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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  This is the best - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Klinger - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Fantastic automobile. I have always wanted a sports car and I am glad I waited to get this one. Auto trans is great. Bose stereo sounds fantastic. I love the digital speedometer with the analog. The vehicle handles exceptionally well around tight curves at high speeds and it doesnt take much to get the car going. I also testdrove a Mazda Miata, and Toyota MR-2 and I found the Z to have much better acceleration and much more interior room, which at first glance looks deceiving but is actually capable of handling 10 full grocery bags in the trunk. Way to go Nissan.

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  What a great car inside/out - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By seau - August 28 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car to drive that has a lot of pep for a 4 cylinder car. Its exterior design is very stylish and the interior dash is cuting edge. The S model comes nicely equipped for the price and the Nissan name helps sell its reliability.

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  awesome - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Pete - August 27 - 11:20 pm

  Simply love it, my wife likes it even more due to the kids. Yes were happy

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  So far - a happy buyer - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By Billiebad - August 27 - 5:43 pm

  1700 miles in and 5 weeks of ownership. First the bad: Terrible burning/hot smell for first thousand miles - now gone. Throttle hesitation on low level initial acceleration. (Supposedly by design)Tough to see the corners of the vehicle - getting used to this - and the back up camera is a useful feature. The good - stylish, comfortable, 23mpg, more useful storage than my former RX330. Love the sunroof, the leather.

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  Rental Car rides again - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Joshua - August 27 - 5:30 pm

  Update: the mpg has remained constant, the seats show the slightest signs of wear, the transmission needed to be replaced at 71k (thank God for the extended warranty I purchased), still believe I got a great value. I purchased this car with the intention of using it to drive for uber/lyft. I bought it from hertz car sales since their deals are about $5-$6k less than similar models I found nearby (and I searched for weeks). I figured that since I was going to put a million miles on it, having relatively high miles (50k) wasnt really an issue. The cvt transmission does take some getting used to, but since it is a main factor in my incredible gas mileage, its still worth it. The Bluetooth works great, even skipping songs in Pandora. Phone connectivity works like a charm. The most comfortable front seats Ive ever sat in and Ive had numerous large luxury sedans (bmw 7s, lexus LSS, ETC). My two complaints are the quality of paint (super thin) and the interior, while being nicely designed, is ultra low quality materials (styrofoam rear deck, really?) and the armrest feels like its going to break off any day now. I havent had any issues at all, at 6000 miles into ownership and 56k on the car.

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  Quality Maxima! - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By duke - August 27 - 12:23 pm

  Ive had this 2000 model for almost 3 years now and except for an O2 sensor and ignition coils that needed to be replaced, this car has been trouble free and is obviously very well made. Quality and comfort throughout and absolutely tremendous driving long distances on the highway. Gas mileage goes up to about 27 mpg on the highway.

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  Beware of heater - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By BEWARE OF HEATER - August 27 - 3:23 am

  When you put the heater on the foot only position the heat comes out mainly from the windshield defrost and not the feet. If you put the heat on the foot/defrost position it performs the exact same function. My problem is Im 4"10 and the defrost blows right in my face which is gagging me. My husband is 6" 1 and it dries out his contacts. I have contacted 3 dealers and the manufacturer who say that is the way the car is made. My point is why have two buttons if they both perform the exact same function. No one can give me an answer to that so Im stuck with this horrible heater blowing in my face. Also the face vents tilt but do not close so you have air hitting you from there too!!

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  Nice small Car...BUT.... - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Viktorio - August 27 - 1:50 am

  I bought a new car and after 18 month a start hearing noisy inside of my car, transmission goes very noisy until RPMs goes down, service check engine light comes on very offter, sendos replaced, tire blow up, transmission goes 20m/p then went up without pressing excelator almost, horn went down after 2 years. I had issue with transmission but technician was not be able to find the issue plus charge me $95 for diagnostic and next month the transmission is went down.

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  WHAT! - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By fuselim - August 27 - 1:40 am

  Plain and simple, treat yourself to a test drive. Ive owned this truck for a year and could not be more pleased. Dont listen to the reviews, I think the Big 3s are paying big money to the writers. I hunt, fish and enjoy traveling, this truck is fully capable. I drove a Ford for 17 Years, a Chevy for 10 and these where good trucks but Im now in the best truck Ive ever owned. Me and the wife are going to canada from texas, caint wait to cross the rockies in this truck.

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  Cube Krom Excellence - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By The First - August 26 - 11:36 pm

  Handles bumps in the road with ease. plenty of power for merging on highway.Tight turn radius easy to park.Large mirrors and no right side blind spot. To new for accurate mpg rating