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:

• 

  I love my car and hope it can last for a while - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By remnissan - July 28 - 6:15 am

  I got this car for my 18th birthday and now am 26 still love this car. My Altima is a beautiful car in and out, it is comfortable and rides smooth gets excellent gas mileage. Exterior looks stylish one thing the car interior materials are aging too quickly as my armrest has a minor split and dashboard around speedometer too but those things dont bother me because all I want the car to do is keep running strong. Got the equipped model includes navigation system, heated seats, blue tooth and power moon roof includes rearview camera. Ive done nothing but routine maintenance and replaced set of tires never a mechanical problem out of it only thing is CVT on these models are junk but other than its a reliable car. Believe got my money worth really love my ALTIMA wont get rid of her until she gets tired of serving me with me taking excellent cared of her she might just try her best staying alive making me even happier know that I can go out in the morning and cranking her up off headed on highway. The car has a four cylinder is powerful got lots of comments its a very stylish looking car would recommend buying a 07-12 model over 2013-14 models. Trunk space is huge could fit 6 suitcases without a problem this car is definitely built to last so equipped on everything. Just thankful that I bought a good reliable car these cars are so popular and reliable see them everywhere no wonder why they are best ever. Would buy another car from Nissan had a 1997 ALTIMA went 136,000 miles before retiring never a single problem reason bought another ALTIMA this one is best just some of material things arent made well at least engine performs well hope can last 200,000 miles its still running well purrs after taking off a sweet little car. LOOKING FOR A 16 MAXIMA NOW will update that review as well after purchase it all of my cars have been great. THANK YOU NISSAN!!!

• 

  Good bang for the buck - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By gapari - July 28 - 3:07 am

  I am leasing a 2012 SV, with one year left. I like this car is many ways - engine power, handling, interior styling and quality, exterior styling. Im very happy with my color choice - white exterior w/ rich looking tan leather interior. I would be hard pressed to find a comparable car with this balance of luxury and performance, at this price point. Interested to see what the 2015 will look like, as I probably will lease another. Hope the MSRP doesnt spike!

• 

  Crew cab mid-size frontier truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Susana and Jorge - July 27 - 11:43 pm

  Mechanical Performance 4.0 V6 Engine 265 hp perfect. 5 speed automatic transmission and suspension perfect. Frontier nissan 4x2 crew cab 2005 Its The Best! why? Because the Engine Immobilizer works better than Toyota tacoma double cab 2005.

• 

  Second Maxima - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Yelis63103 - July 27 - 4:30 pm

  This is my second maxima. the first one was 1995 and was totaled with 165,000 miles on it. the car had almost NO problems. just a few oxygen sensors and a starter were replaced. even in mid 2006 this car is still considered to be powerfull and fast ! i have enough money to buy Benz or BMW, but i still drive this because in terms of reliability you cant even compare this car to Germans ! right now i have 105k miles and i have changed: 1 oxygen sensor, AC leak, and 1 caliper pin, and muffler ps. i drive my car hard but take care of it

• 

  1969 muscle car with 4 doors! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Ron - July 27 - 3:40 pm

  this car is almost as fast as my 69 440 dodge r/t & my 440 six pack cuda! its been 30 years since i have had a car this fast& the best car since my 90 eclypse gsx.

• 

  Super Titan - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By FL BLZRD TITAN - July 27 - 2:36 pm

  This is by far the best pickup Ive ever owned. The ride quality, design, ergonomics are the best. You can not find a better pick-up on the market. The quality is excellent. I think it has a well thought out interior and exterior. Take a test drive and youll buy it. 17 MPG on average.

• 

  Excellent SUV... - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By ryanm3 - July 27 - 4:21 am

  Had the car only for a week now but purchased other Nissan vehicles in the past so I can pretty much attest to the quality. We looked at the CR-V (read about dim headlight issues) and the RAV-4 prior before purchasing the rogue. The exterior of the RAV-4 is bland and the interior is downright horrible and cheap looking. The Rogue is just as comparable to the RAV-4 in terms of cargo space but is dare I say.. slightly luxurious in regard to interior! We have the black cloth seats along with the moonroof which are simply beautiful. High quality interior materials, ample space, sleek exterior, quiet, simple controls, good gas mileage, and just a comfortable ride. Get it!!

• 

  1997 NISSAN SENTRA - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By dora5 - July 26 - 7:51 pm

  I owned the GXE Automatic for 14 years until my accident, and loved it. There are still many on the road. This was a great car!

• 

  Great Car for the Price - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Al and Liz - July 26 - 6:53 pm

  So far , we have enjoyed driving this car. It is very quiet except when accelerating.Quality of materials is very good. Gas mileage so far is only averaging 26 mpg. Mostly around town driving though, should get better when engine is more broken in. Only 500 miles. Lots of neat features , good sound system,high tech features,intelligent key, bluetooth, on dash lcd readout, cd-6 with mp3, etc. A big step up over previous Sentras.

• 

  A great car - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Igor Sushko - July 26 - 10:00 am

  The 350Z is truly a great sports car that is extremely fun to drive. Many are quite surprised to see how wide the torque powerband is. The ride comfort is astounding and I love everything about this car.