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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  What the others are missing! - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By ted - July 16 - 4:06 am

  The Versa is a Renault design. Going all the way back to the Renault Dauphine, they are the only small cars I have ever seen with no front wheel well incursion into the passenger cabin. Not only can a tall driver stretch out, you also have lots of leg room side to side. It feels as comfortable and spacious as a Cadillac, to me. As I often rent cars to tour Europe, I am accustomed to the style and it is not goofy, to me. It is actually something distinctive. As the French invented front drive and have been making quality small cars for 50 years, I was ready for some Franco style and design in a Nissan package!

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  Great Truck! - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Marc - July 16 - 3:03 am

  Bought this (XE Crewcab) w/11000 miles on it. Had an 05 Impala and wanted a truck. Looked at the other trucks, but once I drove this I was hooked! Its a fun truck to drive and own. Looks good, sounds good, and with the power available, its FAST (love the acceleration, when you need it). The whole family fits in it comfortably and whats more, safely! I thought the bed might be too small, but with the tailgate down and the bed extension down Ive hauled a queen size mattress set with no problem. A little hard on the gas, but as others have said "Its a truck", if I was concerned about gas I would have purchased another car. Overall, an excellent vehicle!

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  Impressed - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Impressed - July 16 - 12:50 am

  I bought my 06 Titan from the original owner who put 88,000 miles on it in 28 months. At first, I was hesitant to buy a high mileage 2 year old truck but after having it throughly inspected, I was more than confident in its condition. Since day one of ownership, I have felt like a teenager with his first car. This truck is built with looks, reliability and POWER. I love the power rear window, dash, room and abundant storage. I recently added a 3 inch lift and dual exhaust. Grown men gather around my truck to gawk at it and listen to the roar of the engine. I plan on owning this truck forever. The engine is a little thirsty but with a V8, what do you expect? Buy this truck, it is worth it!

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  This Model Lives Up - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By Nat - July 15 - 6:36 pm

  I purchased my 1999 Nissan GXE new right off the lot. It handled great and fit my budget plus the warranty was decent. I added a rear spoiler and a nose mask to give it a somewhat sportier look. Other than basic maintenance (oil changes, new tires, etc.) I have yet to be let down by this car. And it has traveled quit a bit from state-to-state! Only issues: I had water leaking onto the front passenger driving mats when it rained heavily and the driver side power window died around 50000 miles. Neither was a major problem to fix. Most recently the key started sticking in the trunk (65000 miles) and the driver side visor broke (80000) but those are not major or costly issues to deal with.

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  2008 Altima Hybrid - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Don - July 15 - 5:26 pm

  I purchased my NAH in June of 2008 and the first thing I wanted to test was to see how it did in the mountains in New Mexico. We took it to Santa Fe and to Cloudcroft and it never hesitated up those mountain slopes getting 33 mpg on average with regular fuel. We went through a huge thunderstorm where many cars pulled over, we drove right through at 55 mph with no problem, great windshield wipers and traction. The Continental tires could be upgraded to a better gripping tire, but most people probably dont do much driving in the mountains. Over all the Nissan Hybrid is a versatile vehicle that will get you around in style wherever you go, hard to find one though.

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  One of the best Foreign economy cars - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By faruk - July 15 - 12:16 pm

  bought this car on finance, never had any problem, i drove honda civic 2004 also in comparision Nissan Sentra is better. nissan sentra & toyota corola both are better than civic. very strong body. my wife loves it. steering wheel is a little stiffer than corola. but its a little road rocket. as i have manual transmission on this car & actually giving me around 32 to 36 miles a gallon on highways which is great. i would never sell my car for a domestic. my friend had ford focus always broke down on him. he went and bought a sentra. american cars tends to start breaking down after 50k mostly because they focus on quantity, japanese cars are more focused on quality. believe me go test drive it.

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  Never Again - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Aaron - July 15 - 4:02 am

  I have never had a vehicle that has had as many issues as my Altima. In the last year Ive had an exhaust manifold crack, suspension issues, cracked axle, seized brake caliper, rusted exhaust covers, window switch go bad, key fob fail, cracked windshield, and intermittent starting issues that several mechanics have failed to figure out what the problem is. This car is a money pit. All of my american made cars were much older with higher mileage and I never had nearly as many issues with those cars.

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  Best Truck Ive Owned. - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By titan - July 14 - 4:36 pm

  I have owned Ford and Chevy fullsized trucks and Isuzu, Toyota and Nissan compact $wd Trucks. Without question The TITAN is the truck steals the show. No other truck compares as far as comfort, ride, interior room, and make no mistake about it the Nissan Titan can deliver off road, hauling or pulling. Put it on the pavement and this truck will Haul A_ _!!

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  Better buy the Tacoma - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By srl99 - July 14 - 2:00 am

  Dumped all auto tranny fluid at 1507 miles due to wedge left in cooler line at factory. Nissans response? Refill the tranny - you should have bought an extended warranty. Guess they dont know about service after the sale. I SHOULDVE bought the Tacoma and you should too!

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  2004 maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By cotton - July 14 - 2:00 am

  great looks,handles well,and the price is good for a family sized car with plenty of power and good fuel mileage. It has classy looks and performs well.