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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  Way to Much Fun! - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Ticket Man - August 1 - 4:50 pm

  Traded in my loaded 2004 Explorer XLT, and got my loaded Murano SL. This is a fun car to drive, to much fun. Have driven Trans-Ams, Grand Nationals and Chevelle SS. No this is not quite as fast as the last two but this is a very fun car to drive while not attracting to much attention from the man. My wife is right in telling me this car goes to fast for my foot, well over 100 easily! (Got a ticket to prove it, rats!). Be careful, but still loads of fun with the Bose system blasting and sunroof open!

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  TOO MANY issues... cant be fast if its broke. - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By mstephenson51 - August 1 - 5:13 am

  I bought a 2010 with every option-touring sport nav auto. On paper its a great value, fast car, and everyday friendly. NOT in reality. Entire fuel system is not designed properly. 4 times in the shop now and keeps running out of gas while showing 1/4 left. Hard right turns cause the pump to starve and the car stalls. Tires are junk, they are poor in rain and only last 10k miles. Hankook ventus is a much better tire, rear should be up to 285 for better handling. In TX, my oil temps are routinely above 240 f. Theres a rattle in the exhaust that reduces gas mileage by 12 percent and they still havent fixed it. After talking to Nissan NA, they told me "Too bad..." Also, paint is soft.

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  Best well designed truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By ROBERT HODGSON - July 31 - 5:30 pm

  I have 10,000 miles on my titan se 4x4 and everything Nissan says is so true. It is the best truck I ever owned,and I owned many,I get 20 miles per gallon highway and city 16.5. I loaded this truck up with so much fire place wood and it did not even sag nor did it even know it had such a heavy load to carry. Plenty of power to spare.Nissan made an outstanding truck.

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  Great Buy! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By nelson192 - July 31 - 1:03 pm

  I replaced my 99 Explorer for a 2008 Altima and couldnt have made a better choice. The CVT is fun and smooth, 4 cylinder holds its own and the handling is great! Im averaging 29.2 mpg at 25 mph!! Cant beat that with $4 gas prices around the corner. Plenty of room and the styling is sharp. I went with the black on black and got a low tint on my windows for the appeal. The car is SHARP and would recommend you buy this one if you get a chance!!

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  Love It! - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Renee - July 31 - 1:13 am

  There hasnt been any other car out there that has caught my eye until now! I saw this car at a glance when they first came out and had to have it. Its super quick and so comfortable for long trips, everyone has ample space. Trunk is great for shopping excursions. Nice feature, keyless, dont have to have keys in your hand to open any of the doors or trunk. Headlights you can see superclear on dark highways.

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  Why not to buy a frontier - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By trebor - July 30 - 11:13 pm

  I have had nothing but problems with this truck, the suspension had been squeaking since about 3,000 miles and the dealer hasnt been able to fix it, there have been several recalls, as well as many adjustments made to the doors to keep them from hitting other panels. Overall it is a fun truck to drive, but a pain to own. This truck had been at the dealer a total of 22 days having problems fixed.

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  Not as good as I would expect - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Brian - July 30 - 6:00 pm

  I got a good deal on this car but I still expected more. The transmission seems to be slipping already when getting out of first. The trunk release works any time so what is the valet key for? MPG I get about 26-30 on the average. My M3 gets 22-26 so to me it is not that much better. Also the remote locks stop working from time to time. Have to go through the steering wheel to get to the trip computer. Should have bought a Civic which has a cheaper true cost to own if you sell it after 3 years.

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  Great looking car, handling not so great - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By mick7can - July 30 - 1:13 am

  This car looked great on the lot and was a good test drive in warm/dry weather. The CVT was wonderful, but thats where the positives end. In windy weather or passing transports the car is buffetted horribly and handling in snowy or icy conditions is extremely poor. If I lived in a warm weather locale, perhaps my experience would be better. We are presently upgrading to an Altima as my wife doesnt feel safe driving our Sentra over long distances or on major highways. We are both experienced compact car drivers and this Sentra has been a horrible disappointment.

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  Not a "car" SUV - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Owner - July 29 - 8:23 pm

  If you are looking for a "car" SUV, look at a CRV or RAV4. If you want a real truck that can traverse real off road terrain, tow substantial loads, and has enough power to blow off v-8 powered trucks, and for way less than $30K...no need to look further!

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  Used Altima - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By doug - July 29 - 3:16 am

  I was looking for an affordable and reliable car in the $3500 range to serve as my daily commuter. My 2000 Ford F-150 doesnt compare when it comes to fuel consumption. I am happy about my purchase. Fuel consumption, comfort and so far reliability are all great, not to mention the looks. The turning radius is a little wide but thats ok. I had to replace the 2 stock door speakers and the 2 rear deck speakers because they were blown. These are all 6 1/2 cheap 1 way spkrs. They are rated 30w max/15w nom. I replaced them with Pioneer 6 1/2 260w 4-way spkrs (model TS-G671M). Great upgrade. I recommend anyone looking for a good commuter vehicle consider this car. Cant go wrong.