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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  I love this car - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By JimJulian - April 17 - 10:00 am

  This thing is a rocket. Smooth to drive, no trans-shifting, and quick to accelerate makes my Murano a pleasure to own. Hilander, Pilot, Accura all looked like they were cut from the same box shape. Back seat is roomy for 2 adults or 3 kids. Cargo area is plenty big for trips to the store or vacations. Price for leather, sunroof, extras was under $30,000. How can you beat this cost to fun ratio?

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  2010 Maxima with Premium package - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By DJZ - April 16 - 3:10 pm

  Nissan put it all together with this car. It looks great and is a real head turner. The interior quality and styling is awesome to say the least. It has all the extras and they are user friendly. I love this car. It is fun to drive. Well worth the money.

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  Great Car - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Nick - April 16 - 2:46 am

  This car has been extremely reliable. I have never been stranded. Engine is fantastic even after 150k miles. I am glad I did some research on Edmunds. My only problems were a bad oxygen sensor, a bad knock sensor, and the fan switch only works on high. I still drive with these problems but hope to fix them soon even though they are minor. This car is the best bang for your buck!

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  Great with one catch! - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Jlphoto - April 15 - 8:43 am

  I bought this car for its combination of features, value, performance. So far very happy with almost every aspect of the vehicle. It rides well, quiet, great fuel economy, lots of great technology and those Zero Gravity seats are VERY comfortable. It looks great and I love the panoramic sunroof.....awesome. The only issue I am having is a creaking noise in the front right strut tower when you turn the streering wheel at slow speeds. My Nissan dealer said Nissan is aware of it and working on a fix. I will admit to being a bit OCD about noises in my vehicles. I REALLY hope they come up with a fix soon otherwise i will have to trade it in sooner than I want to. I would be curious if other Rogue owners have been having this issue. But as I said, other than that issue, love the car!

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  Luv my Versa - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By dil52 - April 15 - 8:40 am

  I have always owned a standard transmission, however driving in California traffic, its nice to have an automatic. There is no shift shock, as they advertise.

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  Nissan Altima Rules!! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Eric - April 14 - 5:23 pm

  I was very happy with my purchase of a 2008 Nissan Altima. This vehicle is very fun to drive! The outside and the inside of the vehicle look very good! I get good compliments from people who see my new vehicle, they tell me that it looks very good! I enjoy driving my new vehicle in the city and it is smooth driving in the highway. Nissan did an excellent job with the Altima design and performance! In my book I give it 10 out of 10!

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  Hot little car - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By NEAL BARNHILL - April 14 - 2:40 am

  Very flashy and classy, test drove the jag and mercedes sports models and i think this handles much better.

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  Great SUV - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jimba - April 14 - 2:00 am

  This has been a great SUV for us. No problems whatsoever.

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  fun suv - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By steve stiansen - April 14 - 2:00 am

  very good suv. hate milage. Im only getting about 15mpg combined use. I got better milage with a 1991 pathfinder. will put up with cost ofmgas for the fun of the supercharger.

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  I love my Pathfinder :) - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By pathfinder - April 13 - 2:53 am

  I have had my Pathfinder almost 3 years and I love it. I live down curvy roads and it handles them beautifully at 55. The only problem I have had is the brakes and thats partly my fault because I am harder on them than most people. It is a quiet and smooth ride. I got it at 94000 miles and had a few regular maintance things fixed but other than that its been great. I do have a little oil and antifreeze leak, but the vehicle does have over 140,000 miles on it! So if you are looking into the Pathfinder I would definitely suggest it - its very easy and fun to drive:)