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:

• 

  great! - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By jory988 - April 23 - 10:00 am

  this is the best truck that i have ever driven. ive gone thriugh many trucks and this out perfoms all. it has everything i need!

• 

  beefy truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Jeff Cochran - April 23 - 10:00 am

  Love this truck, bought a travel trailer so is wouldnt be lonely.

• 

  GREAT JOB NISSAN - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By rafael r - April 23 - 10:00 am

  WELL HAVE MY TITAN FOR ABOUT ONE A HALF AND STIL SMILE WHEN I GET IN TO IT. TEST DROVE THE FORD F150 TE CHEVY SILVERADO DIDNT LIKE THEM BECAUSE DONT LIKE AMERICAN CARS DONT LAST LONG. SO WENT TO TEST DRIVE THE TOYOTA TUNDRA BECAUSE THATS THE TRUCK WE WERE GOING FOR BUT WHEN DRIVING TO THE TOYOTA DEALER SAW ANISSAN DEALER AD THEN WE SAW THE BEST LOOKING TRUCK SO HAD TO STOP TEST DROVE IT AND SAID I WANT THIS TRUCK SO I LEASE IT AND DONT REGRET IT EVERYWERE I GO PEOPLE EYEBALLING EVEN PEOPLE IN NEW FORDS. LIKE THE INTERIOR LIKE THE 180 DEGREE SWING OUT DOORS LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT GREAT JOB NISSN

• 

  What Do I think of my Altima? - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Carmella - April 23 - 10:00 am

  Great car, really luxurious for the great price, not too big not too small but just right!!

• 

  mini suv - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By bob - April 23 - 7:50 am

  have 6k miles now and car is fun and comfortable. average 30 mpg city /hwy not bad. this car is a mini version of the murano suv. twice the mileage and half the price.Good ride if you let tires down to 28 psi ( has no effect on mileage but \ improves the ride drastically}. great buy for the money. has more room,power than all cars in its class. Its the largest sub compact. its so ugly its beautiful.

• 

  Favorite Truck Ever!!! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Jason - April 23 - 1:30 am

  I have owned 4-Nissan trucks prior to my recent Nismo purchase and if Nissan keeps building like this Ill be back for another! This is by far my favorite one. The Rockford Fosgate, XM, Snrf, roofrack, bug-guards, bed extenders etc etc are great! I went for Aztec red and love it. I get compliments on it alot. I looked at the Toyota but they dont offer sunroofs and the Frontier just looks better. Other than minor a minor squeek in the dash this ruck is awesome. I love to drive it every chance I get and it pulls my 19 ski boat nicely. Good Job Nissan!

• 

  Read other transmission reviews - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By Cane - April 23 - 12:43 am

  We purchased this car brand new, had every recommended service performed on time, and gently drove the car. Still, the transmission went out and had to be replaced under 100k miles.

• 

  The repairs just keep adding up - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By rupkinmae - April 22 - 11:36 pm

  Im so disappointed in this van. Every time I think its going to be okay, another expensive repair is required. Were throwing good money after bad on this vehicle now and we havent even reached 90,000 miles. I have read more reviews than I can count regarding the timing chain issue. I think its time to get a class action suit going against Nissan. Im utterly disgusted that my vehicle has spent more time broken down over the last year than it has spent running properly. Nissan knows theres a problem and theyre making good money fixing their own mistakes. The timing chain repairs need to be a recall immediately or Nissan needs to pay for their sub-par components in court.

• 

  love this car - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By heather33 - April 22 - 11:12 pm

  and i have to say i believe you are supposed to have your airbags serviced every so often so people whos airbags didnt go off could have done that. probly a good thing to do for all late model vehicles

• 

  Loved my cube - 2013 Nissan Cube
  By Wes - April 22 - 10:44 pm