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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  Great, Stylish, Reliable Car - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By GoodTimeCharlie - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought a Sentra 1.8S Auto recently, and I love it! It drives like a silent, responsive bank vault, and the styling is very upscale and chic. Very cool small car! If feels like it is a more expensive car that it actually cost me...and with $2500 cash back, my Sentra was a steal!

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  Quest is a piece of artwork! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By nissandude - May 6 - 10:00 am

  This is my 8th Nissan product and is the most innovative one I have ever owned. It keeps with the Nissan personality of being a very unique, fun, and beautiful piece of engineering. In a segment where bland styling is usually a given, this vehicle stands out big time.

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  This Vehicle Rocks! - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By James Alexander - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I have to say for being a part of the Nissan family for a long time. I finaly stepped up to the plate and bought the best. Black on beige it has been an eye stopper, road grabber, and the most fun in driving I have had in years. The back seats flip down at a stroke and it becomes my mulit purpose car of the century. Yipi is all I can say!!!!!

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  Road Noise a REAL PROBLEM! - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Zster - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Z new in March of 2003. The dealership (Thopmson Nissan in Doylestown, PA) is the best in terms of service which is why I bought it there.The problem is inherent in the vehicle though. Ever since I bought it, I get so much excess road noise, from the car being inherently out of alignment, that its just not as fun to drive as I thought it would be. In fact thousands of Z owners have the same opinion who have 2003 year models.

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  awesome - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By chris shirley - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive Excellant Handleing Great exhaust note!! Great power band

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  Disappointed - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Unhappy - May 6 - 10:00 am

  The car which should be the most exciting to drive is but, at the same time its the most disappointing. The quality of the interior is horrid. Have had it to dealerships 6 times because of fog, crud, slime on back side of dashboard display panel. The leather seats are loosely covered as if with a leather slip cover. Car looked heavily used after barely a week of ownership. This fun car to drive is a big big disappointment.

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  Good Value - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Tikijojo - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I test drove the Honda Accord and was pretty much set on leasing until I drove the Altima. The 05 Altimas new interior is very sleek, and not to mention comfortable. The 175hp 2.5 engine is very responsive both off the line and at highway speed.

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  2005 altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By chris/lori - May 6 - 10:00 am

  new improved exterior styling makes this vehicle much more masculine and interior materials are up to par with its competitors. fuel milage could be better for a 4 cyl. abs should be standard. otherwise much improvement over 2004 model.

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  Best Little Car BANG for the BUCK! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By djohn - May 6 - 4:30 am

  This is one of the best cars Ive owned, owned a lot. The exterior design, and color (tent green) I know... The orange leather interior first concerned me but now like it a lot. Ive had a lot of lookers at this car, great gas mileage, bigger car for the mileage, 28-35. I drive almost 150 miles a day and its very comfortable and easy on the gas. Id recommend, and have, this car in a heart beat. Never a mechanical problem. Just rotate the tires every 5000 miles and change oil at the same time.

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  Very Nice upgrade. - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By royrose - May 6 - 2:33 am

  We traded our 03 Murano SL for an 09 LE. Only the LE has the memory seats which were part of the leather package on the old SL. The new Murano has a much more luxurious feeling interior with some nice new features such as dual moonroof, power liftgate, backup camera, intelikey and bluetooth with voice dialing. The suspension and CVT seem improved a little. Minor gripes are that the outside temp display has been switched from the center display to the drivers instrument panel and the drivers seat cushion is not independently tiltable. This is the first time that my wife and I have bought the same model vehicle again, so clearly we are happy with the Murano and like the new one even better.