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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  no brainer - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By L.A. - August 25 - 2:53 am

  This is my second xterra, my first was a 2000 SE purchased in 99. There is no other suv out at the moment that I would rather have (excluding the larger BMW Xs and infinity QX56). My 2000 only gave me a fuel pump problem (replaced by dealer on a recall) in 100,000 of driving, with very bad maintenance record after the 2nd year, changed oil every other year. So I figured I pushed it to the max (last day came back from the jersey shore at avg.80MPH and it was time to get a new one. I love my 2009 off road - the sound system is awsome. The truck, well Ill just let it speak for itself. now if I can just pay this sucker off I would be the happiest man on the planet.

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  The Little Car... - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Estela - August 24 - 12:50 pm

  Good car, almost 75000 miles and still running as new. Reaches great speeds in short time, very strong. The engine had a recall but Nissan took care of it. Unlike other reviews where said that Nissan did not notify their customers. Sorry, they sure did, several notes were sent in the mail. Other than this, the car has been great, I do take care of it. Service it on a timely manner (well... I stretch a bit). The little car is still in great condition after almost 5 years and I intend to keep until it dies on me. Thanks Nissan!

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  Sporty SUV - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Patvee - August 22 - 5:43 pm

  This is an above average SUV. Loaded with options and it handles great. Ride is overall good and I am getting 18 MPG combined. The styling makes this auto look like no other. The Murano has been back to the dealer for 2 defects but the dealer fixed both. I would buy it again.

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  Almost perfect - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Bobby - August 22 - 11:53 am

  Been in a silver 6-speed maxima for almost 2 years. Talk about torque, great pull from low rpm-can start from 3rd gear. love the 6th gear-barely breathing on the highway. the car is really fast, sneaky fast. rides great, good performance/comfort ratio for a sedan with 255 hp. torque steer and understeer obvious problems with the front wheel drive setup. a little nose heavy going into corners. also the performance tires and abundant torque make the car tricky to drive in snow. opt for some snow tires if you live in a place where it snows. got a great deal and they added black leather (in place of the original frost cloth for free) which looks cool against the grey carpet and seatbelt.

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  Some good some bad - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Steves2k1 - August 22 - 6:03 am

  Purchased the car with 62k miles still have it at 118k today. Overall solid car, minus the constant idle problem which no one can find a solution for, coils, and squeaky front end. OH yeah and rear wind noise is wayyy too loud!..other than that fast fun car to drive. Must use premium for maximum performance. And never take the car to the dealership once you are out of warranty.

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  Poor man sport sedan - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By GimmeTorq - August 19 - 4:50 pm

  The Nissan Maxima is a well built and solid family sedan. The "VQ" family of engines is considered one of the best V6 engines in the world.

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  Head Restraints are too far forward - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By John - August 19 - 12:00 pm

  I love the car. but, I find that the head restraints are too far forward. You cannot sit straight without the head restraints pushing your head forward. It is a completely uncomfortable position to drive in. This position seems to be unique to Nissan. But, I could be wrong.

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  Sportscar with truck bed - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By JimInFLA - August 19 - 11:56 am

  I purchased my 05 Frontier 2wd used w/ about 10k miles. Traded in an 02 Chevy Avalanche. It was great but the gas was killin me and we dont need the 4wd in FL. My Fronty has plenty o power... its like a sportscar w/a truck bed, I swear! I love the beds adjustable tiedown system. Not crazy about the roofrack but it does have a sunroof that is nice, although I mostly run the A/C. Im a lead foot and I can get about 17-19 mpg doing about 75-85 mph on the highway. Its squirrely in the rain b/c its sort of light in the backend like my old 98 2dr Tahoe. The front seats are uncomfortable on long road trips. They also need to redo the center console so you have an elbow rest.

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  My views on mini vans have changed - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By moms taxi - August 18 - 11:26 pm

  My husband and I decided on the Quest after finding our 3rd son was on the way. We purchased it when I was around 5-6 mnths and had ample room for the 2 boys who were 4 and 7 at the time . The car seat went in one month before I was due AND still the 2 boys had AMPLE room to roam from sit to seat. Had some recalls on them but most of them were minor things that took no more then a day to fix and wasnt a real inconvience for m me. The Quest is great for growing families my 3 boys have enough room to stretch and have their "space" from each other .

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  I must be alone - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Plutosmom - August 18 - 12:16 pm

  When I purchased this car, I loved the features. Now, almost two years later, I regret buying it. While still very pretty, for a mini van, every thing is breaking. The rear cup holders, the rear sonar, the rear cover. Every little piece of plastic that can break is breaking. I could understand if I was hard on the vehicle. But it is mostly city driving, which the mileage is horrible, 11-13 miles per gallon.