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:

• 

  What a great purchase! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Mary - August 22 - 7:16 am

  I bought my Gotham Grey Rogue last week and it has got to be the best car/truck/SUV I have ever driven! Its sporty yet practical! Cant wait to try out that AWD on these Colorado mountains! Hard to believe that the smooth ride and comfort is classified as a truck (??) I highly recommend if you are in the market take it for a test drive! Youll fall in love with it!

• 

  Some good some bad - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Steves2k1 - August 22 - 6:03 am

  Purchased the car with 62k miles still have it at 118k today. Overall solid car, minus the constant idle problem which no one can find a solution for, coils, and squeaky front end. OH yeah and rear wind noise is wayyy too loud!..other than that fast fun car to drive. Must use premium for maximum performance. And never take the car to the dealership once you are out of warranty.

• 

  Best Minivan to purchase - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By S. Jackson - August 21 - 7:33 am

  This was the best and wises thing that I could have ever done. It is very roomy, good on gas, different in style, not very many riding around town.

• 

  Fun to drive but not to the gas station - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By QwikKota - August 21 - 2:23 am

  Very fun car to drive and very comfortable for those who like a sporty ride. CVT is not one for enthusiasts but the engine and suspension make up for it. Excellent brakes and handles well enough to be fun yet not beat you up on bad roads. Base sound system is impressive. Navi adds lots of custom settings base needs dealer to change. Leather seats are very nice and soft. Lumbar is so so. Pretty quiet inside but its not a Mercedes. Getting about 20 mpg with 15 mile commute mostly city driving. 25 hwy but you must drive it lightly. Too fun to keep your foot out of it.

• 

  Wow, is all i have to say!!! - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Candigrl - August 20 - 8:00 pm

  Ok, what can i say about my beauty?? I leased 06 S AWD. I wished i could have afforded the next model; but am very happy with my Murano. Its very spacious inside especially with two growing kids (back seat reclines) just perfect in my book! seats are very comfortable for fabric; that is. Drove this car to S.C.(12 hour drive) and back with no problems whatsoever. This is the most comfortable vehicle i have leased. At the end of my lease, I will more than likely purchase or if the style remains somewhat the same get another one; of course, THE WORKS!

• 

  Poor man sport sedan - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By GimmeTorq - August 19 - 4:50 pm

  The Nissan Maxima is a well built and solid family sedan. The "VQ" family of engines is considered one of the best V6 engines in the world.

• 

  Head Restraints are too far forward - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By John - August 19 - 12:00 pm

  I love the car. but, I find that the head restraints are too far forward. You cannot sit straight without the head restraints pushing your head forward. It is a completely uncomfortable position to drive in. This position seems to be unique to Nissan. But, I could be wrong.

• 

  Sportscar with truck bed - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By JimInFLA - August 19 - 11:56 am

  I purchased my 05 Frontier 2wd used w/ about 10k miles. Traded in an 02 Chevy Avalanche. It was great but the gas was killin me and we dont need the 4wd in FL. My Fronty has plenty o power... its like a sportscar w/a truck bed, I swear! I love the beds adjustable tiedown system. Not crazy about the roofrack but it does have a sunroof that is nice, although I mostly run the A/C. Im a lead foot and I can get about 17-19 mpg doing about 75-85 mph on the highway. Its squirrely in the rain b/c its sort of light in the backend like my old 98 2dr Tahoe. The front seats are uncomfortable on long road trips. They also need to redo the center console so you have an elbow rest.

• 

  Switched from a Tundra - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By rckdr - August 19 - 11:56 am

  This is a much beefier truck than the 2000 Tundra I traded for it. I find it comfortable, luxurious although not what I was looking for and a great truck for the price. Much more truck for the dollar than Toyotas flawed new Tundra that is out. I have put about 2000 miles a month on it through the winter of Northern PA and the traction was outstanding and secure. I am still adjusting to the 7.5 bed and crew cab while around town, but the bed size makes loading a snap with the utilitrac system and spray in liner.

• 

  My views on mini vans have changed - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By moms taxi - August 18 - 11:26 pm

  My husband and I decided on the Quest after finding our 3rd son was on the way. We purchased it when I was around 5-6 mnths and had ample room for the 2 boys who were 4 and 7 at the time . The car seat went in one month before I was due AND still the 2 boys had AMPLE room to roam from sit to seat. Had some recalls on them but most of them were minor things that took no more then a day to fix and wasnt a real inconvience for m me. The Quest is great for growing families my 3 boys have enough room to stretch and have their "space" from each other .