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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  Satisfied with 40 mpg - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Larry - January 3 - 11:50 am

  Bought the car new in 2007 and have maintained all oil changes with 0-20w full synth. oil and drive mostly highway miles. Continuous driving on trips of 8 plus hours. Was amazed that the car was producing 40 miles to the gallon on the highway. These trips are on the west coast over mountains and super curved roads. So far the window sticker was right about the MPG except in the reverse. Better on the highway.

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  Lovin It - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Proud Owner - January 3 - 3:23 am

  Very comfortable interior. Plenty of room inside. Smooth ride. Quiet performance. Gas mileage on recent 900 mile trip to Okalahoma 22 MPG highway and local 18 MPG. Would recommend to anyone interesed in a mid- size pickup truck. Ive owned Ford Ranger and Toyota 4Runner and the Frontier beats them hands down.

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  Always wanted one - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By fammaxima - January 3 - 2:10 am

  I purchased this car with 33,000 miles on it. My wife and I love it. And to boot, all three car seats fit in the back. The car seat fiasco was tough but it worked. The car drives very smoothly and for those speed freaks, this car can move. if you are looking for a car with some horse as well as room and comfort, then this car is for you.

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  Exceptionally pleased with my new Altima - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By copdoc - January 3 - 12:36 am

  This is my second Altima in four years. I love the style. The 2007 enhances on what could have been said was already perfect. Very luxurious and comfortable.

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  Love my Armada - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By jrh - January 2 - 4:43 pm

  We have loved our Armada and had no problems. I like that the lift gate in the back can open automatically and it has fold down seats. There is plenty of room for our large family of 5. It drives well and has great pick up. Its a bit of a bumpy ride on these pot holed roads we have, but I didnt buy a luxury car! I wish big SUVs got better gas mileage but it is the price I have to pay for more room inside!

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  Still Amazingly Quiet! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By denverjohn - January 2 - 5:03 am

  16K miles. No road noise, no rattles, no squeaks. Passengers are impressed with how quiet it is in the passenger compartment. This car has proven to be a great performer and a great value.

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  Beats the Rest - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By De - January 1 - 6:03 pm

  I researched all the mid-size sedans. I love the Infiniti G35, but opted for mpg over high performance. The Camry and Accord are too boring. The Altima looks better and the 2.5L CVT gets better mpg than the other two. I orginally wanted the 3.5, but drove the 2.5l and was impressed with its power! (I drove 5.3L v8 before.) I agree that to get some of the features I wanted I had to buy the SL and the Connection package to get the Bose and CD changer. But really for the price it is still affordable.

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  Great Car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Matt - January 1 - 8:26 am

  Ive had my Sentra 1.8S Special Edition for a little over a year now. Made trips from Texas to Missouri and Texas to Maryland several times in it with no serious issues at all. My only complaint is the Stock alloy wheels arent built very strong, I have had one bend due to normal driving. I just invested in a new set of 4 the same size. Other than that Ive had a rear speaker blow out and a backlight on the climate control dials go out (climate controls still worked just irritating to drive at night and not see the controls). Warranty replaced everything. Average 33 MPG. I am very happy with it.

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  Murano Too many frivolous frills - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Sparky 2 - January 1 - 2:00 am

  I dont own this car but would like to. I spent a lot of time at IRA Nissan and test drove this vehicle. Its a lot of fun to drive and versatile. Im not sure what to make of the continously variable transmission, time will tell on that. Also, the 18" tires ought to be a bit of a surprise when they need to be replaced, I would bet that they are expensive. Too bad they dont offer a more bare bones AWD version of this car. Its too expensive for me, Id be all over it if it was available in AWD for under $28 k

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  Silver Bullet - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Mike - Sacramento - January 1 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. For the money it feels like a high end Lexus. It has tons of power and very quiet. I use it to get up and down the freeway to work and around town. I got the Bose system and it rocks! My only complaints are minor - no power garage door opener button on the ceiling; for what I paid ($25k)it should of come with ABS like the Accord does.