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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  nissan pathfinder 2003 - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Daniel69 - August 20 - 2:00 am

  great SUV very safe

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  Everything Else Is A Minima - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Canada Max - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Second Maxima. By far and away two of the best cars Ive owned. Fast, quiet, reliable, comforatable and affordable. Understated both inside and out but overstated when your right foot asks for it. Attention to detail is second to none.

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  Maxima SE 6-speed - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By dogwork - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Great car for someone who would prefer a 2 door sports car but must compromise.

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  You have to give this SUV a look! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By TravisStacy - August 20 - 2:00 am

  We test the Honda Pilot, Toyota Hilander, Acura MDX, and Chevy Tahoe. Then we looked at the Murano, and instantly fell in love. Nissan just took a SUV that could have a third row seat and left it out to give more room for the first and second row. My wife and I are tall, and this SUV has tons of leg room in the front and back seats. If you are in the market for a mid to large SUV, you owe it to yourself to at least give the Murano a look. I am concerned out buying a first generation car, but I have a feeling the price will go up on these. Get one before they get HOT.

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  Stollen love - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Timone - August 20 - 2:00 am

  I did own a 2002 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE... But now with the crime of my town, I dont! I absalutlly loved my Altima, it had the class of a Lexus and the performance of a Mustang GT. I just loved its ability to get up and go, exspecially when challenged by punks in a Camaro Z28... who I left crying in the dust when they found out that it was a stock engine. Coming from a Honda Accord I was not dissapointed one bit by my Nissan. The Bose sound system was unbeatable and the space was extrodinary! I loved that Altima and Im sure who ever stole it is having a blast. They just better hope I dont find them!

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  Bad Brakes - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Give me a break - August 19 - 10:20 pm

  I have enjoyed my Nissan Titan, however the brakes are a different story. The rotars on my Titan were resurfaced at 4500 miles and again at 10,000 miles. I have called and complained to Nissan with no satisfactory results. This is a serious safety issue that Nissan will not address.

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  Excellent Value & Great Performance - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Dony Thomas - August 19 - 6:10 am

  When I decided to buy a new car that gives decent fuel economy, good performance and value of money, I chose the 08 Sentra 2.0 S. The CVT is really great to drive as there is no sudden jump into higher RPMs while merging and passing in freeways. The acceleration is very smooth and the 2.0 L, 140 hp engine performs like a champ. Overall, the ride quality is remarkable in freeways & inner roads and this car has got lots of room inside. The cost to own this car is very less compared to similarly equipped Civic, Corolla & Mazda 3.

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  Noisy Tranny - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By radar22 - August 18 - 10:20 pm

  Just returned from a 2500 mile trip to Fl and while mileage was not as good as my 10 Camry and not as good as expected, I still averaged 37 interstate driving. Fell in love with the seats and was able to get out of the car after 2 or more hours of driving feeling relaxed. Cant believe they can make that much difference. Have read all comments about this vehicle and agree with most, positive and negative. Noise issue with power steer whistle was finally resolved after complaining numerous times. Unfortunately not the transmission noise which is annoying. Service tech says its due to trying to get max gas mileage. If thats the case they missed their mark. Have buyers remorse due to this!

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  Beware when you go over 100K miles - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Bill - August 18 - 8:43 pm

  The car was great until 100K miles. Since then replaced cat converter, O2 sensors, fuel door and driver side door handle and now the head gasket blows. Went on other forums and its a typical problem that was known by Nissan. Wont buy another Nissan. Dont buy a used 2002 Altima.

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  Excelent All Around - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By HFVA - August 18 - 8:10 pm

  Never wanted to own an SUV drove many and the Murano made me change my mind. I got the LE so it was loaded and only added a couple of features like the Nav system cross bars, cargo area cover and splash guards.