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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  My first SUV - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By Leslie - July 8 - 4:40 am

  I bought this to replace my 97 GLE Maxima, w185,000 miles on it,the Maxima was a great car & had a lot of luxuries of the time. I was looking at Highlander, MDX, RDX & Lexus RX350. I love this car, love the exterior sporty look, the placement of all the knobs & dials for the radio & air I can reach all of them comfortably. I added all the packages except the DVD. The Navigation helped us find a Bank when we were out of town, although the screen is hard to see with sunglasses. Would have loved the LE for the IPod Integration & the Memory seats but didnt want 20inch tires. This was perfect, I also love being up higher and having a full view of the road but the handling of a sedan.

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  good - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By LeRay Warrior - July 8 - 3:46 am

  I have had pretty good experience with this vehicle... besides the broken axle... but that was my fault for trying to drift in a front wheel drive car in the rain. I have no probs.... never had a prob, and I dont think that any problems will occur with this vehicle

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  Adding rails to S model Too Costly - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Erica - July 7 - 5:16 am

  I love this vehicle but two things that irked me ( and others I have met online) is the ridiculously expensive cost to put side rails on top for storage. In order to get this feature, you have to pay 1000+ dollars US. This is silly and nonsensical.

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  Still great after 11 months - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By early74b - July 6 - 1:29 pm

  We were on the original resv list from 04/2010, picked up the car at the end of Dec 11. We have about 8K miles now and have been quite happy with it. Were in IL so in addition to the $7.5K fed tax credit they offer 10% IL EPA MSRP rebate and 50% rebate on charger + install. Weve averaged about 4.3 miles per kWh (which we pay 6.6 cents per kWh) so very cheap to run. Only maintenance so far is to rotate tires. Car is very, very quiet and smooth ride; so far holding up quite well, no problems at all. We use it on 30 mile daily commutes and 50 to 80 on each weekend day. Heated seats front & back and steering wheel are welcome on cold days!

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  almost great for the price. - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By anthem - July 6 - 12:04 pm

  missing some small things that I assumed would be on the top of the line model. no garage door opener. no locking lid for the gas cap. no lock on glove compartment.

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  i gotta stick up for my car - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Kindo - July 5 - 10:00 am

  when i test drove my se-r for the first time i knew it had potential. i would never had bought this car if it wasnt a manual, since the automatic fails to bring out the performace of the midsized fourbanger which from the cabin sounds like an american 5.0L V8. thanks to the rear suspension this car has great emergency handling, even at speeds over 40mph! ive gotten about 30 mpg since i put in the cold air intake, but that drops to like 22mpg if i race it a lot. no way will i ever sell this car! if you want a small, swift, fun to drive-and-swerve car, go for a manual 200sx se-r.

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  MAXIMA stands for MAX POWER - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By MAX X DEX - July 5 - 10:00 am

  It is a pretty good car except the suspension is the only thing (rear end) I dont like. hard hydrolics are good, its like M3. fuel efficient. timing chain. so you font have to worry about that. AND whenever you have a car, dont try to save money on cheap parts. I only buy original, in a longer term it pays off, cause original parts are very efficient and last a lot longer.

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  Love the Nissan Spec V - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Tattude - July 5 - 10:00 am

  I have over 30,000 miles on the car and its only a little over a year old. I love to drive this car. Ive done every engine mod including taking out the balance shafts and grounding the knock sensor and Ive NEVER had to take it into the shop/dealership. I still have a smile on my face everytime I get in this car. Great gas mileage and REALLY fun to drive. I highly recommend this car to everyone young and old. LJ

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  The best vehicle I have ever owned. - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By CarAttorney - July 5 - 10:00 am

  I have been driving vehicles for about 25 years now, road test many new ones though the years at the dealer and owned many--this Frontier truck is the best I have driven or owned. I got it new and put on about 65K so far-- flawless--maintenance only so far. Fun to drive, easy to handle, looks nice, lots of utility and easy on the wallet. I have been looking to get another vehicle for a year or so, just because I get board and want something new, but you cannot find a better handling vehicle of any manufacturer at any price below 35K. I have driven the Toyotas, Hondas, Dodges, Fords and none compare. Just an incredible great truck.

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  Out of the box of lookalike SUVs - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Psyched - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Its been said that this is the "Z" of SUVs, and I think Id have to agree with that. My FWD SE handles great, stops remarkably quickly, and is seamless in its acceleration. The cabin is comfortable and stylish.