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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  Great Car for the family - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Keith 1 - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased one of these vehicles and it is GREAT!!!!!

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  Lower cost to own and fun to drive - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By moon-buddy - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I bought an Altima 2.5 with SL package after comparing the Accord and Mazda6. Insurance rates was a factor that made the choice for me. Quotes for the Altima were way lower than the other two cars. Although there are features that the Altima lacks compared with the Mazda 6 (Traction Control, Dual exhaust ports, sport shift mode), the bigger cabin space of the Altima, outweighs this. Compared with the Accord, I find the Altima a better bang for the buck even if the Accord has a 5 speed AT. 175 HP engine speaks well of itself. The car just goes when I step on the gas pedal. Sometimes too much that I often exceed road speed limits.

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  Nice Truck at a Nice Price - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Jerry Hardison - August 12 - 5:20 am

  Excellent rebuild of an old body style. Not even the same truck compared to the old hardbody design. The 4.0 Ltr motor has some very real power as the larger and heavier truck requires. Interior design and comfort is terrific and the exterior design is hard to distinguish between the Titan at a distance (nice look). Time will tell if it will perform as well as the old style. (The bed squeeks have to get that checked out) Wheres the keyless entry or alarm?

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  Best 1/2 Ton Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By milleniamarv - August 11 - 9:13 pm

  Ten months and 10.5K miles of ownership and best truck I have ever owned. Aint perfect, brakes have problems (judder) but Nissan is stepping up to plate and covering any brake problems for a full three years and 36K miles on original brakes and replacing with newer rotors and pads to correct problem. If looking for a used one, try to find an 04 with tow pkg, since it included VDC (vehicle dynamic control) an option appreciated with a truck that has this much POWER! VDC is optioned with side air bags on the 05s. Both these options hard to come by, or not even available, on Chev, Ford, Dodge.

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  Best value crossover SUV - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By stactum - August 11 - 8:23 am

  I own SL AWD for almost 3 weeks now and was able to test it in some heavy snow conditions here in WI and what can I say - just AMAZING! I liked the previous 07 Murano in the past and was waiting for redesign for about a year and Nissan did not disappoint me. I like the handling of this car a lot. I havent driven BMW X5 which considered to be one of the best sportier handling SUVs, but Murano handles very well and secure, body lean is very little and steering and break feel is great. Interior space is just perfect for me, even it is a little smaller then 07 model. Exterior is still growing on me and I think in a year or so everybody will be talking how good looking this car is.

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  I love my car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By marm - August 10 - 11:36 pm

  It has been the first new car I have owned and I love it! I have had it about a year and a half and I still love driving it. I havent had a problem with it yet.

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  Nissan got right this time - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By AD007 - August 10 - 12:13 pm

  The power and smoothness of the CVT is superb. This car has every feature I was looking for and everything works, except the Voice recognition could use improvement. The interior is gorgeous and very functional. The keyless entry/start is so convenient, I feel Im in the dark ages with regular keys in other cars. Handling and ride is extremely confident and planted. Brakes are great, almost too powerful. The biggest plus for me was NO torque steer. This is what kept me from buying the previous generation car. Gas mileage could be better, but considering the tremendous power, Im probably accelerating and driving faster than I need to.

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  Really great car - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By rbagnate - August 10 - 12:04 pm

  Ive always liked the 5th gen Maxima. I finally had the chance to get one from California. Purchased August 2014 with 50,000 original miles from an elderly couple that took real good care of it. I live in Colorado and book the trip to Dublin CA. Drove the car back and got 32mpg, she did great! One issue the radio had to be replaced and the power coming from the engine...WOW! So far Ive added 12,000 miles driving for work out of state and Im happy I bought the car. This car was immaculate inside and out.

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  What a BLAST ! Great car for the Money - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By apes girl - August 10 - 4:26 am

  Great job Nissan ! 09 Got the Nav pkg/Sport Pkg. loaded. I have owned Porsche, Vette, Cameros, Range Rover Ect.... This is a great car for the money Truly. Handles sweet, power when you need it. I live in San Diego so I have not experienced the heat or need for oil cooler ( hope you guys get help though ) Comfort is amazing, sound system great, Nav easy to use, like the phone opt. and inside is roomy, your not on top of one another, nice. Great use of interior space thanks.

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  Fun Truck - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By WK - August 10 - 4:23 am

  Looked at the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, and Honda Ridgeline before buying my Frontier Crew Cab LE V6. Frontier is better than all; its very close to the Tacoma but the Toyotas need for premium gas turned me away. The Frontier is not perfect; the seat fabric could be better, the turning radius is poor, and the console is too low/far back. The worst negative is the bump steer when driving at highway speeds; its a little distracting until you get used to it (keep two hands on the wheel and its not so bad). However, the acceleration is awesome (I added a K&N filter and gained a couple more HP). Gas mileage is what I expected (avg 18 mpg - hey its a truck not a hybrid).