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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  Perfect Used Car - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By L7jr - November 1 - 2:50 am

  After alot of research for my next car I decided on the Altima. I have no regrets at all. I purchased the car with 79,000 miles and now have 90,000 miles on it and have only 3 things gone wrong on the car other than brakes and oil changes. The first thing that went were my CV boots and second my throttle linkage snapped which controls the acceleration of the car. Basically, when it snapped my gas pedal did nothing and left me stranded. My mechanic told me in his 25 years of working he had never seen that happen on a car. Lastly, the alternator had to replaced but other than that the car has been perfect and I highly reccommend this car. I added a K&N filter and it makes such a difference.

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  "Worst new car of the year" - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By marcpilot - October 31 - 2:11 am

  The timing chain broke at 60k miles. Nissan said they wouldnt honor the warranty that I paid extra for. They said that the timing chain was a design flaw but that since I started taking my car to another business for oil changes(even though I had records of EVERY SINGLE OIL CHANGE BEING ON TIME, on a computer from the other business that millions of people use to have their oil changed, Nissan still wouldnt honor the warranty because they said the oil may or may not have been a bad "batch" at that business! How absurd! They wont honor the warranty because the engine costs 9000 dollars to replace and they dont want to pay for it even though its their timing chain design flaw that broke.

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  A notch (+) above the rest - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By HappyZee - October 30 - 12:33 pm

  If you are looking for something above the rest. Something FUN to drive and very High Tech, take a close look at the Murano SL. Good to fair MPG considering its a SUV. Some of the options are amazing. So far, I couldnt be happier.

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  (Of Course) Bang for the buck - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Zeek - October 30 - 11:36 am

  The Spec-V is one of the best bang for your buck cars available. It is also one of the few with four doors. It will run a mid to low 15 second quarter mile stock, but there arent many modifications available for the car yet, so for you tuners there isnt very much further to go. The car has its great points, handling, lots of torque, and styling, and its bad points,

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  Its the little things - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By vabjames - October 30 - 10:03 am

  I love my Juke. Love the exterior styling. I receive many comments - mostly favorable. Its the little things that I didnt notice during the test drive that are worth pointing out. For this price point, you kinda expect to have power locks and auto up windows on both front doors rather than driver only. Also, the vanity mirrors are not lighted. As the only covered storage compartment in the entire car (aside from under the seats), a light in the glove compartment would be a welcome adsdition. As most of my driving is done solo or with my dachshund, it is the perfect car for me. No major complaints just a couple of minor gripes...

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  Never expected the goodies... - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Laura - October 30 - 10:03 am

  This SUV was the last of my test drives and I purchased it the same day. I got lots of interior space for 4-5 people, love the cockpit driver area with big dash board and over-abundance of added optional equipment. I went for "fully-loaded" with no regrets. Right away I was impressed with the quickness of acceleration and handling. Its a nice quite ride and the front dash is well centered and balanced with features. I have had no real issues and would repurchase a month later this same SUV. I find its cute to look at, easy to park and fun to drive. The gas mileage is accurate and now I just need to plan a trip to the mountains to fully appreciate this vehicle.

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  Nissan Convert - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By Richie C - October 30 - 8:36 am

  As a proud/loyal owner of 4 Toyotas and in the market for a mid-sized pick up, it was a given that I was going to purchase a Tacoma. Keeping an open mind, however, I researched and conducted test drives on the Tacoma competition, Frontier Pro 4x in particular. I was blown away. Much quieter ride in the Frontier as well as "tighter" construction vs Tacoma. Bottom line, I am now a "Fronty" convert. Although I have only had a short while, I am very pleased with the purchase--will continue to evaluate and will post updates to review after a few thousand miles (plan an extended trip to the Rockies this summer). Bottom line--check out the Frontiers before you purchase--youll be glad you did

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  CUBE POWER - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By BILL D - October 29 - 5:13 pm

  I have purchased the cube about 4 weeks ago one drive is all it took. Im 63" big build type of guy and i slid right in very roomy interior super easy to drive the visibility is awesome and this car in bitter chocolate is a head turner. Everywhere I go people stop me and ask me about the CUBE. I love this design so easy to get in and out of. A lot better than the new cars today, every car seems to be aero dynamic forcing tall people into Suvs or Trucks. Thanks Nissan for making a economical roomy vehicle.

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  Could have been great - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Dave - October 29 - 3:03 pm

  The Murano is a very good vehicle, unfortunately it could have been a great vehicle. Very poor interior design, the dash instrumentation is some kind of cream, off yellow color. It should have been a brilliant white. The Bose stereo is very hard to use, too many button to look at while driving, very confusing and not all that great of sound quality. Performance is outstanding, fuel mileage is acceptable. The roof rack is a joke, no cross bars came with the vehicle, Nissan wants to sell them to you separately!! Very cheap of them I think!

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  Third Pathfinder in a Row - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By P. Matthew - October 29 - 1:03 pm

  This is my 3rd. Had an 01 (my favorite), an 05 and just picked up an 08. Was initally looking for something bigger & w/side airbags standard, but for price, value & fun-to-drive I was back to the Pathfinder. Found an SE w/ side airbags which came loaded minus the leather seats. Ive had others including Cherokee and Volvo XC90 - Pathfinder has the best performance(very fast!), character, and lots of storage. Many of the materials on the 08 seem better than 05, the cabins quieter and the wheels/tires are larger, so its a slightly different ride. Doesnt seem to corner quite as well, but the 01 handled the best. The thick steering wheel feels just right, and the truck is easy to drive.