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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  2002 Sentra GXE With Synergy Package - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Miata93 - July 27 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Sentra I have owned. The first one was a 1986 model and took me to 186,000 miles before the tranny gave out. Already that says something about the Sentras reliability. So far, this car has been great!! Its very quiet on the highway, the ride is very comfortable and has enough power to get on the highway. The handeling on this car is great. Weve driven the car from CT to VT and got there on just under half a tank of gas. The trip is about 260 miles!! Amazing! The styling of the car is just beautiful. It reminds me of a miniature Mazima (one of the reasons we bought this car). Overall, I would highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  A ton of fun and bang for the $ - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Lady J - July 27 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I bought a lease turn in for $17k w/21k miles on it. We could be more pleased and laugh at our friends that by new Accords, J30/35, Camarys and whatevers. Its almost too much fun to drive. Hard to keep under 80mph on the Interstate.

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  Design+Performance = Best Buy - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By marco polo - July 27 - 10:00 am

  No wonder this was the North American Car of the Year. The design/style and the performance of the 3.5SE engine is unmatched for a vehicle in this price range. Nissan has outdone its competitors! I cant wait for the aftermarket performance parts from Stillen or Jim Wolf Technology to become available. The engine has untapped resources waiting to be unleashed.

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  Expensive oil change - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By elstac4 - July 27 - 6:20 am

  First oil change, total shock, $89.00 are they kidding? Should be told when buying car, told it is special oil. I am going to ask other dealers what they charge.

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  best car easily destroys the accord - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Mensur Pjetrovic - July 26 - 6:43 pm

  this car is the sickest car ive ever driven it plus i added a cold air intake which really makes the car pull off the line as if it needed more power steering and cornering is excellent driving a 2000 accord ex v6 gold (hayat) and i have to say the maxima outperforms it.

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  Really like the Rogue - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By annwilltn - July 24 - 7:30 am

  Test drove the Mazda CX7, no power and weird steering. Love the Rogue, great get up and go. Had Xterra, it drives like a truck, now Im enjoying driving more. CX7 has extreme road noise, this one has a little but not very noticeable. Love the Bluetooth and moon roof. Would like a little more back space, but can make do. Back seat is fairly comfortable too. Highly recommend for someone wanting a smaller SUV with great gas mileage!

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  a new experience - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By dick - July 24 - 2:40 am

  built on a new platform, nissan has done a great job with this new model.the quality and performance are outstanding. very quiet and a comfortable ride.

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  I love my Sentra! - 1998 Nissan Sentra
  By AustinTX - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car because I wanted fuel economy. Ive driven it on trips into the mountains and averaged 40mpg, which Im thrilled with. It averages 35mpg, and of course the tradeoff is that the power is a bit on the low side. Looks good with a spoiler, and I love the cruise control. Not very roomy for long-legged people (62 and above), but it works. Fun to drive, and extremely reliable. I have had no major repairs to do - oil changes and maintenance on breaks is all. Very quiet. Back seats could use more room.

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  Disappointed with some noises. - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By fambriz - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I noticed a squeaky noise in the dashboard, right behind the steering wheel. I told the sales manager about it and they said they would fix it. I have taken it to the dealer about 5 times and still not fixed. There is another rattling noise that seemed to come from the dash, when I accelerate down the street. I took it to 2 different dealers and they could not find the source (it seems like the exhaust system is causing it), but they agreed it is a strange noise, and that most Armadas have it. I did notice other noises. The windshield had to be replaced because it was deffective, it had some white spots in the middle of the windshield (between the 2 layers of glass).

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  The Z of SUVs - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By christos - July 23 - 10:00 am