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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  I LOVE IT - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By knotything - January 21 - 2:00 am

  It handles as well as my BMW did. I tried the X5 and the Pacifica.They were overrated(BMW and underpowered (Pacifica). My Blue Murano has 24 ct. plating on the the outside chrome (front and rear) I saw it in the showroom and it was love at 1st sight. Today(12/06/03), in a bad snow storm, I passed alot of struggling cars(BMWs, Jeeps and other lessor Urban SUVs) in a show of superiority. This car is awesome to drive and turns heads. Nissan should have put the Infinity label on the Murano, because the style is superior. People still ask me what it is. One of my employees was upset because her new Lexus SUV was " not as pretty".

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  Poor Fuel Economy - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Look4Lin - January 21 - 2:00 am

  We absolutely love the look, the ride, and the comfort of this vehicle. It handles very well, but regardless of city or highway miles, the miles per gallon are not as stated on the dealer invoice. One other small design flaw is the headlight switch placement. This is the only thing we truly do not like about the vehicle. The switch can be manually used, or put in the automatic position.(Which we use.) However, the switch is placed on the blinker arm, and at times when you use the directional, you unknowingly move the position of the headlight setting. If they can improve MPGs and the headlight inconvenience, I would own Murano after Murano for life!

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  Eye Pleasing Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By FRID7 - January 21 - 2:00 am

  The Murano is a beautifully designed vehicle, inside and out. I get compliments on the design and color very often. After owning a Grand Cherokee with some disappointments, I am truly impressed with the Muranos handling, comfort and style. Im very happy I purchased the SE model and am equally happy I didnt get suckered for the expensive options. I got a great crossover vehicle for a great value.

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  Just Loving It ! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By bremax - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had my new Nissan about 6 weeks now. I was a little skeptical...gong from a Camry which I leased for 3 years and liked very much to a Nissan which I purchased. After all why mess with a good thing? I have to say however, so far I am totally satisified. I am really enjoying my Altima. It has a nice smooth ride and I am very comfortable driving it.

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  Nissan Maxima 2004 SE - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Warren Van Etten - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Purchased on 11/15/2003 Have had three Maximas starting with the 1997,2000 and 2004. Experience in all have been excellent. Problem occured with the 2004 while taking trip to NC. We had 817 miles on vehicle and traveling on RT 55 in NC and the sky view roof exploded and blew a hole in the top of the roof. We are in contact with Nissan and trying to get this resolved. Over all the Maxima 2004 SE is what we expected with the Maxima. This is a great design. The Sky View feature is what realy impress us and it has turned out to be a disaster Regards, Carol & Warren Van Etten

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  I love my Nisson - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By jdbalso - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased a demo vehicle with 4900 miles on it. I love the car. I previously owned only Chevrolet vans and minivans and have never purchased a foreign manufactured vehicle prior to this car. To date, my experience has been nothing short of excellent. I hope the service lives up to its reputation.

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  Best full size SUV - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By Jessica Woods - January 20 - 2:26 pm

  Had an Expedition and decided to go smaller so I went with a BMW X5. What was I thinking? Had the BMW literally for 10 months and researched full size SUVs. The powerful Armada has been hands down the best SUV that I have ever driven. Its driving performance is incomparable to any other ride out there. My Expedition had a ridiculous amount of play in the steering wheel and such a narrow wheel base that I felt as if I would flip over. With the Armada you get an extra wide wheel base and can turn on a dime. I thought that parking this beast might be an issue but watching my passengers freak out when I whip into a parking space without any problems is a great testimony to its control.

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  Great Sports Sedan - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Brian - January 19 - 9:06 pm

  I bought my 6 Speed Maxima two months ago, and i love it! When its working right that is. Ive had to have the VHT gears replaced, wheel bearing twice, hub once, both front struts once, and lower control arms. All work was done for free or under warranty. I dont blame these problems on the car but, the dealership who didnt fully check over it before they delivered it to me. The car is fast (pulled a 15.1 in the 1/4 mile at the track) but the limited slip diff is a must, other wise the torque steer is too much to control. Over all a Fast, fun, Sporty ride. But the Eagle RSAs need to go needs some Pirelli PZeros

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  Great overall car! - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Aldo - January 19 - 6:30 pm

  This car has been nothing but good to me, the only thing that I have changed out is the battery. I get about 26-28 miles per gallon in the city. It is a fun car to drive and own. I recently just made my final payment and I plan to keep it for as long as I can. I have seen older Sentras hit 200K miles so it looks like I will have it for a while.

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  I love my Rogue - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Jennifer - January 19 - 10:13 am

  I love my Rogue so much. I waited for a year until my lease was up to get this vehicle. It is my first SUV and I could not be happier. I got all the features that I wanted from the Wicked Black paint to the Leather seats and AWD. It makes me happy every time I get into it and take off down the road.