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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  Disappointing reliability and response - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Disappointed - January 10 - 11:53 pm

  After driving the car for only 30 miles, it died on me, it would not start at all. Had it towed to nearest dealer. It took them 3 days to find out that the only thing wrong with it is its regular 12V battery that would not hold the charge. It took many calls to Nissan and the dealership and 3 weeks to get the car back. Apparently there is a national back-order on this item and finally they took the battery from another car to replace mine while they are waiting for the factory battery. But I am very apprehensive that I am going to get stuck somewhere. I should have gone with a more reputable manufacturer.

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  Will definitely buy another - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Jeff - January 9 - 1:43 pm

  This is the second Nissan Ive owned. I bought it with 16k miles about four years ago, and it just turned over 92k. I drove it back and forth from NY to VA several times, and it was very comfortable and got decent mileage. No major problems whatsoever. I step on the gas and response is immediate. Great speed-to-speed acceleration, too. The interior could be better, but Im 63" and feel very comfortable inside. I wish it had an auxiliary hookup for audio devices, and the CVT has kind of a dynaflow effect every now and then; a 5-speed automatic or 4-speed with O/D would be better suited for the car. Once I refinance the mortgage, Im getting a fully loaded 09 Murano LE AWD.

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  Good Choice - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Brad - January 9 - 3:10 am

  Very comfortable to drive. Quiet, with no engine noise. Sound system excellent. All the bells and whistles worth the cost. Great visibility on the navigation screen. Lots of room for front and back seat passengers as well as cargo. Cant say enough.

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  Great car, Worst Dealer - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By naidu - January 8 - 2:26 pm

  This is a wonderful car. I used it heavily(from Toronto to DC, NH to Detroit). No problems except brake maintainance. Dealership however SUCKS BIG TIME. Their service departments only goal is to mint money. They suggested all unnecessary maintenance and make you pay. For a beutifully working car, they proposed $1000 worth maintenance 2 years ago. I didnt do any of them and the car is still great! Now I use STS.

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  Nissan Delivers! - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By JenniferR805 - January 8 - 11:46 am

  The sentra is like a MINI ALTIMA.. I just wish they had one with the intelli-key..I bought mine when they first hit the dealers...They only had one automatic to chose from...the rest were manual. So far...im impressed. the backseat is a bit smaller than my civic..my carseats are a bit more cramped. I love the Ipod integration. I added HID headlights and window tint

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  Average van - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Frosty1 - January 7 - 8:43 pm

  Bought used in 06 with 18,000 miles. Liked looks compared to others in class. Problems have included broken rear wiper, door gaskets falling off, replaced rear lift gate motor. Tires were shot by 30,000. Replaced all 4 rotors, pads, and rear calipers. Extended warranty covered defective calipers, but brake job still cost $600. Have gone on a few road trips of more than 1000 miles and performance was O.K. Gas mileage on the highway is around 25 mpg with city near 20 mpg. Ride is a bit noisy at highway speed compared to an Odyssey or Sienna. I most likely would not buy another Quest. Honda or Toyota would be my first two choices.

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  Great 4wd Beach Vehicle - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Tony - January 7 - 4:06 pm

  Just an fyi for any interested. I have been driving on the Outer Banks Beaches for almost 20 years. My Xterra is as good a beach vehicle as you can ask for. Avon, Buxton, Oregon Inlet, it will go... NO PROBLEM. 20 lbs of air in those 265/60/16s and this vehicle is great on the beach.

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  A true drivers sports car - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By Juancito Gario - January 7 - 11:16 am

  This vehicle is the best bang for the buck when it comes to style and performance. I always get thumbs up when I drive through towns or cities. The body style just exhumes class and sportiness and the performance and the car is on par or surpasses vehicles in its price range.

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  Xterra Rocks - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Signs - January 7 - 9:40 am

  I wanted tough style (didnt want people to confuse it with a family car), storage space (for weekend get- aways), dependability, and the feel of fun when driving anywhere. I got all four. My SE trim Super Black Xterra is still to me the best looking SUV around, with its brash and bold look and its shine when the Super black color is waxed, along with the tall charcoal wheels and rugged tires with the raised white letters. It drives like a Truck, which suits this TEXAN just fine.

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  2001 Altima SE with all the wistles - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By zheka78 - January 6 - 2:43 am

  I have 32000 miles on the car. Engine is powerfull. I usually cruise on highways at 80-85 miles an hour, and there is never a problem to accelerate higher. Suspension is stiff and well balanced. Joy to drive on the twisty roads. Sound system is great, 6 disks in dash is a pure pleasure. Seats (I have leather) are very comfortable. Lumbar support is useless - it is located too low and rubs agains your butt. I love the car and hope to keep it for a long while.