 4 years of age, but that seems too soon. I was faithful to Nissan having had a new Sentra for 10 years, a used Maxima for 7, both performed well and required minor maintenance. But this last one has left sour taste, and I will now try another brand. I think the 3.5 motor in Altima frame is part of problem.

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  For the non-boring personality - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Chris Roberts - November 20 - 7:30 am

  After driving quite a few other makes ranging from the domestics to Toyota and Lexus, the Murano seemed to give the most features for the buck without that conservative blah feeling. I have always been a fan of Nissans engines (a mechanic friend considers them "bulletproof"),though this is the first one I have owned- I am not dissappointed. The CVT transmission is shiftless and doesnt quite give the thrust of the same engine in other applications, but I feel the Murano is still one of quickest of the vehicles I drove. The safety is there for my wife and daughter but most of the SUVs seemed generally well equiped in that respect.

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  So far pretty good but some disappointme - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Momof3sons - November 20 - 6:00 am

  We shopped around for a while before deciding on the Quest. Overall, the price, appearance, and interior room sold us. Really impressed how roomy it feels inside with all five of us in there -- but we were disappointed with some of the interior parts that either fell out or broke within a day of getting it. AC vent on celing fell right out onto my sons head without even touching it, and a button under the steering wheel jammed in and cant be retracted. Hate to have to go to the dealer for that. I think they could have given a little better quality to the inside and a split bench in the back would have been great. Otherwise, for the money, good deal.

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  One year old and... - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By wnyguy2003 - November 20 - 12:46 am

  Still in love with it. I have the 6 speed manual and have gotten as high as 42 mpg, and this isnt a hybrid. I usually get around 35-38 mpg and that is combined city/highway. I do see that the cruise control helps a lot with the mileage. Love the way the car looks and feels. Could handle a little bit better in the snow as we get lots in the Buffalo area, but it isnt that bad that I wouldnt drive it or dont feel safe. I tried many cars before I bought this, like the Accord/Civic, Jetta (which was my 2nd pick), Madza3, Impala, G6... wasnt looking for a certain size, just what I liked. It has over 14000 miles on it now and cant wait to put on another 15000 this year!