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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  Best suv ever - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Pimp Daddy - April 29 - 2:10 am

  Its a beast on and off the road and its reliable and has great pickup. Roomy! Stylish. I put a cattle grille and rear tail lamp guards on my silver pathfinder so it looks more rugged.

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  Great Vehicle - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By DRNeffGA - April 29 - 12:10 am

  50k and never so much as a squeak. Great comfortable transportation. Dont tell my kids that the tube side steps are no good they use them everyday to get in and I use them to wash the roof and load the car top carrier.

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  A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By D Money - April 28 - 8:06 am

  This is my first brand new car, although I owned a 1992 Maxima-(loved it), 2007 maxima-(liked it). The 2009 Maxima is clearly the best of them all. Great performance and handling and fun to drive. Compared to the competitors you get more for your money with the Maxima. New features for 2009 Maxima include push start, paddle shifters, hard disc drive,ipod connection, backup cam (which should come with every vehicle, it makes parking so easy). Its a very balance car. One year later and I still turn Heads.

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  Great Engine, Weak Exterior, Good Car - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Tom Mangee - April 28 - 7:40 am

  Its been excellent overall with the exception of the ext. body -- bumber front and back are weak spots for trouble....front quarter-panel also. It has been extremely reliable -- Altimas have a weak spot on the power windows also, the switches on the doors, the motors and the regulators go out early. Engine is devine in every way: reliable, smooth, strong.

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  Murano is marvelous - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By MerlieMan - April 28 - 3:06 am

  Ive owned an Acura MDX which cost about $5,000 more than my well appointed Murano and must say the Murano is more impressive. I test drove many nameplates in the Murano class with the same result: The rest failed to measure up to Muranos standards in terms of overall quality, features, looks and performance. The Murano is not a cheap car by any means but it is the standard for others to be judged by and by my experiences the others are in need of playing catchup.

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  Almost 5 Years and Still Running - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By bharris - April 28 - 2:00 am

  July 2004 will be my 5-year anniversary of owning my 2000 Xterra XE 4WD V6. I am on my 3rd set of front brakes and original rear brakes. I replaced the stock BF Goodrich Long Trails at about 65,000 miles with Goodyear Forteras. I replaced the battery around the same time and have just recently noticed the upper radiator hose has been leaking coolant under pressure. The body still looks good although the plastic has faded over the years. The interior still looks great. Im averaging around 14- 15 MPG. Overall I’m very pleased but would not buy another Xterra just because I don’t use or need it’s off road capability.

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  BETTER CAR - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By SUZIE - April 28 - 2:00 am

  BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY! VERY HAPPY WITH IT! HAD A 2000 DODGE INTREPID AND IT LOOKS GOOD, DRIVES NICE, BUT STARTED FALLING APART AT 48,OOO MILES. DISSAPPOINTING! NO MORE AMERICAN CARS FOR THIS GIRL! MY ALTIMA RIDES SMOOTH AND IT IS ZIPPY FOR A 4 CYLINDER. ROOMY INTERIOR AND DESCENT GAS MILEAGE.

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  excellent - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By shannon leffingwell - April 28 - 2:00 am

  i love my car. i have only had it for two months, but i put alot of miles on it going to and from work. it is a very smooth ride and i love the look of the car, especially with the sunroof add on.

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  One month old and still happy! - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By KingTriton - April 28 - 2:00 am

  This is my first Nissan and I have to admit it is a great little car. I bought this car from the newspaper Lost Leader ads, and I have to admit I got a great deal. The car is sound, great gas mileage, comfortable, great stereo/CD etc. Buying this car from the dealership was also a great experience. For once I feel good leaving the dealership with a good deal and car!!!

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  My 6th Nissan - Best Yet!! - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By ranhan - April 28 - 2:00 am

  My murano has the quality that I had gotten use to in Nissans and think they had gotten away from in the late 90s. Nice to see the quality back! You do have to get use to the transmission......Its different! Not a bad thing...Just Different!!