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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  04 Maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By D Berry - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Tested Volvo S80, VW Passat,and BMW 3&5 series. Liked the Maxima best. Most power, most gadgets, most interesting style, and the least expensive. Were thrilled so far.

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  Nice Move Up - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By usmj1 - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my SL 4 sp automatic with Elite package (loaded with Navigation but no VDC)for a month and it is a great car. At first I did not like the new styling but I now realize that it stands out and is a quantum leap above everything else in its class. Gets looks wherever it goes. It is defintely the wave of the future. Performance and luxury.

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  Save a nickle Nissan? - 2016 Nissan Frontier
  By Don Shirley - September 27 - 3:54 am

  After one year, I opened the door for the cabin filter and 1) the latch broke, and 2) there were no cabin filters installed. Really had to save a nickle and leave out two paper filters? Not impressed.

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  A great way to get into a roomy suv - 2016 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Gary - September 27 - 3:24 am

  First I tried out other suvs and decided that for the price the room and the mileage the S model with 4 wheel drive was what I wanted to buy . I formally had a 2010 chevy impala but we live in the country and our road doesnt get plowed well and I wanted a 4 wheel drive and I play music and I wanted it to be able to hall some equipment too. Note it isnt filled with options the ones I miss are a power drivers seat, auto lights, towing package, and a backup camera. I put a after market hitch and a wiring harness on it for about 160 dollars( it comes with a tranny cooler from the factory) and a aftermarket back up camera for 100. It drives nice is comfortable and im getting 25.4 miles to the gallon combine driving. I have 7700 miles on it and have had no problems with it and I got it for 28000 out the door and it still can tow 5000 lbs

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  Our Second Altima - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By danner - September 27 - 2:36 am

  Really a great car for the money, Nice performance and ride, We got the leather and sport package. We are very happy with this car

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  who cares what I say - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By joe - September 26 - 6:03 am

  I love my truck. it has lots of power,easy 4x4 control, the only thing nissan should do is install heavy duty brakes, my rotors were warped after the first month. The toyota tundra is a nice truck too but you feel like your in a Camry when your driving it. the Nissan feels like a truck. My regret was I didnt spend the extra money on the LE

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  2005 Maxima 6 speed manual - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By WHOA - September 25 - 10:33 pm

  Very Sporty car. Good Horse-power. Good torque. The rear window provides a restricted view but is otherwise fine. The unacceptable feature is that there is about a 1 second delay from accelerator release before engine starts to slow down. This requires rapid wear of clutch or shifting like a grandma. Nissan dealerships could not change this feature.

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  A traditional truck based SUV - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By gman - September 25 - 7:20 am

  Had this traditional truck based SUV for the past 2.5 months and have been impressed by its all weather and cargo hauling capabilities. Two snow storms in February and two rain storms in March provided a great opportunity to test the 4WD system and ground clearance. 1.5 feet of snow was not a problem. Test drove Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner and FJ Cruiser before buying the Xterra on price and amenities. Good size vehicle for maneuvering in urban streets and traffic. Gas mileage is comparable to other truck based SUVs in class.

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  My Little Gas Guzzler - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Vicki - September 25 - 6:50 am

  As you can tell, I love the vehicle. The day after I purchased it, gas went up thirty cents a gallon and now even more after Hurricane Katrina. If my crystal ball had been out of the shop, I probably would have purchased a vehicle that gets more than the 15.4 mpg I am getting in the city.

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  My big gas hog! But I love it! - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Devin - September 25 - 4:13 am

  I bought my Titan as a close out from 05. I drove it for 18k when the brakes went bad (total replacement, rotors, calipers, pads, etc.), a silent recall. I pull a 23 cargo trailer daily - seems to do its job well. I ran for a year without trailer lights because no one could figure out what was wrong, finally it was a crimp in the rear door wiring harness (a recall that WASNT posted). Tires were replaced at 28. Gas mileage is poor, unloaded at best 12-14. I love this pickup over all, I find it to have a great stance, powerful engine and really does a great job pulling the trailer and 30 pontoon. Just wished it had better brakes and a few other thing