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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  My Speed Machine - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By cdmoore04 - October 19 - 10:00 am

  The titan by far is superior in size, power and room when you campare it to similar trucks and sport cars. I love everthing about the vehicle but I had to get use to using roll up windows and making sure the doors are locked (XEs do not come with power windows and door locks and I did not want to get carried away with options). The best part about this vehicle is its power and some people think the vehicle is so expensive from the looks. I was able to upgrade from my 99 Sentra to this beast for $48 dollars more a month ($328 over invoice and 2% financing helps alot). But with gas so dang high I can not travel freely without thinking about that low MPG.

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  Nissan, maybe Japans best? - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Richard S Britt - October 19 - 10:00 am

  The 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5S is right on the money ,when it comes to reliability, perfomance,and price. ive seen more new altimas than the Flagship of Nissan. The Nissan Maximia, Is this the new Flagship for Nissan?

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  value - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By toml - October 19 - 10:00 am

  The altima was the best buy for the money in the cars that I looked at. It had the most space except for the paasat. I got the 4 cylinder which has some power. The 3.5 has quite a bit more but for 5 grand more. I did have a tough time in the s model trying to find abs as a option(I think it should standerd) like it alot so far and got lots of complements.

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  Avoid the 05 at all cost - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By victorbravo - October 19 - 6:51 am

  I looked at 4 05 zs at 4 dealerships. They all had a tear about 6 inches on the driver side. I figured I could just tape it for now and get a new top in about a year. I also used it as a negotiating tool. 10 months of owner ship and the tear grew to over a foot. I sewed it but two other rips appeared in the back a few months ago and continue to grow. Professional replacement $2000 The worst is the oil issue. I have to either oil change every 1100 miles or add another 5 quarters to get by to 3000. It appears oil is getting into two of the cylinders. It destroyed two spark plugs. If you car blows out heavy smoke when you crank it dont buy. Nissan does not back up their products.

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  love this car - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By sohni - October 19 - 5:03 am

  this car is amazing.i love it.from outside this car look small but it is allot of space in the car. also the best part in this car is u put back seat down and make space bigger. best car for me....yaaaaaaa

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  More $$ than I had anticipated - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By vampmom - October 19 - 4:43 am

  This is the 3rd Nissan I have owned - the 1st one bought brand new. So far, I had to replace tires and brakes at 30,000 miles; drivers side sliding door latch literally fell apart (warranty); engine mounting bolts (!!!) fell out (warranty). One week after the 3-year mfg wty expired, my battery had to be replaced, the rear sonar sensor failed/not able to be reset, and one of the rear wing window closing assembly fell apart. Also, during cold weather, the sliding door cannot be opened. Rear trunk hatch does not latch well. Creaky/clicking sounds from the front end. I am grateful I bought the extended warranty - looks like it will be used a lot. When kids are big, Im buying another Sentra.

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  Rock Solid - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By zoomer - October 18 - 6:16 pm

  No unplanned maintenance. NONE. I have 30K miles on it and still on original tires and brakes. I cant over-emphasize how reliable this car has been. Engine power is excellent, but too much for the tires and suspension of the SL. So easy to spin tires and the body lean is a bit much under hard cornering. I was hoping for a cross between prior cars 350Z and Lexus GS300, and maybe shouldve got a MaxSE.

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  Awesome Buy - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Hardik Patel - October 18 - 6:30 am

  Excellent Car, Great Mileage , Awesome Look. I will decently suggest to Friends and Family

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  Simply Beautiful - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Amethyst - October 18 - 5:03 am

  I picked up a leftover Murano when I heard the 09s were coming out, as Ive always loved the body style, and needed the room for my dogs. All went well for the first thousand miles, until I got off the freeway one morning and it sputtered out on the street. I would restart it, but it would do the same. Had it towed to the dealership, where it was diagnosed with "crank sensor failure", and it was replaced under warranty. No apology, no coupon for free oil change, nothing. On the upside, Ive driven it another 2,000 miles smoothly since then. But that experience has somewhat tarnished my love for my Murano (some) and Nissan (more so).

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  Best Christmas Present Ever! - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By karly - October 18 - 2:50 am

  My husband & I had a 2004 Nissan Sentra, we were just browsing around, didnt care much for the new Sentra. Im so glad we got this car, its the best present ever. I love driving it, gas mileage is awesome, looks sporty, the windows were already tinted, its fully loaded, absolutely love it.