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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  beware: research before you buy - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By dan benshoff - February 23 - 2:00 am

  The car is fun to drive. Plenty of power and looks great. However, within the first month the driver side door handle broke. I had to take it back because the vent in the back seat area poors cold air on to the passengers feet regardless of the setting up front. The technician chalked this up to "poor design" -- to much distance the air has to travel in the duct work. The center console is poorly designed. Awkward buttons and settings. The trip computer doesnt tell me how many miles I have in my tank when it hits the "e" mark. Isnt that when you really want to know? Overall, I am pretty unhappy with the car. I expected more from Nissan at this price.

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  awesome - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Marc - February 23 - 1:03 am

  i think that this car is awesome. it offers more that looks, it offers a style that not many car manufactures can give you.

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  The best truck of 2002 - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Stephen Tyson - February 21 - 10:00 am

  It simply has the best exterior design. The inside on the other had could be better.

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  11 rogue - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By Wayne - February 21 - 7:27 am

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  Comfort and gas saver midsize car - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By H. Dao - February 20 - 9:51 pm

  I rented this car for 12 days vacation driving around Los Angeles then to San Francisco with my family. Since rental car is a based model 2.5S, so it is unfair to comment about hi-tech or other fancy features. I also cannot talk about reliability since the car is like brand new. Gas saving is amazed for this mid-size sedan without lack of power despite of 4-cylinder engine. Yet, I drove around Los Angeles most everyday during my trips with heavy traffic to downtown, Universal Studio, and Hollywood area. I also drove up to San Francisco with up, down, curving highways. The car handled pretty well. Seats are comfortable. Both front and rear head/leg room are good even with one of my kids who is 6 tall. Little windy and road noise but acceptable, not bothering my family at all. May be the upper or top version 3.5 SL stronger and more comfortable.

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  Good Car - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By alan - February 19 - 5:20 pm

  Had my Z for almost a week and so far i am very impressed with the car. Two things that anybody who is looking into this car should keep in mind is 1) this is a heavy car for being a 2 seater, somewhat reminds me of a mustang i used to own 2) with a car capable of such high performance being driven on the street, it takes a lot of restraint to not get into a lot of trouble with the law enforcers. You should test drive this car if you think you can live without any substantial trunk space. If you are looking for a primary vehicle and you know that you will not be able to cary enough in the divided back of this car, dont drive it. Driving this car leads to buying this car.

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  Good Value - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By John - February 19 - 1:10 pm

  My 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V has had some problems. The parking brake is insufficient to hold the car on a steep incline. I had an insurance claim due to this. Also, the recalls have been plentiful. The interior and exterior panels are cheap. On the plus side, Nissan powertrains are near indestructable. As long as you keep up with regular maintenance and dont abuse them, they will run 250,000 miles with minimal problems. The 2.5 liter engine is very torquey and powerful for a 4 banger. Combine this with a close ratio 6-speed and you have a very quick, fun car to drive. The handling is phenominal for an old school chassis. The car rides rough with a good bit of road noise. Overall, its a good value. Im at 20,000 miles and am still smiling. I would buy another.

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  It loves gas! - 2014 Nissan Frontier
  By Bob Woliver - February 19 - 8:11 am

  Bought this as a more cost effective and less garage filling replacement for my 2000 Silverado. Interior fit and finish is great, good visibility and lots of power. A/C works well which is appreciated in TX. Cons: this truck gets 16.5 MPG city and about 20.5 highway - way less than my old 4.8 L Silverado which got 19.5/23 over 170K miles with a larger and more powerful engine. The Frontier is a miserable highway truck as you have to compensate for every little wind gust and it will hydroplane easily compared to the other trucks I have owned. There is also a clunk in the driveline which I have noted in not only my but other Frontiers when taking off from a stop. Still, it is a good value for an in town hauler if you do not need a longer 6 bed.

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  Love it - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By krkal - February 18 - 10:00 am

  I really like my car. It gets good gas mileage, especially on the highway (I have gotten up to 31 average mpg). It feels sporty and really has some get up and go, but doesnt feel as stiff adn roady as a lot of sporty cars. I prefer the not stiff feeling, but I wanted the look and pick up of a sportier car. Ive had no problems yet!

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  Love everything but the interior - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By rsrtampa - February 18 - 12:36 am

  The Frontier is a great truck and I am very pleased with it. The power is more than adequate and the interior room is good. The handling is great and the road noise is very low for a truck. The interior is just boring. The controls are all in fairly good locations but the styling is just blah. There is no nice trim pieces and the seats are not as supportive as they should be.