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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  Wolf in sheeps clothing - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By happyspecvdriver - March 30 - 10:00 am

  After trying to find a used MaximaSE manual for a couple of months, I decided to go with the SpecV as my commuter car. It doesnt have as much power as my wifes Max SE, but it is very quick and gets on the freeway with ease. I have an 80 mile commute, the limit is 65, but traffic routinely moves at 70plus. Not a problem cruising at 75, revs at 2700 with plenty to spare. Techwise, its got a lot of perks, which all combine to make it an economy car with attitude. This isnt your grandpas Civic or Corolla. Ready to race out of the box, no after-market parts required. And at $16312 it was a great deal. Best thing is, Im not one of the Civic or Corolla or Jetta masses.

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  dyers review - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Jim Dyer - March 30 - 10:00 am

  My 02 Maxima is the best car Ive owned. The 255 hp engines performance is superb and runs great on regular. The heated seats and steering wheel make early morning winter drives bearable. I plan to keep it until 200,000 miles.

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  Swiss Army Xterra - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Ren da Canadian - March 30 - 10:00 am

  After comparing all the small and midsized SUV out there, this one stood out. First, its a REAL SUV based on a truck (Frontier). Second, it has the bas tow load (5,000lbs) and Third, the most exciting look. My wife and I bought the Xterra to do many duties include hauling my tools/building materials and traveling in any condition. Our Solar Yellow Xterra stands out from all the cute utes and posers. The HID lights light up everything for miles too! If you are looking for a serious mid/small SUV take a look at the Xterra.

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  Murano is awesome - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By koo_guy12 - March 30 - 10:00 am

  Nissan Murano is real fun to drive, very easy to handle, gives better gas milage. It offers many luxury features at much lesser price than the competition. Its CVT engine is cool and powerful. The back seats have more leg room, and five passengers can fit into the car very comfortably. Nissan has made good use of the interior and cargo space. Programmable memory seat and adjustable power pedals are kool and simple to use.

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  Heart Broken - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By deb - March 30 - 2:26 am

  Ive had my Rogue since Dec of 2008.So far Ive had to replace the transmission at 10,000 miles. So I am very disappointed in Nissian had high expectations for this vehicle. Sure hope Nissian can get thier act together and fix this defect. Ive had Nissians in the past and this has mad me loose confidence in them.

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  great car for the buck - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By fieldgeneral - March 29 - 5:33 pm

  Midyear model in midnight sky was the car I wanted after reviewing everything I could about the nissan vs.mazda3,honda civic and toyota corolla. Had it two weeks now and very happy about choice. Great price too(rebates from dealer and nissan to dealer in addition to 4500 cars voucher) made it a no brainer. Interior comfort and roominess was best of the group. I am 62" and interior size was important. Great acceleration and smooth,seamless transmission, Handling is pretty good and quiet for a small car. The only negative comments I can make is the oddly shaped rearview mirrors and security alarm going off when unlocking trunk without unlocking doors first. Otherwise s solid choice.

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  Nice Car - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By GOLF4NPA - March 29 - 6:16 am

  Overall, great car. Despite what you hear, this car has good cargo space (with the back seats down). A lot of engine braking, but great acceleration above 3k rpms. Excellent features inside, and easy controls. I love the information screen.

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  An accident waiting to happen - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By FERN - March 28 - 10:06 am

  Bought our Nissan Altima band new 2015. When we were not using it on a day to day basis, it was great - fuel economy and comfort wise but when we started using it on a daily basis it started to have problems. At 3000 miles, steering pump gave up on my husband while he was driving. Took it to dealership. Dealership was proactive and got the steering pump fixed. Car had to stay for four days but it was okay they gave us a loaner anyway. Now barely two weeks after getting the car back, I was driving to work and the steering wheel gave up on me almost causing an accident. I know the dealership is gonna do the best they can to fix the car but I do not feel safe in that car anymore. This has happened twice, a Nissan truck and now a Nissan car. I dont think I can rely on the brand anymore. Ours might be an isolated case but hey Nissan, step up on checking the safety of your vehicles when they leave manufacturing. I paid for safety more importantly than comfort - I want to get to work as a nurse and not as a patient.

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  try it,youll like it - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By philip eid - March 28 - 4:46 am

  it is the most dependable car Ive ever ouned

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  09 Maxima... SWEET! - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By T Hart - March 28 - 2:30 am

  My wife and I just picked-up our Winter Frost, Maxima SV, w/Sport pkg. Its the first Nissan weve owned, and we couldnt be more pleased. I would HIGHLY recommend the Sport pkg. as it adds eye-popping 19in. rims, a spoiler, and fog lights, among several other amenities. It seems trivial, but Id also recommend mud flaps as they add an extra piece of trim just behind the front & rear tires. (These arent you dads Pontiac Camero mud flaps.) Nissan engineers pulled-out the stops from the remarkably smooth CVT to the telescopic steering wheel and well-appointed leather interior. The driving experience feels like youre in an F-14 cockpit and the exterior has the lines of a GS 400.