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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  Nissan Xterra - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By longboard1998 - April 17 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but good luck, I bought this vehicle as a third car and I am very happy overall.

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  Great car! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Ryan - April 16 - 7:40 pm

  I was looking at a Pontiac Vibe base model for a long time but after driving the Versa the decision was an easy one. The interior is beautifully laid out and doesnt look cheap. My dealer only had one Versa and luckily is was the base (6 spd manual) with the power pkg and floormats. Personally the 6 speed is great for this car. It keeps the revs in the powerband so you have plenty of power to merge on to the highway with a full load. Also the backseats have more room than the Vibe or Matrix. Only real drawback is the seats dont fold down flush, however it keeps stuff from sliding around in the back. This is a great car. I paid $13,352 for mine.

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  Seating Problem - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By DK46 - April 16 - 4:36 am

  I have recently taken a 600+ mile trip in my new 2010 Altima. I felt the drivers seat not to be as comfortable as my former 02 Altima. But, the worst part was seating in the front passenger seat. That seat was made too low to the floor and too short for anyone over 52". There is no leg support, which tends to cause your back to tighten up. To sit without pain, you must extend your legs forward as far as they will go. Has anyone else experienced this problem? DK46

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  What a LEMON! - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By chris carson - April 15 - 10:00 am

  The car is beautiful, fun to drive, and gets exellent gas mileage...when it is running. I should of known it was going to be a lemon when one fuel injector blew up. The A/C has gone out not once, but twice. It has had fuel sensor failures not once, but twice (in addition to the fuel injector issue noted earlier). Oh...did I mention all of the recalls? WHAT A LEMON! I am buying an Accord.

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  Good SUV for price - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Bmoreguy - April 15 - 10:00 am

  I actually bought my Xterra in January of 2002, I have always loved the look of the Xterra. I have been nothing but pleased with driving this vehicle from the day I have owned it. Its a great ride, great in the snow. Its large enough for my needs such as my business and for piling in my two labs for a fun drive out. I have only found two things that I am not very happy with and that is the horsepower, sluggish on takeoff and the gas mileage for such a small V6. I however still give the Xterra my two thumbs up. Nissan did a great thing when they came up with the Xterra. Thanks Nissan.

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  A wolf in sheeps clothing - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Kedrick - April 15 - 5:26 am

  This is one of the most well made economy cars on the road today, with is sleek front end styling to its high spoiler this vehicle its a force to be reckoned with. I purchased this car after having an accident in my 97 BMW 328i and was forced to quickly find a cheap replacement... the anwser SE-R Spec V. This car delivers exceptional performance from quick take offs from a red lights to satisfying the urge to pass the slow driver on the interstate while in 6th gear... just give the gas a push and the car will respond well beyond your expectations. This is a great car for the $ and I would highly recomend it to anyone who likes to drive a car that will suprisingly eat a lot of others 4 lunch!

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  Nissan Quest lover - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By raaaaaaay - April 12 - 6:46 pm

  My Nissan Quest has great styling and good power. I have never been stranded. It is a good value. This is my second Quest, I had a 1997 model before. I traded it in for a 2001 Mazda MPV. I drove the MPV for two months then put it up for sale. I couldnt stand all the quirks and how small it was. I then went out and bought my 1999 Quest. I cant wait to to trade up to even newer Quest. It has awesome styling and is very reliable.

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  OK for the Dont Cares - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By fiblack - April 12 - 2:00 am

  I now have 22,000 miles on the car. It is fun to drive and handles good (except in cross winds). The car is nice but I hate the fact that the right turn signal does not always cancel, the dash rattles, several jerks when the care changes gears, and when slowing down, and a wiper switch that works just by touching it. Of course the Nissan dealer says all of this is normal for the Altima. Must be a Nissan corporate saying. I had a 1997 Ford Escort that was a lot better in quality and just as fun to drive.

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  This is my second Xterra and i love them - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Xterrababe - April 12 - 2:00 am

  I upgraded to the XE supercharged and i love it. I had a 5 speed manula and that was really great in the snow. We just had the biggest snow storm in 7 years and i was out in 20 inches of snow. I got the yellow because it is flashy, and the supercharged is NOT a disapointment. The one thing i have noticed is that it does guzzle gas more than my older one did. As far as room, i have 2 great danes and they have plenty of room! I love this car and think ill keep getting them.

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  My 4th Murano 2013 SL w/Nav - 2013 Nissan Murano
  By scubadave1 - April 11 - 9:12 pm

  Leased 9/26/13. After shopping and test driving a whole bunch of cars, I decided to stay with Murano for my 4th time.(39 month lease) The CVT is unmatched for a smooth ride and the addition of a navigation package was smart idea on my part. I gave only "average" ratings on design because its been unchanged in 10 years, not a negative, just not anything new. The Blind spot monitoring is a great feature, although itll take me a while to trust it. Build quality and reliability on my last 3 Muranos has been perfect, Ive got my fingers crossed that the 2013 model continues that trend.