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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  Great car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By iog - August 3 - 1:36 am

  Love my Nissy. I did not have with it any troubles at all.

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  2006 Nissan Altima 2.5S - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Joe - August 3 - 1:03 am

  The car has been very good so far. We purchased the Special Edition which has power drivers seat and steering wheel controlls. The ride is almost sporty with a firm suspension that will jostle you on bumpy roads. We traded in an Avalanche to get a car with good gas mileage, no complaints this far. No mileage data yet, as engine is barely broken in. Should be updating this posting in a few months to include actual mileage. The back seat is very large for such a small car. The black dashboard really cuts down on glare from the sun. Interior storage compartments are cavernous. Overall fit and finish is excellent. Great car that is fun to drive. Hope to keep it a long time.

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  Pathfinder 2000 SE 4X4 - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Sonani Onassis - August 1 - 2:00 am

  I have loved my Pathfiner ever since I bought it. If you dont like powerful, fast engines, pathfinders (2000 model and below) are excellent SUVs, very reliable. I feel safe and secure in them no matter what the weather conditions, though in slippery snowy and icy conditions, pathfinders have a lot of limitations when engaging 4X4, especially in turns and uphill.

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  2003 Maxima - THE GREATEST EVER !!! - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By sillysal - August 1 - 2:00 am

  Have owned 4 previous Nissan/Datsun products. This is the Best Ever!!! Fun, comfortable, spacious, and lots of power. Carried three grand children (one in a car seat) in the back with no problem. Good trunk size. Fair highway miles of about 25.5 on a 600 mile trip. Conveneint controls while driving. Have had great luck with previous products, Datsun 210 (15yrs 235,000mi), a 300ZX (Used-drove 5 yrs 160,000mi), King Cab Long Bed Pickup (18yrs 175,000mi), and currently own a Pathfinder (3yrs 70,000mi). All great. Expect great future performance with my new Maxima too.

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  03 Altima --stick - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By RICH63 - August 1 - 2:00 am

  Great car. A lot of value. I have one loaded with everything for 25k+. Can not beat content, style, performance and quality for price. next competitor with manual transmission is BMW. Not worth the extra $. I dropped a K&N filter for extra punch.

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  First car - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By funguy26 - July 31 - 8:12 pm

  My father got me this car for my high school gradation. It looks like King Kong drop a load on it When i got it. it had all the recalls done to it. It has now 264,xxx miles on the frame, the engine haves around about 150,xxx miles. the last engine die because last owner did not care for it. Now it taking me though college. After im out of college I do a complete rebuilt of the car.

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  Traded in an 07 Tundra for the Armada - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By Armada08 - July 31 - 1:56 pm

  We needed something to tow our boat and 6 months ago we picked up an 07 5.7l Tundra CM. Overall the Tundra was a good truck, but i was disapointed with it and just didnt like driving it. We looked at the new Sequoia but I was again disapointed with the bland styling and plastic Tundra interior :(. We happened to stumble into the Nissan dealer and i was very surprised with the Infiniti-like interior in the 08 Armada. We LOVE our new Armada... rides great, tons of towing power, comfy, and lots of great technology.

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  Good SUV to have..only if..... - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Gumran - July 31 - 1:10 pm

  I just bought the off lease vehicle and got at the decent price. Its SL AWD with touring edition. I have done lot of research and test drove few SUVs too and among all of them I liked Murano. Its fun to drive, great looking vehicle. I suggest anyone who is interested buying Murano, itll be a good deal if you buy used (like off lease etc.) because to be honest with all the options on new Murano the MSRP will be $40K and its not worth buying any Nissan at that price. So my advice is buy a decent milage car for half the price. Because, in the end you will hear few rattles and wind noise and stuff. But the bargain you get is worth the price. CVT is great, very smooth.

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  Worth every penny - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Bona Gonsalves - July 31 - 12:34 am

  The only draw back is Window controls, Fuel Tank lead and other controls should have been self illuminated.

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  Quest Is A Sleeper - Be Sure To Take A Look At It - 2014 Nissan Quest
  By r_inboston - July 30 - 3:01 pm

  Have 3 growing teenagers and need 3 rows to keep the peace. Had settled on the Pathfinder until we read how poor the build quality is. Decided to (reluctantly) look at minivans. Looked at the Quest last out of frustration with the Odyssey and Sienna - both nice but the interiors have too much hard plastic. The Quest has a beautiful interior and is a near-luxury vehicle in SL or LE trims. Yes, seats only 7 but the ride is superb and the view out is like an SUV with loads of glass. We bought the SL and too new to evaluate overall reliability yet, but will return after 3000 miles to update. Nissan doesnt sell many so dealer may have to locate. You can drive a hard bargain for one too.