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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  Love this car! - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Maggie - April 22 - 4:10 am

  Ive read through all the reviews here and quite honestly, I dont hear any engine noise. The car handles like a dream and the fuel mileage is fantastic. The steering is a bit loose compared to what Im used to, but I like it. There is plenty of room for all my grown children and grandchildren. The only thing that took some getting used to is the acceleration. It accelerates from the current speed with little or no shifting. It takes off quickly, its just the feature is not what you expect. Although I do enjoy it. Overall, its a great car!

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  1996 300ZX - 1996 Nissan 300ZX
  By apudapus - April 22 - 2:00 am

  This car was my dads and my dream car. We dreamed of owning it when we first saw pre-production models in 89 (my dad works for Nissan so we were in the know about it). Because of its price, we werent able to afford for the six years it was on sale in America. In 2001 we found a black 1996 2+2 NA with a fair amount of miles on it but in perfect condition. It is a fast car that handles perfectly. The styling is beautiful and unforgettable. It is very comfortable inside and the dash and controls are futuristically and conveniently incorporated around the driver. The only bad

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  SE--R - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By WilliamB - April 22 - 2:00 am

  Well, I have to tell you, this SE-R is extremely fun to drive! But, please, if you are looking at the SE-R, get maual transmission. Plus, the higher end SE-R Spec V is not too much more and comes with 175 horsepower, 6 speed manual, and other features. The SE-R is very fun to drive, but can swerve a little when accelerating. That isnt too abvious, and isnt that big of a deal. Very good job on the car.

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  An outstanding car - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By ISD - April 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a gem! I have a Honda and earlier owned a Mazda and there is no comparison. At 222HP, this baby can leave others gaping at the signal lights in Chicago! We extensively test drove the Camry and the Accord before we settled in for this car. The interior leg room is the best for any car, even the bigger American cars have less leg room. There is no road or engine noise at all in the car. Its beautifully designed and has tons of space in the back seat too. This is one car which will last us for another 10 years (we havent needed a single repair in the last 3 years).

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  My first SUV - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By myMurano - April 22 - 2:00 am

  This is my first SUV purchase and Im glad I went with the Murano.. I test drove other SUV but nothing caught my eyes like the Murano did. Everyone is asking me what kind of SUV it is that it must be very expensive until I tell them how much I paid for it. Its definitely fun to drive and so much ROOM! My newborn baby will have plenty of space in the back =). The remote pull down chair for the back is really great!

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  What a car! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By J W - April 22 - 2:00 am

  Under the guise of buying a "family sedan" I chose the Altima over the Accord and Camry because it blows those cars away in performance. I keep reading about how cheap the interior is but I strongly disagree. My interior is terrific, as is the sound system, and everything else about the car.

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  One hell of a Ride - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By David - April 21 - 9:20 pm

  I like my Titan better than all the Fords, Dodges, Chevys and the recently copy-cat Tundra. It gets up and goes believe me. Im in the army and I do all kinds of hauling from my gear to my 300+lbs ATV in the back. The Titan just hauls period. Ive got the 2007 XE Titan, but just looking at it youd think it was an SE because I have the 18 in SE rims. I fell in love with it when my two friends parents got the Titans when they first came out. I was a Dodge fanatic but as soon as I started riding along I felt that beast under the hood and boy does it roar. I just love how its all jumpy when you get on the gas. It just makes me want to push on the gas mileage keeps me at the pump every week $35-$85.

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  Cubed - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Ice-Cube - April 21 - 1:50 pm

  Picked up my Krom a week ago and Im 250 miles in. A couple minor bugs but overall very happy. Im 64" and have plenty of room. Comfortable seats, quiet ride and great creature features. Plenty of power although the CVT takes awhile to get accustomed to. Very fun to drive and fit and finish are very good.

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  Nice SUV - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By wke14 - April 20 - 9:08 pm

  I actually have the 2010 diesel pathfinder in Spain. TONS of torque. Unbelievably quiet on the road. It always surprises me how quiet a ride it has when I pull out on to a highway after being off-road. My mileage thanks to the diesel averages around 30-35 miles to the gallon. Fit and finish of the dash is not as good as my Toyota but still not terrible. After 6 months I am pretty happy with it. The 7 seats are great with the kids and in-laws. Bose package is also very nice.

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  Extremely bad mileage car! - 2012 Nissan Murano
  By ozhukhov - April 20 - 12:21 pm

  Dont have a hope that the car will give you 18-23 mpg city/highway! In fact, it may be way below fine printed 14-20 mpg. I was unlucky to by Nissan Murano S AWD 2012 in July 2012. The car makes only 11-13 miles per gallon even if I drive very smoothly. It is bad in city and bad on highway. Checked with the service in the dealership - they found nothing wrong with the car. Third time the service director took the car on the series of test drives and measured the mileage himself. Not looking at the cluster display but actually running the car, measuring miles, topping the fuel and calculating the mileage. The numbers went out the same: 11-13 mpg. Nissan doesnt want to take the car back!