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:

• 

  Love this SUV - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By cmontoya - March 11 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is tight. This truck does not lack power even though its a 4 cylinder. Its geared for low end power so its not too much fun in stop & go but Ive proven it can climb hills with ease. Excellent control in snow without 4x4 also. I was already rear ended and slambed into the car infront of me. The car behind went under and only damaged the bumper. This truck is SAFE! I owned a Nissan truck before this with the same 2.4 motor for 12 years. 198,000 miles and it was a performer with no problems. Sold it to a friend and he loves it.

• 

  3500 mile review - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By clbisbee - March 11 - 10:00 am

  After 3500 miles the Murano is still fun to drive. Great for long trips up 101. Environmental controls are the best, sound system is good and ride is very quiet. Still draws stares from strangers and 9 out of 10 think it looks great.

• 

  Unbelievable - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By johnny6 - March 11 - 10:00 am

  This car is spectacular, so far. Although, I have only had this car for one day, I would venture to say that I am in for a fun few years of driving. The torque steer is a bit to get used to, but seriously we are talking about a car that has 245 horse power and 246 foot pounds of torque. This car is an fing monster. Every nissan I have ever owned or driven has been high quality and this car is no exception. Highly recommended !

• 

  Not the Altima, at all!!! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Chad in Atl - March 11 - 10:00 am

  Its funny to read reviews about "the Maxima is just an expensive Altima." These reviews are obviously done by those comparing based on the specs on the internet. I drove both today and there is a world of difference. The Altima is much like my 99 Maxima (just traded) with a little engine and amenities improvement. The Maxima is a stellar "near-luxury" vehicle that will compare more to BMW, Audi (6s), Lexus, etc. Much more attention to detail was paid to the Maxima on interior and exterior styling. It is truly shocking how much better this car is from any car I have ever owned. The power is phenominal! More than the 5.0 of my youth. (cont. below)

• 

  2.5 SL w/nav and Loving It - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Jeff - March 11 - 7:23 am

  I traded in 2 gas guzzlers, 15.5 and 18.5 mpg. Im now getting 27 mpg traveling the same route. I always wanted an Infiniti but couldnt justify the price, mpg, and rwd. The 2.5 is fine performance wise, the SL, connection, and nav packages give you everything you could need. Things I miss are memory seats, power pass seat, and folding mirrors. The 3.5 folding mirrors with turn signals will swap out for less than $300. The car has state of the art features and is well put together. I purchased on 11/12/07 and have 500 miles on her. Im looking forward to many more.

• 

  Got screwed by Nissan again - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By nissancrap - March 10 - 5:53 pm

  I have a 2005 altima SE 3.5 with 80K miles. It was a fun car to begin with and plenty of power and torque for a $25,000 car. But I had spent more monies on this crap even more than my 2002 BMW. I ran into the timing chain tensioner guide cracking issue @40K miles which I was lucky it still covered warranty. Many owners were not so lucky but have to pay close to $2,000 after warranty expired. But after Premier Nissan at Fremont, CA fixed it, the air conditioning stopped working. Took it back to Sunnyvale Nissan to get it fixed again. The car interior had some strange rattling sounds which the dealers thought it came from the dash panels and never able to eliminate it.

• 

  So far very pleased - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By smdobbs - March 10 - 9:50 am

  I heard that the sentra was a very reliable car. We have an 97 altima in the family with over 220K miles. My last two cars (cavalier & integra) went over 230K miles and I hope to go to 300K on this one. Looked at Civic, but just out of price range. This car is packed with features features for the price. The inside is unbelievably comfortable and I am 6 feet all. Dash layout is great. Gas mileage improves with every fill up. Dont rely on the trip comuter to tell you your mileage. I found that by doing the math myself I am getting around 34 MPG. Trip computer tell me 30. I drive about 70% highway.

• 

  Good sports sedan - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By abenator - March 9 - 10:03 pm

  Overall a good car. Fun to drive and is eye catching. See favorite features and suggested improvements.

• 

  First Review - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Nigelb - March 9 - 11:43 am

  Speed and agility is superb. Drive handling and cornering is excellent. Technology package surpasses any other package Ive encountered. Interior space seem tight for a mid-large car

• 

  Great Car all around - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Shawnn - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Im in real estate and needed something to get me all over the place. I selected the Versa because I have always liked a hatchback, and its gas mileage is top notch. I purchased the SL and it was worth the extra for the keyless ignition, CVT transmission and alloys. I really enjoy this car. I see lesser competition all over, the Fit is TINY in comparison, my parents purchased a Chevy Aveo, and that car is cheap. The Yaris doesnt have the interior room. I routinely average 33.5 MPG and that is with a mix of city and freeway driving, has (knock on wood) never wanted to go visit the service department, except for oil, and tires!! I love this car.