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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  Yep - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By LilPnyRacer - December 14 - 10:00 am

  I Love the quickness of the car. The interior quality is bad but I can get by with it. Also my chairs are charcol cloth so lint gets stuck in them and hard to keep clean. Other than that its a wonderful car.

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  Best of the best - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By atf - December 13 - 9:43 am

  We just bought a 2008 Quest after looking and driving other make(Honda & toyota), but in my own opinion this is the best among them, in terms of performance, comfort, finish quality and value. This van runs like my E 350 MB, very smooth and responsive, and more features for your money. Reliability and dependabilty, I like nissan, this is our fifth nissan car.

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  Gets the job done - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By jayhawk - December 12 - 11:13 am

  I wanted a vehicle that would not leave me stuck on some remote ranch road and would tow a decent sized trailer. I added mud terrain tires. It has done all I have wanted and I am still pushing the limits.

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  The Fast - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Via - December 12 - 7:30 am

  This car was a surprise, good gas mileage and performance. And it turns a lot of heads for the price.

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  2011 Juke - First Impressions - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By uwe2 - December 12 - 7:15 am

  I got my Juke last weekend - its my 3rd car, and supposed to be my "practical" vehicle - able to transport more than a briefcase, be pretty good at the gas mileage department, has a relatively cheap price, and handle reasonably well in bad weather, especially snow (the 2 other cars are a 2005 Porsche 911 Turbo S, and a 2009 Mustang Bullit - you can probably see my point). I picked the Juke as it offers a lot of bang for the buck (mine was listed for $24,100). It is naturally lacking some refinements e.g. interior material (lots of plastic), engine power. However, given what I was shooting for, this car definitely meets all requirements. Very unique class of car.

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  Nissan did it again! - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By anne - December 11 - 5:10 pm

  I bought my first Nissan 3 years ago. Nissan altima. After having 2 bad accidents the second one totaled it out! Both accidents no one was hurt which made me a Nissan buyer forever! I miss my altima! Great gas mileage 33 mpg! Roomy. Quiet and nice on the freeway! You will be become a Nissan buyer for ever take my word! Thank you Nissan for saving my husbands life!

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  Great small car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Dreama - December 11 - 1:13 pm

  I purchased this car new with about 12 miles on it and now 5+ years later it has 44,000+ on it. I really love it. Its fun to drive this 5 speed. I have a lead foot. Great gas mileage. My son and I fight over who gets to drive it. I have replaced the rear brakes, including the calipers. I havent had any problems. Recently an exhaust issue, the replacement OEM will be 595.70 for the muffler. WOW that is expensive. I havent found it less expensive yet. Ill keep looking on the web for a better deal.

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  Well traveled - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By white_devil - December 11 - 9:32 am

  My wife and I bought this car w/ 35k on it in 08. We have driven it w/out...W/OUT problems on numerous road trips. From Ft. Stewart, Ga,(home)cross-country,(round trip), to San Diego, Ca w/ a stop to see family in Shreveport, La for a week. Got to San Deigo to see more family for 2 weeks. While in SD, my wifes friend was getting married in Sacramento. Drove up to see that. Ive made countless trips to Atlanta. (7-8hr round trip) 4 trips to San Antonio,Tx. 5 trips to Shreveport. Jacksonville every other weekend. My wife took her friend to New Hampshire to visit her family. All this travel + daily commutes to college, work, day care, ect. Has 110k today. All of this w/ NO PROBLEMS. None.

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  My Favorite Car... Ever - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By Steve - December 10 - 1:40 pm

  This is by far the best car I have owned and I have owned pretty serious horsepower cars. This thing is a blast to drive, it turns heads, and it feels good handling wise.

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  Nice contrast to a Toyota 4Runner - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By -c - December 10 - 1:23 pm

  Traded in an 04 T4R Sport with a V8 for this and Im very happy. Having two T4Rs (00 + 04) I was wary getting a Nissan but its been a blast (so far). The V8 is extremely powerful yet is very thirsty (13-14 mpg in mixed driving) and likes premium fuel. Thankfully I have a very short commute. Interior is nicely laid out. Love the premium package features (back-up cam), stereo sounds good, iPod hook-up, automatic 4x4, dual-zone AC, etc. However, heated side mirrors should not be only for the leather pkg. Lame. Handles well but the T4R with X-REAS handled much better in turns. I too have the problems w/ the power seat controls getting touched while exiting the truck. Its a p.i.t.a.