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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  I love this truck. - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Jim - September 6 - 12:00 am

  Two days arfter purchasing this truck I drove from Dallas to Seattle. Since then, Ive driven to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Missouri and New Mexico. Ive never had a problem. I take it off road frequently and love it. I wish I would have gotten an off-road package, but Im still very happy with it.

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  Love My TITAN - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Jimmy Thigpen - September 5 - 9:36 pm

  I looked at all the full sized trucks for six months and decided on the Titan. This is by far the best truck I have had the pleasure of owning. I used to be a brickmason and have owned Dodge, Chevy (GMC) and Ford. This truck more than meets all my expections. I tried out Toyota, Chevy, Ford and Dodge and found that for the money you cant beat the Titan. I love smoking the Hemi Dodges at the red lights. I will probably never own anything but a Nissan.

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  Love this car!!! - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Jen - September 5 - 4:20 pm

  When I drove my moms Murano for the first time, I knew I had to have one of these for myself. Just picked up my new one yesterday and so far am loving it. Nissan has made great improvements thos this car in both looks and features over the past 2 years. This car gets great mileage for an SUV with so much power. I believed it was the best in its class and truly believe it now that Im behind the wheel of one of these babies. The seats are very plush and comfy - great for my long road trips. Cant wait to test out the AWD on the snow!

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  Nissan Rogue SUV - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By A Rogue - September 5 - 10:16 am

  I bought the Nissan Rogue SUV AWD, totally fit out with all the luxury package items about 4 weeks ago. So far, I like the following aspects: cool design, engine power, radio/Bose speakers/satellite, cargo room, ease of use. I think the car rides a little harshly and jiggles and jumps too easily in response to bumps. It should have a memory seat feature also. However, it does satisfy my wish for a car/SUV that is sports, gets > 20 mpg in city driving, has cargo room, and lots of amenities.

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  7th new car -- best Ive ever owned - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By DominickF - September 5 - 9:33 am

  Got a 2.5 SL with connection package. Great handling, excellent fit and finish, sporty look and feel. Nice quiet ride. Very powerful 4 cylinder; mileage is impressive. Love the tech touches.

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  Couldnt Be Better! - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By rocketman - September 5 - 8:53 am

  I just bought my SE coupe two weeks ago and love everything about it: The V6 is smooth and powerful. It handles extremely well, has great styling, and a well laid-out comfortable interior. I love the bluetooth hands-free (really necessary with a stick-shift), and the Bose stereo is definitely worth every penny!. On top of all that, I beat the Edmunds TMV price by $600 without even haggling with the dealer. A previous reviewer was comparing this car with an Accord coupe and was wondering if Nissan is as reliable as Honda. I say every bit! My trade was a 1995 200SX with 241K miles and it never needed any major repairs! Hope this one does that well!

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  the b man - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By The B Man - September 5 - 7:46 am

  My Sentra now has 64k miles and the only problem Ive ever had was the seat material that ripped 4 times and I has it replaced under Nissans warranty. The back seat is so tight that you should consider offering someone a ride back there. The 30 MPG on the highway is great and it works great for me, since I just use this car on my daily commute. Cheap and reliable transportation.

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  This monster is fun to drive! - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Sulaco - September 5 - 2:00 am

  The first thing I noticed when I stepped inside the vehicle was the roominess. No vehicle on the market matches the amount of legroom and space youll get in the second and third row seating. The ride is extremely smooth and handles very well for such a large truck. We upgarded to the SE Journey package so that we could have the 2nd row captain seats, which flip easily and out of the way for access to the 3rd row. The styling and leather are very nice and unique and is extremely comfortable for a long drive. There are plenty of places to store various items, even enough room to put your laptop in. I cant say enough about how much I enjoy our new SUV.

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  Like it better than my Jag - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Southpark67 - September 5 - 2:00 am

  A blast to drive-I look foreward to getting into my Murano and driving it. I prefer it to my wifes Jag-anytime! Easy to get in and out and friends cannot believe the amount of leg room in the back. And ,in my opinion, it looks better than any of those "all look the same" boring SUVs on the market(SUVs in its class that is).

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  SLEEK SUV - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By KKC - September 5 - 2:00 am

  EXCELLENT SUV GOOD FEATURE AND SMOOTH RIDE WITH GOOD MILEAGE