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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  Excellent Car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By oc344 - October 25 - 3:26 am

  This car is great. No mechanical issues over the three years I have owned the car. I bought it used with 31K miles and have put over 60K miles. Oil change and brakes and tires over the three years. Excellent design inside and out. Very fast with great pick up from dead stop. Takes corners like its on rails. Going to buy a 2007 Altima in a couple of days.

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  Best In Class - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By RONH - October 25 - 1:20 am

  Couldnt find a better deal on a mid- size Suv. Wanted the base model with few options as it had everything I wanted. Negotiated my price on the internet,even my trade in, and the dealer stuck with it,great buying experience.Very happy with my choice after driving it for 3 weeks now.Smooth powerful engine,ride is not comprised for nimble handling,construction seems tight and has good quality materials. Gas mileage is a little better than expected at about 20mpg in around town driving. The exterior styling which I thought was too radical is even begining to grow on me!

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  It just fits me! - 2017 Nissan Altima
  By Laura Goodwin - October 24 - 10:46 pm

  This car just fits me. It feels right. Its comfy, great on gas, sleek styling, great bluetooth and easy to handle. Its the right amount of ooh factor while still being a smart financial choice. I leased a 2014 SV model and loved it. I bought this SL because I knew I would continue to love it after 3 years.

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  It just fits me! - 2017 Nissan Altima
  By Laura Goodwin - October 24 - 10:46 pm

  This car just fits me. It feels right. Its comfy, great on gas, sleek styling, great bluetooth and easy to handle. Its the right amount of ooh factor while still being a smart financial choice. I leased a 2014 SV model and loved it. I bought this SL because I knew I would continue to love it after 3 years.

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  30 MPG town and 35-36 MPG Highway (under 75mph) - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By fburns - October 24 - 7:01 am

  Great car, clean, a little to high of a coefficient of drag. Wife and I hypermill and can get the CVT to get us 30 MPG town and 35-36 MPG Highway (under 75 mph). If you drive like a 16 year old boy in heat, the CVT will keep you in the power band and use up a lot of gas, its true. If you drive smartly, it serves you well. Great handling/excellent lateral g for a car of its class (2.0 S model). Look, standing acceleration from stop (0-60mph) is poor; however, passing acceleration (60-80mph) cant be beat since it has high torque and the CVT revs it to 6500RPM. If you really need to get going, put it in Low until you reach 30mph, it will improve the start 0-60, but not usually recommended.

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  Awesome Power - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By crazzzycanuck - October 24 - 4:36 am

  Ive owned many trucks over the years, and this 2006 Nissan Frontier 4WD is by far the best yet! Power, body style, reliability and toughness make it one truck Ill be using for a long time.

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  2008 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab SE - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By wlong336 - October 22 - 5:50 pm

  When I decided that it was time to buy a truck I narrowed my choices down to the Tacoma, Dakota, and the Frontier. I quickly decided that the Tacoma was out of my price range, so that left the Dakota and the Frontier. When you put these two trucks side by side there is no comparison the Frontier wins by a knockout. Its bigger, more powerful and comes with way more features for a smaller price tag. I love this truck, its is fun to drive, looks great with the chrome grill and bumpers unlike the cheap grey plastic bumpers of similarly priced Dakotas. Also, there may only be 23 reviews on this site for the Frontier but every one is good. That has to say something!

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  best truck i ever owned so far - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By kevin - October 22 - 3:43 pm

  I have had this truck since feb o9 and has 11,000 miles on it. Awesome truck ! The ride is great the power is phenomenal. Gas mileage is decent but could be better, but Nissan hit it great when they built the pro 4x and why did they quit making it? I may eat these words later but as of now no one can come close to this truck! Used to be a Chevy man but not anymore..

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  Easy and fun to drive - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By GatorFan - October 20 - 7:43 pm

  Love this truck. It is short people friendly....with the adjustable pedals, I can sit far back and drive cofortably. Lots of room, and 3rd row is very easy to get into and to lay flat. Lots of bells and whistles....more than the Tahoe and the Sequoia....and for a lot less money!

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  Excellent Vehicle and Great Price Too - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Stephen Esslinger - October 20 - 11:16 am

  Our new Murano is just an all around great vehicle. This vehicle was purchased for my wife. She drives approximately sixty miles a day and we live in the country. She sometimes has to work late hours and is on the expressway late at night, both winter and summer. From what I have observed so far, this vehicle gets far better mileage than her 2003 Santa Fe which we traded in. This car is loaded, rides great, is fun to drive and I think has all safety features available in a vehicle. We purchased chrome wheels, (extra) but they really set the looks of this vehicle off. For the money, this vehicle beats Lexus hands down. For the money, our Santa Fe was good but this Murano is great!! We love it.