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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  2012 Altima 3.5 SR - 2012 Nissan Altima
  By wikoli - June 28 - 2:47 pm

  Lucked out, got 6K off msrp on a fully loaded 12 3.5 SR incl. tech pkg. (nav). Was sitting on dealers lot for 2 weeks with a "sold" sign, but deal fell through. Last 12 on their lot. Impressive initial quality, flawless fit and finish (silver) and interior quality. Kudos to the folks at the Smyrna, TN plant. Drivers seat not as good as 13 "NASA" seat, but is fine. Brakes not as good as wifes previous 10 CX-7 GT, but acceptable. V6 & CVT good match w/ good power. 26 mpg on first tank (hand calculated), not bad, better than the CX-7. Handling is great, steering is heavy on hwy. but tracks well and lightens up in low speed driving. This is a completely different car from the 2.5 models.

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  My 2nd Nissan Frontier. - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By ren6 - June 28 - 9:20 am

  Drove my 1994 se v6 with over 220,000 miles. The new truck met and exceeds my expectations. I knew Nissan built quality trucks already but the newer engine (less mpg) is beefier and smoother. Great ride on the open road and rugged for off. Get the optional Traction package. Still have my old Nissan and expect to get the same quality out of the new one. Excellent hands down compared to the toyota. I never even thought twice about buying another nissan.

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  A GREAT CAR!!! - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By FRILL LESS - June 28 - 2:43 am

  Went to the Nissan dealership and asked for their lowest priced car. What I got was a no-frills 6-speed manual Versa. I had to drive it back from the dealerships other site about 30 miles away. A great test drive and I didnt expect to love it as much as I did. Ive only had it for a few days now and have to concur with all the other reviews. Its a great car.

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  My New Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Chris - June 28 - 2:23 am

  This is a great car! I love it! Just got it and got a lot of stares and looks! This is a lot of fun to drive and the performance is AWESOME!!

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  Love my Altima - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By rps - June 27 - 11:53 pm

  Got my 2007 Altima new in 2007, and now have 30,000 miles without any issues. Quiet, comfortable, economical, and reliable. I have the 2.5 engine with CVT and get about 22 mpg around town and 35 mpg on open road. The CVT is a great invention because it allows small engines to provide power or economy, depending on driver demands. This is a "drive by wire" vehicle since the accelerator goes to the computer, not the engine speed. The 2.5 engine is adequate and uses regular gas so dont waste your money on the 3.5 engine that requires high test gas. If something happened to this car, I would definitely get another Altima.

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  Ya gotta drive this one !!!!! - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Rob - June 27 - 4:33 pm

  This is my first foreign vehicle. I have been a " Ford Guy " since I started to drive 32 years ago. I tried Honda, Toyota and Nissan is my choice. This car is fun to drive and the gas mileage is unreal. I get on average 31 mpg. I am 63" and I have plenty of head and leg room. There is also plenty of room for 3 average adults in the back seat also. No need for the 6 cyl for power, just take the 4 cyl first and give it a try. Much better gas mileage also.

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  Eight Nissans in a Row - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Richard Brosseau - June 27 - 1:22 pm

  March 30, 2017, I purchased my NEW 2016 Altima SV Sedan from Morlan Nissan in Dexter, MO. Since 1969, this is my eighth Nissan in a row (two Sentras and six Altimas). My main reason for staying with Nissan cars is their reliability. Over the years, I have several owned vehicles from each of the big three manufacturers and seven cars built by Japans largest manufacturer. In have found my eight Nissans to be the most reliable, trouble free cars that I have owned. My 1997 Altima had gone more than 130,000 miles without any problems, when I traded it for a new 2001 Altima. In 2010, we gave it to our son, who drove it for four years, without any problems, except normal maintenance. When he traded it, the car had more than 150,000 miles on the dometer. I am now 76 years old and retired on Social Security. My wife and I were looking for a new vehicle that would last us through our retirement years, so when we found this new 2016 leftover at Morlan Nissan, the dealership made us an offer we could not resist.

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  great car! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By niles - June 27 - 11:30 am

  this car has been awesome. i have not had any problems with it in 2 years. i still love it as much as i did when i drove it off the lot.

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  Almost perfect SUV - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By David - June 26 - 11:05 pm

  I have the 2017 Rogue SL package. Great car in every aspect except the "premium" sound system. I had the 2015 SV version with the regular sound system and it was actually a little better. I have one malfunctioning speaker in the rear left door that needs replacement. Super comfortable to drive and so far, it handles rally well on snowy/icy pavement with my Goodyear WeatheReady tires.

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  Great van but consider the cargo space. - 2014 Nissan Quest
  By flyingdutch1 - June 26 - 5:55 pm

  Coming from a Chrysler T&C (terrible quality!) I also looked at the similar priced models of Honda, Toyota and Kia. I picked a Nissan Quest SV because of the interior styling and best drive. The Quest drives very smoothly with a very peppy engine when you need it. Just came back from an Ohio-Florida-Ohio trip with 3 adults and 3 children on board and the van was perfect. The only "gotcha" is the cargo space. Most other vans have a system where the back seat folds into the trunk but the Quests seats all folds forward creating a somewhat flat loading floor but you lose significant space in height. The Quest has a deep compartment but not very wide so packing was a challenge.