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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  Road Noise????? - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By DinDenver - December 31 - 7:06 pm

  I would have to say that I love everything about this car expect for the road noise. I feel like my undercarriage is going to fall off every time I go over a bump, and there is a lot of shaking going on under there as well. Other than that the car is great, the redesigned interior for 2005 looks so much better than the preceding years.

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  Overpriced - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By rich1234r - December 31 - 2:00 am

  I like my truck.. but being tall... it isnt made for tall people.... I also think that its way overpriced compared to similar options and packages that the F-150 offers.

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  Sentra-97 Performance Review - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Niaz Khwaja - December 30 - 10:00 am

  It is a good comfortable vehicle. Runs very smooth. Engine has no problem. Fuel pump is noisy.

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  Short timer - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By tonyval - December 30 - 10:00 am

  Love the 222 hp. and the suspension is fantastic. Interior is well laid out, especially convenient are the radio controls on the steering wheel. Chain link drive belt is a plus for reliability. Plenty of room for a family of four (mine).

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  Just got my Solar Yellow SE SC 5spd... - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Dingo - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I thought that I was going to feel like Ive sacrificed performance, since I just traded in a 99 Maxima SE, but this thing hauls and handles remarkably well. (I wasnt able to test drive a 5 spd Supercharged, so I went on blind faith and had one built at the factory.) Velvet shift, stylish interior, killer good looks....Gotta love it!

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  Really Great Car! - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Bubbley4me - December 29 - 8:00 pm

  I never thought I was an SUV person, I went to buy a Maxima. This car was a super surprise.

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  Tight Truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By SS - December 28 - 7:06 pm

  This is my first Nissan vehicle. It is replacing a 2003 Dakota V8. In spite of a smaller engine than the old Dak, the Frontier is quicker, especially at highway speed, and manages 2-2.5 mpg better. Ride quality (noise,comfort) is on par. While the Nissan seats are significantly firmer, I find them more comfortable. In spite of cheaper pricing for both the 05 Dak and 05 Colorado that I also considered, the Fronty won out. Nissan just seemed to take an extra step in adding little touches here-and-there. The build quality just feels better.

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  A Good Choice in Minivans - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By J.R. - December 27 - 10:20 pm

  Our old Suburbans engine blew on the way to St Louis so we unloaded it and searched for a replacement. Not having a lot of time for research and negotiation, we ended up with a 2005 Nissan Quest with 74000 miles. We really liked the features as well as the unique appearance both inside and out. It runs great, has excellent acceleration, and is very reliable. You can lay flat all the seats and load it to the hilt, and it still goes like its empty. The seats arent quite as comfortable as Id like, nor is the mileage as consistently high as I had hoped. And Ill never buy from that dealership again as they severely took advantage of our situation. Otherwise, we love it!

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  Impressive! - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By Jason60050 - December 25 - 12:10 am

  I have owned many cars both American made and Japanese, but this car is by far the best quality I have seen in some time. Being that it is a convertible it does have some squeaks and rattles sometimes but other than that the car is exceptional. Bose stereo is nice and loud even with top down. Very impressed with the quality of the leather used for the seats. The only gripe I have this far is that this car absolutley needs to lose some weight...weighing in at 3600 lbs it is nearing my old 300c with the hemi.

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  Used 2013 Altima 2.5SL - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Bruno - December 24 - 5:52 pm

  Overall a really good auto. Styling in my opinion just kills Honda and Toyota. The leather appears to be of a better quality than Honda and Toyota. Excellent 27.5 MPG in mixed driving with mostly city. CVT takes some getting used to. Minor wind noise from what I read is from the outside rear view mirrors. Sometimes I notice it and sometimes I dont. When I do, it irritates me. In this day and age this should not be an issue. On a bright day, the entire dash is reflected in the windshield, another thing in my opinion that should not be. Leather seats are very comfortable. I also recommend the electric seat, I could not find a good position with the manual seat.