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:

• 

  Get one! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Jimmy Buffett - August 14 - 10:00 am

  Very nice car for the money. I looked at the Saab 9-5, and the Toyota Solara and this is a better car for less money.The car looks great and is solid. You will get looks in this ride. The optional side sills are a nice touch.

• 

  Maxima doesnt disappoint - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By chrisgreat535 - August 14 - 10:00 am

  I love driving the new Maxima and Ive only had it since October 2, 2003. Its a great deal of fun to drive, and gets "oohs" and "aahs" a lot. It provides a smooth ride, powerful engine, and is very comfortable.

• 

  Love it! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Anna - August 14 - 5:30 am

  Ive always driven Nissans. My last car was a Maxima, but I fell in love with the look of this Altima. The keyless entry is awesome especially when dealing with small children so you can have an extra hand rather than fumbling around looking for a key. I never thought Id go from a V6 to a 4 cyl but the ride is real smooth and it still gets pretty good pick up. Havent had any problems and never did with any Nissan I had. I put some chrome rims and grills on it and get compliments all the time on it. Im definitely happy inside and out!!

• 

  Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Dave - August 14 - 5:23 am

  Great technical handling ability and comfortable ride. Gas mileage average. Meets or exceeds expectations

• 

  Almost there - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By P-R.B. - August 12 - 10:00 am

  When I set out to buy my first news vehicle I knew one thing. I was getting a truck. I researched everything I could about recently produced 4x4 mid-size trucks, and was hoping to find and American made that fit my criteria. After all was said and done I bought my 07 frontier brand- new with 205 miles on it. I was spoiled for a few years owning a 78 international scout ii. I have put this Nissan through the same paces that I was able to put old Betsy through, however. At 37,000 mi. I needed to replace the clutch, and now at 78,000 I am needing to open the transfer case because the 4x4 wont disengage all of the way. So I ask, "what the hell?" why are these things breaking?

• 

  New to Nissan - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Carla - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my new car a week now and so far I love it. I put a lot of miles in every week and find this car very comfortable and am getting the 34 mpg hwy. Woo Hoo! Lots of interior room - I didnt have a lot of money to spend so got the basics - wish I would have got power locks - there is no key for passenger side so lots of reaching across to lock and unlock doors. Otherwise its a 10!

• 

  Perfect Mate :) - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By cars_geek - August 12 - 9:31 am

  I had this car for more than a month, and I did cruise till now about 2500KM, compared to its main competitors (Camry, Mazda6, Accord), it is overall having the magical formula that those 3 competitors couldnt mix perfectly. It is Stylish, high performance, comfortable, excellent cargo space, fantastic 9-speakers Bose sound, and great fuel economy. And add to all that, it has a very very good dealer here in UAE. If you are looking for a family sedan, or a stylish young car, Nissan Altima has the perfect blend.

• 

  Great handling much improvements, but... - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By 09Zed - August 12 - 2:20 am

  The 370z is a great handling bang for the buck sports car. The interior is really comfortable and has fantastic styling inside and out. No other sports coupe comes close in this price range. Synchro rev matching is fun but does get old after a while.

• 

  Maxima Fun - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Peggy - August 11 - 8:53 pm

  Folks, this by far is one of the best cars I have had the pleasure to own. What a dream in performance and the power under the hood makes it a fun car to drive. I love the interior space, I am 6" tall and can move the seat all the way back and another 6" person can be directly behind me with plenty of room; You do not give up trunk space for this either.

• 

  2011 Nissan 3.5SR coupe - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By rng4 - August 11 - 4:57 pm

  We traded-in a 2008 Coupe 2.5S for this 3.5SR. Coupe. The 2008 was a great car , with great mileage, reasonable acceleration for a 4 cyl and very comfortable on trips for 2 people. The 2011 appears to share the same characteristics as the 2008, however appears to have a glossier paint job than the 2008, backup camera is standard and quality is just as good or better. 3.5 liter is quiet, smoother and quicker than the 2.5 liter. This probably as close to the infinity (M37) that I can afford.