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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  25 Years of Drivings Maximas - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Jay Rand - May 3 - 1:03 pm

  The car is a reliable means of transportation with good looks, low maintenance and few repairs outside of normal maintenance. I drive the car for 5 years and hand it down to my wife (4000 miles per year) for the next 5 years.

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  An excellent cross-over - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By unmeshk - May 3 - 4:57 am

  We bought ours new in 2008 and have used it for about 40,000 miles. We loved it when we bought it and having used it for city as well as highway driving, we have grown even more fond of it. The ride is powerful yet comfortable and reasonably quite. It couldve been sportier, but thats just a personal taste. The interiors are great, especially the leather seats and the sound system. Theres enough cargo space for a family of 3 to 4. There have been no problems with the vehicle in the last 3 years, except for one of the electronic keys that stopped working. In summary, get one if you like the drive of a car and utility of SUV. Itll be a great ride!

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  Awesome Car - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By 350Z man - May 3 - 2:20 am

  I love it! The dealership was bad after we bought it but other than that i have absolutely no complaints. I love everything about the car!!! Buy it

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  50 series flowmaster - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Shawn Swain - May 2 - 12:20 pm

  When I first got this vehicle I was getting 13 Miles a gallon in city and 15 on the highway. After driving the vehicle a month I put a 50 series flowmaster single exhaust on it. When checking mileage to my surprise it went from 13 to 15.5 city and 22 on highway. If you can withstand a little noise it is really worth putting one on. I have already paid for it in savings on gas at $2.50 a gallon. $230.00 flowmaster.

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  Titans Rock - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Lovethistruck - May 2 - 10:33 am

  Before I owned the Titan, I owned the Frontier, which I absolutley loved. Becoming the owner of a Titan was the best move Ive made. I put it up against my brothers 4x4 chevy pick up, and there was no comparison. I went everywhere in my Titan that he went with his truck engaged in the 4x mode, and mine is not a 4x!!! He was, to say the least shocked, and is thinking of becoming an owner of a Titan as well.

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  Outstanding Automobile - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Charles Grandon - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Maxima 4 years ago and have not had any major problems what so ever. This vehicle has been in the shop twice. The first time was to have the trailing O2 sensor replaced and the second time was to replace the defective trailing O2 sensor that was put in to replace the one that replaced the original. This has been an outstanding vehicle and real pleasure to drive. I average around 29 mpg on the highway which is unheard of for a vehicle this size. I am absolutely sold on the Nissan Maxima and will likely purchase another when that time comes around!

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  3rd Maxima No Sign of Stopping - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Nissan4ever - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I have owned 3 Nissan Maximas (88,89,01). I have had nothing but good experiences and look forward to owning a new one. It is my opinion that you cant go wrong with owning one of these vehicles, especially if you have a bit of a lead foot like i do.

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  LOVE IT!! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By barber5 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I love my Murano. I bought it because of the unique styling. I have all options with the exception of the nav system. The Bose stereo is excellent. Love the power seats with the memory. Have 3 kids and they have plenty of room in the back. I cant complain about anything. As far as some of the other reviews, If you open the sunroof to the setting that has the white mark (different from the other settings), you will not experience the cabin noise. I ride with the sunroof open and all windows up almost daily and do not have a problem. Also, there is definitely a rear window washer. I think some people need to read the owners manual. I get avg. 20 mpg and drive city and highway.

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  What they DONT tell you... - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By CMB28 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Ive been driving my Sentra SpecV for close to 6 months now, after researching at Edmunds, I was surprised some of the things that Edmunds/dealers dont mention: 1. The SpecV comes standard with 22lb 17" rims, very heavy rims with equally heavy tires that you cannot put snow chains on, due to their size in the wheel well. On top of that, the Contisport tires are LOUSY in wet weather. 2. You will not be able to put mud guards on your car-the dealers mentioned that Nissan was making them- that was a lie. The side/wheel molding does not allow mud guards to be installed behind the front tires-so mud/gr gets all over the doors. Inexcuseable.

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  Best Crossover SUV - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By The Viking - May 2 - 10:00 am

  This is three vehicles in one: (a) rides like a luxury car (b) utility of an SUV (c) handling of a sports car Fantastic value for the money. Engine and CVT drivetrain make this superior to anything out there. Drove an FX45 and decided to save $15,000 plus get more cargo room with the Murano. Keep trying to make the tires squeel or lose control, but havent managed it yet. Just a joy to drive.