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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  Fun to drive, great value - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By sharkman - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Just bought my Altima and could not be happier. Excellent build quality and features, especially considering cost of $19-22K. Have owned two previous Altimas,an Accord and a Camry and this one is MUCH bigger inside and MUCH better ride than any previous Japanese models. Buy it, love it!

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  2003 Altima 2.5SL - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Eric M - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Id highly recommend the 2.5SL over the 2.5S for the extra money. The Leather seats, Standard Bose, Wood Trim and Homelink make for a luxurious ride that easily rivals the high end Japanese brands (Acura, Infiniti, Lexus). The backseat is HUGE, your friends and family who drive in the back will definitely appreciate the roominess. The 4 Cylinder engine is perfect for the Altima, 175HP is plenty for the open road. The Altima frame stays strong at higher speeds (and the cabin stays very quiet) If youre in the market for a new sedan, I highly recommend dropping by your local Nissan and taking an Altima out for a spin, you will not be disappointed!

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  Altima-the 4 door Sports car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Redsoxfan - November 9 - 10:00 am

  It was between the accord and altima. After careful thinking I chose the silver SL altima b/c: A. The accord is too conservative B. The 6 cd BOSE system C. Price D. Reliability and recommendations from friends and family I love this car. I upgraded from the civic so going from 115HP to 175HP was great. For those of you who wrote that the interior was cheap and are complaining. WHY DID YOU BUY IT? Yes, the interior is not as high quality as say a jaguar or a Porsche but for around 22,700 it is a great buy. I love the power windows up feature, homelink, heated seats, sound system, style, and roomy interior. I love driving this car

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  One of the BEST - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By jmsworth - November 9 - 7:41 am

  This car is great, The oil everyones reporting being lost is due to a tiny rubber hose coming from the block to the oil filter, they used a cheap hose and EVERYONE has this issue. I replace it with a premium hose for about $2.99 at an auto parts store and viola, no more oil loss. My car had several performance modifications and was in the 400 hp range, 0-60 in under 4.3 sec. THE MOST SOLID CAR I EVER OWNED, I adore Japanese cars and American muscle as both are just full of potential. This maxima never went through tires, never overheated, never had ANY issues that were not product of my own doing. Most issues are due to lack of maintenance and car knowledge. Lost my Max in a car accident:(

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  Guess what? - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By guess what? - November 8 - 9:43 am

  I have a 4x4 2006 frontier 4dr and Mitsubishi evo car how cool is that? told myself never ever buy a van. Van for Oldies. Guess what? I got married got kid on the way. I argued my wife coz she wants a van. go to nissan and got a good deal for my truck loyalty discount and a huge savings. I test drive it it was amazing run like a car smooth driving more engine power and the most important thing is it tows 3500 max better than my truck. very spacious superb design. only thing i dont like is the 2 front seats hard to lean on your back. I never thought that Ill drive a van........

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  SE 4WD - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jason - November 6 - 2:43 pm

  A bit tight in the front, but Im not on the small side either. Good ride, great appearance, and awesome stereo

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  Sporty Family Sedan - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Anissa - November 6 - 8:16 am

  Bought 05 Maxima SL with GPS, Satellite, Elite Package...I tested and priced various vehicles including BMW and Lexus. The Maxima is a great vehicle for less money and exciting to drive for good old Dad. The kids love the heated rear seats and the DC connection for Laptop. The vehicle has plenty of power. I love the automatic to manual shift when I want to play.

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  Great SUV - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By William G - November 5 - 9:44 pm

  First off, the interior of the Rogue looks more like a luxury SUV than a moderately priced one. Nissan did an exceptional job here. The ride comfort is extraordinary and at highway speeds there is basically no wind noise. The only negatives for me - which are extremely minor - are: the switches to turn on the Sport and Eco modes, and the rest of these, are located in a place - lower left hand side of dashboard - which makes it difficult to see when driving. The only other thing is the map graphics for the nav system are a little dated. Other than that, I checked out a good number of SUVs in this general price segment (Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Subaru) and for y money, the Rogue blew the rest of them away. The adjustable configurations for the shelves in the hatchback area are excellent. Sometimes we carry things - like grocery bags - that are long and vertical and would have a difficult time staying vertical when driving. We just configure the back and put the shelves vertical into their holders and voila we have an area that will hold the bags tight and keep them up. We can also put the shelves horizontal and double the storage spaces back there. Fuel economy around time is not great - about 23 MPG - but highway in ECO mode we were getting 32-33 MPG easily. Since we bought the Rogue in Sept 2017 we see ALOT of them on the road, so if you dont like that then buy something else but seeing so many just confirmed for me that this is the best small SUV out there right now....

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  Best car Ever - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By James Armstrong - November 5 - 6:13 pm

  This car has been in the family for ever my Aunt bought it brand new and had no problems with it but didnt take care of it so her new husband made her get a new car. well my Uncle bought it for my Cousin and fixed all that was wrong. Well now ten years later and 142,000 i own it because my cousin got a new car to go off to college in i bought it from her for $50 and it has been worth it. just had it in to be worked on and the mechanic said its the best car he has seen in a long time he said its a great car and will be for many years. I love it never regret the purchase even though it was only $50 it is an awesome car and love it a lot

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  Great Value for the Performance - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Halwg - November 4 - 2:13 pm

  Just purchased the Maxima SL after driving Toyota Avalon, Chrysler 300, Ford Five Hundred. This car is a great value for the performance and the accessories. I bought the red with tan leather...very sharp!!