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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  Just Awesome!! - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By pofromchgo - August 7 - 12:40 pm

  I think Nissan couldnt have redone this any better from the bigger engine, to the plastic bumper to the step in the rear this suv has it all!! It rides very well and with the SE package you can tear up the roads without ever worring about having problems!

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  Awesome for a mini-van - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By Bill - August 7 - 11:56 am

  The best, most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned, and thats saying something. Bought it brand new in 99 and Ive never had a single problem with it, even with the miles at over 170,000. Even though my kids are driving themselves now I still get plenty of use out of the van and its one of the most comfortable cars Ive ever driven. Based on this Id buy another Nissan in a heartbeat.

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  Great car - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Peter - August 7 - 2:26 am

  I love this car. It has great looks, ride, and mileage. I tested the Accord and Mazda6 and the Altima was a better car for me. I still dont understand why no lumbar support for the drivers 6way on the S series and why 9 cup holder?

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  Awesome car - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Wayne - August 6 - 10:20 am

  Narrowed my search to the 09 Altima or Malibu. Altima had more standard features and Chevy dealer didnt want to deal. So we got the Altima 2.5S with the convenience, convenience plus packages and a few other options. It was the best choice. The 4 cylinder Malibu was a dog. The Altima CVT out performs the Chevy hands down.

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  This is the third one. - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By M.E. - August 5 - 1:43 pm

  I grew up driving old stick shift PUs. And I use a PU as a PU. This is my third King Cab with 4cyl/5 spd manual. Mpg with proper use of manual is a pretty steady mid-20s, up or down a few mpg depending on driving conditions and brand of gas, and reliability seems to be a given. Im not going to bad mouth other small pickups out there. Ive driven them and used them and a couple of them I really liked. But when the time came to fork over the money for a new one, I just couldnt bring myself to do it for anything other than what I think is best of breed.

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  Priced right in class - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Chuck - August 5 - 8:13 am

  In comnparing to Tacoma, seating more comfortable, priced about $2K less. Spray in bedliner. MPG 19.3, great acceleration, roomy enough

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  Love It! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By dlackey - August 4 - 4:50 am

  We got a Super Black SL w/Preferred Package. For those of you who are trying decide between the Box Cars, keep the Cube on your list. I feel the reviews by the "pros" are forgetting who the real-world drivers are or something, but the Cube is really a pretty nice vehicle, especially for under $20k. The car is plenty powerful enough to get off the line and into traffic on the freeway. Body roll is not as bad as the reviewers led me think and visibility is amazing. Additionally, it turns on a dime. We dont like the currently styling of the xB or the Soul compared to the Cube. Were wrapping the Cube for advertising purposes and we feel the styling of the Cube will an attention getter.

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  2005 Nissan Altima SER - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By mark knudsen - August 4 - 4:30 am

  this is my 2nd altima the other was a 2002 3.5 SE, the improvements on the vehicle are awesome the ser seats are very supportive and very comfortable. The horsepower is truly amazing, also is fun to drive

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  Super sporty. - 2013 Nissan Juke
  By Big Ron - August 3 - 2:19 pm

  This is a great small crossover. Fast in sport mode good on gas nice ride and is so Koop looking .

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  Looks Great, Drives Even Better ! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By JFM - August 3 - 3:40 am

  What can I say about this car ? If the styling doesnt get you, the performance will! I purchased mine fully loaded w/o the GPS and havent stopped smiling since. The interior is slightly cramped but other than that, its awesome (I love the heated seats) I have no reservations recommending this car to anyone !