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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  Mighty Mighty Titan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Tim - October 27 - 10:26 pm

  This is the first vehicle that I have owned that has me loving to drive again. It is the most comfortable vehicle I have ever ridden in, the captains chairs feel like lazy boys, and the vehicle rides like a car. It nearly floats over bumps, not like trucks of old that would shake you to death every bump you hit. All in all this is an awesome vehicle much better than the 04 and 05 F-150s.

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  An Acceptable Vehicle - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Tupdog - October 27 - 5:03 pm

  Overall, this is a fine vehicle that has, in my opinion, two design faults. The navigation screen needs to face the driver more and be more protected from the sun as on the 09 Maxima. The navigation screen is almost worthless when the sun is at certain angles. The second fault is with the dual moon roof which is also on the 09 Maxima equipped with the premium package. With no moon roof wind deflector presently available, this vehicle is, with out a doubt, the noisiest vehicle I have ever owned or had the opportunity to ride in my 60+ years. (My moon roof comment only applies to models equipped with a dual moon roof.) I have contacted Nissan about the problem, but that was a waste of time.

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  Thumbs Up - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By HoustonTrev - October 27 - 10:00 am

  We now have 43k hard-earned miles on the car. It was in the shop only once for two safety recalls. Other than that it has gone without a hitch. Even the tires still look good. I love the broad powerband of the engine coupled with the 5 speed. The stereo only sounds good when the volume is high, but I like it that way anyway. :)

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  My quest fulfilled... - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By MarianneS - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I have only ever owned a toyota.. I tes dri=ove every available moni0van.. Toyota was great but I was searching for a less conservative look with a bit of style.. the mon-ment I walked into the showroom I knew I ha found "my" car.... It is a beauty and a lot of car.. secure feeling when driving my children around.... Great design!!!

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  My 350Z - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By Chip - October 26 - 12:23 pm

  Bought this car in March and LOVE it. It is very fun to drive, handles very well, and is FAST (shes seen 135 and wanted to go more!). The lines and intimidating body style makes this car a looker!

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  Great Performer - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By MitchieRay - October 24 - 6:46 am

  Bought car new in 05, SE model. 5 sp. Auto-completely loaded. 4 Yrs later now I have 50k miles. Right off the top I have to say the acceleration is very impressive-WOW! Starts strong off the line and keeps pulling & pulling & pulling. Great Torque, & little torque steer. A couple things though. I have the sun roof in it and it developed some squeaks after about 4 mos; took into the dealer 4X, they never could figure it out. They thought it was the headliner and installed a new one but still has the squeaks, I am certain its the sunroof. Finally gave up on that. Has 18" wheels, handles wonderful, All power equipment still working fine. Has developed a couple other squeaks-annoying.

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  this is the car - 2009 Nissan GT-R
  By g4real - October 22 - 11:16 pm

  As of this time, I put in 5,800 miles on this car & all I can say is its worth every penny. Style of this car & the limited delivery from japan is a advantage for the consumer. a lot of head turning is going to happen once you owe this gtr. performance, cant complain. it has the power and speed that every man would want to have on a sports car. traded my sl55 amg for this & it was worth. only down side is rough & bouncy suspension. But other than that its perfect. I wish they had a manual. Never used the launch control since it scares me already having this fast of a vehicle. took it to vegas & ran up to 160mph without a problem. i will give the gtr a 9/10 rating.

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  Great Workhorse! Fuel Efficient! - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Raj - October 21 - 2:53 pm

  Ive been the original owner of this impressive & amazingly reliable car. Its taken me through school, camping, and long road trips accumulating 232,000 miles. Apart from the routine tires, battery, and brakepads Ive only had to replace the alternator & starter within the last 30,000 miles. That means this baby took me 200,000 miles before I had to do anything more than replace the oil!! Ive outgrown it now and need a truck for the stuff I like to haul around, but I sure wish I could keep it for my routine commutes as the gas mileage is fantastic getting 30-33mpg in city. Nissan did good when they sent this one off the production line.

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  Could have changed this part. - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Carl - October 20 - 8:43 am

  So far very happy with the car. Only some small complaints. Car rides very nice until you hit a sharp, quick bump in the road. Feels like you hit a brick in the road. Biggest complaint, but bought the car anyway is where they placed the 2 charger ports in the car. One at the bottom of the arm rest storage area and the other at the back of the storage in the center console. If you store anything in these areas, youll have to empty everything out just to plug in a charger. I agree big time about what someone else wrote. They should have more options available. Its either nothing or everything. Big difference in the price tag.I paid $500.00 out of pocket to have a spoiler put on.

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  More holes in your wallet - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Sherpa - October 19 - 6:23 pm

  I got my 08 Off-Road edition in Dec 2007. I have driven it on both city streets and highway, and have been on a few long road trips. For being a truck, Xterra offers a very comfortable ride. At the end of my longest trip, six hours, I still felt very relaxed with no sore muscles. On the highway, this vehicle will not disappoint you. Those little hills on the highway wont be a problem at all and passing other vehicles is a breeze. In the city, its amazing. If I am stopped at a light and the light turns green and I step on the gas, it just goes! One thing I hate is the cold weather driving. It feels a little sluggish until the engine reaches the optimal level. Waiting to offroad now.