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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  RED TOURIST - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Lori Bug - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Like it but Nissan is slow for things like replacement of missing Owners/maintenance/security/stereo manuals

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  LMc 350Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By LMcc - February 22 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my 350 Z for only 3 months and have really enjoyed driving it. The car is comfortable and is very easy to drive. The ride is firm but not hard and the interior is very quiet with the windows up. Nonething but a very fun car to own.

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  great - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Tha Don B - February 22 - 10:00 am

  very fun, very smooth

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  Nissan Altima- a great car to own! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By wamavrick32000 - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Love this car! Drives nice, very comfortable, roomy too. Not one thing I dont like about it. I drove Hondas, Toyotas and Buick and really the best car is the Nissan, certainly more car for the money.

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  Watch out for soft paint but great car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By mike - February 22 - 2:46 am

  my maxima is great i got the blue with black leather and navigation. The car drives good has little pull (torque steer) when you step on it. Watch out for the paint on these cars they scatch without touch. Turning with this car lets you know its not a small car.

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  Best non-lux midsize suv - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Auto Rater - February 21 - 9:53 pm

  Throttle on the 4.0VQ is very responsive for an SUV. Handling is great for a vehicle this size. Braking is great as the vehicle stops well under control when the brakes are slammed at 40mph. Nissan creates a great blend of on road manners and performance with true off road capability. This Pathfinder defines sport-utility. Only the 4Runner and Grand Cherokee can compete, but the Pathfinder gives you more for less and is standard with third row seats for the growing family. The interior feels Infiniti and the Bose system sounds great. Suspension is much improved, but could be better. 4Runner is softer over bumps. Seats could be softened a little too for improved comfort.

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  The Real Review of the Sentra - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By ptkchic - February 21 - 5:24 pm

  I tried the new Civic, Elentra, Dart, Mazda 3,Corolla, Focus. Basically every car on the compact market. When I test drove the Sentra, I liked it the most. I have now owned the car for 4 months and I still love it from day one. I will admit there is a major lack of power. You are not getting up to speed very quickly. The CVT is/can be very loud (but if you have the radio on, it tends to make the CVT quieter.) Slow down then step on the gas, the CVT gets even loud The styling inside and out are great, but the hubcaps on the car are awful. The handling is good, but you have to take sharp turns I would recommend going slow. The suspension is stiff, but I find that it come in handy over bumps.

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  Nissan Buying This One Back - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By HERB Nyman - February 21 - 2:11 pm

  This car is a LEMON. Been to the dealer 6 times because it will not steer straight and pulls. The tires were replaced,front end aligned 3 times. Rack replaced and still pulls and drifts. Nissan North America has fought us all the way, lied at arbitration and generally uncooperative. We won the arbitration but had not sent Nissan NA a registered letter so instead of getting all our money back it was reduced by about 20 percent. If you have a LEMON be careful to follow your states lemon laws to the T. Dont expect much cooperation from NISSAN CORP. Buy another Brand.

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  Tow vehicle - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mtngto - February 21 - 5:13 am

  I purchased this V8 vehicle to tow a covered trailer, ~3500 lbs thru mountains. Initial trip saw 14 MPG overall, with excellent power (acceleration and cruising), braking, and stability. Very comfortable (front seats). Very manueverable (vs Armada). Negatives: cramped rear seating, noisy cooling fan, rear squat (no air suspension option as on Armada). Also, folding middle center seat interferes with opening center console, also conceals rear air controls. However, overall very pleased, and exceeded my expectations.

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  Fun - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By mthay - February 20 - 7:56 pm

  We bought the Cube yesterday and my husband has a seeing eye dog and he has plenty of room in the back seat. I have had several people ask me about the car and I tell them try one you will like it. I love it we also have a Honda Odessay but use the Cube in town and have a ball.