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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  Run Far away and dont look back - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By garry - April 15 - 2:11 pm

  The car is good for first few years until the repairs start coming in. So many issues where do I begin, bought the 04 Murano in 06. It ran good until it hit 100K. The engine started burning oil about a quart/week. No thatt not normal. The suspension is the worst I have seen on any car. Every few months tie rods or control arm or something with suspension is going wrong. The stereo stopped working. The rear door latch has be greased every few months. The part/repairs are so costly its like owning a BMW. Hard to work on because its so hard to replace things in the engine. Bad Design on nissans part. Not buying a Nissan again, especially due to their V6 burning oil. Such disappointment. Wipe blade linkage became lose and had to replace the whole motor. The leather is cheap and ripped. The good about the car, AWD.

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  What a LEMON! - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By chris carson - April 15 - 10:00 am

  The car is beautiful, fun to drive, and gets exellent gas mileage...when it is running. I should of known it was going to be a lemon when one fuel injector blew up. The A/C has gone out not once, but twice. It has had fuel sensor failures not once, but twice (in addition to the fuel injector issue noted earlier). Oh...did I mention all of the recalls? WHAT A LEMON! I am buying an Accord.

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  best deal out there - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By mjdj74 - April 15 - 10:00 am

  Car is great, couple little qwerks to iron out like driver window was making noise and leather on center console covering the entertainment system started coming off and the breaks started to squeak after just 15000 miles. Other than that the only thing that sucks is dealing with the dealer, we have tried three different dealers between California and Arizona and customer service is a negative about Nissan. But eventually everything gets taken care of. The SE ride is a little harsh but is a good trade off for the standard tiptronic trans. navigation sys. is a must along with the bose sound sys. We would definitely buy another murano.

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  Awesome - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By jessnga - April 15 - 10:00 am

  Nice truck. Ride is as good as F-150. Engine is in a league of its own. Fuel mileage surprisingly good...if you stay away from the 305 horses. I got 22 on a trip across South Carolina that combined Interstate and secondary roads. Some fit and finish issues...but dealership is fixing those. Dash rattles have sorted themselves out with miles. I would buy the same truck again!

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  Good SUV for price - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Bmoreguy - April 15 - 10:00 am

  I actually bought my Xterra in January of 2002, I have always loved the look of the Xterra. I have been nothing but pleased with driving this vehicle from the day I have owned it. Its a great ride, great in the snow. Its large enough for my needs such as my business and for piling in my two labs for a fun drive out. I have only found two things that I am not very happy with and that is the horsepower, sluggish on takeoff and the gas mileage for such a small V6. I however still give the Xterra my two thumbs up. Nissan did a great thing when they came up with the Xterra. Thanks Nissan.

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  A wolf in sheeps clothing - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Kedrick - April 15 - 5:26 am

  This is one of the most well made economy cars on the road today, with is sleek front end styling to its high spoiler this vehicle its a force to be reckoned with. I purchased this car after having an accident in my 97 BMW 328i and was forced to quickly find a cheap replacement... the anwser SE-R Spec V. This car delivers exceptional performance from quick take offs from a red lights to satisfying the urge to pass the slow driver on the interstate while in 6th gear... just give the gas a push and the car will respond well beyond your expectations. This is a great car for the $ and I would highly recomend it to anyone who likes to drive a car that will suprisingly eat a lot of others 4 lunch!

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  For young and old alike - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Judy Smith - April 15 - 2:16 am

  After checking other reviews and comparing SUVs I test drove the Pathfinder. I was hooked. It is comfortable and roomy enough for my 65" son. It has good pick-up, drives quiet and feels solid and safe. I havent used the third row seats yet but they are there if I need them. The DVD keeps the grandkids happy on long drives. My daughter bought a 2001 new and I always liked it. People that have ridden in the back seat say it is comfortable. It drives like a dream and is comfortable seating for long drives. I plan on keeping it for many years.

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  Fantastic Performer/4dr combination - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Davetek - April 14 - 11:50 pm

  Car has been absolutely reliable so far, and Ive about 80K on the odometer. The VQ powerplant never disappoints; there is ample torque everywhere so shifting is minimal. The handling is fantastic, turn in is very sharp and mid-corner is almost neutral with slight understeer. Brakes are equally good, minal nose dive and sports car stopping distances. On the highway I usually average better than 30mpg, with 23-25mpg in the city. The 6spd manual is "stik-stik" perfect, but the throws are a little long. Pedals are placed nicely for heal toe downshifts. Performs reasonably well in the snow too, obviously winter tires are recommended.

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  Very Impressed - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Roland & Steph E. - April 14 - 10:10 pm

  I was looking for a good change in vehicles I saw the 3.5 SE Altima loved the look of the car. Once I drove it I was very impressed of the smoothness of the ride, all of the accessories they have including bose, sunroof, spoiler, and acceleration performance is awesome. So far the car has been perfect - no problems. It was hard for me to make the change but I do not regret it one bit. The interior is also very easy to clean and I like the design the sporty sleek look. Gas mileage on hwy excellent.

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  Altima 3.5SE is awesome! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By nhmtnbkr - April 14 - 9:53 pm

  Ive had my 3.5SE for a little more than a year (nearly 20K miles) and I have to say that I love this car!! I tested the Camry SE and the Accord EX and this car blew both away. Its wonderfully powerful and quiet, gives a comfortable, tuned and composed ride for a sport trim vehicle. Handling is fantastic, very well balanced and easy to control. Mileage with a Yakima rack is OK at 23 mpg in mixed driving. Definitely recommend the use of at least mid grade gas, as regular sucks about 3-4mpg from the mileage. Legroom for a 63" guy like me is good, much better than Camry and Accord. Braking is OK, could be a little bit better.