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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  200 Altima GXE - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Dan06 - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Very Reliable basic car

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  Great Compromise - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By FoggyKnight - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Didnt want a big SUV, and didnt want a little 2 seater, but wanted something in between. This fits the requirements very nicely. Fine acceleration and yet very roomy. Has some of the handling capabilities of my previous 2 seater and much of the load carrying ability of my P/U truck. Overall, a good choice, I think.

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  Great Starter Truck - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By George - March 12 - 9:56 am

  Purchased this truck brand new and have little to no problems with it to date. Over all this a good reliable truck. No complaints.

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  Poor Gas Mileage - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Sandra - March 11 - 12:30 pm

  Update to 9-17-06 review when new. I have now driven the car for 6 months, and still have low miles on it. Car was rated for 21 city & 28 hwy. This car struggles to get 19 mpg under any situation and with cruise control. The stated gas mileage was a big factor in my decision to buy this car, and I do not appreciate the misrepresentation by Nissan. I like the looks of the car, and the handling is fine. The fact of the matter is, that if the estimated MPG would have been stated factually, I probably would not have bought the 2007 Maxima.

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  I picked the Altima SL over Infiniti G35 - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Pedal Down - March 11 - 12:00 pm

  This car is awesome to drive. Im usually interested in the next class up in cars - saab, volvo, audi, infiniti, but for affordability and performance I had to have the new Altima. Its features beat out many of the Infiniti G35, which I was seriously looking at buying. With a family on the way, we needed something with a big backseat this has it. Its sporty styling is a great match for the sporty and responsive drive experience. I cant wait to get past the recommended 1200 mile break in period so I can drive this car like it want to be driven - FAST. Im proud to say Im a Nissan owner and love driving my Altima any chance I get. I also like there arent many of these on the road yet.

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  Nothing Better - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By Butch - March 11 - 11:23 am

  We shopped for the right SUV for over two years, looked at all of them. This vehicle provides the best of everything and ever-so-much of it too! Recognizing that were traveling in truly deluxe comfort with satelite guidance, Bose stereo, and a movie theater we consider the gas mileage to be excellent; would we accept better mileage? You bet, but this is what we expected. The agility and power of this big machine makes it well worth its price, all the goodies that come with it are iceing on the cake. I have always had buyers remorse after making such a big purchase, this time I dont. I have a 2000 Nissan Maxima with 230K + miles, Im expecting the same from this new Armada.

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  Good Car but requires maintenance - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By GoLonghorns - March 11 - 8:43 am

  I bought my Maxima brand new. I now have 89,000 miles. I have been very happy with this car but maintenance items are very expensive. Other than regularly scheduled maintenance, the struts and A/C has been replaced. The sunroof sometimes will not close. The car is very fast but the turning radius for this car is VERY wide.

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  It was great...at first - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By mwahlgren7 - March 11 - 4:28 am

  No doubt the Armada is cool. Step on the gas and it pounces forward, and it looks aggressive. All the pillars are annoyingly thick however. For the first 100000 miles we were pretty happy with it but at that point it kind of started to disintegrate. 6,000 dollars in one year on things that shouldnt go wrong like diffs and suspension components. Also, theres significant rust coming in around the rear wiper and the rear wheel arches. This is unacceptable on a 5 yr old car that is garaged every night. Every time weve used it to do real work, its broken. I like it but I sure wouldnt buy another.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By buzzluck - March 11 - 3:56 am

  This car drives like an expensive luxury car. Much better then the older models. They made a lot of improvements.

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  Great car so far - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Robert - March 10 - 6:33 am

  I purchased the car 4/11/08 and have almost 7000 miles on it already. The power is great (for a hybrid). So far I wish for a bigger trunk, but I knew that before I purchased it. Braking is top notch and I have never needed more power in passing or on hills. I drive mainly freeway to work and road trips. My gas mileage has been 30-32 mpg avg. I have seen as high as 37 mpg but like I said I drive pretty fast. I average 75-90 on the freeway. The car is very solid at all speeds but does very poorly up to speed with wind.