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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  what a shame - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By mark - October 21 - 6:30 am

  what could have been the best hands down SUV on the market is a junker. The vehicle has plenty of power but the quality of the materials used is sub par. So, interior mars easily, squeaks, rattles, and bellows. Leather seats are already loosing their shape. Brakes were an issue, but with the new replacements theyre great. The exterior plastics are showing signs of sun damage (this vehicle is kept in the garage). the longer we have it, the more strange noises we hear and the more i wonder just how reliable this vehicle is. Dealers we have dealt with have been very unhelpful. If I could do it over again, i would not have bought this vehicle. $46,000 worth of headaches. buy an excursion.

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  4000 Mile Update, love it with a few gripes. - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By tmac4718 - October 21 - 3:32 am

  My overall satisfaction with the maxima has been very good, not spectacular, but very good. Lets get the bad things out of the way first. Annoying rattle coming from the rear deck, rear deck speakers, brake light or somewhere. I have never owned a car with any rattle before so not impressed, it didnt do it when I took it in of course but will keep looking. On sunny days the auto climate control fan speed stays on way to high, will never calm down. My 08 altima didnt do this. The passenger seat is one of the most uncomfortable seats ever ridden in, thank god I never have too. It sits to tall, almost like it was designed for a kid, and much more adjustability needed.

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  Excellent Family Truck - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Scott - October 20 - 2:06 pm

  Traded a 2005 Silverado Crew Cab for the Nissan, and have been very pleased so far. Excellent power and smooth shifts. Hauls wife & kids like a full- size car, but carries anything you can throw in the back or hook to the hitch. Very comfortable seats and roomy cab with great options. Would prefer an auto 4WD mode and a Neutral on the transfer case, as well as mechanical anit-spin differentials instead of the brake system. Love the R-F sound system and the DVD entertainment. Could do without the 20" rims and low-profile tires as I prefer capability over bling. Have had a couple minor issues, but Ive had that with every truck Ive ever owned.

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  Yes, Ild rather drive a Buick - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Phil - October 20 - 2:06 am

  Yes, it gets better mileage than my Rendezvous but you give up a lot. No place to put your right arm. Cup holder too few and in wrong place. CVT very noisy. AC needs a lot of redesign help. Have to run fan at setting 3 or 4-much to noisy. Steering wheel position not comfortable. Visor mirror has no lights. On the plus side doors are nice and wide and lots of headroom make getting in and out east for tall person like me. Rear wiper improves vision greatly. Suburban driving getting 28 mpg-great. Interstate trip with cruise on 65 mph only getting 34 mpg. Buick would get 31 to 31 mpg on trip. All in all wouldve expected better mpg and miss Buick features including ONSTAR.

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  Awesome Car - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By John - October 19 - 12:50 pm

  I now have 25k miles and not one problem. Im 64" and fit comfortably in the Sentra. Much more head room in the Sentra then any other compact car on the market. I drive smooth and easy (the speed limit)and get 28/29city and 36/38highway. I dont think you can find a better car for the money(I paid $15k).

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  Carls review - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By pcnbpt - October 18 - 2:16 am

  love it so far...navigation system has some dead areas geographically

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  What a great car! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Kristin45 - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I am very pleased with this car. I like the new style, which was my first reason to purchase the car.

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  Second time around - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Gumby - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Owned a 97 maxima SE, and after 181,085 miles, I got tired of looking at it. Never broke, great performance, just tired of shifting. Bought a used 2001 with low miles, and an automatic. Great car, great reliability.

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  Pretty good little SUV for the $$$ - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By tychux - October 16 - 5:13 am

  Bought it right off the boat from Japan sight unseen. Since day 1-Oct. 2005, weve had little to complain about. Sure, the drivers sunshade is faulty, but an inconspicuous bungee cord fixes that safety issue. Rear brakes lasted 50,000, front brakes are still great at 74,000 miles! Front lower control arms and engine mounts have all been replaced under extended warranty. 2 new batteries and 2 new sets of tires in 6 years due to Arizona heat. I drive 65 miles/day min. through farmland and county roads at up to 75mph and have no degredation in ride. Engine and CVT still runs good and smooth. Xenon lights, Sirius and Nav all without issues also.

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  Brake Rotor Warp - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Jeff - October 16 - 3:56 am

  Great comfort however the brake rotors warped after 3000 miles. Steering wheel shimmy at high speeds