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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  Impossible to drive smoothly - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By Ralph - January 25 - 2:03 pm

  Love the design; dont understand why the manual transmission cant be shifted more smoothly; and why missing a couple hundred revs causes a cacophony of drive line clamors. Traded a Z 4 for this; didnt want to pay the $20M premium for the new Z4; but the BMW manual was quiet and forgiving if rev match wasnt perfect. Driving manuals for 55 years; never had one so difficult to master.

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  Best deal in its class. - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By al - January 25 - 11:36 am

  This is my Max but Ive known the blood line since the Datsun 710 and 810 days. I have to warn you, that CVT is quick. Yes I did have some reservation about CVT and performance. This car put that to rest. I was in the market for a TL Avalon and considered an Accord but after crunching the numbers and the grim factor the Max won hands down. This car has one issue however, its happiest when pushed, say at a RPM of about 27+. The acceleration is quick, seamless and the braking system assures you all is well, in the event you need to calm youself down. I would opt for the VDC over the TCS, just my opinion. I commute in an area with a lot of hills and this car make those hills disappear.

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  Beautiful and reliable - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By LE1997 - January 25 - 5:36 am

  Great design. LE interior is nicer than any other car than I ever owned. At 120,000 miles, still zero wear on the leather seats. Replaced original tires with Kumhos, which much improved stability around corners. Bose sound system is great and powerful. Fuel economy could be better, but I guess its an SUV. Mechanically still very sound after all these years, only minor repairs needed over the years. Engine isnt overly powerful, but SO reliable. Could offer some more driver head room.

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  6-Month Update on my Altima Hybrid - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By tjf - January 24 - 4:20 pm

  Total miles: 4,030. Avg mpg: 32.38. Total miles will easily double/triple in 2009. I came out of a 1999 V6 Toyota Camry. The Altima is nice but the Camry tracked and drove smoother. The power just flowed effortlessly and I could get up to 30 mpg hwy and 18-20 city. The premium I paid for the Altima Hybrid has yet to be of benefit so think through your driving style and driving demands. I also considered the Ford Escape Hybrid for the huge advantage of cargo space and functionality. I decided ultimately on the better gas mileage Altima (by 3 - 5 mpg) was worth more since gas was over $4/gal at the time and there was talk of going to $5/gal. The $2350 tax credit helped the decision too.

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  03 Frontier - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By farbotko - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Great truck, not too small and not too large. Just the right size to haul large items, yet still fit comfortably in a parking space.

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  Excellent Truck - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By AliasTrucker - January 24 - 10:00 am

  This truck is awsome, it drives great and has no problems at all. GREAT BUY!

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  Bring on weekends - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By DPeck - January 24 - 10:00 am

  My wife has watched this car through its development and we have not been dissapointed with any detail. The kids are grown so we could buy a car without restraints of meeting are families needs. Its affordable, the nice thing about this car is you can get the performance, styling, handling, of much more expensive sports cars that wont meet your budget until youre old enough to have your license revoked. Bring on weekends, it can make driving the freeways fun, but give it a chance to run free on mountain roads and it will take you back to your youth.

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  Im a mechanic :) - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By majsterMAX - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Being a mechanic for Acura I get to drive a great deal of cars, used to work for other car companies and even Nissan- having owned 3 so far- my old 90 SE 5spd Max had 340K miles, I went right for the 01 GXE 5spd with intention of NOT keeping it stock and trying to see how long it will run redlined every chance it gets, even with burning tires right off the dealer lot with 2 miles on the ODO at 63K now its only gotten oil changes and tranny fluid changes-2 so far- Redline MTL90. I autocross this big boat and road race it-its fully modified.

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  The Best SUV on the road - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Bryanna - January 24 - 10:00 am

  We got an Atomic Orange Nissan Xterra last yer and it has been the best car weve had but it has its uos and downs!

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  Awesome Murano - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By jtgilman - January 24 - 10:00 am

  No other car out there like it! Fun- to-drive, economical, great storage - an overall A+!