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 SUV - lots of power - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By William - January 3 - 1:26 pm

  Got the V8 4x4. Love the look and power, the V8 is very strong. 3rd row feature is very cool. Just got back from a road trip of 1000 miles and the SUV performed very well. The newly designed on board screen is great too. 18" look great. Steering wheel radio commands are very useful too. Mileage is actually pretty good for a V8: I get about 19mpg on freeway. Lots of features for the price.

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  Versa style - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By cvs80 - January 3 - 12:36 pm

  I have had the Versa for two weeks and I have enjoyed driving it both in the city and on the highway. It has great pick up entering, and I had no problem keeping up. It has a comfortable ride, and I didnt notice any noise problems while on the highway.

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  Satisfied with 40 mpg - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Larry - January 3 - 11:50 am

  Bought the car new in 2007 and have maintained all oil changes with 0-20w full synth. oil and drive mostly highway miles. Continuous driving on trips of 8 plus hours. Was amazed that the car was producing 40 miles to the gallon on the highway. These trips are on the west coast over mountains and super curved roads. So far the window sticker was right about the MPG except in the reverse. Better on the highway.

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  Lovin It - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Proud Owner - January 3 - 3:23 am

  Very comfortable interior. Plenty of room inside. Smooth ride. Quiet performance. Gas mileage on recent 900 mile trip to Okalahoma 22 MPG highway and local 18 MPG. Would recommend to anyone interesed in a mid- size pickup truck. Ive owned Ford Ranger and Toyota 4Runner and the Frontier beats them hands down.

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  2005 Xterra - Still runs great! - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By WylyGT - January 3 - 2:46 am

  My 2005 "S" Xterra 4WD with all the options of the "SE" still runs great and is fun to drive! I dont have fog lights and never found a pre-fab kit to install or I would have installed them. The only failures was the original battery - as usual on all new cars and the rear shocks had to be replaced at about 55,000 miles. The Xterra tows my 19 Bayliner just fine. Plenty of power every where I go. Off road is a blast! Now I have over 80,000 miles on the SUV and havent had a brake job! (Had to have one every 25,000 miles on my GM cars.) I hope to buy a new Xterra in a couple of years. Nissan makes a great car/SUV. NOTE: THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC!

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  Always wanted one - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By fammaxima - January 3 - 2:10 am

  I purchased this car with 33,000 miles on it. My wife and I love it. And to boot, all three car seats fit in the back. The car seat fiasco was tough but it worked. The car drives very smoothly and for those speed freaks, this car can move. if you are looking for a car with some horse as well as room and comfort, then this car is for you.

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  Nice Ride - Got a great deal - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Drewtoo - January 3 - 1:06 am

  I just purchased my 07 SL-AWD a month ago and so far so good. Really like how quickly it passes other vehicles. Love the NAV and the back up camera. Another cool thing is the speed sensitive radio volume and the tire pressure monitor and gas mileage indicator. So far I am at 19 MPG and Im no granny when Im driving to work. The seats are very comfortable and the ride is so smooth and quite and the handing is amazing for a SUV. Took a sharp corner @ 55 MPH and no roll or wheel squeal. The only regret I have is getting it in black. I forgot how much you have to keep it cleaned. But when it is clean, wow, it looks sharp.

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  Exceptionally pleased with my new Altima - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By copdoc - January 3 - 12:36 am

  This is my second Altima in four years. I love the style. The 2007 enhances on what could have been said was already perfect. Very luxurious and comfortable.

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  Love my Armada - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By jrh - January 2 - 4:43 pm

  We have loved our Armada and had no problems. I like that the lift gate in the back can open automatically and it has fold down seats. There is plenty of room for our large family of 5. It drives well and has great pick up. Its a bit of a bumpy ride on these pot holed roads we have, but I didnt buy a luxury car! I wish big SUVs got better gas mileage but it is the price I have to pay for more room inside!

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  Disappointed with my 2009 - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Oskertwo - January 2 - 11:13 am

  I had a 2005 Murano and loved it. After test driving the 2009, I decided to trade the old one. The 2009 is definitely more refined than my 2005. However, the 2009 has been riddled with squeaks, creaks and rattles since delivery. It has been off the road for almost a month in total as the dealer has tried to repair it. After replacing almost all plastic pieces in the interior of the vehicle, there is now an issue with how the body panels were assembled at the factory. Nissan is not clear yet how to fix this issue. It likely will involve body work, re- welding the panels and inserting some type of insulation to prevent rubbing during body flex. Stay tuned. Check other blogs for similar posts