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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  The Best Truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By uabaseball5 - January 24 - 12:23 pm

  I bought the 2005 Nissan Frontier right when it came out after I saw the new design. With all the horsepower and new features and design, I LOVE THIS TRUCK! it is so smooth on the freeway and hauling capability with the tie-down straps, its unbelieveable. Ive driven all the trucks before i drove the nissan frontier like the Ford Ranger which was way too whimpy and i drove the mazda truck which didnt have the comfort and then i drove the chevy colorado and it just never had the options and then I finally drove the Frontier. It was all I wanted and more! SO MANY OPTIONS YOU CAN PUT INTO IT ALSO! This is a great truck and I would take it over any other mid-size truck on the market.

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  2009 LE fully loaded - 2009 Nissan Armada
  By Gabriel - January 24 - 7:16 am

  We love our new truck, after looking at other SUVs we liked all the options,looks and comfort that the Armada offered, The LE technology package with keyless entry, heated leather seats, heated steering wheel,Nav., DVD player is NICE!!! The cargo area is a nice size with the third row seats folding down flat, plus you can actually have adults seating comfortably on the third row seats compared to some SUVs that only kids can seat, Overall highly satisfied with the Armada, lets hope the fuel price stays low.

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  Murano Fun Car - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Bgreenb - January 23 - 11:36 pm

  I enjoy driving this car and find that Passengers feel comfortable and safe. I looked at Lexus and paid about $8000 less for I feel an equal ride. I will keep this one a while !

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  More hp - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By KEVIN - January 23 - 9:20 am

  Traded in my 06 wrangler (190 hp) i-6 and my 05 f150 v-8 (235 hp) v-6 nissan (265 hp) one truck one payment one insurance better mileage than both more power than both, better everything including warranty. Great in the snow and off road. No problems, someday detroit will wake up, well hopefully!!

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  New and improved - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Crimson revolution - January 23 - 8:26 am

  Great job on the redesign. Love the dual DVd screens. Lots of room and the comfort is fantastic.

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  Best value entry level luxury sportsedan - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Jay - January 23 - 6:13 am

  Coming off FX35 lease I was thought I was going to G37X. Problem was it was too small for me. Not to mention it looks like everything else on the road. This is best bang for the buck ! Roomy nice interior. Basically what you are getting is a FWD Maxima w/ Infinity interior ( even nicer IMO) Great V6 Hard to beat !

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  Perfect Car - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Nancy - January 22 - 12:16 am

  I bought this car in highschool when I was 17. I bought it brand new. It has been 5 years & I still have it & still runs like new! The only problems that I did had was twice that the car turned off by itself but that was the time I had received a letter of recalls.... I sent it back twice to get it fixed for the recalls & havent had any trouble since! Of course I have followed most of the maintenance that states on the manual & until now I have had no trouble at all with my car! My car now has over 100,000 miles & its still running! I am hoping it lasts me another 100,000 miles! It is a reliable, spacious & good looking car! I would not have kept it for so long if it wasnt!

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  Best Value on the Market - Very Happy! - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By BradM - January 21 - 10:16 pm

  We looked for a while at a lot of different vehicles and this was by far the best combination of size, engine, safety, style, luxury, towing capacity and amenities. We looked at big and small, this was the best. We were able to get a fully loaded Armada new for the price of other vehicles used without all of the options. We had a great experience. Weve had a BMW, Infiniti, Acura, Honda and other vehicles, the Infiniti/Nissan is the best. We are very happy with it.

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  1st non-US car owned - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By maximum Maxima - January 21 - 8:30 pm

  47 yrs old and gave up on US cars. This car is really quite incredible. 3.0L V6 and it moves! Quiet and sporty, especially with my 215/55/16 tires. 98,000 miles on it but drives like 30K Exterior design may be a little dull but i just bought new front turn signal lights & rear tail lights to sport it up.

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  A very good car! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Marco - January 21 - 11:46 am

  Traded in my Mazda6s for a 2007 Altima with the SL package. Have not regretted at all. The car drives very nicely. Unfortunately all my trips are very short. I would love to spend more time in this car. Gas mileage is good, seats are comfortable, Bose stereo is incredible. I am so happy to be back with a Nissan. The Mazda was nice but too many little problems. I used to own before that a Nissan Altima 99. What a difference. The car has finally matured into an affordable luxury car.