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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  2000 GLE - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By RJ193 - September 7 - 2:00 am

  Great car for the money. Would buy a new one today! Low maintenance cost and reliable. However, only gets 25 MPG on the open road with the automatic. Good pick up and handling. Front brake squeal since day one.

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  we love our murano - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By cirisan - September 7 - 2:00 am

  We just baught the maurano. Its everything that we wanted. Lots of head and leg room. And so very comfortable. The style is very unique and not of the ordinary blend of vehicles that you see on the road today. We love different! Its a 50,000 dollar car for only in the 30,000 range. Excellent value for the buck. Go for it you will like it.

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  Great Crossover SUV by Nissan, A+ - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By equipmentman - September 7 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 2002 Nissan Pathfinder LE which was a great ride and my new 2003 Z Car for this new Murano. It offers me a single vehicle that has great looks and design coupled with fun to drive performance and comfort in an AWD vehicle. All this plus a vehicle that gets outstanding fuel economy and great room for passengers and the luggage. Nissan and Infiniti are doing a great job coming out with innovative performance products that are exciting to drive.

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  Fun under the Sun - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By The Fontes - September 7 - 2:00 am

  So far, We have driven it for 3 weeks and we love it. It handles like a real car; yet it is powerfull and fuel efficient. The stereo system is great, and the most stripped model comes with cd and sattellite ready stereo.

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  MURANO- AWESOME and THEN SOME - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By bipkas - September 7 - 2:00 am

  GREAT EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR DESIGN. Excellent ride, handling, power, comfort, and fuel economy.

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  A concept car you can own now !!! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Printerman - September 7 - 2:00 am

  I traded in a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee . The Jeep was a fine car. The Murano is poetry in motion. It handles well the transmission is super and has excellent passing power. I went from 5.5 to 20.6 MPG on my first long trip. The seating is supportive and very comfortable for my 6 4" body. The car is a change from every other car out there. You have to test drive the car to see how well it is put together. My hats off to Nissan.

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  03 Xterra - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Brian - September 6 - 2:10 pm

  My Xterra has been a great looking, fun to drive, & reliable SUV. Its the perfect mix of weekend off-road capability and mid week commuting comfort & reliability.

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  Altima nears ultimate for my driving needs - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Tyler Aberle - September 5 - 11:49 pm

  great car, feels solid on the road, surprising performance, very comfortable, good space and comfort for passengers, remarkable gas mileage--hit near 40 mpg on first highway trip after purchase!! only had the car a short time so cannot evaluate repair frequency or a few other "length of ownership" details; my only complaint--I do not like the range of headlight beam in rainy conditions; would definitely purchase again --and will be a standard for future car buys. --Warning: buy from a reputable dealer or carefully explored other --almost got stuck with a badly hacked repair --that looked good on the surface.

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  Best Maxima Ever - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Bruce - September 5 - 11:06 pm

  Absolutely the best Maxima Nissan has built! I have owned 10 Nissan/Datsuns, this being the 4th Max and I love it. Its got luxury, sport, speed, handling and style. I could afford the higher end nameplates (I looked at a Jag S- type & E-class Benz), but choose to stick with the Maxima. Not only did I save a little money, but in my opinion, got a better car. I will continue to buy Nissan (maybe Infiniti, too) for many years. I recommend Nissan to anyone who is in the market for a new or used vehicle.

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  Love it! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By TJ - September 3 - 3:06 pm

  Love everything about the car! The CVT takes some getting used to but is very fuel efficient while surprisingly powerful for the mpg.