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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  sluggish xterra - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By juanvaldeziii - March 10 - 10:00 am

  Very sluggish. Very poor gas milage. Glad I sold it.

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  Bang for Buck - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By jreddington - March 10 - 10:00 am

  Hated 04 styling. Picked up used (13K) 03. All options incl. Nav. Potenzas hydroplane. Suspension and low profile tires are great for smooth roads. Potholes knock you silly. Squeaks and rattles down the road? Also disappointed with the BOSE stereo. Cranked up full volume, still not enought when windows and sunroof are open. My 92 SE had a better BOSE system. Im still debating whether the nav system is useful or a toy. It seems shoehorned in and having to do A/C controls on the screen seems an afterthought when they took the dash real estate away from the standard controls. I think the dash looks better without the nav system.

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  awesome - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By lisa711 - March 10 - 10:00 am

  This car has amazing power, especially for being a 4 cylinder. The seats are very comfortable and great on long trips. My oly complaint is that its a little hard on ga.

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  Love my crew cab - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Parrothead - March 10 - 10:00 am

  A great truck. More hauling room than SUVs and the people hauling room of a sedan. Not overly cumbersome like a full size truck or SUV. You get the same road visibility, but without the bulk and poor handling. Its got good power and great handling. Seeing as how its a Nissan it should prove to be extremely reliable. No major problems so far and things should stay that way.

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  overall good looking and great car - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By kevinThegreat - March 10 - 10:00 am

  The Nissan Murano is the best looking,fun to drive car i have ever owned. The specific way it is desighned cuaght my eye right away. The exterior is fabulous and it makes me want to get on the road. The spacious interior is great for having children in the back.ALOT of leg room. Overall i would request the Murano BUT i hope the Tires hold up!!!!!!!

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  Why do I hate this car? - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By mxh - March 10 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car because I thought (and still think) it is beautiful. There are, however, any number of problems Im having that make it very unpleasant to use. 1)its probably just me but I cant get comfortable in the drivers seat; 2) I ordered and paid for the roof rack in January and it still isnt available; 3) cup holders are very poor; 4) no rear light in the cargo area; 5)rear cup holder is on the floor, perfectly positioned to get kicked open every time someone sits there. Of all these, not being able to get comfortable in the drivers seat is by far the worst.

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  Fits my family perfect!! - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By jason - March 10 - 4:53 am

  Havent gotten better than 17 mpg, and was told by the salesmen that they easily get 20 mpg. Hopefully, it gets better.

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  Great SUV for the Price - 2007 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Sinead - March 10 - 4:20 am

  I bought this vehicle used 6 months ago. We traded in a Hemi Magnum because we have a young child and wanted something up higher (easier to get him in and out with the car seat) and wanted rear air vents. It can easily tow a trailer with 2 motorcycles. We seriously considered the Armada, but wanted better gas mileage. Gets 16-18 mpg in town, 20-23 hwy. The Pathfinder is a little bumpy of a ride, esp. compared to my old car. It is also harder to steer, so its not as easy to park, but maybe those are the trade offs of going from a sport car to an SUV. It is noisy as well. Lots more wind noise, etc. Back seats are not roomy-- ok for kids. Third row is ONLY for kids. Lots of cargo room.

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  Very nice, but... - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By joe945 - March 9 - 5:22 pm

  We have had this car only 2 months now and have already had an issue with it. The navigation/entertainment system stopped working for about 24 hours. It happened when I went to move the car off the street and into the garage. I noticed it start and then turn off when I shifted into reverse. Then it would not turn on no matter what buttons were pressed. A day later it started working again. My guess is that I shifted into reverse too quickly as the system appears to need time to boot up or maybe it was because I did not fasten my seat belt. Whatever the cause was, we havent noticed any issues with it since. I saw a couple of other posts about this before, but now they are gone? Anyone else?

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  Good car to own - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Matrix - March 9 - 4:53 pm

  It is a fun car to drive! its stylish with the spoiler, comfortable compare to honda civic, and relativly cheaper considering it comes with cd and ac for under $15000, roomy for a subcompact car, it is a nice car to own for daily commute with a great gas mileage.