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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  Liking My Altima - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Farkles - March 15 - 11:10 pm

  I am leasing an 09 after my 94 Camry finally broke down. I looked at Camry, the Aura and a slightly used Milan, but the Altima was more fun to drive, with lots of interior space and a more eye catching exterior. My Altima has been problem free and enjoyable from day one. It handles well, has easy controls, and gives some refinement along with fun.

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  A Family sedan car for REAL - 2012 Nissan Altima
  By doppel_110 - March 15 - 5:33 am

  We love our Altima, everybody drives it cause its give good MPG. I fillup and takes me everywhere, farther places and still last a week. Im a truck guy so I use to seeing the fuel gauge needle move daily but on this Altima it takes awhile. When I dirve I average 28-30 mpg combine with 40 city and 60 hwy. The cabin is roomy specially the backseats. I never seen a roomy back seats car like the Altima. The trunk is massive can probably fit 2 full size adults with some space to spare. Love the suspension not noisy and handles very well. I can park easily and maneuver around corners, remember Im a pickup truck guy so driving this car is mere child play.

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  GOOD - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By DNP - March 14 - 9:46 pm

  The only bad thing I see so far is that if you have the rear windows down by themselves you get a sound that is like a loud rumbling noice. Very unbearable only goes away by opening the front windows. Poor design!!! Other then that I love this vehicle!!

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  Not your average mini-van - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By blundoboys - March 14 - 6:23 pm

  With a large family of 4 children, we are forced to drive a mini-van. Ive owned 2 prior mini-vans in the past & always "felt" like I was driving a mini-van. With the Quest, not only does it not look like your average mini-van, but you feel like youre driving a luxurious car, not some soccer mom vehicle (even though thats what it is). The interior is amazing, my husband & I actually argue on whos going to drive it where as before I could have cared less. I love this van & would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone in the market for a new mini-van w/ a large family.

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  great car - 2009 Nissan GT-R
  By peter - March 14 - 4:33 pm

  this car is everything that I wanted in a car. There are a few things that can be improve like fuel economy. I am getting about 15 miles per gallon and that is driving at normal speed, going fast maybe about 11 miles per gallon. When starting the car in the manual mode the car transmission sometimes stalls for a fraction of a second because the transmission is calculating the gears.

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  Lost that lovin feeling - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By BassHz - March 14 - 4:03 pm

  the 2002 Nissan Altima is definately worth a test drive. This car majors in straight line acceleration and looks sweet from the rear. These are the two main reasons that I bought it. I thought Id get over the things I didnt like...odd looking grill/front end, cheapish interior materials, front-end wheel gap, mediocre handling despite a punishing suspension, wind noise... The newness has worn off and Im ready to trade but Im finding it hard to match the Altimas overall bang for the buck. Nissan built one heck of an engine and the car has gobs of space in the cabin and trunk. Id put it up against any 4-door car under $35,000.

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  My first Nissan - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By tishpit - March 14 - 4:00 pm

  Ive had the car nearly one month and put on over 1800 miles. Mileage is very good with an average of 30.8 mpg in mixed city and highway driving. Rides nice, CVT is very smooth and idles so quietly, at first I thought it stalled! Nice car overall, but not an exciting drive, but then its not meant to be. Does everything well enough. Only gripes so far is the drivers side sun visor hits the rear view mirror and therefore makes looking out very difficult unless you duck under it or keep moving the mirror out of the way. Wish it had a trunk release on the fob like my Jeep does. Good quality construction, but beware of blind spots with small, oddly shaped outside mirrors.

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  Good overall - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Brill - March 14 - 12:06 pm

  Needs a better reading of the clock and radio stations, there is not enough light behind the numbers. The numbers should be in readable color, like green or red, not black on a dark background. It is a major drawback in this car!

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  What a disappointment - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By tjniemann - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Upgraded from a 2000 to a 2002 Frontier. Shouldnt have. Same front end squeaks from the poor front bumper design: 2 trips to dealer. Mismatched decals and condensation in the bedlamp: 2 trips to dealer. Continual loss of coolant: Three trips to dealer, the last of which they decided to tear it apart and replace head gaskets. Thinking seriously about getting my old one back, if for some strange reason its still there...

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  Awesome - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Pamela0765 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  This thirty-something female has a blast driving my new X-terra.