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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  Not Bad at all - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Daswatimtalkinbout - September 18 - 2:00 am

  the ride aint that smooth for the SL AWD but the road grip compensates for it. Interior material is good and the 18in wheels are awesome. The road and engine noise is noticeable.

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  altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By gkmjdavid - September 18 - 2:00 am

  very fun car to drive, still get lots of compliments on looks. needs lighting at night for door controls and cruise controls.

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  Best car Ive purchased to date. - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Abdi - September 18 - 2:00 am

  If you dont like your cars boring. Get the SE

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  WOW - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By KeeponpatH - September 18 - 1:43 am

  I have taken over my uncles car who drives a lot, now I got this car at 300,000 miles. Now its at 330,000 miles, and it still runs great. Replaced starter, need to replace alternator now, and other stuff like brakes and such. It still gives the people "wow.." when I tell them how much mileage is on the car.

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  Decent SUV - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By peter - September 17 - 4:23 pm

  Pros: no major mechanical problems so far. 4WD is great in the snow, it can be used up to 60 mph. Always starts up immediately, even in sub-zero temps. Gas mileage is ok for an older suv. Cons: extremely high engine, wind, and road noise. Poor acceleration for the engine size. Speedometer, odometer stopped working and cost several hundred dollars to repair. Rear seats are awkward to sit in. Cupholders are in a very strange location... any cups get in the way when shifting. Spare tire takes up about 1/3 of the trunk space.

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  Wow! Car - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxima Fever - September 17 - 2:53 pm

  Yes, thats right wow! The best thing I can tell you about the new Maxima is to get yours fast!

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  pile the miles on - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Tom - September 17 - 12:46 pm

  Bought this for a low cost commute for 800 miles/week. Bought it with 95K and after a year its at 140K miles. Ive had to replace O2 sensors, one spark coil, and half shafts (they werent ready to fail but the boots were cracked) at a cumulative cost of about $900. The car still drives new, looks to be a couple of years old and gets about 28+ mpg. The performance has fallen off some but it is still fast. The handling and steering are as tight as a new car. Pretty amazing.

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  Strictly Utilitarian - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By devilsadvocate - September 17 - 10:53 am

  Nissan created the Frontier XE with reliability and function in mind. It eliminated all components that are prone to fail: power windows, locks and seats and created a truck made specifically to endure a very harsh work environment. I used it as a commuter and motorcycle hauler. For these activities it performed very well. Of the 40,000 miles I logged on this truck it spent not one hour in the shop aside routine maintenance. The larger Frontiers are designed for comfort and performance but the XE is as rugged as it gets. The interior is composed of durable plastics and rubber. The bench seat restricts the already small cab but is overall comfortable.

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  Car of the Future - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By jackie_gt - September 17 - 5:56 am

  Just LOVE the new car. It exceeds my expectations in all areas. I highly recommend buying an SPX Level 2 EVSE portable charger that can auto detect voltage. This also charges the Chevy Volt. I use it to charge my Nissa Leaf. Plugs into an outlet similar to a electric dryer outlet at home and similar ones at my businesses. As of 9-22-11, price $749 + S+H.

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  MIXED Feelings?? - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By guyhazard - September 16 - 11:13 pm

  There are things about this Truck I love and things I hate. The performance as far as road handeling and power are Great, this truck moves when you put your foot in it! stability steering all good even at high speed. Off Road is very poor, Handeling is rough, I have had to replace sway bar mounts 5 times the last time with a beefed up aftermarket kit and instead of the joints breaking the whole sway bar broke off. multiple broken u joints, you might think im beating this truck to death, this is simple offroad washbed driving not trail running, jumping crazieness like I used to do in my Silverado. Paint is completely faded in roof, hood and wheel wells and ive hand waxed it 4 times a year .