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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  More for the money - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By sterling - May 6 - 7:06 am

  I went for it. I bought a car due to the ride quality, and not due to prestige. The murano was more car for the money with the current lease offer from nissan.

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  Another enjoyable Nissan - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Mr. P - May 6 - 2:06 am

  This 2007 Murano SL AWD is our 8th Nissan in a row as our 3rd car. It was purchased for week-end trips to our lake house, but ends up being driven much more.We have had 4 Pathfinders and when they changed the style in 2007 (too boxy)we switched to the Murano.Although we have owned 6 BMWs and 5 Mercedes, my wife enjoys driving the Murano (especially in bad weather.It is fully loaded and offers good comfort and convenience for the price. The CVT takes a while getting used to, but averages approx. 23 mpg with cruise control ant 75 mph. It is used for hauling small loads between our houses, but is great for daily use as well.Although its time to change cars again, she says lets just keep it.

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  sporty little economy car - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Chris - May 5 - 4:35 pm

  I bought this car over 7 years ago, and it has taken us on several trips without any issues. Other than a new battery from time to time and oil changes often, this car has been great to us. Just recently, on a trip to Florida, I noticed the transmission was slipping a bit and the cruise control would not work because the sensor de-activated it, and the engine light came on. I pulled into a autozone store and they checked it quickly and advised that the transmission needed to be repaired or replaced. I drove the car a little slower on the last leg of the trip home without any problems. When I got home, I researched the site about complaints on certain cars, and discovered that the Altima had some issues. To my surprise the transmission had a 120Kmile warranty and my car had a little over 105K miles on it. I took it to Carriage Nissan in Gainesville Ga. and Alex, the service person gave me Great news. The transmission needed to be replaced and it was covered, 100%. He ordered a new transmission and the following day it arrived and I dropped my car off and was given a brand new Altima while mine was being fixed. two days later , my car was ready and just like they said, no charge and the loaner car was free. I cannot say enough of how well they treated me and Nissans warranties are legit. Im looking forward to a couple more years out of the car, and they definitely made that possible. This is the best 17 thousand dollars I ever spent.

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  Happy, happy, happy! - 2013 Nissan Armada
  By Drew - May 5 - 11:14 am

  I am 3 years and 50,000 miles in on my first Nissan. I apparently get better gas mileage than most - 18 mpg average - which is bad, but not so bad for the size and power this vehicle affords. Converts from school bus duty to cargo van duty in seconds with ease. It has a very strong, quiet engine and many thoughtful creature features. The interior still looks new even after trucking my kids. The one disappointment I have is the paint seems a little thin. Mine is Midnight Garnet, which is a beautiful color, but it scratches easily. The fact that it is so dark makes scratches more noticeable. I anticipated a utility vehicle designed for family use would have a tougher finish. Otherwise our relationship is a happy one.

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  I hate this car - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By hatemyxterra - May 5 - 9:15 am

  I bought the car in December with 71,000 miles. I just put it in the shop for something (not sure yet), it was loosing power and slipping. It has NO power and the 4WD sucks. I got stuck in my driveway in 1 inch of snow for 30 minutes one day, and the tires are good on it. Its gotten stuck other times too. Ive had nothing but problems with the car since I got it, and I did my research on it before I bought it, no mechanical issues before. It has none of the benifits of an SUV. Also, it is very difficult to shift gears. I have to force it into first, second, and reverse a lot of the time.

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  I love this car - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By JG - May 4 - 12:50 pm

  I was looking for a vehicle to change from a 2005 Hyundai Tucson that had better gas mileage. I was looking at the Toyota Camry but I was hooked on the Altima the second I saw it. Good gas mileage, control, and acceleration that beats my 2007 Tacoma. Good car overall.

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  Solid Car - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Rob - May 4 - 9:03 am

  Great fuel mileage, and great reliability, have not had a single problem with it. The car is responsive, but on the highways an extra oof is needed.

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  So far disappointing - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By grafking - May 4 - 2:26 am

  Bought car used with 23,000 miles on it, traded in 2006 spec v completly bolted with nismo add on, altima is beauty of a car I got the 3.5 se and the power is great, have had less than a week and I have been to dealer twice passenger front seatbelt was broken and it had been in a slight fender bender which sales man didnt tell me about when reading the carfax to me I should of read it myself, bonehead move on my part, all in all it is a Nice car but the oem bridgestones are like driving on the original caveman wheel, LOL, extremely loud on highway to say the least. I traded my spec v in because of medical issues from a injury I received in Kuwait, hope I made the right choice time will tell.

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  Excellent truck for the money - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By SteveBoulder - May 4 - 2:00 am

  We bought the truck about 2 years ago and were really impressed by the reliability and workmanship. The interior design is prefect, roomy and comfortable, being a big guy I find the seats to have great side and thigh support. We got a loaded XE which is no different from a pricier SE. Its an able off-roader, particularly when you install 265/70/R15 All-terrain tires on it. Breaking stops are excellent. Our 5-speeder is much faster to take off than the automatic models. Huge cargo capacity, excellent handling. And it looks good too, much more athletic than those boxy Tahoes, Blazers, 4Runners, or Cherokees.

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  the best japanese car! - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By JOLANTA - May 4 - 2:00 am

  hi, i just bought my car 2 weeks ago, and i love it! it has all the options like sun roof, bose sound system, leather interior, and spoiler, and alarm. This is the best japanese car you can buy out there without having to spend thousands on toyota or honda.