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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  Still Amazingly Quiet! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By denverjohn - January 2 - 5:03 am

  16K miles. No road noise, no rattles, no squeaks. Passengers are impressed with how quiet it is in the passenger compartment. This car has proven to be a great performer and a great value.

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  Beats the Rest - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By De - January 1 - 6:03 pm

  I researched all the mid-size sedans. I love the Infiniti G35, but opted for mpg over high performance. The Camry and Accord are too boring. The Altima looks better and the 2.5L CVT gets better mpg than the other two. I orginally wanted the 3.5, but drove the 2.5l and was impressed with its power! (I drove 5.3L v8 before.) I agree that to get some of the features I wanted I had to buy the SL and the Connection package to get the Bose and CD changer. But really for the price it is still affordable.

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  Great Truck 2006 CREW 4.0 2 WD - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By wayne - January 1 - 3:00 pm

  I drive about 13k miles a year, bought used last year from original owner. It had 50,000 miles when I got it, it has now 67,000. Just put new front brakes on last month. Put new tires on yesterday. Original BF Goodrich long trails had 67k miles. I mainly use to commute to work, we do live in Fla and own a 3,500 lb boat that I pull a lot on the weekends. Pulls with no problem. Good truck if you dont mind the smaller cab and not much of a back seat. Overall, I have not had one problem. Just make sure cab has enough room for you. I was used to driving a Tundra.

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  Great Car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Matt - January 1 - 8:26 am

  Ive had my Sentra 1.8S Special Edition for a little over a year now. Made trips from Texas to Missouri and Texas to Maryland several times in it with no serious issues at all. My only complaint is the Stock alloy wheels arent built very strong, I have had one bend due to normal driving. I just invested in a new set of 4 the same size. Other than that Ive had a rear speaker blow out and a backlight on the climate control dials go out (climate controls still worked just irritating to drive at night and not see the controls). Warranty replaced everything. Average 33 MPG. I am very happy with it.

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  Murano Too many frivolous frills - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Sparky 2 - January 1 - 2:00 am

  I dont own this car but would like to. I spent a lot of time at IRA Nissan and test drove this vehicle. Its a lot of fun to drive and versatile. Im not sure what to make of the continously variable transmission, time will tell on that. Also, the 18" tires ought to be a bit of a surprise when they need to be replaced, I would bet that they are expensive. Too bad they dont offer a more bare bones AWD version of this car. Its too expensive for me, Id be all over it if it was available in AWD for under $28 k

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  Silver Bullet - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Mike - Sacramento - January 1 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. For the money it feels like a high end Lexus. It has tons of power and very quiet. I use it to get up and down the freeway to work and around town. I got the Bose system and it rocks! My only complaints are minor - no power garage door opener button on the ceiling; for what I paid ($25k)it should of come with ABS like the Accord does.

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  Just ok - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By Kenny c - December 31 - 4:30 pm

  Test drive more

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  Happy Altima owner. - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Ram Zavala - December 30 - 11:50 pm

  I bought this car with 43000 miles on it back in September 01 and have since put in over 100k miles. Other the the usual wear and tear it has been a very reliable vehicle. I have done regular maintenance on it: replaced starter, brakes,alternator etc but otherwise it has been such a good car that I cant seem to part with it.

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  Glad I pulled the trigger - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Cabopapa - December 30 - 10:13 pm

  Bought a new one only in black on tan. Sl awd came with it. Since moved to Az. Truck is outstanding. Ride is firm yet very comfy. Excellent visibility. Ride is best to my 83 944. Averaging 20 mpg city and highway.

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  SE-Riously Awesome Car - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Court - December 30 - 5:40 am

  I absolutely LOVE my SE-R Spec V! I have owned the card since it was brand new and have had the car for nearly four years now. The only problem Ive had over these past 4 years was with the stereo: the left channel went out about a year ago; it was approx. $250 to have fixed. A few months after I purchased it, one of the fuel injectors went out but it was covered by my warranty. Otherwise there have been no mechanical problems or repairs whatsoever. The build quality is excellent: it is still just as tight as it was the day I bought it.