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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  Anna Marie - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Kathryn George - January 4 - 3:27 pm

  Best SUV in its class. I love my Rogue. Very stylish and comfortable.

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  3.5L V6 beating 1.8/2.0/2.5 L V4s - 2017 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Akshaya Bhatt - January 4 - 8:44 am

  Way great mileage for 3.5L V6 (combined 25 mpg.WOW!), which is giving competition to V4 engines. Ride is really awesome, with better control. You may not even feel that you are moving at 65/70 MPH speed. It will feel very smooth, quite ride.

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  Nothing else like it! - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By bazouli - January 3 - 8:30 pm

  The comfort and ride are wonderful, I pulled someone out of a snow bank 2 days after getting the truck, and I have had to pull my parents Avalon out of the snow a couple times. Great owner websites out there to answer any questions or enlighten you to mods. Remember this is a truck, not a hybrid! The V8 is SO smooth snd shifting is seemless. The ABLS and VDC system is incredible in the snow, drive it during a storm and test it! I started looking in 04 for a new SUV, I researched and drove everything except this one, I rented one for a week, and then bought one!

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  Great performance value - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Johnny V - January 3 - 6:30 pm

  I bought this car brand new in 03. Car looks much better than 04 and up. Love the interior, transmission, and all that torque! Only trouble was the recall on the pre cat. I solved that by installing a header. Good performance and looks for the price. Only complaint is it is under powered. cant keep up with wrx or neon srt-4. But a car that can run low 15s for under 19k is hard to pass up. Car handles very well in stock trim but Eibach springs make it handle better and actually improve the ride quality. Suggest an after market shifter to clean up the sloppy action of the stock piece. This car is a blast to drive and it sets you apart from the thousands of civics out there.

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  Tremendous fun-to-drive car - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By JLNYC - January 3 - 5:43 pm

  The 3.5 SE is a rocket, VERY fast, handles and corners terrifically, extremely spacious, comfortable, easy- to-use controls and very nice interior (charcoal), and has a large trunk. The driving position is perfect with all the power seat adjustments and telescoping steering wheel. And of course, considering its a 4-door sedan, its a hot-looking car. The only quibble I have is that it rides a little stiff on bumpy roads.

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  Love The Van - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By cobiay - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I finally broke down and bought a minivan, 2 kids. I LOVE IT. The entertainment center is wonderful!! I have riden in many minivans and nothing compares with the Quest, even the Odyssey. I have no idea what the editors were looking for in their review to give only a 4.5 rating.

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  DRIVEN - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By stumbling4ward - January 3 - 10:00 am

  This car exudes authority on the highway. Acceleration between 3k and 4k rpm is coffee spilling, head-thrown- back fun. The perfect mix of family sedan/screamin rubber. 140mph feels like 60mph

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  Rock-Solid, Market-Wise - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By SkiMan - January 3 - 10:00 am

  It has been three years and I am just getting started with this truck. What still amazes me is the value for the money factor with this rig. I am a contractor and this truck does not get pampered. I had a fullsize before but this time decided to try the midsize with this crew cab setup. It was definitely the right move, this rig is a strong little truck. A lot of quality has been built in to this model by the manufacturer - which is good because Nissan dealership service departments can be such a nightmare.

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  Good Purchase - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Charlene - January 3 - 4:26 am

  I bought the SL with the CVT. It is so much fun to drive this car. I am already getting 32 MPG. I love the interior room too. I have only had the car for 3 days but I can already tell this was a smart decision to buy this car. If youre looking for good mileage and reliability, this little gem is worth a look.

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  Will Never Leave Nissan - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By fpento - January 3 - 1:13 am

  After many hours of reviews, I decided to purchase the 3.5 Altima. With the added HP and the spacious room ... baby on the way ... I couldnt go wrong. The cars a bullet! Gotta love that award winning V6. Almost a year into ownership and nothing has gone wrong. When its time to replace this, there will have to be something special out there for me to get something different that an Altima!