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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  ALTIMA - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Xphille630 - February 18 - 10:00 am

  My overalll review of the Nissan Altima has been a great experience. I was always a firm believer in American made autos only and my nneyes were opened to foreign made autos. I would certainly pruchase nother Nissan again. The Altima has delievered style, room, spaciousness, affordability, comfort, looks, and reliability. This is certaninly a vechile I wold purchase again.

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  Save yourself the aggravation - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Dont Buy It - February 18 - 10:00 am

  A new car shouldnt have this many issues. 1)When it snows, this car slips and slides everywhere. (Its also bad in the rain.) 2) The tires make this horrible *loud* noise, especially around 60-70 mph. 3) Ive been stranded at least 5 times because the car doesnt always start in the cold. 4)The window doesnt always close if the temp is over 90 degrees. 5)The rearview mirror dimmer failed and had to be replaced. 6)My airbag light is flashing - and even though I brought it to the dealer, I only found out by reading other reviews here that it was a recall! 7)When you fill the gas tank, the gas sloshes back and forth whenever you stop or turn.

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  Love my Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By laymakeup - February 18 - 10:00 am

  I love my quest. Im not a mom nor do I have a pack to travel with, but I thought this was the most comfortable and cool looking van Id ever seen. The only thing I dislike is the low gas milage. It averages 18 miles to the gallon. Other than that its great.

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  Excellent Car - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By mathme_2000 - February 18 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the murano for 5 months now, and have almost 7000 miles on it. On average, I get about 20 MPH around town and on 3 trips to Lake Tahoe, it has averaged 23MPG. The styling is GREAT, the build quality is amazing, and I cant recommend this car highly enough. I am 62, and on a recent trip I rode in the back seat and was very comfortable.

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  Fun Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Titan lover - February 18 - 10:00 am

  nice and quiet very smooth running truck well thought out as being a new model

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  Nissan 350z Rocks Period. - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Nick Harrington - February 18 - 10:00 am

  Nissan 350z is highly recommened by me, if you find one, go for it or youll be sorry that you didnt get it.

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  Love everything but the interior - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By rsrtampa - February 18 - 12:36 am

  The Frontier is a great truck and I am very pleased with it. The power is more than adequate and the interior room is good. The handling is great and the road noise is very low for a truck. The interior is just boring. The controls are all in fairly good locations but the styling is just blah. There is no nice trim pieces and the seats are not as supportive as they should be.

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  Nissan does not care....AT ALL - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By duckboy29 - February 17 - 2:00 am

  I have had the Z now for a little under a year now,my car has tirehop,intermittent powerloss at 4-5k rpm from engine sensor,the drivetrain is making noise and the car needs its 2nd alignment(tire hop issue), There is a smell of mold coming out of the A/C vents,dash + interior rattles and I had to call nissans consumer affair division because there service centers do not seem to want to take ANY responsibilty. Service reps have the audacity to tell you these problems are NORMAL on a car less than 1 year old, Shame on Nissan. I am so fed up with my car that i am going to get rid of it.

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  Reliable transportation - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By Bryan S - February 17 - 2:00 am

  Ive only had the car for 5 months but it has performed very well for me. The gas mileage is pretty mediocre and I did some preventative maintenance by replacing the starter even though it hadnt broken down yet. Other than that, its been exactly what I expected it to be. No surprises - which is pretty good for a car that cost me less than $7k.

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  My best car ever- - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By marie pappas - February 17 - 2:00 am

  This car is the most fun to drive than any sport car that i have owned in the past. Starting with one of the first MGTCs in 1946 through Jag 120s, Mercedes Sls, Porsches. This manualgear box is the smoothest, pickup the quickest and cornering the most road hugging. I drive it in preference to my Mercedes SL.