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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  Love It! - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By EEJ3rd - October 14 - 2:30 am

  The best truck on the market. Drove them all and this is clearly the pace- setter. Handles very crisply and I love the torque at low RPMs. I also enjoy the looks you get around town.

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  2007 Armada - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By J.W. Frazier - October 14 - 12:46 am

  This is the second Armada I have purchased since 2005. My overall experience has been very rewarding. The vehicle displays very satisfying levels of control and power. Acceleration is awesome for a vehicle of this size. Fit and finish is first rate. Interior noise level is acceptable. Very good sound system. Brake issues appear to have been resolved.

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  Best Truck Ive Owned - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By soonerjeff - October 13 - 10:23 am

  I went looking for a replacement for my 2002 Ford F150 Supercrew. I test drove another Ford and also a Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, Honda and GMC but really loved the Titan Pro-4x. Large beautiful interior, Rockord Fosgate stereo, memory seats, Bluetooth, smooth ride and an awesome exhaust note. I really like the way the back seats fold up out of the way giving my dogs or the groceries lots of space. The cargo area is well designed with a 12-volt accessory jack, tailgate lights, factory spray in liner, utilitrack cargo tie-down system and an assisted lockable tailgate. I recently took a 900 mile trip and averaged 17.1 mpg on the highway. Not too bad for a 317 hp V8.

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  kenny - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By kenny - October 13 - 8:03 am

  fun to drive & gets good mileage around town. mileage on hiway could be better. have had some brake problems

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  Great little SUV - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Jim Storsberg - October 13 - 3:42 am

  Purchased at wifes request. She is 5 feet tall and weighs 98 lbs. Loves that she can sit high enough to see all around. Loves the color and interior. Very comfortable for a small vehicle. Her previous car (and now my car) an Infiniti G37. She prefers the Rogue!

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  Love this car - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By tykes - October 12 - 6:19 pm

  Bought my 2014 SL 4x4 in Aug. 2013. I already have 21k miles on it. We bought this car for the incredible leg room and the towing capacity & we had previously owned a 2007 pathfinder & had no problems with it. At between 3k - 5k miles we did experience the shudder, took it into the dealer, they fixed it & we havent had any problems since. This is a great car. Smooth ride, great features, love the leg room, good gas mileage, fun to drive, reasonably priced & we have had tons of compliments on it.

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  2017 ALTIMA 2.5 s - 2017 Nissan Altima
  By Immi B. - October 12 - 4:01 pm

  I have always loved every model of the Altima. I think that I have had every model from 1995 to the 1999 to the 2017!! Nissan gets better & better. I adore my new Altima, it has everything that I am looking for and more. It handles the road flawlessly and the design is sleek. It catches a lot of eyes and I am happy to show it off!

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  2017 ALTIMA 2.5 s - 2017 Nissan Altima
  By Immi B. - October 12 - 4:01 pm

  I have always loved every model of the Altima. I think that I have had every model from 1995 to the 1999 to the 2017!! Nissan gets better & better. I adore my new Altima, it has everything that I am looking for and more. It handles the road flawlessly and the design is sleek. It catches a lot of eyes and I am happy to show it off!

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  D&Cs Rogue - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By David Parker - October 12 - 6:05 am

  This is our sixth Nissan vehicle and our second Rogue. We decided we wanted a top-of-the-line vehicle. We picked this car with the help of our salesperson who was extremely knowledgeable about cars. We like the styling, the color (white) the ease of viewing the instrumentation, the safety features, backup camera and extra safety with seeing all round the car and the alarms which will sound if we come to close to another vehicle or human being. The camera has an excellent field of view. The car is easy to drive and is handles nicely and much better than our first Rogue.

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  Slightly Impressed - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Ally - October 12 - 5:53 am

  Went around looking at every car in the mid size range that you can think of, I tried so hard to avoid the Sentra. Look at everything Corolla, Jetta, Hyundai Accent etc but they just seemed dull. Then my parents talked me into it taking a look at Nissan. I couldnt believe i had avoided it for so long. I had to opt for the S because lets just face it, the base was bland. So far getting great mileage, if you are considering the Sentra go for the S and add the convenience plus package for a few dollars more. You wont regret it