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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  2013 Altima review - Nice car - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By txman - April 25 - 11:24 am

  I just bought an SL model and am very pleased so far. I rented one (S model) from Hertz before I bought one, and. got 40.8 MPG on a 90 mile highway trip with the cruise set at 69. That sold me. A couple of thinfgs of note: The car is very comfortable, but the S model lacks lumbar support - you notice after a while. The oil change interval is 3,700 miles -expensive over the life of the car. There is a 500 rebate on the car that I didnt know about until after I made my deal. I paid 26,300 after the rebate. I also rented a new style Malibu as well. It also drives great, has a nice interior and got 37 mph on the same trip. I found the cars drove similarly, but preferred the altima styling

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  Nice Machine - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Charockin - April 24 - 2:16 pm

  True sports truck! No problem taking curves hard. Love the manual shift on the SE. CVT is ultra smooth. Interior room is great. Poor mans BMW X5 and I dont mind being with this one.

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  A big & tall persons fun hybrid - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Mr G. - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I am a new owner and very pleased with first month of driving. I am 65" an 275# - too big for most cars and so have been driving vans/pickups - but I tried an Altima at an autoshow and found I fit great in this car. I have only owned for a short time but so far the Altima Hybrid performs well, has a quiet comfortable ride, gets good mileage (now averaging 31+mpg driving aggressive) , it seems to have good build quality/materials - I got convenience package only. I also think it is remarkably fun to drive - far more sporty and quick than my wifes non-hybrid 4-cyl Accord. Also runs in whisper quiet EV mode up to around 25-30mph - which is lots of fun on twisty rural backroads.

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  Disappointed - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By xray2 - April 24 - 2:36 am

  Bought new in 1998, and am quite disappointed. Almost made it for 12 trouble free years, then at 210,000 miles the transaxle fell apart. Replaced the transaxle with another used one. Other that that, the body and interior has remained in great shape. Hopefully the piece of junk will make it another 200,000 miles. lol

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  LOVE MY TRUCK - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By NELSON JOHNSON - April 24 - 2:00 am

  With over 100000 mi i have had no problems. the dealer is superb in quality of work and price.

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  Top Recommended Mini-Vans/Vans - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Tyrone Ellis - April 24 - 2:00 am

  My wife loves this vehicle! Before the 2004 Quest hit the market, she was very against purchasing a mini-van because the current selection lacked "sex- appeal" and "coolness". As a young mother, she only considered SUVs as an option. The new Quest changed that perception.

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  NISSAN QUEST - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By angel quezada - April 24 - 2:00 am

  Enjoy all the extra features especially the digital console and the powerful engine.

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  What a Ride - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Sammy 12 - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I took delivery on 12/24/03. The first thing I notice was how tight the car was and how good the ride was. Put the top down, turned on the heated seats and went driving. I received thumbs up everywhere I went. This is one fun and well built car.

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  Definitely a Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By DrZ - April 23 - 5:00 pm

  I purchased my Titan SE Kingcab RWD approximately 10K miles ago. Still happy. I could stand better gas milage since the best I have achieved is 17.5 on a trip but when you buy a 5.6l V8...you dont buy for milage. Had a Tundra and it was great for the first 50K and then turned into junk. Am pleased with the handling, ride, and the sound of the pipes. Had the passenger side window motor fail but it was replaced under warrenty. No other issues. Great truck... lots of power...and will compete against any truck its size for towing or hauling. Very pleased.

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  05 nissan pathfinder SE - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Hunter - April 23 - 3:36 pm

  Purchased a storm gray 05 pathfinder SE with comfort package so far loving it! My wife and I were looking at the 4runner and highlander but the pathfinder had everthing we were looking for performance, rugged looks and comfort. Looks similar to the armada, My friend thought it was a smaller version of the armada.I think nissan is starting to over take toyota in performance. This is my first nissan, I owned 2 toyota tocoma extracab in my lifetime which were great trucks with great quality, nissan looks like they are moving up with the 05 pathfinder! Lets see how it will do in 05!