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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  WOW - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By MarkG - June 21 - 2:00 am

  This car is just great to drive. I only have 1000 miles on it right now so I have not taken it to the track but this car is just quick. It puts you in your seat and makes you feel like your flying. When you step on the gas you are in for the ride of your life. Warning to everyone, do not try flooring it around a turn unless you have some mussels to hold the wheel.

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  14 - 19 mpg NOT! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Mange - June 21 - 2:00 am

  We just bought our XTERRA and the amount of gas it goes through is a disappointment. Nissan declares 14-19 mpg and were lucky to get 14 mpg highway. Very disappointing. The engine also takes 10-15 minutes to warm up, which means that Im driving with the engine screaming at 4000 rpm (62 mph). When the engine is finally warm, Im still at 3000 rpm (62mph). This cant be good. We are looking to trade it in after 4 months.

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  A Winner - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Lancer - June 21 - 2:00 am

  I wanted to purchase a wagon to replace a Grand Cherokee Laredo. We considered Volvo XC, Audi A4, Passat V6 and W8. We test drove and bought a Murano SE AWD without the nav. system because it provided everything we were looking for with no compromises. Plenty of space for the dogs. A strong, proven engine. Comfortable interior with plenty of space. An excellent stereo system. The car is fun to drive. It does not handle like my RX7, but it is equal or better then the wagons considered. The CV transmission is fantastic. My hope is the build quality (electronics and trans.) will stand the test of time!

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  wow - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By lukey germyn - June 20 - 11:03 pm

  this auto is great. love to drive it. what fun and power. if you drive it youll love it.

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  We LOVE this car! - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Deb - June 20 - 8:36 pm

  My family trades cars about every 2 years. This Altima is a KEEPER. Who would have thought you could get great mileage in a roomy car that doesnt look like a cheese wedge? We are averaging between 35 and 36 mpg. It would probably be higher except that I do stop and go driving. We feel so safe with the front & side airbags. Acceleration is quick and braking dependable. Beautiful lines, quality fit and finish.

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  Interior needs help - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Richard - June 20 - 4:10 pm

  Titan is a very well made vechicle. I had problems with thr brakes and I had to replace the tires at 24000 miles. nissan repaired the brakes for free but I had to pay to replace the tires. I enjoy diving this truck and the space it has inside of the crew cab is unbelieveable. The only thing I do not like is there is no place to hang my clothes in the back without blocking my kids view and it also make it unsafe when the kids are in the rear. I hope Nissan will fix this problem so they can compete with Ford.

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  great first car and good for student - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By maxima_lover - June 20 - 10:16 am

  So I bought my max with 146k miles on it and it costed me under $4,000 on the road. Also its my first car, its the best and its fun to drive. I drive around 70 miles each day to and from work and to college. Even though I make 15 mile trips each way with driving hard, MPG is about 22-24 and I drive hard.But You never feel underpowered on highways and you never get bored with its audio. I think its the best car for your money. Its reliable, quick, cheap, fun to drive. My dad has 98 camry v6 and compare to my 96 maxima , its not as breathtaking to drive a camry as my maxima. Its VQ engine is the best- very smooth and quick-you can outrun more than 75% of the vehicles on the road.

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  aint no mountain high enough........... - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By TIMMAAAAAYYYYYY - June 20 - 3:56 am

  Great looking exterior. Fit and finish are excellent. Rides like a truck, but that is expected. Gas mileage is sub par, but the fun to drive factor outweighs the gas mileage by far. I bought it for my wife for Christmas, and she loves to get up in the mountains and take her new truck off road over pretty substantial terrain (sand, medium boulders, dry river beds) It keeps on going as long as you can keep gas in it.

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  2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Dan - June 19 - 10:36 pm

  I purchased a Toyota Highlander for my wife a few years back and felt the only new car for me was Toyota. I was so close to buying the Camry Hybrid but after reading reviews here, I tested the Altima. Sold! I’m a big guy at 6’4” 230 lbs and the comfort in the Altima is far superior to the Camry. Gas mileage is great at 38. And I think it looks much better than the Camry.

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  Dont pay MSRP! Great mid-size SUV. - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Jon, So. Texas - June 19 - 9:03 pm

  Just bought (4/06) my 2006 white X- Terra SE, pretty much loaded, including the Side Airbags and Tow Package (options SO1, W94, N93, F10, L92, B10, M10). I bought the wheel drive since Im only on the road. MSRP Sticker was $28,115, I paid $24,650+tax&title after the $1,000 rebate. Maybe I could have done a little bit better on the price, but this was the only X-terra with the side airbags in town, so I went for it! The power is great, which is a trade- off for the so-so milage... I like the power. The SEs options has some additional nice items (17" wheels, interior trim, fog lights, trip computer), but the best one is the 300-watt Rockford Fosgate system. Buy yours $3,500