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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  Review of 1999 Maxima - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By John E. Booker - December 23 - 10:00 am

  Experience wonderful. Gutsy 5 speed with lot of torque. Extremely confortable on long trips and drives like a dream. Car is very roomy and controls are well laid out and gages are easy to read.

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  Why did they depart from this design? - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Serj - December 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive put over 10k miles on this car since april, and there is only one thing this car is short on; rear headroom. The engine is velvet-smooth and OMG fast. Interior is of VERY high quality & styling on the outside gets respectful glaces everywhere. Niceities include titanium package rims and stainless kickpanels. Wonderful to drive on twisties. Fuel econo is decent at 80, but keep it under 70, and youll see MPG numbers around 28! Steering is heavy but responsive, and doesnt lighten until about 110mph. the BOSE stereo lacks tuning features that ive seen in much less expensive setups.

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  Feels more than entry level - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Michael - December 22 - 9:50 pm

  The car drives great. I was concerned when reading reviews after hearing that the car was uncomfortable to ride in, and that there was more noise than other cars, but when I test drove, I did not notice any of these. The car is as smooth as any I have ever been in, and road noise is no higher than any car I test drove, including the Civic. It handles a bit better than the Civic and other cars I tried as well. Where it really shines, then, is the feature set. No other entry level car I looked could match the Sentra. I got an auxiliary jack for my iPod, steering wheel audio controls, and a bluetooth phone system. Not even the Civic could match that.

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  I really like Nissan - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By JT3 - December 22 - 4:10 am

  I just upgraded to a Nissan Maxima. I loved my Altima, but it was time to upsize in quality.

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  I love my 09 Nissan Altima - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By sgtkeebler - December 22 - 3:22 am

  very fun to drive around in, and my comfort level in this car is excellent!!! I added on 20% window tint and all the girls turn their heads to look at me. What can I say this car just feels right for me. My last car didnt feel right at all. The engine is very quiet, and it is a undercover powerhouse best 4cly engine I have ever had, even comes with dual exhaust. I dont understand all these bad reviews because I absolutely love the car and have had zero problems since I bought it (not to mention it was a rental before I got it). I got it at 33,668 miles for 14,147$$. I love this car if you are considering purchasing this car I would say this would be the most efficient car you can get.

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  2005 LE 4X4 - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By john liming - December 20 - 7:36 pm

  Fun to drive, and has good power. Appeals to wide range of age groups. Youll get looked at in this truck. Has a pleasant exhaust note. Stereo sounds great. This is my first Nissan and "so far so good" I previously owned a 1999 F-150, and was ready to buy a 2005 F- 150, untill I tried out the Titan.

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  Guaranteed to put a smile on your face. - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Eric - December 19 - 6:53 pm

  This car will turn heads wherever you go. Little kids, men, women - almost everyone seems to go for the look of the Z. The 350s performance and handling cannot be beat without spending thousands more. The car begs for open road, which sometimes makes me wish I didnt live in DC. I took it out to my friends house in the country last weekend and let him drive it for a while. He got three separate raves on the car in the space of an hour. Of course, he claimed credit by pretending to be the owner. I had to reclaim the drivers seat before his ego burst.

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  Terrific van for travel! - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Laurie Fujimoto - December 19 - 11:40 am

  Weve had our Quest for just about 1 year now, and are approaching 30,000 miles. Its a super in heavy rain - great wiper design, windshield is sloped better too, compared to Villager for driving on highways passing trucks in the rain. Love the interior room, storage for chargers, ipods, etc. Automated back lift gate is great...even had good Nissan service when we locked keys in car while on road. Nissan Service department in St. Charles, IL is open late weeknights and open on Saturdays...couldnt be happier with the customer service hours and staff! Were road warriors for tennis travel...wouldnt switch for any other van and Ive driven vans for 12 years now.

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  Best yet - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By larbear - December 19 - 5:16 am

  We loved our old Murano and missed it in the recent snows we have had and the room it afforded to take dogs and gear. So we purchased a new one and couldnt be more pleased. The car like handling is even better and so are all the options. The Murano is just plain fun to drive. You almost forget it is an SUV. And the gas mileage is not bad. There is plenty of spunk too delivered through a smooth CVT that is also an improvement. The spunk though comes at a price - premium fuel. We looked at Toyota, Honda, etc. but are delighted with the Murano.

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  Road champ - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By brooksfam08 - December 18 - 1:26 pm

  I traded in my 2000 Quest SE which we loved dearly. I thought it would be hard to see it go but na, I dont look back anymore because this performance and ride surpasses the old. Our 2000 model was fully loaded but this is definitely a upgrade. This is our 3rd car and it is hard to stay out of it. I got a unbeatable deal which made it very affordable which Honda didnt offer. For the options I have in the Quest SE, the only honda model that could compare is the Touring but the price was ridiculously much higher. Nissan Delivers.