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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  2017 Nissan Armada is EVERYTHING! - 2017 Nissan Armada
  By Poisoniv - October 19 - 10:05 pm

  As much as I hated the old Armada, I love this new one!! This is the only SUV my husband and I could agree on and I love it. The entire vehicle almost exactly mirrors the Infiniy, for 20k less. The only "con" I can mention is that it sucks gas like crazy.....but at this size, they all do.

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  More murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By JIM FAIRBANKS - October 19 - 12:26 pm

  I have had all types of suvs from jeep wrangler to toyota seq. This is by far the best suv i have bought. In fact i bought two of them.

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  maxima se - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By croft3 - October 19 - 9:26 am

  Best car I ever owned.

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  Titan is a Winner! - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By dvalade - October 19 - 7:33 am

  I test drove the Chevy Avalanche and then the Nissan Titan. The Titan was roomier by far. It also had exceptional pricing and the buyer receives a lot of quality options at a very good price. MPG was within .5 of rated for both City and Highway. The only option not offered was a hard tonneau cover and outside cab roof lights.

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  Mad about Maxima - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Linda Byars - October 19 - 2:00 am

  I always look forward to driving this car. I love the way it handles. I joke around about this car wanting to take a road trip because it feels like its anxious to go! Am amazed at how quiet the engine is while idling. Plus, I love the body style. I think Im in love!!

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  Love, love, love, my Pathfinder! - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JG-Alabama - October 19 - 2:00 am

  When I bought my Pathfinder, I felt on top of the world. It felt like a luxury car, but still gave me the height and capacity of an SUV. I dont use it for any heavyduty work, but I have been so glad to have it when moving furniture, kids, and friends around. Its fun to have friends get in and say, "Wow, this is really nice!" Not to mention, the leather seats are beautiful. I only have 2 complaints: the turn radius is pretty big--its tought to make u- turns, and the rear door is really heavy! Otherwise, its perfect.

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  I love this car! - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Armada - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Real nice SUV, My friends have the GMC and Ford Full side SUV and they wish they had an ARMADA

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  wait until the 2005 comes out - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By chasmanz28 - October 19 - 2:00 am

  had a very bad resonance issue with my armada, tried 2 times to get it fixed and still had the problem, overall i think its a great idea from nissan just needs to get all the bugs worked out, the best thing about this suv is the drivetrain, unmatched if you ask me, thats what ill miss the most

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  My X-Terra - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By RARII - October 19 - 2:00 am

  This is my first SUV and I will buy another in a few years. This is everything I wanted in a 4X4 SUV and then some.

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  Stellar - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By jzire - October 19 - 2:00 am

  This SUV deserves a perfect rating with the exception that the style is either loved or hated by onlookers. But once you have a chance to drive one of these, all doubts about its looks are out the window. Its performance, comfort handling and power are so exceptional that this car deserves to stand out aesthetically. It pioneered the era of the crossover SUV. It handles better than my VW Passat and my Mazda Miata.