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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  New model Altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Debbie Jara-Lorek - May 16 - 2:00 am

  The car was brand new off the lot. During the first year the following needed replacing: clutch pedal, exterior molding, clutch boot and casing, entire exhaust system, some other oil parts that were recalled because of fire potential. Tail light and head light. Unable to get tail light out of casing to change (still out for 6 mo. now). Very disapointed!!!

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  Design Flaw Causing Significant Leaks - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By keifferz - May 16 - 2:00 am

  Our 2004 Quest is a disaster. Two days after we bought it, it rained and the van filled up with water, apparently from a misdesigned sunroof and interior panels that were not properly welded at the factory. The van has been at the dealer since -- almost a month -- and at two body shops. More troubling is the nasty Nissan attitude, the refusal to replace the vehicle and the corporate approached of doing only the absolute minimum under applicable law while ignoring the warranty. We are now suing Nissan to get our money back. Until Nissan fixes the design problems on the Quest, it should be shunned.

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  Calif Desert Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By SoCal Titen - May 16 - 2:00 am

  Own the truck for a couple of weeks. Fun truck to drive. Excellent power especially from stop lights. Interior comfort with cloth seats excellent. Sound system w/ Fosgate has me thumping down the road. Speed sensitive volume control has to get used to. Purchased Crew Cab SE 4x2 with Fosgate system. Noting but smiles and thumbs up from everybody

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  I LOVE MY CAR - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By MATTWJ420 - May 16 - 2:00 am

  THIS CAR IS AWESOME IT DRIVES GREAT AND IS TONS OF FUN. I HAVE HAD 3 BMWS, 1 MERCEDES, 2 SAABS, A MINI COOPER, 2 ACURAS, AND A PORSCHE. AND THIS TOPS THEM ALL BY FAR!!!!

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  great family sized 350z - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By lysupe - May 16 - 2:00 am

  This car performs great. We enjoy driving it and the kids love it. One caution, be watchful of the engine motor mounts. We had issues with one at 1500 miles but after keeping on the dealship, we got it repaired. It has a motorized motor mount and the entire assembly must be repaired..NOT only the mount!! BUT, otherwise...it has been a fantastic car!

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  i love this car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By jlm - May 16 - 2:00 am

  all around good car for the money

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  Nissan Altima 2.5 S is worth a look !! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By AC2273 - May 16 - 2:00 am

  I thought the car drove excellent,,,I thought i would miss the V6 option,,,But it wasnt sluggish at all,,,the 175 HP was plenty for a 4 cyl. When driving it, with windows up you could hardly hear the road noise, let alone the engine whinning up thru the gears....I was trying to buy a new car and to stay around $20,000 or so on a 4dr sedan....Im glad i chose the Altima , over the Sonata, Mazda 6, Camry or Accord,,,All these cars start over 23,000 except for the Sonata and thats standard,,,But the upgraded exterior is for the younger driver in his/her 20s n 30s...I car fit my buget and im very happy with my purchase

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  Fun little utility car with great value - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By ptmch - May 15 - 10:50 am

  Test drive one, and you will fall in love with its driving performance. With SL trim, its a great value. Regarding MPG, with one week of ownership, what I found out is the following. If the car is driven as a small turbo punchy nimble car meant to be driven, my commute (60% HWY, 40% Local) gives about 22~23 MPG. But if I drive like my mother is sitting next to me, I was able to get 33~34 MPG on the same route. Its all up to YOU the driver how you balance MPG and performance; much more so than other cars that I had driven before.

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  FanTasTic - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Natalie - May 15 - 9:36 am

  The Nissan Murano has the best fuel economy in its class. The CVT transmission ensures seamless driving and what I love the best about my Murano is the rear view camera (which is way better than a beeping noise) and that it handles like a car

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  Great Car - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By phil31 - May 15 - 1:05 am

  Very, very nice car for the money. Excellent fuel economy with the cvt avg mpg between 38-45, with 2500 miles on the odo. Nice body stype, much bigger then the 2011 model, very large truck and back seat paid $15.3 delevered for my SV model