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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  2002 Frontier just so-so - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Larry Cline - December 18 - 2:20 am

  A bit underpowered. Poor fuel economy (15-17 mpg in combined city/highway use. Fairly comfortable, with good room front & back, although back less so for adults. The long bed is handy, although it makes thre truck very difficult to park; a short bed with the removable bed extender might be good enough if you dont haul large items regularly. One extremely annoying design flaw: the vents cannot be closed completely off, and the ductwork runs close to the engine, so hot air is blown in all the time. On days over about 65 degrees, you have to keep the a/c turned on or windows down or it gets very warm inside.

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  Love this little car! - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Rach - December 17 - 2:36 pm

  Love love this car! NO PROBLEMS at all. Definitely recommended. Cute exterior and drives well even at 60+ miles per hour.

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  Fun, Fast, Comfortable.... - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By woodwind - December 17 - 10:00 am

  Since I rarely ever buy the first model year of any car, I tagged on to the tail-end of this generation Maxima. The deals being offered make them a better buy than a simlarly equipped Altima! I could not pass it up - and I am happy I did not. Before you buy a new Altima 3.5, see if the dealer has a Maxima. They are a great value and a wonderful car.

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  02 Nissan XE Xcab 4wd - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By RVT Jr. - December 17 - 10:00 am

  Wanted Toyota, looked at Ford but liked Nissan better. 8 months and 10K miles later Im glad I picked Nissan. Fit and Finish excellent. Hardly a squeak and no rattles. Comfortable. Fun to drive. Sharp looks. No return trips to dealer!!! My first Nissan but I banked on their track record and so far its been right on. Dependability, reliability, thats what I want for my money, not trips back to the dealer !! Why dont V6 pickups get better overall gas milage? 18 mpg 80%highway 20%town. Ive hit 20.5 on a long cruise. Overall excellent value. Just as good as Toyota and better than the others. Got a great price too.

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  21st Century SUV - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By VA Vic - December 17 - 10:00 am

  Enjoying the ride, the gas mileage (Premium gas not required), the BOSE system, and the double takes on the road. Acceleration is impressive with the CVT. Test drove the Lexus and BMW and came back to the Murano. My Sunday drives are now All Week drives.

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  My Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Gary Piper - December 16 - 11:13 am

  Ive never owned a car that I enjoyed more. Ive had Lincolns and Mercury sedans for the prior 20+ years. This car met all of my expectations. And its fun to drive a car that still gets people to look at it.

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  Good little car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Bill - December 16 - 8:23 am

  I have 44K on my 2006 Sentra SE. I have done nothing but normal maintenance. No tires, brakes, anything. Serpentine belts are due for replacement but overall I am quite satisfied with the car. The lack of guts is due to the 1.8 instead of the 2.5. Unfortunately, I didnt have time to wait for a 2.5 to be ordered/delivered.

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  Nissan Frontier crew cab - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By BobZ - December 16 - 7:40 am

  This is a very quiet truck, well made, excellent power, rides great, tows a 4000lb travel trailer very well. I recommend it. Nits and picks, turning radius is poor, radio has weird controls, edge of rear tail light not shielded from breakage if tail gate is down. broke it first load of long planks. You lose your traction control if you install aftermarket wheels and tires w/o tire pressure senors.

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  My 3rd nissan truck - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By tom - December 16 - 4:56 am

  This is my third Nissan truck. The first and second both have 300,000 miles Ive never had any major problems except the normal things brakes, clutches, batteries and tires the reason I bought the new one was I got tired of looking and driving the old one. I expect to get 300,000 out of this one also! These are great little trucks

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  2004 sentra 2.5 sedan - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By c avnyin - December 15 - 1:40 pm

  after owning a corolla and civic both 1.8s I test drove the 2004 sentra 1.8. not much difference between all of them. Then I test drove the sentra 2.5 what a pleasure This car really moves. tons of power. A pleasure to drive. I bought it last June and so far no problems For the price I paid it was a bargain I couldnt pass up