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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  Very nice SUV - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Chris - April 26 - 1:36 am

  Im from the bay area, I was ready to buy a Toyota Highlander but thank god I saw this SUV online, I went to test drive it and I liked a lot. Dont get me wrong the highlander is nice but for just a couple of more dollars I got a better SUV overall. You can feel the power on it, just had it for almost a week and I love it.

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  Armada reflects Nissons racing lines - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Gary Farmer - April 26 - 12:00 am

  I have perhaps 200 motorcycle road races under my belt and this Armada is the most fun to drive SUV I ever could imagine. I live in the North Georgia mountains with numerous hairpins,15 mph curves with increasing and decreasing radius turns within uphills and downhills. Im MOST satisfied and highly recommend the Armada.

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  DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR CVT TRANSMISSIONS - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Lee Ann Rankin - April 25 - 2:03 pm

  I bought my Altima with 32,000 miles on it and it wasnt 6 months later it died while in drive! I had it towed and after being sent to 2 dealerships, they concluded nothing was wrong with the car. Through the 2 years Ive had it, my Altima has done this several times until finally one day it completely died in drive again. Luckily, I was at a gas station. I had to have a complete transmission, sensor, and programmer put in plus towing bills, which totaled to $4,400.00....Nissan needs to own up to there [non-permissible content removed] transmission problems and recall them all with reimbursements!

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  Best car I have ever had!! Love it!! - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Heidi Barnes - April 25 - 12:56 am

  Excellent! Car runs perfectly, love the push start, and powerlift gate as well. Its everything I imagined and more!!

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  Fun Little Frog - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By justin2point1 - April 24 - 12:35 pm

  I love this thing!! Not a day goes by that I dont smile every time I get in. To all those who have poor MPG, maybe its the manual v CVT, but I drive mine like a like the crazy 25 year old I am, and I average 27 to 29 MPG, although I have always put supreme gas in it. The only down side is the back seat is small. I almost always keep the seats down, and it makes some people car sick to sit in the back. The standard features are awesome, Im a little spoiled on the leather wrapped steering wheel and the iPod controls on the wheel. A little bit more storage places would be nice, but overall, for what I paid for, I feel like I got the way better end of the deal.

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  BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By EDDY - April 24 - 12:10 pm

  Just picked up 09 Murano LE...Got a great deal on Demo with 1300 miles ..Asking price was 37.437.00 , i got it for 31.000.00...It wasnt easy ..After 7 hrs at the dealership they finally agreed ..If you are buying a Murano you have to buy LE...Looks better, drives better...Cant say enough about this car...

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  Murano - Great choice for city folks - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Danburi - April 24 - 10:00 am

  Overall, great SUV. And priced right. The fuel economy has actually improved since I purchased it in March 03. The roominess and ease of adjusting rear seats are great as well. I think the auto adjusting drivers seat is un- needed (I couldnt have that removed at the dealership - it was on all autos) and the fact that you cant get heated seats by themselves are both bummers, but Im still very pleased with the purchase.

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  1st Oil change at my dealer - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Peter Rabbit - April 24 - 10:00 am

  Great vehicle. Im driving 40K miles per year and it is a real pleasure. Only annoying problem is that the front windows rattle on nearly every road surface type.

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  Drive it and youll buy it - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Bobp - April 24 - 10:00 am

  Best product Nissan ever put out, I didnt want to trade in my 2001 Maxima but I am glad I did. I would recommend the Driver Preferred Package.

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  I love my Z - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Alhern67 - April 23 - 11:30 pm

  Fun car to drive! I love my Z. I had the last 300 before it was discontinued and this by far is a superior automobile. Great off the line you can only appreciate this car in the manual instead of the automatic. Takes curves at high speeds like a cat holding on to a tree.