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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  Buy One Today - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By Georgie Porgie - August 10 - 3:03 am

  Would purchase another if the price is right. This is my second Altima had a 2007 which ex-wife still has.

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  Who could ask for anything more? - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By Ellis G. Sr. - August 9 - 6:20 am

  I purchased my Armada as a replacement family car. What a vehicle! This is the 8th Nissan Ive owned since my first in 1983 that I put 250,000 miles on with 0 problems aside from normal wear & tear. Nissan rivals any competitor in quality for less $$$. I priced a comparably equipped 08 Toyota Sequoia and literally $10,000.00 later, well you do the math. I own a 91 Toyota 4runner and I like it, thats what made me take a look at the Sequoia but for the money, I just couldnt justify purchasing it over the Armada. I think the Armada looks better as well. Excellent power, 9,000lbs towing, wonderful interior and instrumentation, roomy and very comfortable.

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  Happy in blue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By happy in blue - August 9 - 2:33 am

  I love my Rogue. I traded in my jeep with poor gas mileage. Im very happy I get an estimated city of 19 to 20 miles and highway I got 29 mile to the gallon. It feels great not to have to fill my tank every other day, I get by with at least 10 days. Wouldnt trade it for the world.

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  A winner - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By elvtars - August 8 - 5:10 pm

  Im what you could consider a hesitant buyer, someone who may spend a year researching and test driving vehicles before committing to buy. As a long- time Honda owner (I still own an Odyssey), the Accord was my initial favorite, but Ive researched and test drove most of the competition as well. These are all excellent cars. While I cannot claim that the Altima is the better car, it had enough features I liked to win me over. I owned it for almost 3 months now and I am still excited every morning when I get into it. Since the Accord was my initial choice, Im listing below the features of the Altima that won me over. What I liked in the competition is listed as suggested improvements.

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  Great Car for the MONEY - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By JohnB - August 8 - 1:10 pm

  I drive in excess of 100 miles daily and choose the Nissan Sentra 1.8 S for its styling, performance, and dependability vs. the cost of ownership. I am getting over 36 MPG with the automatic transmission. The car has good acceleration for its engine size and is a very comfortable ride. The Sentra 1.8 S package offers luxury items that are convienient without a huge expense; remote keyless entry, power windows/doors/mirrors - I was impressed with all the little features the car has. Alot of VALUE.

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  2009 Maxima SV is the Real Deal - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By qstarweb - August 8 - 8:06 am

  Mine is the SV model with sport package. It lives up to the hype and then some, its a truly great 4 door sport car and it drives as well as an Infiniti. The acceleration from the 290 HP version of the award-winning VQ V6 engine is great. In most situations the car handles like its on rails. Its just fun to drive, youll make excuses to go somewhere because you want to drive this car. The styling is well done too, it just looks great. Especially in black. Lexus and Acura cant touch this for the combination of performance, features, and price. This is a bargain for all the car youre getting compared to an Acura TL S Type or a loaded Lexus IS 350.

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  1500 miles and counting - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Alex B - August 8 - 2:36 am

  I went with the 2.5 engine with the SL package. The Bose system is nice, but with low bass, the resonance is fairly bad and it sounded like something was loose in the right rear when going over decent sized bumps in the road. The dealership had it for 7 days and couldnt find the issue. A new car shouldnt have that kind of a problem. The performance of the 4 banger is quite good and Ive average 27mpg overall. Ive found the leather seats to be quite comfortable. The car is quiet in the cabin at highway speeds and fairly smooth riding as well, while remaining sporty for the price you pay. My only complaint is the noise from the back.

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  Great truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By gene - August 7 - 5:26 pm

  Checked out Frontier, Tacoma and Ranger. I wanted a 2 wheel drive and really disliked the Tacoma 2 wheel drive appearance. I had owned two Rangers and felt, after the drive, that the Frontier was the most bang for the buck. I have not been disappointed.

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  Great car - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By gwjensen - August 7 - 10:00 am

  2000 Maxima GXE, 39,000 miles. Just replaced the stock tires. Could have gotten another 10 - 15k if I had rotated them more frequently. Had the alignment checked - didnt need it. Just had the brakes checked. Mechanic told me I have another 20 - 30k left on the pads. Havent done anything else other than routine maintenence. I still love driving this car. It drives like new - very tight,no squeeks or rattles. Lots of power and acceleration at all speeds, super smooth automatic transmission, Excellent performance and handling, totally reliable and good fuel economy.

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  2003 Maxima 6M - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Max Spn - August 7 - 10:00 am

  I boght this vehicle about 2 weeks ago. It was probobly the best decision Ive ever made. Ive got it for 25.6K, fully loaded. The dealer was trying to get rid of it to make room for the 2004s. Its fun to drive. Acceleration is terrific. Ive hit 85 easy without even knowing it. Performance is great the 6 speed manual trans. There is however a slight annoying tap with the engine. Mechanic cant seem to figure out what is making that noise. With the Bose stereo on, I dont even notice it, but it is still in the back of my mind.