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:

• 

  2005 Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Richard Gerhard - April 9 - 6:46 pm

  Fun to drive, mostly a well thought out vehicle. Would be nice to have auto driving lights and wipers that you can easily clean around. Love the remote entry, inteligent key feature. The CVT transmission is nice, seems to be plenty of power and very smooth. Being a truck / SUV guy, this is as close to a "car" as I want to get. Has been a good purchase.

• 

  Great Sporty Car! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By krismuszynski - April 9 - 2:47 pm

  Previously had an 07 2.5 Altima Sedan and LOVED it but wanted something sportier after a year of owning it. Lived up to exactly what its built to be, a front wheel drive sporty car! First trip was to North Carolina in the first week of owning the car, averaged between 70-75mph on the eight hour trip from Florida (may have given it the beans a few times on the hwy as well) and had a 31mpg rating both ways to and from NC. Decided to give the suspension a work out on the mountain roads of Pisgah national forest. The car handled beautifully! The ride is TIGHT though, dont expect a soft ride in the SE package. It is made to be sporty! Loved the car and would only change the turning radius.

• 

  great car for its class - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By cars129 - April 9 - 1:12 pm

  The nissan altima is a great car for its class. It gets great fuel economey, yet gets decent performance. My car has the tech package. It has Blind spot warning, lane departure warning, and moving object detection.The intierier fit and finish is impressive. The navigation system works well. The optional Bose sound system sounds fine, but not exeptional. It is however better then the standard speakers. The zero gravity seats are quite comfortable. Overall the Altima is a good choice for its segment.

• 

  The 2005 Nissan Frontier - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Emily - April 9 - 12:33 pm

  This is the best truck I think I will ever own. My boyfriend has a 2000 Nissan Frontier, and all of our friends have variouse year model Frontiers and we all love them. We will keep these trucks after we get newer Nissans as a second vehicle for whatever purpose it may be needed for. We will own nothing other than a Nissan.

• 

  Xterra problems - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By showcode - April 9 - 10:00 am

  At first I was thrilled, bought it new. But at 37000 all four automatic windows quit working and nissan said it was out of warranty by 1,000 miles so I was stuck paying for them. At 42000 miles the suspension became veryrough and after several trips to the mechanic still cant be fixed. Now at 50000 miles the air conditioning died and the back window wiper quit working. Im trading in the end of this month for a toyota.

• 

  Gasline - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By By2 - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Engine performance and quality comfort ride. Good edition spare tires located underneath provides good handling, powerful efficient torque. Smooth ride and easy to handle, whether off and on the road. A fighter for the Japanese engine makers with sytlish audio of the American fervor. A better tandem deal with the 4 Runners.

• 

  A vehicle unlike any other - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By jdiffy - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned this 2004 Quest for several months now and have nothing but praise for this vehicle. The center console takes a few days to get used to but actually feels like it belongs centrally located. After reading several website reviews on this vehicle, I think some members testdriving these cehicles need to own the van before speaking. This is SERIOUS departure from the norm in design, but it all works well in the end. Some reviewers seem to have a problem with the new design of this van. I am not one of these people.

• 

  Who would have thought - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Taqbiir - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Me and my wife, both like the Murano and thought it was the "Smart" decision based on what was out there. But it turned out to me more than just a "Smart" decision. After we bought the car, I thought I would hate driving it day in day out, but on the Contrary, "Who would have thought" !!

• 

  Sorry to rain on the parade - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By JRMOakland - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Sorry to rain on the parade but this car is a pain. Its incredibly space inefficient - my CRX was a much smaller car but had much more interior room. The materials are cheap, and Im aready having electrical problems w/alarm and windows after only a couple months. The ride is jarring and nervous. The ungulations on uneven roads are almost enough to make you hurl. My dealer experience was frustrating, despite having checkbook in hand, and purchase required returning the car to the dealer multiple times to resolve problems.

• 

  Gotta Love it - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Bobo - April 9 - 3:30 am

  I love my truck. Its rough but its not meant for comfort. Nothing i cant go over and nothing i cant clear. TIGHT vehicle. Its a gasaholic. I knew that though when i bought it. Everything i would want such as more storage and easier fold down rear were addressed in the second generation model. Its a Ballsy Truck.