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:

• 

  Murano-Go! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Swisher Sweet - December 2 - 2:00 am

  My Test drive with the Nissan Salesman sold me on the car; he drove first, and stomped on it showcasing the cars acceleration 7.7 sec to 60mph!!! He took the car up to 80mph, and then did some quick lane change manuevers and the car stayed flat, composed and handled it with aplomb!!! Drives wonderful, well controlled for such a beast 3900lbs! Xenon HIDs are a must, crisp! Interior accomodations are very good, comfortable, spacious, great use of space. Navigation system is a nice tool and Birds-eye view is a nice improvement! Versatility!

• 

  Is This A Family Saden?? - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By 42386 - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car for $22,700..asking price was $25,995 brand new on may 23,02 this car has some serious power. My 3.5 SE goes 0-60MPH in 6.7secs, and does the quater in 14.9secs. This car has 240HP and 246trq. I love this car,.. its stylish and most of all its ballzie.

• 

  "Very Nice!!!!!!!" - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By joeeeeeee - December 2 - 12:00 am

  I traded in my 99 Stratus for a new 07 Sentra 2.0 S with the Convenience Package. I never thought I would buy a Sentra, but after looking at the Civic, Mazda 3 and Jetta this car had the most bang for the buck. The car rides incredibly smoothly down the road and feels substantial driving down the interstate. As a taller guy I have more than plenty of leg room. The CVT transmission feels different, but ok after getting use to. Six speaker sound, AUX jack, sharp looks, bluetooth and lots of other features really make this car stand out from competition. I wouldnt recommend living in this car, but I would highly encourage a test drive.

• 

  So far So good! - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Martha Kutik - December 1 - 2:29 pm

  I previously owned a Nissan Altima and since then have been impressed with the intuitive interior design of Nissan cars. Purchased the Rogue after looking at Subaru, Lexis and Toyota as well. I was interested in a hybrid with good gas mileage and all wheel drive capability, and the Rogue felt like the right size and was a comfortable ride! Have not owned the car long enough to know about maintenance costs or repair frequency, but if its like my Altima, itll be an easy car to maintain.

• 

  Great car - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Compaq888 - December 1 - 9:16 am

  Bought it from an owner that didnt know anything about cars. Had a maintenance done at the dealer and the car is problem free.

• 

  Great value - horrible turning radius - 2011 Nissan Frontier
  By liberator1 - December 1 - 3:42 am

  As with everyone else, I was shopping the Tacoma while shopping the Frontier. I can say I will never buy a Toyota simply because they dont want to negotiate their vehicles. The Tacoma did not offer many of the ammenities of the Frontier such as leather, auto seats, etc. The Frontier offers much more bang for the buck. The only thing I dont like is the horrible turning radius of the vehicle. You cant even make a u-turn on a 4 lane road without having to make a 3 point turn. An F-150 turns sharper than this smaller truck. Other than that, it rocks!

• 

  Rental Manage Chooses Altima - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Happy Buyer - November 30 - 7:36 pm

  I am a former Rental car manager. I had a different car everyday. I have driven everything from a Camry to Infiniti G35. My last car was a Honda Accord 04 Was totaled 3 weeks ago on the freeway because of three things. Black ice, Bad factory tires, no traction controlled. I am actually excited when I get in this car because you pay $24k for a car that is worth $38K. The CVT has constant power. Getting on a freeway 0-80 mph with no shifting in the trans is amazing. It handles like it is on rails. (cornering is good). The last model altimas I drove had a lot of torque steer. Nissan fixed that problem on this model.

• 

  After 50K miles I am happy - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By aterces - November 30 - 6:48 pm

  I purchase the car on Oct 2012, and after 50,000 miles I can say that I am happy with my purchase, havent had a single problem with the car and has been very reliable. I did have an issue with a weird noise coming from the engine I took it to the dealer and it was the alternator but it was replace free of charge since I was under warrantee no problems after that. The gas mileage is very good, I avg between 30-32 miles

• 

  Much Needed Improvement - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By twshield - November 30 - 6:00 pm

  I bought my 2007 Sentra 2.0s new. I have had 3 previous models of sentras and i would have to say that the 2007 is a big improvement. The 07 Sentra now has quality unlike previous models. I feel it can actually compete with civic and corolla now. Being an overweight person, I have found the cabin to be very roomy and quiet for a compact car. The car has a much better ride than previous models as well.

• 

  Satisfied Owner - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Nissan Owner - November 30 - 2:06 pm

  I have had the Pathfinder for about 8 months and have driven 6500 miles on it including a recent 3000 mile trip. Therefore I have had ample opportunities to evaluate it and am on the whole satisfied with this SUV. Being a previous Toyota sedan owner, I was choosing between the 4runner and Pathfinder. I feel completely comfortable with the choice I made as the 4runner did not feel luxurious enough from inside and had horrible 3rd row seating option. Now to more details on my experience with the pathfinder - the driving experience is great, interiors have a plush feel, rear view is awesome, sound system is good and overall car experience has been great.