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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  2002 Nissan Xterra - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Spinnsetter - June 7 - 3:53 am

  The perfect vehicle for me, its great on the beach, in the mud, or on the rough high terrain of the mountains. No matter where you are driving, it delivers the goods, comfort, quality, and durability. Now, here comes the best part, I recently totaled it while coming home from work one late evening. I hit a ditch head on at 50 mph, shortly after hitting a tree, and also flipped front over back. When the SUV finally came to a rolling stop on the roof, I unbuckled my seat belt and climbed out. I suffered only mild back pain from the accident. The frame and build of the Xterra saved my life. Soon after I bought a 2003 model, and I love it just as much as my original. - Thanks Nissan!

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  Excellent Vehicle, Excellent Value - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Hard To Please - June 7 - 1:50 am

  Having owned numerous performance (sports oriented) vehicles and luxury vehicles, I remain impressed with our new Maxima SE. We have the Driver Preferred Package. The Maxima feels and looks luxurious while driving as a high performance sedan should. Very crisp handling in everyday driving. It compares favorably to the 5 series BMW we had. Its front wheel drive is an advantage in inclement weather. We also had a 2003 Towncar. By comparison, the Maxima has even more luxury and none of the wallowy ride and vague handling. Very good value for the money we spent compared to the Avalon, TL, CTS, etc. we considered.

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  Fantastic,fun and beautiful - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By bob forest - June 6 - 9:30 am

  this is my second one, and it cant get any better. good gas mileage on long trips 30 miles to the gallon. very comfortable, great sound system and very reliable.

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  My first truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Hank - June 5 - 7:53 am

  Love it, lots of power, drive and handles great. added soft cover, step rails, fog lights. Chrome on black looks great. Other than oil change it has not been anywhere for repairs.

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  Glad to have it! - 2012 Nissan Murano
  By tim2628 - June 4 - 3:01 pm

  My wife and I have not been able to afford a Murano until now, and are glad to have it. You truly cant beat the comfort or power in this thing. We had a 2010 Altima with all the specs, and that doesnt even compare to the Murano. We averaged about 23MPG from Florida to Illinois and back with a fully loaded and weighed down vehicle (plenty of space). Handled excellent in Chicago and Atlanta traffic with plenty of power when I needed it. No issues at all. If I baby it, it will get close to 28MPG, or 19MPG if I have too much fun. Was hoping it got closer to 28MPG with normal highway driving (70-80MPH), but 23MPG is still great. LOVE IT!!

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  simply the best - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By goldy - June 4 - 12:20 pm

  This is the best riding car I have ever owned. It is actually a joy to get in and take for a long drive on the highway. There is almost no wind noise which many of the competition can not say (atleast every one I test drove). I have owned 4 Maximas over the years and this it the best one by far. I test drove several other cars but for the money, performance, and comfort the Maxima won hands down. I would have bought the 350Z but need a backseat for the kids.

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  Sharp looking and fun to drive - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Rob - June 3 - 10:00 pm

  This is my first import and so far I am very impressed with the style and ride of the titan. The small features like the tail gate, back compartment and large driver controled real window with the fantastic sound system are great touches. The speed of response with the engine is very good and it sounds great.

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  Great Mileage - After 15k - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Nissan - June 3 - 8:23 pm

  Great highway miles after 15k miles - suddenly mileage went up 3 - 4 mpg. Now averages 34 - 36 on highway at 67 mph (about 2,000 rpm) Love bluetooth, quiet ride, & CVT - no gear lurching and slight hum isnt noticeable unless your foot is on the floor. Hate the absolutely terrible plastic interior - look sideways at it and it mars - completely ruins the great design.

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  So far, so good - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Skierdude - June 3 - 7:16 am

  I was a little leery of buying a Japanese SUV after 4 good years in a Durango 4x4 but weve been pleasantly surprised. The car has better pickup with its V6 than the Durango had with its V8 with about the same interior room. The styling is a head turner especially in the Canteen Green. We especially like the ease of reconfiguring the interior and have been abole to get a 9 6" surfboard in the car and still seat three people. The only negative is that the suspension doesnt seem to have enough travel, bottoming out with only moderate loads on moderate dips. So far, so good!

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  Worthed! - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By bargainsbuyer - June 2 - 2:00 am

  I wasnt sure which car to get. My choices were narrowed down to Camry, Accord and Altima. I have test driven the stick version of all of them and to my surprise Altima superseded by far the other two. Though it can be a little noisy I really like the fast response and the low maintenance required. Except the tires, Firestone, which do not live up to the claimed treadware of 500.