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:

• 

  My first Nissan ever - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By dkiel - June 7 - 2:26 am

  After having owned a Toyota Echo and a Toyota Matrix I decided to give the Nissan Versa a try. So far I must say that initially I am impressed by the smoothness of the CVT and the get up and go of the 4 cyl eng. Overall the interior is nice but the front seat armrest is a total useless joke. It is not high enough or long enough to lay your arm on. Hope they fix that in upcoming models. Havent it it long enough to evaluate the gas mileage but hopefully it will fulfill the commuter car requirements around town and the occasional out of town trip. Good little car for the money.

• 

  Best Crossover Value - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By kds46119 - June 6 - 11:20 pm

  This vehicle has far better grade interior materials than its competitors. Historical and reliable V6 NISSAN engine. EPA HY 27 plus on a trip to Atlanta 400miles on a tank with left over gas. Great modern styling v boxy outdated competition. Smooth ride.

• 

  Give me tires or give me death!!! - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By mgm - June 6 - 7:53 pm

  Nice truck overall. Interior nice but a little small. Back seat okay for kids but not for adults. Replaced the supercharger under warranty. Gas mileage horrible compared to my 93 frontier. Biggest problem are the tires. The high performance 17 inch tires are no good. They only get 15- 18k miles and I get many flats on the dirt rds I travel. The only available tire is $220.00 apiece. UGH!! I find the 4ft bed too small as well. I put a cap on mine which eliminates the use of the bed extender. Truck looks nice and have had minimal function problems. I have 54k for mileage and had to replace the back springs and need a whole exhaust system. Can you say time to trade.

• 

  We love our Murano!!!!!!! - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Bill - June 6 - 2:33 pm

  We have had Cadillacs, Chevys, Fords, whatever. This is by far the nicest, most useful car yet!!! Thanks Nissan!!!

• 

  Sleek and Classy - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Melissa Urla - June 6 - 5:20 am

  Murano SL with the premium package affords you a sleek look on the outside and luxury on the inside without the luxury price. I love it!

• 

  worth it - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By charles - June 6 - 4:00 am

  wanted something roomy and this is it. has technology package with gps and its worth every penny for never having to stop for directions again. xm sounds great over the bose system. back up camera is awesome and a great safety feature. my son loves the dvd put in ps2 for him - where was all this when i was little?? we live in big bear and this handles great in the snow no more chains.... average is about 16 mpg not bad for what you get im very satisfied with the purhase.

• 

  Keep on giving me check engine lights - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By nissan_no_good - June 5 - 11:43 pm

  Dont know if Im just unlucky on this car or what, starting around 80k miles, check engine light keeps on coming back, I replaced 4 o2 sensors so far (the 1st one was actually around 50k miles), now the check engine is on again for p0325. Since then Ive spent more than $5000 repairing o2 sensor and other issues. Every time I tell myself this is a good car, this is the last time Ill need to spend big money on it. It just never stops. Im selling it now.

• 

  My favorite vehicle ever! - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Marci - June 5 - 6:03 pm

  I traded in my 2007 Nissan Maxima (my baby!) for this 07 Murano. I live in Massachusetts and I needed a better vehicle for the cruel winters here. Ive only had it for a week but my mother owns a 05 Murano and I have drove that plenty so I knew I would love my 07 Murano.

• 

  My new Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Chuck A. - June 5 - 2:40 pm

  Ive had the car 3 days now, and am very impressed with it. The interior is way above what I thought would be available from a low cost Nissan (like my last car, a Sentra was). The ride is very smooth (consider Im comparing it to my Sentra SE), and the car seems tight and quiet. It seems very peppy, and the engine is totally silent at 70 mph (as is the interior, except for road noise). No wind noise. The fit and finish appears to be very well done, with no blemishes noticed thus far.

• 

  valuable exposure - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By patrick - June 5 - 3:26 am

  overall, vehicle provides a continual high value performance. this is based on constant positive responses to all handling manuever attempts.