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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  Combination of Sporty and Luxury - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Hal - July 3 - 12:06 pm

  I purchased the Maxima a month ago, after owining a Dodge Intrepid ES. Althought the Max is a smaller car, it still has adequate interior room and trunk space. I think it is almost the perfect combnation of sportiness and luxury, and compares favorably with cars costing much more.

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  LOTZFUN - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Dave Craik - July 3 - 9:03 am

  Well, I sold a 65 GTO and bought this one. Does that speak volumes? The fit and finish inside and out is very good. No rattles (roadster),power top works perfectly and fast. The car IS quick ... as fast (0-60) as my Tri-Power GTO. Also, it performs just fine on REGULAR gas! Ive taken out new Honda Civics with after market additions on them. I love to see their faces when they finally come along side me to see a SENIOR CITIZEN has "flashered" them! They usually give me a "thumbs up"

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  81,000 miles plus - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By lynn - July 2 - 8:06 pm

  No complaints on trips. Gas mileage is great for its size. The comfort and engine pick up is fabulous. The tire replacement is an issue because the tires are hard to find unless you get them from the dealer and they are expensive. The tire pressure gauge is on anytime there is a major change in temp and is a pain because the dealer has to reset it. The brakes wear out fairly quickly, we are on our second set, and we have also replaced the bearings. Driver arm rest, not in the right position, replaced. The van still looks good! Even though it is FWD,it slips in snow. Low to ground and can scrape. When packed to the gills, plus bikes, still gets good mileage.Has gotten stuck in gear some.

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  you have seen it, drive it you will know - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By rhl - July 2 - 10:00 am

  i have driven most of the cars available in the market, but altima is the best. think about this that altima has most powerfull engine in its I4 class(without supercharge or turbo). if you know about any other car which has more than 175 HP without supercharger or turbo let me know.

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  Love my Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Aquia - July 2 - 4:46 am

  Beautiful responsive automobile. Can take the full clover exit at speeds that would put all except the Z & Vette into the rail. Just crank the wheel and give it slight acceleration, pay attention though, ya gotta straighten the wheel out in short order at the end of the clover!!

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  I love my Xterra!! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By kristan - July 1 - 7:40 pm

  I have had nothing but great experiences in my awesome Xterra. I love it, and never want any other car or suv. I plan on up grading to a 2005 Xterra soon!!!

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  Unbelievable Vehicle - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By bordick - July 1 - 2:20 pm

  Just purchased this weekend and it is an unbelievable vehicle. I traded in my Murano because of the gas mileage and this car has all the bells and whistles of the Murano....CVT, VDC, Intelli-key, Blue-tooth, rear sonar,steering wheel controls,XM radio, Ipod docking, Rockford Fosgate sound system with sub woofer...actually better than the Bose system in the Murano. Comfortable seating, roomy, panoramic views and the handling is superb.

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  Lousy dealer. Great car - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By nissan sentra sedan - July 1 - 3:43 am

  we have owned 23 Nissans, 18 have been Sentras. We currently also own a 2006 Corolla. The Sentra is more stable on the road and slightly better in mpg. Maintenance costs are very low. Note factory tires hold up better than the oe tires on the Corolla as well.

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  Very Happy with Murano - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By timd - June 30 - 3:50 pm

  Bought about two weeks ago, and have to say im quite impressed with the nissan murano, very responsive 3.5 v6, love the cvt, always in the right spot no matter how youre driving. Handles like a car, kinda of sporty. Love the rear reclining seats. Averaging about 22 mpg combined when taking it easy, otherwise around 19 mpg which isnt bad at all for this size of SUV. Glad i purchased. very solid, quiet and comfortable ride.

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  Great car so far! - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By kristian - June 30 - 10:16 am

  I absolutely love this car! I just purchased it a week ago and have fallen in love with it already. Great steering and maneuvering, great handling, size (inside and out), and space. I previously had a 2008 Nissan Sentra and felt that it was just too cramped so I moved up to the Altima and wouldnt change anything. I wanted this car for some time now and glad that I was able to move up.