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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  Six Months and Still Loving it - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Dave - June 24 - 12:10 pm

  Replaced 1999 Taurus with NAH as primarily a commuter car. 22 miles each way 50-50 split highway/city. During the summer enjoyed 37-39 mpg, but when it got cold - mileage crashed to 30-32 mpg. Have Convenience package - Tech package too much money and what I wanted was the power seat any way. Great seat comfort on long drives; but even though I knew it, the trunk size can be painful. Did not expect car to be conversation piece - many people commenting on a hybrid that is not small or looks like a car. Even Prius owners have admired the car. I love the fact that for a comparable sized car I am using 4 to 6 less gallons a week!

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  My first NEW car and its fantastic! - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By hotsexyandhumid - June 24 - 10:00 am

  I have only 500 km on the car but it has been a pleasure to drive. The interior finish is excellent and very well layed out. The power is more than adequate and it is very relaxing to drive. Overall, I couldnt be happier. A lot of car for the money!

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  Affordable and reliable truck - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Soldonnissan - June 24 - 10:00 am

  Four doors (passenger room)and a bed (cargo room), most practical vehichle design if you can only afford one vehicle. I worried about the "small" bed being too small. It is not. I have only filled it to capacity on a few occasions and have never really needed more (if so, put it in the rear seat). Overall, nothing fancy, but dependable, reliable transportation for all my needs. 54k and no problems.

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  2001 SC King Cab Desert Runner - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By bhendon - June 24 - 10:00 am

  Good overall. Good styling. Good power. Comfortable leather seating. Poor fuel economy. Costly to repair in accidents.

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  Xterra World Championship Edition - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By yellow x - June 24 - 10:00 am

  This is a great all around SUV. It gives enough space for cargo or people with out being excessive. The V6 gives it get up and go power when needed. It handles the highways well and off road even better.

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  Great speed and only good looks!!! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Baltazar - June 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought my altima when first came out. Traded a Honda for a Nissan and I was very happy at first. Then Brake problem(Air in the brakes) came up. I have a problem driving 50 or 60 because steering wheel starts shaking... Nissan will not fixed brake problem. They say that is just normal!!! You can try to see in your car by driving slowly and pushing the brake half way through, then once you get the feeling once you will notice over and over again and will drive crazy because brakes feels like it has air in lines. Other than that is fast, stereo is great.

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  A true world-class midsize competitor. - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By DanJCUCern - June 24 - 10:00 am

  When preparing to graduate from college and deciding which car to purchase as my first brand-new car, I considered the Passat, Maxima and Camry in addition to the Altima. At first I was not sure if I wanted to get the Altima. After being persuaded to take it for a test drive, I fell in love with it. The 4 cylinder engine has impressive accelleration and fuel economy. The seats are comfortable and everything is well-placed. For the price, it could not be beat.

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  Passenger seat to high - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Roger - June 24 - 1:50 am

  If you are 58" your head will hit the ceiling. No way to lower passenger seat. Horrible design. I cannot ever ride in passenger seat as my head hits the top and Im only 5-10

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  Overall - poor designed car - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By amirse - June 23 - 4:39 pm

  1. The Noise coming from the CVT engine is awful. Something that was never heard in any other car. Nissan Canada claim this is normal for this car. 2. connection between the fuel consumption that Nissan advertised and reality is absolutely non-exist. Expect around 30% more. 3. Quality of interior materials super low. Just move your hand in the inner part of the steering wheel.. Hope you will not cut yourself from that poorly manufactured plastic parts.

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  go get one - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By IL0VEIT - June 23 - 2:53 pm

  I bought my 2005 Nissan altima last month for only $4500 from a private owner.... It had 157,000 miles on the odometer, but it still has a value of $10,000-its a 2.5sl with all the extras.. It has a Bose sound system, spoiler, leather, heated seats, sunroof... The whole package and I love it, its very powerful and the air and heat works perfect, I would definitely recommend someone to purchase a altima