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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  Overjoyed - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By smpa - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Weve had our 04 Maxima for five months and every morning it is such a pleasure to drive to work. The Bose sound system is wonderful. The size and comfortably of the interior is also a real pleasure when transporting others. The car handles very well in any kind for weather.

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  Titan Rule - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Titan Rules! - September 26 - 8:23 pm

  Owned my 2006 Titan Crew cab LE 4x4 FFV since April 07 and am very satisfied. Love the smooth ride and power. Sometimes forget Im in a full size truck. Only had a problem with the radio going out out on me but the dealer replaced it. Looked at the F150 but found the rear seating more comfortable in the Titan (Important on long trips). Looked at the Tundra but to have it equipped like the Titan would have run up in the 45k area.

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  Smart buy - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By judith gilman - September 26 - 1:10 pm

  Recently drove to florida with 2 adults and 3 dogs (2 small and 1 large) and was still able to save on hotel cost by sleeping in this roomy car. It was fun to drive, got great gas mileage 29-33 mpg. Nice looking and very sound. Live in indiana and handles very well in the snow.

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  BEST SEDAN ON THE MARKET - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By MICHELE STEPHENSON - September 26 - 9:30 am

  This is the ultimate car, its the leader of the pack. The space in the back is very spacious. The 18 inch wheels makes the handling of the curves a breeze. The dual climate control actually works out great because my husband & I both enjoy different temperatures. The space in the trunk is unbelievable. Over-all this is a great car to own.

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  Unexpected Pleasure - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Lexicon 12 - September 26 - 1:56 am

  Recently stepped away from my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder with great fear. My lease was up and needed to step into an SUV with good style and better gas mileage. My only logical choice was the Nissan Murano. My problem was that it is much smaller compared to the Pathfinder but boy was I surprised. I love this SUV. Great handling, impressive power, and head turning good looks. I chose the Black on Black colors by the way. My only wish is that the Murano was the size of an Acura MDX. Otherwise it is an excellent vehicle. Oh... bumping up the horsepower to match an Infiniti FX35 would not hurt either. Im sure car lovers would appreciate the extra power. I know I would.

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  Dont purchase - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Chris D - September 26 - 1:03 am

  I bought my Armada 12/18/06 with only 13,000 miles and what a mistake.The DVD vibrates terribly (Nissan Said nothing wrong). The truck has more rattles than I can narrow down. I brought it back to Nissan they fixed some of them but its still rattling. This morning I was unable to close my drivers side door and had to drive it to the dealer holding the inside handle. I will be trading it in or selling it shortly though I love the room and the horse power but Nissan does not build a quality product. This might be because its the first year but I traded my 03 Acura MDX for the Armada with 50,000 miles and it never let me down. At this point I will never buy a Nissan Product again. Sorry.

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  Nissan Rocks - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By smooches1 - September 25 - 8:29 pm

  I just want to say I LOVE NISSAN!! I have owned a used 1997 Nissan Pathfinder SE, a new 2001 Nissan Pathfinder LE, a new 2004 Pathfinder SE and a new 2007 Nissan Xterra. Once I started with Nissan I have never left. In 2010, I was ready for another trade in and needed a vehicle with good gas mileage and not to low to the ground ( I am a six foot female). I researched the Rogue and then test drove it and I was in love. I have owned my 2011 for 5 months now and I love her. I fill up the tank twice a month compared to every 4-5 days with my xterra. She grips the road and highways like a dream. 4-cylinder CVT transmission took a little getting use to as I have been driving V6 for over 10 yrs.

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  my #1 nissan & not my last 1 - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By robertchance - September 25 - 3:20 pm

  I Drive at least 100 miles a day to and from work in city & highway travel I average 35 MPG never did ever get that mileage from my Pontiac grand-am .The Nissan sentra special edition has more standard features than the grand-am se has and a lower price also.There is no wind noise &very little road noise un like the Grand-am had .I rate this car very highly and can understand why you dont see many on the used car lots

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  The best car Ive owned so far - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Braintek - September 25 - 10:00 am

  Got the car yesterday and let me tell you that everything is perfect so far. The interior really spacious the front seats are comfty, the 17" tires takes rough curve at 120 KM/H. I drove on the highway at 140 KN/H then Ive shifted in 3rd and got an incredible boost up to 190 KM/H and it was still asking for more but I finally reduced speed. The sound system is incredible with the sub- woofer giving heart beats right through your body. The only thing that Im missing is a GPS system that I will get later this month. Im telling you go to the dealer and try a new Maxima 2003 it is contagious. Thanks

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  Great SUV - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JAraujo - September 25 - 10:00 am

  This is a great SUV not to big and not to small and it has the power you need, I bought my Pathfinder in june 2001 so far no problem, well just a small noise that it comes from the back of the wheels went I push the break, but I love my Pathfinder is great.