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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  GOOD LOOKING AUTO - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Robert Langer - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE 2000 Miles on the car and the only disappointment is the front end . Going over uneven roads about 20-30 miles an hour the front end is very noisy and does not take the bumps very well. Everything else is fine, but the gear shifting is not easy.I still havent gotten the feel of it and sometimes I have to look up to the dash board to see which gear I am in.

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  A big surprise! - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By John E. Abbey - January 27 - 7:29 am

  After renting an Altima (S with a few options) in NY, we became interested in possibly getting one for ourselves. Seems the timing was right with rebates etc and the Nissan dealer here in Killeen paid off the remaining 7 months of lease from Toyota (2012 Camry base XLE) and got us into the SL with everything on it for less than $40 a month increase in our lease payment - and $ 0.00 due at signing! A great deal if the shine remains after weve had it a while. I can say that after about 600 miles (just a week or so since getting it) the highway mileage is excellent -- just below or just above 40mpg! City driving has been around 23 so far. Hoping it will rise a bit. The appearance both externally and inside is A-1 First Class! I cant get over how exceptional it feels just getting in. The Bose stereo system works best if you run the bass and treble just above the middle. That way you can turn the volume up higher and get a more rounded sound (plenty of bass to a certain sub-bass frequency, then it drops off, but overall good to excellent. Everything about the drive is substantial. It feels much heavier than it is with a nicely weighted steering wheel. Some people dont like that, but I found it a pleasure once used to it. All the safety features great. The motor: VERY smooth at idle for a 4 cyl motor. Nearly 0 vibration at idle at a stop. The motor remains quite muted under normal acceleration, but does howl a bit when pushed. TRANS:: CVT means no noticeable gear shifts. A little odd feel at first, but doesnt take long to appreciate how smooth it all works together. A/C -- the best Ive ever had (as good as the Toyota, which I felt is top notch). Information display - once I figured it out is also such a neat feature. I love all of the little things that make it a cut above so many other cars. Issues: Havent had it long enough to generate negatives other than the leather seat is a little too hard -- I am finding it necessary to use an additional pillow/seat comforter type of thingy to keep from squirming after only 30 min or so on the road. The dealership says the leather will break in and should not be an issue for very long. The one we rented in NY was cloth and I had no comfort problems with the cloth version. Verdict: I will come up with a seating plan because I just love EVERYTHING ELSE! Hope this is helpful!!

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  Happy Owner - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Tony C - January 27 - 5:46 am

  Great Family Vehicle, everyone fits + more. Meets all of my needs, MPG is about 16-17mpg. But, its a full size SUV

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  Never another nissan - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By donenissan - January 26 - 10:00 am

  loved it until the ecu/ecm starts acting then mileage goes all over and the dealer starts licking his lips you soon learn to say it over and over never another Nissan.

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  Awesome Truck! - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Jeff - January 26 - 10:00 am

  Ive had a couple other trucks, Ram Crew Cab, Ford f150, but this truck has been absolutely fantastic. I love the power to tow, looks cool, drives great, lots of back row space. I have never met another titan owner that didnt love their truck.

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  Titan = Bang for the Buck - 2010 Nissan Titan
  By DoubleD - January 26 - 7:20 am

  Seems like Nissan is good at offering "bang for the buck" vehicles. I was looking at all the other trucks and hadnt considered the Titan. I stumbled across it . And Im happy I did! I hated 1st gen styling, but like the current model. I test drove it and really liked it, especially for the price! Its not 100% perfect . No vehicle ever is. But, this one comes pretty darned close. Room, functionality, utility, options . All of them are very good! My friends are all jealous of the truck! Id definitely recommend this vehicle to someone looking for a full-sized truck.

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  Better than my Lexus 300 - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By realleah - January 26 - 6:29 am

  I LOVE LOVE LOVE my sporty new Altima 2.5 SL, with heated seats, sunroof and xm radio and its getting 27.5 MPG in the city! Thats more than the sticker said! I have bought a lot of cars and dealt with a lot of car dealers. Buying a car should be fun and enjoyable! It really was this time, thanks to Ben Coates and his team at Go Nissan Southwest. Whenever Im ready for a new car, Ill be back.

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  Brawler - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By Edward - January 26 - 5:20 am

  A full size SUV brawler, it rivals the competition Ive owned a Chevy Tahoe, GMC Denali, Ford expedition Eddie Bauer 4Wd and they were all great vehicles but towing and room Nissan is the best. This truck is so plush and good looking, and gets a lot of looks. I feel very comfortable taking my family any where in this vehicle. Its to bad there going to stop making it, 2010 is last year of truck. Better make down to your nearest Nissan dealer and pick up one. Love the 9.3 gig HD stereo system.

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  Nice car overall - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By VBM - January 26 - 4:30 am

  The car is reliable and fun to drive. The only problem in 4 years was right shock/strut - had to change. Fuel economy depends on style of driving and varied between 24.5 and 27 mpg for mixed cycle with less than 20% highway mileage. Steering is very responsive and accurate, acceleration is good, although not as fast as for 3.5L engine (give and take on fuel economy though). Overall experience was very good.

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  Watch your Nissan Sentra - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Ruscle - January 26 - 4:26 am

  We have had our Sentra for about 2 years Cant keep tires on the back of it It wears out a set every 20000 miles Put a new set on at 36000miles and it messed them up in less than 6000 miles Took it to the dealer and they said the rear end was out of alignment but there was nothing they could do about it Called Nissan and they said there was not a problem with the car There is information all over the internet telling about the problem and how to fix it but Nissan keeps saying there is not a problem and to just change my tires every 6000 miles Would not own another Nissan ever!!!