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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  For Better or Worst - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By AltimaMan08 - July 13 - 4:03 pm

  I was extremely impressed from the altima the first time I drove it. I compared it to the accord which was Nice but it was pricy and only had a 5spd, and to the Camry which had the crapyest cluch feel of amy car ive ever driven, was difficult to hold to floor. I love the keyless everything, very convenient for me bc im a delivery driver and am in and out of my car hundreds of times a day, gas mileage varies widely, when lead- footing it around town I have gotten as low as 20 mpg (burn out at every stoplight driving) to an extreme 40 mpg highway (55-65 mph), my best is 700 miles to one tank of gas. Which holds 20 gal. The best in its class

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  My Horse Barn Truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Cate - July 12 - 5:20 pm

  It is a truck. Dont expect a car ride. Love the truck itself. Hate the gas mileage but it is 4WD. Gets me where I am going. Plenty of "Lets Go!".

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  RPM GLE 2001 - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By vdhoopati - July 11 - 10:00 am

  Superb Performance with excellent riding comfort. Trouble free start and smooth ride. The Best car in its range

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  2007 frontier se 4x4 - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Rod F. - July 10 - 5:10 pm

  I would agree with most of what I have read about this truck, I traded a 2003 ranger 4 liter,4wd, the ranger was 4:10 gears and would outperform the nissan in 1/4 mile, the nissan is quiet, good ride, eye appealing, nice and roomy compared to the ranger, seats take some adjustment to get right, console is short,mileage is about the same as the ranger (less than 20 mpg) I have been a Ford truck guy for years--so far I am pleased with the nissan. I would have liked the cruise controls to light up, se with the value truck package is a good buy in my opinion.

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  Great car!! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Dan - July 10 - 2:33 pm

  Got my coupe at the end of October after waiting over a month for it to be made in Japan. I wanted to have a specific configuration so I had to wait for it to be custom made and shipped over. It was worth the wait!!! It drives like a dream and looks like it is moving even when its parked. The CVT is exactly as they advertise it. I drive in an area with a lot of hills and never feel the car shift. I suggest getting the SL package if possible as it adds many great features that really give it the feeling of a luxury car.

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  My Nissy - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Craig Stroud - July 9 - 10:53 pm

  I used to have a serious dislike of altimas. I portayed them as a females car. Well, my mom owned a 98 Altima that I drove sometime and fell inlove with it. I had to get my own. So I bought a 99" GLE. The interior is so comfortable, and the handling is awesome. I upgraded the tires to 205s and man, she takes a 30 mph curve at 70 with easy. Needless to say, no matter how many other cars I buy.....Im keeping her til the last panel falls off.

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  Excellent value and very versatile - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By 280zthuziest - July 9 - 7:30 pm

  My first car was a 280Z. While I prefer my 2008 Maximas ride personally, if I were in the market for a new car I would probably choose the V6 Altima since it has the same engine and _much_ better mpg (~27 vs my 22 average). It has the standard 18" alloys that were an option on my 08 Maxima and is a IIHS Top Safety Pick + which is the highest possible. Its also a bit slimmer which I prefer.

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  Perfect - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By David Reznik - July 9 - 3:45 pm

  Excellent ride and technology. Love my new crossover!

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  Great Truck - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Bob Robertson - July 9 - 8:06 am

  I traded in a 2006 GMC Duramax for this Nissan Pro 4X and I am very happy with my decision. I have pulled loads up to the max towing weight and had no problems at all. I love the interior room and all of the great storage compartments. The Rockford Fosgate audio system is great! I love the bluetooth for my phone and the ride and handling are awesome.

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  Love My Car! - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Heidi Kolb - July 8 - 11:16 pm

  In the past 10+ years Ive had the opportunity to own some really great high performance cars: corvettes, mercedes, BMWs. This little Nissan is by far my favorite car of all time! It fits me like a glove and is a blast to drive! In a few of the other high performance cars I was not as comfortable with the drive or the performance. This car truly feels like an extention of me. It also attracts some attention which is always fun! I love the fact that I see very few other Nissan 350Z Convertibles when I am out ~ and there seems to be a corvette or BMW at every corner. It is really fun to drive something that looks and feels special. I plan to keep this car for a very long time.