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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  Just bought and loving it. - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By saladincham - May 18 - 11:13 pm

  I love my new Nissan. Ive never bought a new car and had a little bit of sticker shock, but bought mine for a very good deal and have been impressed with the quality and the overall feel of driving. Very good looking car, and very good on your wallet. My first car was a 1999 Nissan Sentra, and I plan on sticking with them for years to come!

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  What a sweet ride! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By brandir - May 18 - 4:36 am

  All I can say is wow! What a sweet ride! I just bought my coupe this week and was planning on test driving a few other vehicles in the same category. The Altima coupe was my first test drive and I knew as soon as I took off in it there was no reason to test drive anything else. The ride is so smooth and what a kick it has for a 4 cylinder. I love the body style and the dual exhausts. I dont feel like Im sitting real low to the ground and the car feels solid. I cant say enough great things about this car!

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  Exactly what we wanted, not disappointed - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By RS - May 18 - 4:03 am

  After studying all the compact SUVs, we decided that the Rogue was just what we needed. It had good mileage (for this class of vehicles) and, in fact, we are getting 26-27 in town and close to 30 on the road. It has the clearance and AWD we needed for moderate off-the-road usage (wildlife surveys, kayak in-putting, etc.). In addition, it is very comfortable and quite quiet on the highway. Handling is better than the other compact SUVs that we tested. Reviewers complain about the storage capacity being less than some of the competitors, but we do not need it and appreciate the better looks and handling of the Rogue. Bigger is not always better. After 4 months and 5K miles, zero defects.

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  I love this car.... - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By RF - May 17 - 8:56 pm

  This car is beautiful. I get so many compliments, and so many looks. The gas mileage I get is right at 18.9MPG, I do hardly any highway driving. I cant say enough about this vehicle.

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  Great truck but not without reliability glitches - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By anthonymaw - May 17 - 11:42 am

  I bought it used on a private sale from craigslist replacing my 1985 Toyota 4runner that I ran up 550,000km (340,000miles to you guys south of the 49th). However last year (2011) the in-tank electric turbine fuel pump unexpectedly quit (at 220,000km odometer reading) leaving me stranded on the side of highway. It wound up costing me well over $1000 in towing charges, parts and labor plus an overnight motel stay and a one day travel delay. Now that I know how to replace it I carry a spare fuel pump and screwdriver along with the spare tire....

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  Great Car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Aaron - May 17 - 4:43 am

  I bought this car used with 19K on it after cross shopping many other models. Great car for small family (< 3 kids). This car is a quick performer with a sportier ride than many competitors (e.g., Camry). I get better than advertised gas mileage with the manual when I am easy on the gas. The controls are logically laid out and easy to use. I like the keyless feature (its even easy to replace the FOB battery), but HATE the FOB itself (see below). I have driven manual trans. cars for years and years, but this one is very difficult to drive smoothly, especially from 1st to 2nd. I suspect that the gear spacing is just poorly planned. With the exception of the FOB this is a great car!

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  My blue Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Grannylsb - May 17 - 3:46 am

  I really like my car. I live in TN and I have already drove it to MI and I was very comfortable except for such a long drive I wish I would have had a more substantial seat. I love my blue color and with the way the lights are it makes it lots easier to wash. I almost bought something else but I sure am glad that I bought my blue Altima.

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  Great Car - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jennifer - May 16 - 7:33 pm

  I love this suv. Perfect size. Love the third row seat that folds flat--there when you need it.

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  More than I could ask for this price! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Rocky - May 16 - 4:56 am

  I was in the market for a small SUV for over 6 months. I started looking in the 25k range and then moved to the 35k range to get all the features I wanted. The problem, however, was that I didnt want to commit to a payment that would tighten my purse strings every month. When I found the Rogue, it was everything I wanted and fun to drive!! It was also priced right. I love everything about the car. My husband, who was convinced the 2.5L engine wouldnt give enough power has also been surprised and I can hardly get him out of the drivers seat!! I truly think you get a lot for you money in the small SUV.

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  Best mid-sized crew cab of all - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By D. St-Pierre - May 16 - 2:40 am

  Ottawa, Canada - Bought my Majestic Blue Frontier just before Xmas. I test drove all the competitors (Dodge, GM, Toyota and Honda) and at the end of the day the Nissan beat out the Toyota. The others did not compare. The clincher was overall price vs. options. This is not a truck for those looking for a Cadillac ride with truck utility. That being said, this is a very functional vehicle that can take anything thrown at it and then some. It has power to spare and will fit well with the hard core truck user or the urban tinkerer/craftsman/sportsman. City driving is harder on the mileage (14.9litres/ 100km) but the highway numbers are much better. The ride on the highway is exceptional