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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  Wow - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By travisjohnson - February 12 - 1:39 pm

  We purchased this car on Saturday and havent been able to stop driving it. What a great, fun car to drive. The AWD is impressive, and the turbo just makes it fun to drive. Selling our MINI Cooper-S now... this vehicle has replaced it in many ways... Even the back seat is comfortable for me (61" tall)... so fitting kids back there when necessary is no problem.

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  Great Value - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By gpez - February 12 - 7:23 am

  Have driven the car for 2 months, nearly 1500 miles. You get a lot of value for your money. Gas mileage has been 31-32 mpg for mostly non-highway commute, very respectable. The cars got enough pep and great brakes with the ABS option. The interior exceeds expectations. It does have some quirks - gets a little loose at highway speeds (probably could improve with better tires), the rear suspension is soft (go slow over speed bumps) and oddities like no temp gauge (instead goofy LEDs) and the glove box light only comes on with the exterior lights. Not the sportiest car but for the price it has exceeded my expectations. If it yields long term reliability then Nissans got a winner here.

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  Murano SL - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By George Balog - February 11 - 7:53 pm

  The car is very attractive in exterior appearance and the interior is roomy and also very attractive. I was suprised that it has a similar feel to a much more expensive vehicle with a feeling of superior performance and quality. I believe that the quality and styling for the price are the best on the market for any vehicle category.

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  Excellent - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Louis - February 11 - 8:03 am

  Great family, work, and weekend truck. Nice smooth ride like a luxury car and power like a sports car.

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  2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Saergae - February 9 - 8:13 pm

  I bought my New Nissan Sentra with saving money in mind. I traded a Dodge Ram V8 for this and am totally sagisfied. Not Apples to Apples but then again I was looking for fuel economy with some features I could compare to my fully loaded truck. I would say that the value for the money is well worth it. I get 33 MPG average since I bought it 2 weeks ago. Ive saved $154 in 2 weeks driving this over my truck. Lets face it this car is no BMW but Nissan is not advertising it to be so I think anyone looking for economy would do well to look at this car. I commute 100 miles a day so this for me was a good decision. GOOD JOB NISSAN.

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  What a blast !!! - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Randy - February 9 - 3:43 pm

  What a blast to drivel. The only things that I would change would be the front-wheel drive (too much torque steer) and a more powerful sub for the somewhat weak BOSE system. Ive had no mechanical problems - only routine servicing and a flat. But, my front drivers seat is splitting in a few places. The cars got a big backside, so high speed road handling is not a stable as Id like. But, it IS a sedan. And, a big one at that. U-turns arent always made either. But, I got the 20th Anniversary edition, and I love the subtle fascia and body kit extras that come with it. I just wish there was more of a difference between it and the normal SE edition.

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  My Third Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Steve-A-Reno - February 9 - 6:53 am

  This car is easy to get in and out of. Very roomy. Performance and handling are best in class. 5 speed auto very smooth. Ride is nice but a little bumpy on rough roads. Lots of features for the money. This is a practical family sedan that will also satify a persons craving for performance. Long trips with winding curves with this car is great!

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  Best mid size without a doubt - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Bogarto - February 9 - 4:00 am

  Looked at all mid and full size trucks. Finally settled on Frontier 4x4 LE. 265 HP is awesome. Got the 4x4 havnt taken it off road yet. Nice size truck, bigger than any other mids I drove and smaller than the full sizes but with plenty of comfort. Jenkins Nissan in Lakeland, FL was very helpful, got it used with 14,000 miles on it.

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  Looks Good & Feels Good Too!!! - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Moquarius - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 04 Altima since New Years day and I L-O-V-E my baby. Although its only a 4 cylinder, you would never be able to tell because it drives beautifully. It looks so damn sexy when I wash it (sunsoma sunset)! I wish I could bring it in the house with me.

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  Seafoam Green Altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By 2004SpecV - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I have to say that after owning this car for about 2.5 years that I have not been more pleased with any in my past. I have the 2.5S automatic with the sport pack. The windows have a half chrome tint and I added a spoiler. The Nismo Cold air intake really wakes up the motor and increases the fuel mileage. (35mpg highway). I just hit 25K miles and have not had any problems. Some complain about starting problem but Synthetic oil seems to make that issue go away. I also have a 2004 Sentra SE- R Spec V with the same engine that gets about 38 mpg highway and about 28 city.