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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  Armada 2004 - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Greg Navalance - March 28 - 10:00 am

  The 3 row AC vent on the ceiling broke because something hit it however it was easy to fix. Front seats are a bit hard. The Nav system is a bit cumbersome, I like Onstar better.

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  Nice truck. - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By davidscott - March 28 - 10:00 am

  My first truck. Previously drove sportscars (RX-7, Scirocco, CRX, Talon AWD) and an Outback. The Pathfinder is a capable off and on road performer. Handles like a truck - heavy and sluggish (expected). Still fun to drive especially off road. Good in the snow. Lots of room and decent towing power. Raised rear "theatre" seating is great for smaller passengers.

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  vspec > vtec - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By ks86 - March 28 - 10:00 am

  just recently bought the car and so far i really like it. the car suprised me with its power that it has. bought the car with 50k miles on it and theres a few minor repairs needed, but nothing too big.. this car is a really good value.. just as fun to drive as a srt4, but 10k less.. recommended :) (for all specv owners, throw a cold air intake on it, makes such a difference in sound and high end torque for less then 200$)

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  Not bad for a 4DR - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By indyman - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought this truck to upgrade from a 93 civic 2dr. I needed a family car, but also some thing I could load up with Home Depot goodies. This is a great truck and I have no real complaints about it. I decided to buy this truck after reading all the reviews on this web site, and I suggest if you are reading this review to decided as well, I suggest you buy it. You wont be dissapointed.

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  Overall a good van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Albert C - March 28 - 10:00 am

  SO far I have put 4k mile on it. It runs great. Powerful engine and confortable ride. Some drawbacks are rattling sliding doors and weird shifting tranny. I took the car back to the dealer and they did not fix anything but make the rattle noise louder. anyway, I spent a day and fixed the rattle noise on both sliding door myself; no more noise. Now I still have the tranny problem sometimes. Over all, I would give this car 8 to 9 rating.

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  Murano - very high marks - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By mz - March 28 - 10:00 am

  Just bought it, really like everything about it. Better alternative than a big SUV or a 4runner or Pathfinder. Especially for very tall people...this Murano fits very well and is very comfortable. Cannot find anything wrong with it at all - except when you take your foot off the pedal on level ground it gives a braking effect that you can definitely feel (this is with the AWD off and the traction on). Would recommend this Murano highly.

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  Close Compant - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By roy_h - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I considered the Audi A4, Volvo S60,Acura Tl and chose the Nissan Maxima SL (all 04s ). While the Audi perhaps had the best interior material quality of this group I chose the Maxima SL for its large interior compared to the others. Performance with the TL was essentially the same and cost was within $ 700. comparably equipped.I also liked the styling whereas the TL seemed a bit too boy racer and was similar in looks to its smaller brethern. The SL Maxima also uses regular gas and has more torque than the TL. (must be because its higher compression ratio).

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  My first vehicle - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Brusko1972 - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my Xterra a week ago and I love it! fuel economy is terrible but Im hoping it will get better after breaking it in. Anybody know why the 5 speed towing capacity is 1500lbs less than the automatic? Anyways, Im glad I bought an Xterra because now my ride looks much better than my brothers Jeep Liberty and my mother in-laws RAV4 :-)

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  Z Car - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Ned Paul - March 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned them all including Corvette,Mercedes,BMW, nothing comes close for the money.

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  Awesome - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Likechatting - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love the attention I get when driving this car......it is HOT!!