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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  Awesome car! - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Tan Pham - June 1 - 7:20 am

  I love this car! The car is awesome to drive. Must get the tech package! The tech package include leather seat, nav, sat radio, rear cam, bose system, mp3 ready, 6 disc changer, moon roof. Comes standard with dual temp, push start, smart key, heated seats and other awesome stuff. The interior is amazing! I love the dash board, esp at night. Looks very cool. I compared with other hybrid such as the camry, prius, civic and accord. So far, the Altima is the best with speed and cool gizmo.

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  Most Reliable Car Ive Owned - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By nolemonsplease - June 1 - 4:36 am

  We bought this car in 2008 with 17K miles on it and have been driving the heck out of it ever since. It now has 112K miles on it and so far all Ive had to replace was the brakes on it. Got aftermarket ceramic brakes with nicer discs. MPGs are great. I currently avg 29.7mpgs driving conservatively but the 4 cyl respond quite nice when you need to pass. The paint on the roof and hood is starting to fade and it sucks since re-painting is not cheap but I also dont keep it in the garage. The Alternator might be iffy. Just replaced a batter and the brake and battery lights on the dash are flickering. Hopefully nothing too bad. Overall it has been the most reliable car Ive ever owned!

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  A truly good car. - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By car guy - June 1 - 4:16 am

  Best model: 1.8 S Special Edition. Edmonds data and reviews are wrong. This is an excellent vehicle. Bought this used with 18K miles. For 10 months have driven car in the city or making short commutes. We also have taken two long trips of 2600 miles. I was a mechanic for years. Note: our other car is a Cadillac with all of the bells and whistles. 1.8 Special Edition model has good looking wheels and spoiler, keyless entry, etc. In terms of features it has more than our Cadillac excepting power seats. Interior is typically basic for an economy car. The leg room is fine for anyone under 63. Mileage is 33 with 1.8 Liter engine and auto trans. Handles well. Super sound. Nice car.

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  Never thought I would get stranded in a Nissan - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By victor - June 1 - 4:10 am

  Was searching for a reliable car to get me through college. Bought this car hoping it would do the job. It ran great for 3 weeks untill the transmission went out while driving. Had to pull over and get the car towed home. Now im stuck far from home with basically no transportation. Im getting quotes from $2.5-3.5k on transmision rebuilds. What a nightmare. do not buy this car unless you get the manual one.

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  Another Nissan - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By fourth Nissan - June 1 - 3:20 am

  This is my fourth Nissan vehicle. I previously owned an Altima 3.5 v6 and loved the drive. I wanted better gas mileage, AWD and an overall vehicle style change. I loved the look of the Rogue and although I was not sure about the power (2.5) I could not resist the overall interior and exterior quality and extras that were offered. I purchased the Rogue SL AWD leather package and absolutely LOVE the drive. The pickup is smooth and responsive and surprisingly I do not miss the V6 at all! Gas mileage is great for my lengthy commute, not to mention satellite radio to make my ride that much enjoyable. My husband finds the vehicle roomy, and theres plenty of space in the back for my 2yr old toddler

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  Great Truck - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By fxfdrvr - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Awesome Truck. No problems whatsoever. Plenty of room for kids in back seat but adults are very cramped. Plenty of power and tranny is silky smooth. Comfortable ride on long trips but curvy roads are a nightmare. Gas mileage is about 15-18 in city or on hwy. Very solid feeling vehicle.

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  comprehensive review - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By fry_ed - June 1 - 2:00 am

  03 Spec w/ 8k mi. What it has that its competitors do not are 1) torque 2)limited slip differential, 3) 4 doors. Hands down best value under $19k (fully loaded). Car has great feel to it. Bolstered seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, sweet shift knob. Red-lit dash great at night. Car is all-round performer. Tuned suspension and LSD enable it to handle with the best. 2 words: Canyon Carving. Gear ratios perfect for accel, although the Spec kinda drags (lots of wind noise too) beyond 115 mph. 6th gear short = rather high rpm (3100?) at 85 = bad on gas. Easy to launch, can lay down rubber in 2nd and 3rd. Decent aftermarket, for NA or FI.

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  I LOVE THIS VEHICLE - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By MIKE S. - June 1 - 2:00 am

  VERY COMFORTABLE RIDE. NICE SMOOTH SUSPENSION. INTERIOR LAYOUT VERY NICE. EVERYTHING IS LAID OUT WITHIN AN ARMS REACH. SEATING FOR 8 IS A GREAT FEATURE AS WE HAVE ALREADY PUT IT TO THE TEST. NISSAN HAS DONE MANY THINGS RIGHT IN THIS VEHICLE. TOO MANY TO LIST HERE. SEE FOR YOURSELF

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  We LOVE this car! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Motterns - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Only time will tell on this great car, however, all in all it has met our expectations! The gas mileage and emissions are not the greatest, but it is still the best SUV for the price out there. We drove A LOT of SUVs in this price range and were sold on Nissans reliability and service record. We know that this car is still in its initial life stage but wed purchase it again. It came down to the Mitsubishi Endeavor and the Murano and the Nissan dealer made all the difference.

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  Great with Reservations - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By 240Zto - June 1 - 2:00 am

  The auto locking mechanism has locked me out of the car 4 times with the engine running!!!!!! Sometimes when you leave the vehicle it locks immediately,sometimes in a little while and sometimes a long while or not at all with the keys out of the ignition. Taken to dealer and problem still exists. CVT is noticable in stop and go traffic, searches for proper location in slow moving traffic. Can the pre muffler below the front seats be repiped to fit in the tunnel for the rear shaft. This hangs to far down and is very visible and ugly when approaching the vehicle. The steering wheel mounted cruise controls SHOULD be illuminated for ease and safety.