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 like mine - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ben-nissan - December 21 - 1:30 pm

  I have put 1500 miles on mine and I have concluded that "I like it". It has power, comfort simple to operate and handles very well. Great for hurricanes and remodeling. It can easily haul 12 sheets of plywood or sheetrock if you fold the rear seat down and lay 2 2x4s on the top of the folded read seat back - I was unable to do that with the Durango or 4-Runner. Only thing Id change is the location of the oil filter. Its a bear to get to. Great little vehicle.

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  First Car - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Carter - December 20 - 1:16 pm

  While there is a special place in my heart for this car, I cant recommend the GXE. With such a powerful engine, the car was all over the place. The extra handling power of the SE is necessary. I loved the way this car looked, inside and out, especially with the spoiler. Interior materials felt premium to me. Loved the beige velour seats. It was pretty well equipped for a base model with no options.

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  I was pleased until recently - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By ds foley - December 20 - 10:23 am

  I have loved this car since I purchased it! I am in sales and live in my car during the day and had no problems until the past six months. It has been noisy for quite a while but after changing the tires and both hub assemblies we determined that it was the transmission. This car has 130,000 miles on it and is a 2005. Ive probably had noise for at least 30,000 miles. The dealer is the only one that can do the work and its expensive. I still dont know what Im going to do. Ive already put a lot of money into it this year. Im so disappointed. Ive owned a number of cars and have never had a problem of this magnitude at such a low mileage.

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  nissaN - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By artmcdonald1@aol.com - December 20 - 2:00 am

  very tight, suspension is overly hard, however, handles curves @ turns extremely well...first gear is too low, most starts can be made in 2nd. Brembo brakes are killer.....

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  comfortable truck - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By jcl - December 20 - 1:56 am

  A big improvement over my old chevy S10. Very quiet and comfortable highway ride, reasonable economy (19.1 mpg after 1000 miles). Impressive acceleration and thoughtful bed rail system are appreciated. However, it lacks in available amenities. Every road bum sends an annoying jump up the steering wheel. The auto-transmission keeps going into overdrive too soon, its especially bad going uphill and the manual override is poorly implemented. However, at startup, the rear wheels spin very easily. The gas pedal is too light and has poor feedback. Also, the brake feels soft and unresponsive. Lastly, I keep activating wipers inadvertently - too close to the steering wheel.

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  Nice but could be even better - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By EarlR - December 18 - 1:20 pm

  I bought my Frontier as a dual-purpose vehicle; a tow rig for my 240SX race car, and off-road toy for mountian trips. As a tow rig the truck is just adequate; the long wheel base (CC/LB) makes it very stable, but the engine is a little underpowered. If I had known they were coming out with a 4L 265-HP version I might have waited to buy my truck. As noted, the gas mileage is pretty poor, but part of that surely stems from the low gearing (4.63:1 rear) needed to compensate for the underpowered engine. OTOH, as an off-road truck it shines. With just a change of tires (M/Ts) the truck turns into a 4-wheeling beast; I can go everywhere my buddys Jeep Rubicon goes-until the beds starts to drag :)

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  Great Vehicle, But - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By Kerry Klinefelter - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this vehicle for about 3 months now and I really like it. My SL is fully loaded. I got every option available. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a sharp looking, great performing crossover.

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  A Great Ride - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By dp4c - December 16 - 11:50 pm

  Traded in a 2005 Mazda 6 Wagon and considered the Subaru Outback, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Toyota Highlander also. The ride is quiet and comfortable and the CVT operates great. Good acceleration and power delivery whenever you need it. As far as bang for the buck, none of the other cars I considered compares. The interior is of high quality materials, especially considering the price. One thing I dont like is the sound system. It is way too bright though it doesnt seem to be an opinion shared by others. The dash speakers blare so I had to go an aftermarket route to tone down the higher frequencies. Do we really need 11 speakers all heavily equalized?

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  Former Camry Owner - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By afret - December 16 - 12:36 pm

  Owned two Toyota Camrys and due to their age, decided time was right to purchase new. Couldnt beat the Nissan price deals. Since all reviews show Nissan comparable, decided to give it a try. Initial Altima impression, nice car; nice ride; but, dislike dont like the blindspots. Im also concerned that the engine makes a slight pinging sound at idle (i.e. sounds like a diesel). Havent had the chance to have the dealer look at it yet. All in all, havent had the car long enough to decide if its as high quality as Toyota.

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  Great at 88K - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By dkwngduck - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven lots of cars (field salesperson) and have to say at 3+ years, I still REALLY LIKE this car. Very dependable, solid gas mileage for an SUV, and fun. Towing - I pull two jetskis with no prob. Its a no frills, solid, cost efficient vehicle in a cool looking package. I strongly recommend buying one.