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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  IDWIN - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By kvg - January 10 - 10:00 am

  great car fast and i mean fast. i beat cars i should not beat example 4.6 liter mustangs, i also beat a 240 sx with a sr20det front mount, boost controller, and full exhaust.the thing that makes this car a blast to drive is the amount of torque from this 3.0 is really well used with a 5 speed.

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  My Third Sentra - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Ron Powell - January 10 - 10:00 am

  This 2003 Sentra is the third one for me. My first, a 91, lasted me for eight years and I drove that car like there was no tomorrow. Wish I still had it. My second was a 98. Although I didnt like that as much as the 91, it was still a great car. Now I have the 03 model. I love everything about this car. Its sporty (I have a spoiler), great on gas, love to drive it, and it has ample power. I definetly get noticed with this car. There is just so much greatness about this car. I am sure I will be in love with this car for quite some time!

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By jeg - January 10 - 10:00 am

  This is a fast car. Responds quickly in any gear no matter how fast you are going. Love the steering in this car.

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  Lovin my max! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxxx - January 10 - 10:00 am

  Great car! Superb handling, good looks. I am sold on Maximas! I tried Camry, Honda and BMW and went to the dealer Saturday and purchased the Max SL! Its an all-around good feel!

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  beats the hemi - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Jim Bross - January 10 - 7:50 am

  Traded in a 2004 dodge ram 2500 with a hemi and I thought no truck could replace it, but the dodge hemi has no low end power like the nissan titan.

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  06 Altima - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Cristy - January 10 - 12:00 am

  This car drives so smoothly. Easy, and fun to drive. Great on gas! Only fill up once a week going back and forth to work everyday about 30 miles. The newer body style is great too

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  Quality Truck!!! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Topher - January 9 - 3:50 pm

  I am very happy about my truck! It has the power when I need it and all of the accessories I was looking for. The large cab is very spacious.

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  Thats my baby! - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By tonia - January 8 - 10:00 am

  i bought a 97 GLE in july of 2010 and it was definitely worth the money! It has almost 160k miles now and it still runs really smooth and handles well. A maxima will give you a "need to speed" feeling. Even though im 411" and this car is already big, i definitely have the same control of someone who is taller. The only problem i noticed was when i was driving the front passenger side was making a "squeaky" sound so i had that checked out and it was because the sway bar links were rusty so i just sprayed WD-40 on it and it was good! i love this car! Ill be buying another maxima no doubt.

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  My nissan - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By jash1178 - January 8 - 9:50 am

  Great truck I have tested it in every kind of situation including harsh thick mud offroad and its like a tank. Great truck.

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  2002 Black on Black SE 6M - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By 02 Black on Black 6m - January 7 - 4:56 pm

  From my other review. 2002 Black on Black SE 6M 3/17/08. OK! What I stated before still stand, but we need to slam Nissan or the horrible, just horrible OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. This car does consumes oil. It will run normal for the most part and if your not careful and check the the oil level you can and will do damage to the motor. I keep a 5qt bottle of castrol high milage. After 200 mi of driving or so I have to add a qt or two of oil. Thats right! Nissan wont admit to this problem. dont bother with synthetic if it consumes oil. The burn off is costly with that oil. I tried just about everything excepting changing the engine. Good luck....