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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  driven-2002 Altima 3.5 SE - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By clank44 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Purchased my vehicle in January. I do an extensive amount of driving as a sales rep and find the vehicle comfortable even for extended trips and extremely fun to drive. Performance is impressive and mileage is reasonable for that performance. I am very satisfied to date.

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  My second armada - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By duckman - November 12 - 2:00 am

  This is my second armada i also owned a 2005 se i love the power and reliability we use ours to tow a travel trailer extensively the self leveling rear end never gave us a problem and the power this unit has a fully loaded 29 trailer fells like your not pulling any thing ive owned fordm Chevy and dodge you can keep em these are in my opinion the most comfortable, powerful,and reliable suv/truck 4x4 on the market.

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  Great Car - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Dick - November 12 - 2:00 am

  This is our second and when the lease is up next April, we will most likely lease another. It is a good, solid car that performs well with no trouble. This is my wifes car so I expect it to be a safe, easy to drive car. I wish the gas mileage was better but we live with it. Love the car as does my wife.

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  Love my Juke - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By Kelly - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Ive only had my car one week but their arent many reviews yet so I thought Id comment as a female driver. I love driving this vehicle. The Juke truly is a blast to drive, maybe too much fun. I have to put on the cruise or Ill be getting a ticket for sure. The get up and go (great for passing) and cornering are fabulous especially in an AWD drive vehicle. I was looking for an affordable vehicle with AWD, good gas mileage and car-like handling. This is it. Cant really fairly comment on the gas mileage (break-in period and all)or reliability yet. The hatch area is small but okay for groceries.

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  2005 murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By james - November 11 - 8:30 pm

  this is our second murano our first was in a accident so we bought another one nissan makes a great product the drive and styling is wonderfull the gas mileage is really our only dissapointment it is alot lower than sticker says but all the other goodies make up for that the technology package is worth the cost this car goes when you ask it too

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  25,000 great miles/2 years - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Ron - November 11 - 7:23 am

  Had this car for all most 2 years, 25,000 miles. Everything is great, no problems, Milelage is 27 hyw. with A/C on, 18/19 city in the summer. Would buy again!!

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  A great bargain - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By cedric - November 10 - 6:26 pm

  Well built, powerful, and easy to drive in tight quarters. High seating position gives a commanding view of the road, but the short wheelbase means it can park where the soccer-mom Suburbans cant.

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  Good basic truck - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By t - November 10 - 4:33 pm

  I bought a lightly used Frontier and have driven it from 27,000 miles to 45,000 miles so far, and have had no issues at all. I got the most basic edition - manual, no power anything, V4. I average 22-24 mpg per tank. After trying out some American cheap 2 door trucks, the Nissan felt like luxury. The interior is nothing fancy, but its just comfortable, well designed, and not bad looking. The "back seat" is small and uncomfortable to sit in, but great room for storage. Only complaints. very limited visibility when looking over your shoulders for blind spots. Also the turn radius isnt great, kind of hard to park.

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  Our best Maxima ever! - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By franc - November 9 - 4:47 pm

  Just this week bought our 4th Maxima (2011). This 2011 Maxima is by far the best auto that we have owned. The car drives great and the ride is very comfortable.

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  I love my Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Lauren - November 8 - 11:30 am

  This car is the best I have ever owned. I have had no problems at all. It drives like a dream. The gas mileage is impressive for an SUV. It handles very well in the rain and snow...I was scared to drive under these conditions before owning this car.