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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  great truck - 2012 Nissan Titan
  By ron21975 - November 30 - 6:55 pm

  great truck fun to drive Ive owned three so far love them all

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  Interior rattles, but fun to drive - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By flex - November 30 - 4:16 pm

  This truck will blast you out of your seats with the power. Its amazing how much power you get out of an SUV of that size. Love the truck and would drive it all day. The only set back is the interior squeak/rattles..and the front brakes rotors. Everything else is on point with this truck. I got mine in November and have 4600 miles....worked on brakes once in December. Squeak/rattle coming out of doors could be annoying sometimes. Otherwise, this vehicle is perfect!!

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  Brillian Silver SV King Cab 4 Cylinder Auto - 2017 Nissan Frontier
  By M.G. - November 29 - 10:51 pm

  This is my second Frontier.The first was a 2009 King Cab SE that was trouble free the entire time I owned it.Since I am retiring shortly I decided on getting myself a new truck and since my first Frontier was so reliable I opted for the same truck.The fact Nissan was offering $2750 off plus the dealers incentive made this a really easy buy.The interior has a few minor differences over the 2009 but they are very slight.This truck only has 320 miles on it but the old 2009 would give me 21-24 mpgs out on the highway and around 19 in town so I am sure this one will be similar.I really like the graphite colored interior and the seats are better styled than the old 2009 version.The steering also is better than the older truck and pulling into a tight parking spot seems a lot easier in the new one.Two options my=ine came with was the plastic bedliner and the fender splash guards.I put a BAKFLIP MX4 tonneau cover on it last week.After a year of ownership I will probably do an update on the truck.

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  Stabbin - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Governor - November 29 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. The horsepower is great. It gets to 100 in no time at all.

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  ooooohhhh Baaaaabbbyy!!!!!!!! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By ggriffin - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Well I spent a little time comparing. I read everyones review on this website. I test drove a "Limited" Toyota Highlander. I spent some time trying to rationlize the Toyota, but in my dreams every night kept coming back the black Murano with Cafe Latte leather interior. This car is not only beautiful, but the performance is amazing. I commute 100 miles a day and 30 miles of it is on a famous mountain highway in Northern California. I call it the 4 Lane Bobsled Run. Anyway, this car made me feel like the king of the road. Tires hug the road like glue. It went up and over the mountain and didnt break a sweat. And comfort...!

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  i love my ruby altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By kimberly - November 29 - 10:00 am

  ive had my altima for a year now and nothing but good has come from her. she is my neverending project that i drive everyday.

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  Love my new car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Wetbong - November 29 - 10:00 am

  So far so good. I picked it up yesterday after shopping around. You cant go wrong with this car. There is nothing out there with the stlye this car just oozes out. I went for the 6 speed manual transmission because, to me they are more fun to drive. The only semi confusing feature at first is the center control and data center. There are quite a number of buttons, but once you get the hang of it theyre nice to have.

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  Pretty too look at but.... - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By minnesotaboy - November 29 - 9:40 am

  I just bought this car, 2007 Nissan Altima, SE, 3.5, manual with all the bells and whistles. It is very fun to drive, looks sporty, and has a lot of nice amenities. However just 2 months after purchasing it, Ive already been to the shop over 10 times! Its just little things like the TPMS sensors, shifter cable, door seal leaking, wipers mal-adjusted, rotor squeaking(and not due to brakes), and the list goes on. I am very concerned about how this will affect my pocket book when warranty runs out. My advice, spend the same money and get a very nice Honda or Toyota..wish me luck as im about to hit the end of the 3yr, 36,000 warranty.

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  lovely - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By bobsyouruncle - November 29 - 3:33 am

  its the best...get one! awesome acceleration and great handling in a car of its price/class. Its not a 540i of course, but its great for the price.

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  So far not to bad but getting nervous - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Jake - November 28 - 11:33 pm

  142k and aside from the usual brakes, tires, etc I only had some stupid bracket underneath break and needed a new muffler. But now I need the timing chain replaced and might as well do the water pump. The mechanic is trying to warn me about spending $1500 on the timing chain when these are notorious for oil pressure problems. I have no current oil problems but I need this car to last up to 200k miles. I havent had a payment in four years so $1500 seems like nothing, way better than a car payment!