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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  Nissan Altima 2015 s - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By dougman33 - November 23 - 4:34 am

  Id like to start out saying that I love the style and looks of this car. The handling performance matches the looks. We bought this car for the gas mileage. My wife drives it more than I do but when I do drive it I love the overdrive feature. when you take it off the RPMs go up and it drives like a sports car really cool. Heater issue, When I put the heater in the foot selection it automatically turns on the defroster instead of the feet, ( only in really cold weather). This is a function of nissan which is not very cool. I froze my feet off. I think I know when to turn my defroster on. I may consider a trade to something that lets me control where to put the heat.

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  Loving it even more than I thought! - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By FireFish - November 23 - 4:06 am

  In a nutshell - if youre even looking at this car, youre probably looking for the same thing I was. I loved the look of the 2007 Infinity G35 coupe and swore Id do anything to get it after test driving it. Aside from the compact factor, everything else I liked was tech related or cosmetic. I didnt get it b/c it was way over my budget at the time and once the new Maxima came out, it was literally love at first sight. My Maxine (you heard right) has Premium + Technology packages, ultimately containing everything that the G37 Coupe currently has in its interior aside from the 2-hand Infinity clock. Many reviews I read call the Maxima more of an Infinity than an Infinity itself. CAR IS FUN!

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  Great vehicle, Best value in class - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By RedStripe - November 22 - 1:16 pm

  I was very impressed with the Nissan Sentra. I was looking for an economical compact sedan that is reliable and safe. I was very pleasantly surprised about how much interior space and passenger room the Sentra has and how smooth, refined and responsive the CVT and engine were, particularly its power and acceleration for a car of this class even when carrying 4 full-sized adults and a trunk full of stuff. The Sentra has the most incentives at this time compared to the competition, and you can get bluetooth and keyless remote entry for not much more. I saved at least $2,000 by choosing this car over the Honda Civic LX. Great value, very versatile and fuel efficient daily commuter vehicle.

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  great car, sporty too - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By dynatmrider - November 22 - 10:00 am

  iv had this car since may of 98 when they came out. this car is great. its an SE with leather, cd, abs, manual, sport suspension (stiffer ride) and power drivers seat. seats are comfortable and the back seats are those of a bmw. i have 120,000 miles on the car and have not done anything to it. over six years on the original battery and still going! once this thing is in 5th gear you can go from 60 to 100 in a blink! fast car! buy it!

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  Armadas the BEST - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Debbie Many - November 22 - 10:00 am

  The Armada is ergonomically perfect! The fit and feel of this vehicle far surpasses my expectations. All of the controls are within reach and the seats lay down. I love the fact that my rear door will open with the click of a button. I have never felt more stable on the road.ESPECIALLY in bad weather! I get tons of compliments and thumbs up from other drivers. The stereo is terrific and the cupholders have it all! This car has comfort and styling! I LOVE IT!

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  Great van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By dstegman - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Go for leather seats, totally worth it. DVD Not worth the money. Drives very smooth, has plenty of power.

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  I love my quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By TaraJ - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I love my 2004 Quest. I have 3 small children and it is so easy to get them in and out. My family and I also just took our first summer vacation with our new van, and the Quest did amazingly well on the 5,000 mile drive.

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  buy this car - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By dolores clark-willis - November 22 - 10:00 am

  In 2002,my husband and I were in California visiting my brother when he saw a commercial advertising the then- to-come Nissan Murano. It was at that point he became infatuated with the car and talked constantly about test driving it and owning it. Well, last year, we were in the market for a new vehicle and we went to the dealership to take a test drive. We were both very impressed with the vehicle, and a year later, we are still impressed. Next year, we hope to drive across country to Denver, Washington,DC, and California.

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  Cool SUV - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Firpo59 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Milage has been at 18-19 in mainly city driving. Blast to drive - comfortable,fairly quiet, great handling. Nobody makes a better V-6 than Nissan. CVT trans has been great - do not really see a big detraction from performance because of it like some claim.

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  24 hour review - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Dr Murano - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car 8/12/04 SL,Silver,AWD,Touring with NAV,leather,VDC,crossbars,etc. Navigation is fun. I like the fact you can adjust certain features of the electronics from the NAV. The car handles great. Still getting used to CVT (sound a little bit too louud).My friend has 03 Max SE - much quieter engine sound. I like the modern combo of aluminum and plastic (though for $33K+ I expected something more classier). BOSE sounds good, but the sound is strange (sounds as if I am in the empty room - too much echo -- though this is my 1st SUV, maybe thats how stereos sound in them. After delivery complaints: Left headlight shines lower, stearing wheel crooked