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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  Love it! - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By JCG - August 25 - 7:16 pm

  I miss the fuel economy of my old 1993 Mazda B2200 but the smooth, quiet ride and great acceleration on the highway are so much better than the Mazda ever was and I got a great deal. This truck is also fun to drive with very little road noise. It takes a little while to get used to the quick response when turning the steering wheel. I may change my tune if gasoline hits $4.00 per gallon again but right now im extremely pleased with my purchase.

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  RWD ... iSlide - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By ak805x - August 25 - 1:36 pm

  This is a very great car to drive. My car is the base model 350z coupe. Has less "features" than the other models. Doesnt have the stereo unit controls on the steering wheel. Steering wheel seems a bit less sporty than what you get out of most other sports cars. The power is great, and sounds great especially with dual intakes! Definitely a head turner and Im always getting props. Base Model comes without Traction Control System and the Limited Slip Differential. Meaning, you have to be VERY careful when taking turns and gassing it. You can easily lose control. Which is a reason why professional drifters prefer this model because you can slide everywhere. Donuts are easy. Very fun car.

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  Its a great car,Id buy another one. - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By Wayne Johnson - August 25 - 2:33 am

  I just bought my 1998 Altima a week ago and I love the car, it is in excellent condition. It is very comfortable, spacious, tight, handles well, and runs very strong. To keep within the speed limit I have to use Cruise Control and that is with the 4 cylinder! My only complaint is that there is a moderate amount of road noise,especially from the agressive 60 series tires. That aside, Id buy a new one after I own this one a little while and Ive heard from many people that if you change oil regularly and keep up with an Altima, you should be able to get 225,000 to 250,000 miles out of them easily. The many car Ads I saw proved this out. Enough said.

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  expensive and troublesome - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Jon Belenger - August 25 - 12:03 am

  Bought this car in June 09 been back to the dealer 3 times for a service engine light code. They say that the code is the evap sys. but cannot find any leaks. Had an 04 Nissan sedan prior to this and never had a problem. The 09 Nissan Coupe is very stylish on the outside but the interior is cheesy and the stereo speakers already buzz, and the road noise is terrible. Very disappointed with the overall build quality. As usual you pay more ,and get less. This is my wifes car and she says it is fun to drive. I drive an 04 Chevy colorado pu and it is quieter than the Nissan. Do yourself a favor buy American!

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  A bit bouncy - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Dave - August 23 - 1:50 pm

  After months of careful research and test driving other vehicles, I finally decided on the Murano. While the vehicle has so many great qualities, including a fantastic interior, comfortable seats, and great ergonomics, I wish I had taken a bit more of an extensive test drive in the vehicle I took home. While the vehicle isolates road "bumps" my particular example has this sort of undulating bouncy character to it which is especially noticeable on surface streets. It is smoothed out somewhat at speed on the freeway but is still noticeable. Anyway, it is a bit annoying to say the least and definitely is detracting from the excitement that should come with a new care. Take a long test drive!

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  Good purchase for the price - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By snottygirl - August 21 - 12:03 am

  I just purchased this car (base S version without any options) 2 days ago, love it so far. Much bigger than expected, good road performance with the CVT, it just takes some time getting used to the no shifting thing, lock out the OD in hilly sections and enjoy the ride. While more features would be nice the cost of the car was quite reasonable for the quality. I needed a new commuter car because my 1999 subaru forester with 140K miles was about to die and the new forester seemed very cheap feeling, tried the crv (great car) but it all came down to price. While not looking forward to the first real snow it will be interesting to experience the worst nj can throw at this car.

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  Fantastic Truck - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Jim Jones - August 19 - 7:23 pm

  I recently purchased a boat that needed towing; before this, I have never purchased or wanted to purchase a truck. Now I am a proud and happy Titan owner. The powertrain and transmission are fantastic! The styling is the best out there!

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  Great Value Sports Car - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By Ben - August 19 - 7:06 pm

  I think everything has been said about whats great about this car. I took my up to Lake Tahoe from San Francisco and that was the most fun I had in car. Its definitely a drivers car. Note to wives and girlfriends out there: If you are passenger, you might not like it so much. My wife, who usually never gets car sick, did riding as the passenger. Its built very low and you feel everything. Also, if you have a bad back, getting in and out could be a chore.

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  Great so far!! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By ajs795 - August 19 - 10:56 am

  Car is great, everything I expected. I got the convenience package, which I think is a must have. Fuel economy for me is 23 city 33 highway.

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  5 years later - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By car101 - August 19 - 10:23 am

  This car has been great for the past 5 years. Its been solid and has never needed any major fixes. Its always been very usable in the real world, from loading it full of items for transportation to driving around a full family of 5. With a black on black color with 22" black rims the car looks great even to this day. When driving around town it has always had solid pick up and the CVT is something that works seamlessly. You start to really love the gear changing without feeling it happening. In the last year or so I was rear ended. The car stood like a champ and only needed minor repairs to the muffler. Otherwise the bumper was perfectly fine. Its been a great car.