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 Warranties Are No Good - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By sellers - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I have NEVER had as horrible an experience as I have with this Murano, Nissan Corp. and the dealership. The vehicle is great but when it developed a problem emitting huge plumes of smoke, the dealership lied to me and have kept it for over 50 days. Nissan Corp and Nissan 1 have been no help. Nissan claims I did not change my oil frequently enough and that I did not use Nissan filters and oil. I have receipts and have faxed same to the company. Nissan tells me I need a new motor, but they will not cover it under warranty. This vehicle only has 12,000 miles. In short, Nissan does not stand behind their products

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  Really fun to drive - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By MO Digger - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Having looked at several SUVs (both actual SUVs and crossovers) including the Toyota 4 Runner, Highlander, Lexus RX330, and Infiniti FX35 I found the Murano the absolute best bang for the buck. It offers more cool features (power adjustable seats, memory seating, Homelink systsem, Tire presuure monitors and on and on...) for the money than any of the other cars and it is extremely fun to drive. For an SUV this car handles like a sports car... tight steering and enough get up and go to keep you smiling through the turns.

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  Nice Truck - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By blaker427 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I think the Nissan Frontier is a great truck for the money! I have had a 2002 Ford Ranger 3.0L V6 Ranger Auto and the frontier outperforms the ranger 10 to 1. I looked at the tacoma and for the exact equiped model it was going to be $5,800 more dollars when comparing sticker to sticker.

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  Fun Car - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By frank - October 27 - 11:03 am

  A little pricey I guess because its new but so fur it has been a great little fun car.

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  fun to drive, just dont watch the gas guage - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By mick3613 - October 27 - 10:30 am

  The juke is great in town and nimble in traffic, but the horrid gas mileage and the need for premium gas makes it fairly expensive to operate. We average 19-23 on a mix of highway and small town driving. best we have achieved on the highway @ 60 mph was 26. Thats a far cry from the 32 the epa sticker promised. The seats are well bolstered and ok for short trips but are a little too hard for long trips. the back seats are useless for tall adults. No headroom and limited legroom. I am 6.0 tall and my head hits the roof and legs are jammed against the front seat. The only cabin light is in the front so the back seat and cargo area is really dark at night.

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  Drives like a wagon, roomy as a minivan - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By AlphaForceX - October 27 - 5:13 am

  This is our 1st mini-van and we had our eyes set on Odyssey and Sienna. After testing driving them all (Quest twice), we decided on the Quest due to the incentive and designs. It drives and looks like a wagon but is roomy as a minivan. The other cars especially the Sienna are very boring but Quest still looks fresh after 4 years (since 2004). The fuel economy is awesome for a 4000+ lbs vehicle. I could easily get 26+ MPG on the highway. Doesnt feel like driving a mini-van at all.

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  Best car in my life - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Tom from Tulsa - October 26 - 12:03 pm

  Best car I ever owned. Bought it used in 2000 with 23,000 miles on it. Now I have 142,000 on it and it is still going strong. Showing few signs of age. Unsurpassed reliability. Fun. Classy. Peppy, most powerful 4 cylinder Ive ever experienced. Have never felt the need for more power, even driving the Colorado mountains. Easily passed most cars if necessary. Front wheel drive made driving in snow a breeze. Even now, Sep 2006, it looks good. Not that out of style really. Rear spoiler helps the looks. Still get compliments on it now. Would that I could find another car to match this one. A hard act to follow. Dont think a better car has ever been built for the money. Cant stop raving.

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  04 murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By murano - October 26 - 8:43 am

  the only thing my murano is lacking is a back up senor there are some blind spots .. the car is fun to drive and very roomy

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  So Far, So Good - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By BB Shotz - October 26 - 3:50 am

  3000 miles and running great. I have added Nissan splashguards, an aftermarket sunroof and will replace the stock stereo in due course. Only disappointment is mileage. I drive mostly city and get 22 MPG, which is better than sticker.

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  The Perfect Car - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Dave M - October 25 - 11:23 pm

  I have had this car for 5 years. It has 15k miles on it. I have been through 2 sets of tires, Set of 02 sensors at the regularly scheduled 80kmiles, 1 set of spark plugs and one bad Ignition coil. Minus the tires that is about $1,000 in repairs over 5 years. Id say that I am well ahead of the game with this car. The engine is strong and it is very comfortable. It delivers between 26 and 27 MPH in spirited driving at about 100miles a day. I cannot find any good reason to get rid of this car. This is a great winter alternative to my restored 81 280ZX turbo!!!