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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  Nissan Z Redline Review - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By schumacherboy1 - November 13 - 10:00 am

  It is a fun car to drive and it handles great! It sure is a head turner!

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  Awesome Ride - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Vpmartinez - November 13 - 10:00 am

  Excellent, well built, and fun to drive car. Many standard features, and with the SL package, you get almost everything under the sun. Bose stereo w/6 disc changer is great. Little added features here and there also make the car an excellent pick. Style of the car and interior are unbeatable.

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  Altima offers tons for the money - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By sturgis - November 13 - 10:00 am

  I had previously driven an Acura 3.5 and was looking at the Maxima and other cars. By chance I drove the Altima and after the first drive was hooked. The Majestic Blue is cool and the car looks great. The drive is nice and the power is incredible for a 4 cylinder. It has as much as the Acura I had. The interior is roomy and comfortable. Best of all is the PRICE! Why spend $10 - $15K more. This car has it all.

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  Not so good - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Tazmania - November 13 - 10:00 am

  Ill admit, I love the body design. After driving for about 3 months. The comfort & the details is failing to impress me. 1. No power passenger seat 2. Outdated dail type controls 3. Cant read the clock and radio display when bright sunny day 4. No day time running lights 5. Weak and lousy sound quality for a BOSE system 6. Still uses metal rod prop to keep the hood open 7. Climate / heat system keeps the front window foggy if the A/C is not on 8. Leather seats quality are worse than that of a cheap domestic vehicle 9. The horn sounding, when you activate the security system drives me nuts 10. NO resale value!

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  What a find! - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By ams2 - November 13 - 8:36 am

  Test drove everything in its class (Honda, Toyota, and many others etc.) and the Sentra is the clear winner. Quiet, fast, loaded with options that rival much more expensive luxury cars. Bluetooth, Fosgate stereo satellite XM radio, an incredible keyless ignition system, huge trunk with hidden compartment, awesome gas mileage, moonroof. Did I mention quiet? Smooth luxury car type ride. No other car remotely matched acceleration and ride quality. Test drove against a much more expensive BMW and Sentra is a much, much, much better value. Why would anyone buy anything else??

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  Brilliant - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By dreamshot - November 13 - 6:54 am

  After driving around my parents cars during my four initial driving years, I felt it was time for my own. After some extensive research, I decided on the Maxima. This car has been nothing but reliable and really fun. It has ample passing power and still turns heads at 11 years old. Cant get enough of it and would recommend it to anyone. Also --- At 62 I do just barely fit....

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  I dont want to complain, BUT......... - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By gee-rizz - November 13 - 5:56 am

  Car is great fun to drive, but there have been LOTS of minor issues that negate that - audio system sounds great, but repaired twice (not under warranty); crappy placement of 12V outlet and cup holders (cant use radar detector!!); driver side auto-close window doesnt work, tires replaced twice, thumping passenger-side seatbelt, etc. Anyone owning the 350 certainly recognizes these problems BUT.....to drive this car is to forget these admittedly trivial issues (theyre not that trivial, but I get very forgiving once behind the wheel)........

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  350z - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Zpower - November 13 - 2:53 am

  fun fast car to drive...drive it down the 5 and find out yourself

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  General Review - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By cristella - November 12 - 9:47 pm

  My Xterra has 94,000 miles on it. Ive kept up with all required/suggested maintenance and inspections. The only thing I had to replace were the tires at 40,000 miles and they are due to be replaced again. No problems whatsoever.

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  Good Car - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Good Car - November 12 - 9:46 am

  I have had this car for 9 years. I have had transmission problems. Its on its 2nd one. The alternator and brakes have been replaced. Overall it has been a really good reliable car. It needs to go in the shop about once a year. Its been on a few road trips. Its a great car for city driving.