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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  Altima coupe 2.5S CVT - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By joe - April 22 - 5:20 pm

  Purchased in June. Great looking car. Plenty of power. Handles well but the ride is too soft, a bit mushy for me. Car feels as if its floating at certain speeds, mainly under 40 mph. Brakes a bit touchy but seem powerful. Visibility is very good except for backing up. Big blind spot. Need to be very good at using mirrors. Great looking color in the Azure Blue, but very, very hard to keep clean. Curious to see how it handles the snow, I live in the northeast. MPG is OK.

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  Jack of all trades - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By DH - April 21 - 11:36 pm

  Read over hundred editor/customer reviews on the Murano. Read and drove all the usual suspect comparisons. It came down to the CX9 (very good suv) but for our needs it was too big. We liked the Muranos size and we didnt require a huge amount of storage space. We use this as an everyday commuter vehicle and staying within the speed limits get about 23miles per gallon highway. The Murano does everything well but not great. Its certainly not a luxury suv, sporty or hockey mom suv but it does all those things adequately. While some decry CVT we found it to be one of the Muranos stronger points. We hope Nissan does not add a 3rd seat as there is stil a market place for a true mid-size suv.

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  Will not u turn! - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Ratchet - April 21 - 3:46 pm

  Truck has a very WIDE turning radius. I am always up on the curb or blocking the road. Not good for tight turns anywhere!

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  OK Vehicle - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By dave - April 21 - 8:20 am

  I have overall been happy with my vehicle. Fuel economy is poor and HP is low, but it is fairly comfortable and has been reliable. My only mechanical problem has been a check engine light that read out as an oxygen sensor failure.

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  a look back - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By ew - April 21 - 2:00 am

  The Maxima has been a pleasure to drive. The handling is excellent and the car is quick! Many people have stopped me to ask questions. It looks good. I have two friends that have riden and driven my Maxima and both have ordered the 2005 model. This is the 3rd Nisson Ive had and all have had incredible reliability. I will probably trade my 2000 SUV in on a 2005 Pathfinder.

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  2005 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By aprilshowers15 - April 21 - 2:00 am

  Had a leased Pathfinder.Recd an offer from Nissan early termination.Accepted and leased an Altima. The performance is good to excellent. Disappointed to discover hood & trunk lid are molded not metal. Had to replace rear bumper damaged because it could not be repaired during Hurricane Ivan. Discovered trunk lid was molded when I tried to affix a magnet. I feel the safety of the car is in question if hit from the front or rear because of the molded hood and trunk lid.

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  Love It - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Going Places - April 20 - 4:53 pm

  This is a wonderful ride, could not imagine driving anything else. Will continue to look for nissan products in the future.

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  My Old Faithful Nissan Sentra - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Jose - April 19 - 4:56 pm

  I have nothing bad to say about my 2003 Nissan Sentra GXE. Ever since I bought my car in 2003 it has performed very well, just the normal wear and tear maintenance issues like tires, struts, belts, etc. Great, reliable car.

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  Really cool SUV - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By DMS - April 19 - 5:56 am

  I bought this for Pennsic, an annual event with the SCA. My fiance and I were able to fit 2 weeks of camping stuff, a period tent, 2 suits of armor, a half dozen pole arms and 10 cases of beer in this with that much of a hitch. Engine is strong and fuel economy is good. Mine is fully loaded with all the options and I thought that the dealership gave me a very good price (250 over invoice... thank you Edmunds). I like the fact that I can take this anywhere... being on a TRUCK platform will do that for you. I would recommend this to active people that do alot of outdoors stuff... it can be a tough drive... if you dont go off black top go with a Murano.

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  great except for cupholder - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By my alias - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Love the car. Quick for pretty cheap. Very reliable. It has soft tires-great for grip, bad for longetivity and expensive.