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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  Nissan has a winner in 2002 - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By specialK - May 10 - 10:26 am

  What a good re-design Nissan made with the 2002 model, the 4 cyl. drives like a 6 cyl. and the drivers space has the most room out of any other 2002 model I test drove within the $20000 limit. Even a 6 footer can be comfortable in this one!

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  Not a bad car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Hai - May 10 - 7:46 am

  Im happy with the performance of this car although it cant accelerate as fast as I wanted it but what you expect out of 4 cyl car? I only had to replace tires and battery so far, Im hoping this car will last another 3 years without any problems. Would I buy another Altima? YES but it is going to be Coupe model with 6 cyl.

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  My X - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By kylefesette - May 9 - 10:00 am

  i love my X and would recommend it to anyone...

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  Murano Houston - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Georgia Rennick - May 9 - 10:00 am

  The Nissan Murano is a utility vehicle with the heart and performance of a sports car. I have been driving vans and SUVs for the past 10 years. This vehicle has been the most fun to drive, but it still has all the utility capacity I will ever need. So far at 3,000 miles I have not experienced any service problems. It holds the road, the cvt transmission gives you a smooth quick acceleration without shift points. It just goes!

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  The New Engine Rocks! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Luis L. - May 8 - 6:00 pm

  I compared this truck to the new Tacoma and Chevy Colorado. At the end of the day, the look of this truck and the engine power won me over. The exterior is really nice (most people think its a titan at first), and the interior is no nonsence. The engine is solid and has a nice response. The stock tires and wheels are nice. The back seats are roomy and the fold up seats are great for cargo you dont want to put on the bed

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  Just drove the 2011 Quest today - 2011 Nissan Quest
  By spookydoo - May 8 - 12:25 pm

  My wife and I drove the 2011 Quest today. Nothing stood out one way or the other in terms of its handling. However, the seats were incredible. They are big, beefy, and Sooooooft. It was cold outside so we turned on the seat heaters. Warmed us up quickly. We didnt want to leave the vehicle. Middle row seats were decent. Back row was ok. Had to move the middle row seats up a little to get enough back row footroom, but nothing that would bother a child and most adults. The exterior boxy back is a little weird, but like most things in life, Im sure well get used to it. Who knows, in a year, we may all be raving about it. We are shopping for a minivan. It is between this and the new Odyssey.

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  Just Purchased a new Rogue - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By shattered - May 7 - 1:23 am

  Have had my Sl Rogue for 2 weeks. The car is fun to drive. Im getting used to the cvt tranny. Im coming from a truck so its a bit different but so far I really like it. The inside is very sporty gray and black. the Bose system is awesome if you love music and blue tooth on steering wheel is a great safety feature, I wish my wife had it in her car. I also drove the Santa fe and Tiguan. Santa Fe was boring but a lot bigger, Tiguan drove nice and had a lot of power for 4 cyl.They are a bit more money and less features though. Hope this helps anyone with making a decision. As note in other reviews there are some bad blind spots. Thats my only negative so far in 2 weeks of ownership.

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  After 13 years and over 143k miles, it still goes strong - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By hdao - May 5 - 12:30 pm

  I am a first owner of my 1999 Maxima. Regular maintenance such as engine oil, trans fluid, brake fluid, steering fluid, and brake pad changes dont count. The only problems for this year model are defective ignition coils. I have changed them myself and cost $90/per coil. The redesigned coils are flawless. I also replaced a O2 sensor for $80 part only. At approximately every 80k miles, the EGR Guide Tube needs to be cleaned. It is difficult to Do-It-Yourself. Although it cost only $5 for replacing the EGR gasket as the tube must be taken out to be cleaned with choke cleaning sprayer. The dealer will charge $120 for labor.

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  rattles and bad salesman - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Mario - May 1 - 12:36 pm

  I love this truck and am happy that I own it. But it would appear the quality of those who manufactured the vehicles was poor. Mechanically everything is sound. Though I have, on the inside, lots of clicks, rattles, poorly placed trim and many other complaints. Worse than that, my salesman was a snake in the grass. Not that I should have expected more from a car salesman, but he certainly threw a kink in the whole experience. It would be nice if the bed was a little longer, like 8 inches longer, but at 64 with the extra cab I cant really complain. Hauling a cord of wood is easy enough, but making it a 3/4 ton truck wouldve been nice. Know also that this truck dents very easily!

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  Best thing since wrestling - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By sanwich - May 1 - 11:57 am

  Traded my Cobalt for one of these little over 4 months ago, I love it!, gas could be better but 145 miles to a half a tank of gas isnt too bad considering in my cobalt I got 205 or 225 to a half. The bad, Headliners are famous for coming loose. All the grey plastics on the bumpers, headlights, grill, roof rack, side step fade with time which is expected Stock radio unit eats CDs when too hot. The good, Engine runs strong (Had a rebuild to the cooling/air systems at 103k I bought it with 111k (I do believe this is a gremlin with these too) It looks weird which makes it awesome, This rig goes Everywhere I take it, rocks, steep hill, mud, river beds NO problems =D