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:

• 

  Amazing Car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By William Greenwood - June 16 - 6:36 pm

  My wife and I live on Cape Cod, but travel for business... I had a Versa on order, but after a delay we found a loaded Versa out of state. It has the CVT, bluetooth, XM, sunroof etc. My first drive in the car was a 4 1/2 hour trip home... I am very impressed to say the least. Lots of room, very comfortable, stylish, smooth and I got 32 mpg on the way home... in bumper to bumper traffic (and its not even close to being broken in!) I went from a full sized car to the Versa & I couldnt be more pleased. This is an amazing car!

• 

  Frame Rust! - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mike - June 16 - 12:23 pm

  I would have only good things to say about this vehicle, except it has a horrible problem with rust. It was bought in the NE and supposedly undercoated, but I can no longer get the car inspected, and can find no body shop willing to weld the rusted out frame. I have to scrap an otherwise perfectly good and well maintained car. Too bad, I love the style, the sportiness, and the design, but Ill never buy another Nissan rust bucket.

• 

  Not the right car for you? - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By The car master - June 16 - 2:00 am

  You are making a big mistake if u buy this car or should i say "circular shaped car" I thought i was doing the right thing but. i was hardly mistaken. People told me i had the best looking car they ever seen. I heard it all and then when i finally got rid of it then they started telling me the truth. I felt so bad because everyone was talking behind my back about this bubble that im driving. Not a good look for a middle age guy with a very important job. Not for nothing but i cant even put up a ceil fan to save my life yet drive this car. make sure you take a second guess before u just go and buy this "bubble",they call it. Make sure it is the right car for u. Trust me im saving ur life.

• 

  Juke is no joke... - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By Go Cards - June 16 - 2:00 am

  This is a very well designed vehicle - peppy, solid, and fun! Does not feel as if you are driving a smallish vehicle - feels substantial. Steering is a bit numb - but I also have a Mini so that is probably not fair...and the premium stereo does not really sound premium, again compared to the Harmon Kardon in Mini. Well pleased overall - the goodies you can get on this ride for under $25, unreal!

• 

  2010 Nissan Maxima Engine knocking - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Ricky Boby - June 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2010 Nissan maxima and every time I fill up the gas tank, the engine start making a knocking noise. But once the tank gets to 3/4 the knocking goes away. I have been putting shell V-Power in my car since the day I got it.

• 

  Not Happy - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Matt - June 16 - 2:00 am

  After having this car about a month I could tell something wasnt right. It finally messed up for someone else to notice a month or so later. Took it to the dealership twice and they could not find anything with their computer test. Now I am over 500 miles from home and the check engine light comes on and they lovely computer test says I need a brand new transmission.

• 

  hmm - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By carguy2011 - June 16 - 12:46 am

  It looks great and probably the best for the money, but. Question the CVT transmission, it sticks going up or down hill. Has issues after a sudden stop. It stays in the gear that it was last in... Windshield and paint dont hold well and chip easily.

• 

  TITAN #1 - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Chuck - June 15 - 3:36 am

  My Nissan 4x4 Titan is by far the best truck I have owned in my 35 years of driving. The truck is a class act and it has been awhile that I owned a truck that gets as many complements as My Titan. The titan drives as nice as it looks with plenty of power on or off the road, also the Titan goes in 4 wheel drive with ease.

• 

  Should Have Been Truck Of The Year - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Matt - June 15 - 1:23 am

  When Toyota Tacoma was named "Truck of the Year”, I think it was done because of brand name only. When I looked at the Tacoma, I noticed that it did not have full-boxed frame. Part of the frame was C channel. The concept of a composite bed is nice on paperwork but the practical aspect is not. A pickup trucks rear end is light enough without making it lighter by using a composite bed. The V6 in the Frontier is generations ahead of the Tacoma in efficiency (hp to ci) and its done with 87 octane not 90+ as recommended by Toyota.

• 

  Nissan winning me over - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Wilkesboro - June 14 - 12:03 pm

  2007 Versa 1.8SL is good value for the money. I rated all 9s on survey but reserving final rating until I have driven 3k miles. Compared Civic and the Yaris. We didnt like the base model and the upgrade to SL gave us the power features and the sweet CVT transmission. Felt weird at first driving the new transmission (no winding of the transmission gears) but I like it now. I had my first 126 mile road trip yesterday and it was even better on the highway. Safety features are really nice with all the airbags and antilock breaks. Car lines are good and backseat has plenty of leg room for an adult. The 6 CD stereo sounds excellent with nice button layout. Handling and ride is above average