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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  Best car I ever owned - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By RV - July 16 - 9:23 am

  One owner, never had a problem. Next car will be a Maxima, and never in 35 years have I ever bought the same model twice in a row.

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  Murano Platinum - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Tom Orsini - July 15 - 9:14 pm

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  2004 Altima is Wonderful - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By DDTcollectibles - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I have been thinking about buying an Altima. I have own Honda Accords for the last 12 years. I should have bought the Altima sooner than I did. Its a great car which packs a great deal of power under the hood from just the standard 4 cylinder. I think its a great buy.

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  EXCELLENT ALTIMA - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By asiglew - July 15 - 2:00 am

  EXCELLENT GAS MILEAGE, THE LAST TANK, I AVERAGED 31 MILES PER GALLON. DRIVING ON TWO LANE HIGHWAYS, THRU SMALL TOWNS IN TENNESSEE.

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  still in love with my murano - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By mohib - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought the Murano about seven months ago. Since that time I have put 12500 miles on it with absolutely no issues. Have loved everything about the car. Not only does it smoke most other vehicles on the road, you hardly hear the engine do it. Still fight with the wife to drive on long distance trips. Higly recommended.

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  Our Great Touring Car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By lazydazer - July 15 - 2:00 am

  We have thoroughly enjoyed our travels in this vehicle. We use it for our longer travels and find it to be a very comfortable vehicle, very inexpensive to run with gas mileage over 30 MPG on the interstate. No maintenance problems, although Nissan has had a number of recalls for air bag modifications. These were scheduled with regular maintenance and did not interfere with vehicle use.

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  Totally Titan Trucking - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Skillz33 - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I am not a brand loyalist. When I decided I wanted a truck I looked at all the available Full-Size makes. I wanted a well made, powerful, good looking, truck; period. To my surprise I ended up getting a better deal on a Titan. For the price I paid I got a better equipped, more powerful truck than many costing thousands more. I looked at the Ram, F- 150, Silverado, and Tundra. Test drove all of the others first, and than purchased my Titan the day I test drove it. This truck will out perform the rest of them out there in just about every way. The nice thing is that I saved a few grand. Recommended 110%.

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  what a truck!! - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By titan man - July 15 - 2:00 am

  most fun vehicle Ive ever had. We have a ranch and the 4wd is excellent. havent got stuck yet. great ground clearance. 5 speed automatic is outstanding and matches the engine perfectly. Super Power. People come up to me all the time just to look at the truck. Its an eye catcher. And a Nissan engine, they last forever. I have a maxima with 300,000 miles and know how durable their engines are. Buy it if youre in the market.

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  Love it - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By i800bev - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I love this truck. It has lots of interior room, is very quiet and has lots of power.

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  This truck kicks ass!! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By swilson - July 15 - 2:00 am

  This truck kicks ass!! Great in the snow, mud and rain. Comfort for long legs unlike the Toyota 4Runners cramped cockpit. Great heater onboard for those freezing cold mornings. Very responsive and easy to drive. The turning radius was a very pleasant surprise. Extremely happy with the purchase of this solid vehicle.