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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  2007 Nissan Altima - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By LOU T. CHURCHVILLE - November 8 - 10:36 pm

  I recently bought an Altima after 30 years of American cars. This car is solid, quiet, fast, smooth and very good on gas. Nissan Altima is excellent!

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  Love My Murano! - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By ndee - November 8 - 10:10 pm

  I love my car, and I tell everyone! I get asked how I like it by interested strangers and tell them about the 26 MPG highway (22 city - I drive less aggressively than most though) people seem surprised that is gets the same MPG as my maxima did. My friends called it the YAV - Yuppie Assault Vehicle until I took it camping. Dont let the leather seats fool you - the Murano handled the dirt roads, streams and beach as well as my moms Jeep! I cant wait to get a tow-bar to pull the toys. This is my 2nd Murano I upgraded from a 2wdS to the 4wdSE and will drive it as long as it goes!

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  Best truck value out there - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Ron - November 8 - 2:06 pm

  Traded in my 01 Frontier KC 2wd, the only reason I traded it in was for 4wd. The 4.0L has excellent acceleration with decent fuel economy. I also liked the fact that the rear doors opened whereas my 01 didnt. I was comparing this to the Tacoma and Colorado and for the money this was the best truck out there.

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  awesome, fun car - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By butch - November 8 - 12:03 pm

  One of the best cars Ive owned! I love the styling-it really is a "baby Maxima!". Extremely fun to drive. Steering is tight. Couldnt believe how much room there is in the interior- especially in the front. Would definitely recommend.

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  never a problem - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By jack - November 8 - 11:13 am

  bought a 2000 max se, still have it @ 70000 miles... not a single problem, not even a light bulb... my new 2005 max se seems even better built... I thought my 2000 was peppy... the 2005 is really fast. These were my first non chrysler/gm/ford cars, I had been use to going back to the dealer the first week and from then on. Now, the only time I go is to buy a new car.

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  So-far-so-good - 2013 Nissan Frontier
  By deemery - November 7 - 11:12 am

  This replaced my 2000 4x2 Frontier (I got from a friend after he adopted 2 kids and needed a vehicle that could hold multiple car seats :-) That truck ran great, good mileage, relatively low maintenance costs (except for the leaky fuel pump at 100k that cost $1100 to fix). After 800 miles, performance is very good (Im not used to this much power), gas mileage as expected (4x4 not a winner there), comfort is good, interior features are generally good. Overall quite satisfied.

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  Amazing - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By ashley12345 - November 7 - 9:40 am

  Cant deny love for this car! Great first car, original owner had it stored in garage. It only had 72,000 miles on it when bought! Prime condition, a lot of zing for small car!

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  Where are the parts? - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By harrisd9 - November 7 - 7:34 am

  My Nissan Versa has been sitting in the repair shop for over 6 weeks waiting for a gasket for the radiator!! I would have never bought this car if I had know how hard it is to get parts! We have also had it in the shop because it died and needed a fuse. They keep lots of these in stock--must happen often. What a mistake.

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  Blown Tranny - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By chargerfan92562 - November 7 - 1:03 am

  I bought a 2007 Nissan. I have 53,000 miles on it as I do alot of driving. At about 46,000, I was on a long trip about 6 hours into my travel my RPMs began to fluctuate, power was lost could not go over 20mpg. I pulled over on I-10 near lordsburg. After 20 minutes car started up and made it to Ca. I took car to dealership and was told nothing was wrong. Once again at 53,000 I was driving to Ca. again and once again about 6 hours later same thing happened. This time tranny blew. Fluid was all over. Towed to Tucson, covered under extended warranty. Before this everything on car seem to work. Does a tranny usually go out this quick?

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  Fantastic - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By rebe945 - November 6 - 4:43 am

  Im 55 and bought a black on black. Just awesome, under cover for Winter. Pull it out, run the engine. Just not enough. Need Spring. Ive never had so much anticipation to drive it again. Love the exterior. A head turner. Interior has a modern quality cockpit feel. Seat comfort good and grows on you to now it is just very comfortable, no problem. Performance is off the charts. Power, turning, braking and cruising excellent . I have 18inch wheels and never even thought about any road noise. I have the basic sound system and its very good. May upgrade though because I love my music.Not necessary though. Cant say enough> Ive never loved a car so much.