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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  2004 Nissan Maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By discountexpo$$ - October 9 - 10:00 am

  I am a loyal Nissan owner for over 12 yrs. 91 240sx, 85 maxima, 2000 maxima, and now 2004 maxima 3.5 SL. I got this car fully loaded but w/ out navigation since I dont have a problem finding my way around town. This is the best overall maxima yet. Interior is roomy, plenty of trunk space, comfortable, sleek, and very modern comtemporary design overall. Bose systems is great! Acceleration is smooth w/ a quite comfortable ride. My wife loves it! Great family car and reliability is the best in its class.

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  Great Balanced Car! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By DanTheMan89 - October 8 - 5:36 pm

  What a great car! This is the second car Ive owned, my first was a gas guzzler. Stepping down from a Trans Am WS6 5.7 liter engine to a 2.5, I didnt expect the Altima to have much power at all. Man, was I wrong this car is a joy to drive. Its very spirited with the CVT, but also can get great gas mileage. Ive been averaging 30mpg, 40 on long trips. Handling is superb also, I live down a long back road with many curves and Its exhilarating navigating the turns. I love the exterior of the car, Its just gorgeous and stands out from the crowd. I get compliments all the time! If your looking for a all around balanced sporty ride, look no further this is the car.

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  What a fun car to drive :-) - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By bluegrass08 - October 8 - 3:26 pm

  Weve had the car a week now and just love it. Its a lot smaller than our minivan, but it gets a whole lot better gas mileage too! Our temps have been in the high 90s and 100s and I run the A/C each time I drive. Barely moves the gas gauge ! We love the style of the car, the inside is comfy, CVT is great, audio system is wonderful, and bluetooth is a great safety feature. Im glad we have ABS and all the air bags too... that really saved on our car insurance. The ride is very smooth. We think it takes bumps well. All in all, Id rate this car a 9.5 out of 10.

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  Its a Nissan - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By mando626 - October 8 - 8:13 am

  I traded in my 2006 BMW 325i. I needed a bigger car for my family and was impressed with the features that came with this car. Love the interior, love the Bose system included with the Murano. I was not too impressed with the handeling. I guess I was use to the Ultimate Driving Machine(BMW). Needless to say it handled good on the freeway. The passanger compartment is spacious and comfortable.

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  Mountain Buggy - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By Bill Gibbs - October 7 - 2:56 pm

  I bought and sent this pickup to Honduras where I regularly put over 2000 lbs. of chicken manure in it. I once had 18 workers in the back and went up a mountain in 4low. This truck is a beast and can handle as much payload as my F150. Mileage is fair, power is adequate and the truck is unstoppable on the worst mountain roads imaginable. Dont complain about power, learn how to drive a standard transmission. Quality is as good as Tacoma for much less $$$.

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  sentra rave - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By dave - October 7 - 1:06 pm

  of all the cars that I have owned the sentra has been the best by far for dependability. I currently have 230,000 kms on it and have only had two minor problems. I still get 44 miles to the gallon. I use synthetic oil and a k&n filter. the dealer i got it from has been more than expected friendly and helpful with great service. thank-you and looking forward to more business.

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  like the mean look and power - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By joel29m - October 6 - 9:40 pm

  Im a Chevy man, but that Titan changed my thoughts. I got an 06 Titan, and cant wait to get up the next day to ride in style. I bought it in sept. 08 with 39,000 miles and could not leave it hanging. God blessed me with this truck because I thought I would never get one. I love the body style and engine performance. One main thing I love about it is that it sounds like it has dual exhaust when it doesnt. Its a gas drinker, but gas mileage is 99% better than my old 97 Chevy Tahoe!

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  Comfort - 2013 Nissan Murano
  By bravindran - October 6 - 4:15 pm

  I was looking to buy a crossover and compared RX350, ACURA RDX and CX9. After a deep analysis and with several test drives between these vehicles then I settle down with Murano. The build quality of interior, ride comfort, smoothness and value for money is really high for Murano when compare to other crossover vehicles. If I really need of third row then CX9 is my next choice. But I liked this two row crossover because I sensed the size of the vehicle is well balanced and appropriate to drive.

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  Great Van - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By cgarris - October 5 - 6:24 pm

  This van has a nice interior and is easy to drive and park. Back up camera is very helpful. It has plenty of power to accelerate when needed.

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  ..."Surprisingly sporty"... - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By ..."Boomer"... - October 5 - 10:02 am

  I dont know what other shoppers should know about this car,it gets down to their personal needs and choices. For my-self Ive had this Altima for three months now and am very pleased with it. I bought it used at 15 months of useage from a national car rental agency and saved $2700 compared to the going market price.On top of the balance of factory warranty the rental agency had their own 12month or 12 thousand mile warranty and a policy of replacing brakes and tires with more than 30% wear,so I got new tires and brakes for the price.I had concerns coming from a Maxima and a 6 cylinder engine but my fears were put to rest after finding out how fast the 4 cylinder engine can be.The front seats are very comfortable from the moment you sit on them and you can drive a long distance and arrive feeling as comfortable as when you started.Back seat leg room is excellent and the seats are as comfortable too.The handling is better than I expected with little lean during corners and the average lumps and bumps on urban roads rarely intrude into the cabin.The steering was a real pleasant surprise with a nice feel on the road and nicely weighted without being too soft or over assisted.The cvt does take some getting used to.Under normal loads it acts like a traditional automatic in its sound and feel;but under a heavy foot the engine races ahead and the rest of the car plays catch up.Hit the power button and the cvt drops out of its normal over drive mode and the car becomes surprisingly fast in acceleration.For my-self the only negative is the goose neck trunk hinges.Theyre too intrusive and have the potential of being luggage crushers.The trunk is spacious but would benefit from the newer type hinges that are shaped like an X and dont go inside the trunk.My favourite feature is the fuel economy:..Im averaging 33 miles per gallon tooling around town so am waiting to see how good the highway economy is.If the Altima is like other Japanese cars Ive owned it will prove reliable with a cost effective ownership and again Im tickled pink with the fuel economy...