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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  Luv My Quest!!! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By browniee - August 2 - 2:00 am

  We had looked at purchasing a new minivan for about 6 months and were not too thrilled with the cookie cutter appearance of them. We were going to replace our old Caravan with either a Honda Odyssey or another Caravan but truth be told neither one was too exciting. We saw a Quest add on TV, went to the Nissan web site, and then the dealer.WOW! So different from everything else out there and a pleasure to drive.

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  Just got it,Â… love it! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Amad - August 2 - 2:00 am

  I got the S 3.5 V6 and its the best!

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  Rolling Egg - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By 1979280ZX - August 2 - 2:00 am

  I drive hilly two-lane state highways, country roads, small towns, and some interstate. I attained 20.1 mpg on regular gas by managing the RPMs while driving. The handing is excellent. It is hard to believe it is a 2-ton truck. However, this suspension does bring a price on country roads. My truck picked up a rattle on the passenger side after 100 miles. However, on relatively smooth roads, you dont hear any rattle.

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  Nice - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Joe Dersch - August 2 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed my truck from day one and dont see any change.

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  NISSAN 05 - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By red dragon 07 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  THE NISSAN IS ONE OF THE BEST CARS I HAE DROVE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONHTS

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  Japans Finest - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Nissan Fan - August 1 - 10:53 pm

  225k miles and still strong. Idles and runs just as smooth as my 03 I35. I drive from Southern VA to Northern VA daily. Everything works well. Bose sounds great. Seats are still comfortable although worn real bad. It needed a little work when I purchased it (struts, cv boots, clutch, tune up) but it was expected with 200k+ miles. All buttons still intact, nothing is cracked or broken. Nissans are amazing vehicles. I would recommend Nissan products to anyone. Love the car. I am a Nissan fan forever. This makes our 4th Nissan we own right now.

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  so far so good - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By mr bullit - August 1 - 6:56 am

  WOOT...does 265 Hp ever rip... best handling truck i have EVER driven. Very comfy seats,stereo leaves ALOT to be desired. this is my 4th frontier from this same dealership.

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  Great Car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Justin - July 31 - 10:50 pm

  I had my 2007 Altima for 2 weeks now. I love the car a lot. For a 4 cylinder, it has a lot of muscle in it. I like that I can play my iPod in it, with the AUX feature in it. The seats are a little uncomfortable, but I got used to it after a while. I have the leather seats in my car, and I did not have that on my previous car. Overall, its fun to drive, and I get a lot of compliments from strangers about the car.

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  A great little car. - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By claire - July 31 - 10:00 am

  This 96 Sentra was my first new car. Great for city & highway driving! Live in DC & have to park on the street, so the size is perfect, but can still fit 3 of my friends in comfortably. Has 130K miles & still going! Had very few problems with this car with the exception of the automatic windows. Still driving on the original battery, rear brakes & rear struts. Stereo tape deck (standard Nissan) plays all the time & still plays like brand new & amazingly the speakers are still great too. Would recommend this car to anyone as a great used car!

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  Great Truck - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Long Distance Driver - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I drive 200 Miles to work on Sunday Night and then the same on Friday. About 20 miles aday at work. Solid, fun to drive, great fuel ecomomy for a small truck (28 mpg at 75 mph). Only complaint was dealer who repeatedly lied during sale (surprise!!)