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 second review - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By bstern92 - July 11 - 7:34 pm

  Okay, so its been a little less than a year since my first review and I felt like giving an update. I get 27 mpg with mixed driving and some hard accelerating and I get 35 mpg with a light foot. The steering wheels lowest setting is too high for my liking and the material is really slippery; it makes it hard to turn with one hand. There isnt a lot of leg room in the drivers seat for me. I have 90k on it and not one problem. Am I still happy with my Versa? Yes, even with these drawbacks, I still like my Versa a lot. I get great MPG and despite the leg room, it is very comfy. I get great use out of the hatch and the folding rear seats. Also, you cant beat the price of it.

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  Be aware - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By djcu1979 - July 11 - 4:03 pm

  My Maxima started having major electrical problems at 5500 miles. The seat and steering wheel move on their own when using the unlock button on the remote control on a random basis when the remote is assigned to one of the memory positions. Nissan claims that this is normal since 3 brand new Maximas on the dealerships lot do this too. The exterior mirrors move out of position on their own while the vehicle is in operation and occassionally when the remote is used. This vehicle is in violation of my states lemon law, the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and US Commercial Code, legal action is currently being taken against Nissan.

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  Picked-up Used - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By bmac13 - July 11 - 2:43 am

  I bought this car used from my father about 3 month ago. The dealers were trying to fleece him on trade in value for a new vehicle. My family was growing and I needed a larger second vehicle. I was looking for a larger sedan with safety and reliability, but with some HP and was fun to drive. After looking at the new sedans (2010-2012) on the market I could not find a vehicle that had all of the features of the 2006 Maxima and under 25K. I was aware of the transmissions problems of the Maxima, fortunately, I knew the history of this Maxima and the transmission has not been a problem. If worse comes to worse, Ill be out 3K instead of 25K+ price tag of new vehicle with less quality.

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  Very Good Vehicle! - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By getgopi - July 11 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for 8 years now. I live in New England and the winters can be pretty hard. The Max does a good job on heavy snow thanks to a powerful engine and effortless shifting. Wide field of view through the windshield. NE weather and roads can be hard on the wipers (need to be replaced once a year) and paint. Some exhaust components under the car became rusted and had to be replaced in 2002 ($150 at Midas). Using rust inhibitor at the local car wash now and then should prevent this from happening. Windows and Moonroof still function well. Factory installed Bose audio still sounds terrific. Climate control system continues to be effective.

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  Beautiful car - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By AceMon - July 11 - 2:00 am

  I enjoy my car completely and would reccomend them to anyone looking at a new or used car. This is my 2nd Nissan vehicle and have never been stuck by the side of the road with anything worse than a flat tire.

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  Not bad, but certainly not great - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By hfelknor - July 11 - 2:00 am

  The car will probably lasy a long time and give good service. It is a good looking piece. In side I feel comfortable. It has the same 2 ft deep dash as my last minivan. It has the same reflections in the windshield becaus os this too. Once you get it rolling, it performs well. That 3.5 is a sweet engine. The CVT costs you off the line. And the Economy that the CVT is supposed to give you just doeant happen. Overall a good car. But certainly not a great car. And it has problems that are PARTICULARLY irritating.

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  AMAZING - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By astros4lrm - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Test drove this SUV back in May of 2003 and loved the feel and acceleration. Nissan has done an excellent job, you could call this a work of art with muscle!

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  Lots of gizmo for the price - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Furby - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Fun SUV to drive. Very stable around corners and excellent brakes. Comes with so many features that Im still reading the manual. Drive uphill everyday and the CVT is smooooth. Love the HID lights. Added an aftermarket reverse censor to help with backing up. The gas/brake pedals are adjustable. Wish the steering wheel can move forward too.

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  MY MURANO - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By XRVER - July 11 - 2:00 am

  MORE PLEASED THAN WHEN I BOUGHT IT.

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  First review...1000 miles - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By KingsTitan - July 11 - 2:00 am

  We bought the truck on 12 Jan 2004 and in the last week we have put just over 1k miles on her. SE King Cab 2WD model with the Pop Bench Pkg, Big Tow Pkg and Bed Pkg. $1400 under MSRP was the best we found after shopping 4 lots in our area over 2 weeks. Out of 35 trucks they had, less than 5 now. So getting them far below MSRP is not gonna happen here in Socal. Were actually going to replace my wifes 99.5 Pathfinder with an 04 but after she has seen and driven the Titan it was a no brainer. $3k less than the Pathy. My wife just cant wipe the grin off her face. And to tell the tructh, niether can I. I love the power and feel of this Full Sized TRUCK!