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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  Not Bad for the price - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Jay Solomon - August 2 - 1:23 pm

  The SE-R has plenty of pep and power on the highway (2.5) Everyone says that the car has a great look and it drives like a sports car. The seating is low to the ground which requires some adjustment since I also drive a 4- Runner. The sports package gives the car a bumpy ride on roads that are less that perfect. The steering is highly responsive and overall, for the money it seems to be a great little car. I have about 700 miles on the car. The quality of the sound system is surprising. For my taste I wish I would have moved up to a Honda Accord or BMW 300 series just to have more car under me. The price, however, was just too tempting.

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  Great Truck--Great Vallue - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Fred Firestone - August 2 - 10:00 am

  Highly recommend this vehicle. Good construction and strong value. Plan to keep this truck for until its wheels fall off, which will probably be 7 yrs + from now.

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  my new car - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By mcamp - August 2 - 10:00 am

  i fell in luv with the car the minute i put my foot in it. i have had chevy suv,s and the last was a trailblazer and it was awfull, had it in the shop all the time, so traded it for the murano and boy am i happy

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  A little disappointed with this truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By stonemedal - August 2 - 10:00 am

  The truck looks nice, rides nice, but two things are driving me crazy.....when the A/C is on low it sounds like someone is breathing with an iron lung under my dashboard. The second thing, when driving at 55, the exhaust note is annoying, too loud and constant. I wonder if anyone out there is experiencing that?

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  Love my Xterra - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Maryanne - August 2 - 10:00 am

  Went shopping and was disapointed in ride of 4 cyl. SUV (Rav4 and Liberty). Like the way it handles. Pickup is a little slow, but Im not a speed demon. Feel this vehicle is under rated.

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  350Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By lgarrett_design - August 2 - 10:00 am

  the car is fun to drive and drives well, however some of the interior isnt of the highest quality material. Overall well worth the sticker price when shopping comparables.

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  Great ride - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By kwonchoe@yahoo.com - August 2 - 10:00 am

  Great car overall. However, a few gripes: Grinding driver window not repaired properly. A tweeter that came from the factory already blown. A loose footrest. Not what youd expect from a $42K vehicle. A bit heavy for this segment. Still, for a car with this level of performance, it would be tough to beat 350Zs combo of power, handling, and price.

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  This car is great all around, inside-out - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By freey29 - August 2 - 3:26 am

  Performance: The CVT engine is awesome. Its very smooth. You wont even feel it shift. For a 4 cylinder car, it has great acceleration and enough passing power for everyday driving needs. Comfort: pretty good. Nice solid seats. Fuel economy: not sure yet, since I only have 150 miles on it. Ive driven 150 miles so far, and I have between 3/4 and 1/2 tanks left. Awesome! Fun to drive: goes with performance and comfort. Tight steering, I like it. Interior design: nice dash, very intuitive, tons of storage. Exterior design: nice look, somewhat sporty. Very large inside compared to what it looks like. Build quality: seems good. Still a new car right now. Reliability: same as build quality.

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  Love this SUV - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By M Hoffman - August 1 - 8:10 pm

  Use in Dallas and Sedona AZ where we go off road on boulder laden dirt roads, ford streams and then go to dressy dinners. It is great in all environments. Had two Mercedes ML320s and this is far supperior. Hauls loads of stuff and eight adults in comfort.

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  All wheel to front wheel... hmm, No Good! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By fourbyforever - August 1 - 6:46 pm

  I traded in an Audi A6 2.7t for this car. After spending seven months and 9600 miles spinning the tires on dry pavement with traction control on, I figured it was going to snow soon. I traded it in for a 09 Impreza wrx. So far I think I made a good choice. The Nissan had a loose driver seat, the shifter was very notchy, the airbag light kept coming on, the cupholder door was broken, the brake pedal was starting to pulse. Sometimes the windows would roll down by themselves while the car was parked and unoccupied. It was a hassle not being able to open the trunk when the car was unlocked without the fob,which would always set off the panic horn while in my pocket. I will miss the HIDs and nav.