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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  Does everything I want it to - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Pathfinder LE - January 14 - 10:06 pm

  Surprisingly good fuel economy for a vehicle of this weight, size and power. Very very good acceleration. Very roomy.

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  Best All Around Car I Have Wwned - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By J. Green - January 14 - 10:00 am

  A fast, fuel efficient car that is fun to drive. This car has been the only one I have owned that been zero maintenance except for normal wear items. Best all around car I have owned.

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  I love it - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JACKNIC - January 14 - 10:00 am

  It is a nice SUV with car like ride, comfort and handling. I dont regret buying this vechile.

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  Fun Utility - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By vroooooooom - January 14 - 10:00 am

  Very powerful engine. Decent handling vehicle, excellent for an SUV. Lots of fun to drive. It seems smaller than I expected inside, but we traded in a minivan. Rear suspension was a little soft for towing 4500 lbs. But the engine is mighty and the brakes are good. Stock suspension is very car-like when not towing. I installed some air-lift suspension helpers and all is good.

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  Happy, Happy - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By rjozwiak - January 14 - 10:00 am

  Have only owned the car for a few weeks, but am very impressed with the spunkiness of the 4 cyl and the handling is very nimble. My first 4cyl since college (many years ago) and Im very happy with it.

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  All true - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By pwinn - January 14 - 6:30 am

  I had the the 350Z roadster. Loved the top down. For 5 years. The 370Z is all new inspired by the 350. Goes and looks right in every way. I have the touring and sport pkg, 6 spd. Corners and pulls off the line as promised. Rear wheel wells are noisy in the rain-road noise. The value of the car verses what you pay overrides noisy tires. Wind it out or turn up your iPod. No noise. Its all true. The car is a fantastic 2 seater to be respected.

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  88,000 Going Strong - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By TB - January 14 - 4:06 am

  88,000 miles and no major or minor problems except Bluetooth (who cares). 3.5 liter and 26 MPG highway with synthetic oil. I drive this car hard it it never fails to throw me back in the seat. Economical, strong braking and flawless tracking keep this thing king of the road. Best car made, bar none, at any price!

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  Brakes in all 2004 titans - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By ROBERT - January 14 - 3:53 am

  I have 14,000 miles and now having brakes problems-nissan knows about it, nissan saying brakes are under size for truck and nissan are making all new parts for the truck--if you are having problems-feeling a shaking when braking just go to your nissan dealer and they will put you on a list--to do the job they need the truck for two days. All new rotors,pads,etc. Are installed--nissan covers everything.

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  Godzilla worth the wait - 2009 Nissan GT-R
  By Brian - January 13 - 1:33 am

  After ordering my car in January, it finally arrived in late October. It was everything I expected and then some. The build quality is excellent, and the comfort and interior design are actually quite good for a supercar built at this price. Bang for the buck can not be matched. The only thing I would change would be to tune the exhaust. It is nice at low RPM, but almost disappears at speed. I dont want anything obnoxious, just some suggestion as to what the car can do. Oh well, I guess that fits in with the stealthiness of the car in general.

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  2007 Frontier - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Mark - January 12 - 4:30 pm

  Great vehicle with stunning design. Perfect size matched with awesome power. Not too big, but big enough to do just about anything... with great features all about. Great purchase.