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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  Murano = More for your Money - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Johnny V. - June 15 - 7:06 am

  Id highly recommend a Murano to anyone looking for a mid-size SUV. It drives like a car (shares its platform with the Maxima and Altima) and gets good gas mileage considering the performance it provides. The CVT makes for an incredibly smooth ride and still allows you to turn low RPMs cruising at 85+ MPH on the highway.

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  Love it! Looking for another one! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Stephiehawk - June 15 - 6:10 am

  I never thought we would own anything that looks like this, but wow! We are now looking for the color I want so I can have one too! We bought the Krom in steel grey. Its gorgeous! It turns on a dime and you dont feel like youre in a box. You really cannot fully appreciate it until you sit in it. Its relaxing and smooth riding to me. I havent noticed any excessive outside wind noise yet. Gets a lot of attention thats for sure. I also feel you get a lot for the price.

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  Awesome ! - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By chocsforu - June 15 - 4:20 am

  SL, FWD with Touring package. Nothing could go wrong with this decision. After lots of deliberation I got the Murano and I am extremely glad to have made that decision. Drives like a charm... like a big car (not like a heavy truck) which makes it flexible to turn around and drive smoothly. Wonderful sound system - BOSE. Backing camera is an excellent feature that I am still getting used to.

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  Much Better than I thought it would be - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Mudd - June 14 - 9:30 pm

  As an elderly peson I needed something to get around in and travel once in a while. I live a rural area and go into the city once or twice a day, traveling about 25 to 30 miles each day. I am totally surprised at this car, small but roomy inside, quiet inside, easy to handle. I drove it from the larger city to my home which was 57miles and it was difficult to keep it under 80 miles per hour it was so easy running. It has the CVT tranny and I really like that. Although it has been driven only about 100 miles, the fuel gauge remains more than 3/4 so it appears economy is going to be good. At this point would sell it back for my money plus profit. If it holds up mechanically, will be OK.

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  Luxury SUV at non-luxury price - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Nikki - June 14 - 10:36 am

  I made a great choice by purchasing this car at a great price. Handling is so smooth. The seats are absolutely comfortable. Beautiful interior! I chose this car over the Acura RDX and Lexus RX300.

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  Fun Truck - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Taya - June 13 - 8:16 pm

  I love my Xterra but it is a truck as far as Im concerned. Slips on ice and snow but I think that would be better with more weight in the back as you would do with a pick-up truck. The 4WD gets me through anything the South Dakota weather can throw my way. Not really a good family vehicle because its too tall for small kids to get in and out of and I find myself missing a 3rd row of seats in order to carry their freinds around in.

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  Head-on collision @ 65mph - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By B Hummer - June 13 - 4:30 pm

  Im looking for my second Titan. The first was totalled last week when a Jeep Liberty crossed a median and hit us head-on. The structural integrity of the Titan cab exceeded my expectations. In every area this Titan kicks the competitions butts!

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  Love my Pathfinder - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Arons Mommy - June 13 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new and have never had any problems with it. I did put bigger tires on it and it really helped make the ride better (it wobbled a little with the factory tires). It has never been in the shop and all I have done is change the oil in it. It still has the original brakes, although they are about to be changed, and I just had to replace the stereo system because the CD player finally gave up and I blew the speakers !!

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  Too soon, but I have a good feeling - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Super.Dave - June 13 - 10:00 am

  I just bought the Maxima. I had been looking for a low milage 99 or 00 and found this 99 three weeks ago with 36,000 mi. One test drive and I bought the car 10 min. later. How could someone give up this beautiful little car it is in perfect shape?

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  Newbie - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By reighne - June 13 - 10:00 am

  I really love my Nissan; its not hard to handle and comfortable. The air conditioner seems to only have a few settings though: Too Cold or VERY Cold. I constantly seem to be trying to adjust the temperature so that its comfortable. Great stereo system though. Fun to drive, AND THANK GOODNESS for AMAZING GAS MILEAGE. I pay typically about $10-15 of gas every week or so and so its not bad whatsoever. Its a very steady car, reliable, and compact enough that itll fit practically anywhere. The doors are a little small for moving things, but you can pack a lot of stuff into the car once you get past the door.