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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  Maxima Cranks - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By darren - November 25 - 4:16 am

  Bought the car second hand, just love it!!. Have had no troubles with it other than new rotors which is normal.The Maxima is SO QUICK off the line and can surprise Mustangs and other muscle cars. Shes good on gas too. LOVE IT!!

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  My beautiful Pathfinder - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By LOVETHESUV - November 24 - 11:20 pm

  Bought this Pathfinder up in Minneapolis. I love this truck. Its so much fun to drive. Its 5 speed 4x4. It seats higher than all other SUVs and Jeeps. Lots of ground clearance. Love the durability of the interior and exterior. The engine really roars! Great power. Must have 5 speed with this truck! I enjoy this truck so much. I already replaced all hoses and belts, air filter and oil change. I spent $400 getting it repainted so it looks brand new! It turns heads. Love the seats. I feel very safe in my pathfinder. Only problem here is.......drumroll please....It needs a new manual tranny rebuilt and thats gonna cost me about $1500 to 2500. Ouch. But this truck will last4evR

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  Why go American? - 2010 Nissan Titan
  By C.Spencer - November 24 - 10:53 pm

  The 2010 Nissan pro 4x is a dream to drive. The locking differential works really well. Plenty of power under the hood, I test drove a 2010 Dodge about 1 hour before I got my Titan, the Dodge doesnt compare with speed or power. The captains chairs make the driving experience much more fun on the open road. The Nissan turns shorter then the Dodge as well. No matter how you drive the truck 17 mpg is all your gonna get on the highway. The Titan is always ready to through you back into your seat. The tow mode works really well when towing campers and trailers. The trailer break set up works really well. Just a great truck no matter how you look at it

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  Excellent compitition for thr big three - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Mac - November 24 - 3:40 pm

  The big three have something to worry about. My 2005 Nissan Titan LE cost less than the same equiped Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-Series, or Dodge Ram Pickup and I feel its a better built truck.

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  MY first car review - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By 1.8 S - November 24 - 11:43 am

  I love it!, I t is so much fun to drive and the turning radius is amazing! i love it! Easy to park and a blast to drive!

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  From a Max to a Murano - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Jim7689 - November 24 - 8:30 am

  I just turned in my 04 Maxima SL for a Murano SL with all the goodies. Seats are great, drive is smooth and does not roll like some other SUVs. Turns much sharper that my Max did, real nice for pulling into my garage. I actuaaly get better gas mileage than I got on my Maxima. I travel for business and Im sure this will meet all of my needs.

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  Does what I bought it to do. - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By mattman - November 23 - 9:56 pm

  While I havent reached sticker highest is 35 lowest is 29 in 20K miles with routine service (in NJ with crappy winter gas, traffic & horrible roads). Ive had a few trim piece issues but thats it (havent lost a hub). Bought it to carry lots of stuff (does), get good hwy mpg for my commute (does), comfortable seats (yep), cheap payment (you bet), not breakdown (doesnt). One errant pass airbag rattle that only comes out in winter would be my only nagging complaint, but even that is seasonal. Keep tires @ correct pressure and light wont come on; duh. Easy oil changes for the DIY types like myself. A- from me.

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  a miata with a truck bed attached! - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By bpm - November 23 - 2:00 am

  This is a great truck. I have not had any problems. It is fast, fun to drive and handles great. the seats are very comfortable and the cd changer is really good. The only dislike so far is a few minor squeaks and rattles and the premium fuel requirement for the supercharger will cost you!

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  Extremely Satisfied - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By New Black SE - November 23 - 2:00 am

  Im a former Neon owner so this was a huge step up for me from what I was used to. I have less than 100 miles on it so I can only speak from limited experience. All 10s except for 2 9s: 1) Fun to Drive- very fun but I am extremely cascious being new to all this horsepower. 2)Fuel Economy- good gas mileage but shouldnt of made it require premium.

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  Fun to drive - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By hu_guy - November 23 - 2:00 am

  This 2.5L engine feels more like a v6. Nice comfortable ride. Seat design rules.