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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  New Xterra well designed - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By RichieGil - April 23 - 9:06 am

  Nissans entire product line has come a long way since its bland offerings of the late 90s. The new Xterra is no exception. Traded a 2 year old RAV4 with a rattly dashboard and 4 cyl. engine. This is my wifes car. I have an 04 Frontier w/3.3 liter engine (same as 04 Xterra). 4.0 liter in 05 is noticable peppier. We actually went to buy an 04 on clearance and decided to spring for the extra $. My wife loves it and it is a head turner. Test drove a Highlander (nice car, but boring) and a Pilot (surprisely uncomfortable seats) and settled on this cool car and Nissans reputation for dependability. Similar to Pathfinder in looks, but a lot more affordable.

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  Best-in-Class from Drvrs point of View - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Barmalej - April 22 - 8:43 pm

  Ive been driving this car for 2 yrs. Seriously compared to similar in class before I got into this one. Camry/Accord/Malibu/Aura, even BMW3 feel less comfortable (Drivers). Handling is amazing, Sporty suspension makes it feel just Right! //Concerns. 1st:= still cant get used to how CVT behaves when downshifting using TipTronic(manual mode):going from 4th to 3d (*those are not actual gears on CVT!) makes the car jerk a bit, but @ approx.50-60km/hr is does not happen, yet its not always easy to catch that moment. 2nd:= Fuel economy [city] a bit worse than advertised: My Min 8.7L/100km (Summer), Max 10.3L/100km (Winter). The Longest drive on 1 tank = 810 km (-not bad!;)

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  Great gas milaege! - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By ttague2005 - April 22 - 2:53 pm

  If I drive in the ECO mode, I easily get 45 mpg and trying hard can get 50 mpg in normal Boston area commuting. In normal mode I get 42 mpg. The sport mode is fun. I understand why each Nissan dealer I spoke with when I was shopping stated that the mpg rating was far too low. The manual rating is 36 highway and lower combined. This is a ridiculously low rating. The handling is a little soft, but the tires are for high mpg. The braking and acceleration is really good.

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  Best Car Ever Owned - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By ksp2trader - April 22 - 4:21 am

  Without a doubt, the best car I have ever owned, and I have owned plenty. Hottest looking car on the road with its sexy lines, accelerates like it has a supercharged V8 with endless power (thanks CVT) and handles like a RWD sports car yet is still a awesome family car if need be. I own a White on Black with the Sport/Tech package SV (awesome Navi system), have 115k on the odometer and never had any major problems with the car. Looks, performance, reliability, I think I summed up the perfect car.

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  Good Choice! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By ks - April 21 - 11:36 pm

  Needed to buy a 4cylinder (sigh) as gas prices are SKY HIGH in Hawaii. So glad I chose the Rogue SL. It handles like a sedan except its higher above the road - like an SUV. Turning radius is fantastic. Gas mileage is good and it really is FUN to drive! Bose system w/6 CD changer is a winner.

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  Altima Hybrid - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Gene - April 21 - 4:00 pm

  Just bought the Altima hybrid a few days ago.

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  Delightful experience - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By IIIJFULLER - April 21 - 10:23 am

  A very tight, well-put-together large SUV with exceptional performance and neat features without getting to far out of sight on expenses. My Armada cost $48,350 and has many of the same features found on vehicles costing ten to twenty-thousand dollars more. I especially like the back-up camera and courtesy lights. Ride greats. Shifts into auto, 4hi-4lo very well. I plan to drive to AK and tow a trailer this summer- Ill give updates...stay tuned!

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  "LOVE MY LITTLE SENTRA" - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Andra - April 21 - 4:03 am

  I bought this car brand new, and this little car will get up and go, handles excellent in turns and has great gas mileage! I have driven this car 400 miles on one tank of gas. The interior lighting on the doors work on my Sentra. My family of 4 fits comfortable in my little car. At 25,000 miles its just settling in and it rides great!

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  Parting is such sweet sorrow - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By nlangdell - April 20 - 6:39 pm

  I finally had to let it go at 177000 miles and 14 years old. Talk about take a lickin and keep on tickin! I sure wish it hadnt become a rust bucket. She started every morning even on cold ones and thats -05 or more.

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  Love my 2010 Sentra!! - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By Mel - April 20 - 2:45 pm

  I got this car brand new and havent had any problems with it. I currently have 133k miles on it and am now having to put minor money into it for routine age/mileage repairs. Ive almost driven the wheels off of it and it is still a reliable work horse. Id buy another one of I could! Great car!!!