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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  No Freezer On Wheels - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By JAG - January 15 - 1:06 pm

  With so mant boxy SUVs around, I think the styling is a fresh change of pace. Why is Explorer the benchmark? Murano has the same cargo and passenger space, gets way better mileage (I Ave.20.5) better performance and costs 5Gs less. Wake up all you Ford Diehards

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  06 titan le crew cab - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By kevin - January 15 - 10:06 am

  I have owned this truck for a year now and still can not find anything I do not like about the truck with the exception of the cost of filling up. I live in the Denver area and the winter of 06-07 has been one of the most snowy winters in many years. I really like backing into my driveway which has some angle to it with the titan in 4X4 I just simply have no problem getting this beast into the garage safe and sound.

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  fits me - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By amin - January 14 - 3:16 pm

  comfort is great, air and heating system is nice , easy to control, gas mileage good, i like the body style

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  2010 frontier review - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By lwl222 - January 14 - 3:15 pm

  this truck is a 4 wheel drive and I had to use it in the snow to go to work, I had no problem on the freeway and I needed to learn the 4 wheel drive system. I drove it off road to retrieve a fellows stuck car and had no problems driving in the snow. I am happy with this truck, and it was $10,000 cheaper than the Toyota of the same year model . I have had it for 5 years now and it is paid for. im very pleased with this truck.

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  not a bad car - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Josh - January 14 - 12:53 pm

  I have the special edition model. The stereo is awesome for stock. I bought the car with 75000 miles on it. It now has 105000. I havnt had any mechanical problems other than it is a 3 cranker starter, also the brakes (normal wear and tear), the fan blade burning out (easy to replace) and a pulley that is squawking (yet to replace but no real problems with it yet). Im not sure of any mechanical problems if any the car had before i bought it. I have a lead foot and drive the car hard everyday and the car takes it and then some with ease.

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  Altima SL - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By M Connolly - January 14 - 4:50 am

  I have had the car a week and I really enjoy driving it. I had a lager sedan and this is very differnt... much more fun to drive without giving up the saftey of the larger sedan.

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  Fred Flintstone had a better car - 2017 Nissan Sentra
  By Andrea - January 14 - 2:37 am

  This car is slow. Pushing it up a hill would be faster then driving it up a hill. Terrible mileage. I am at a gas station gassing it up so much, I should be charged rent. Absolutely no power, I am so disappointed. I wanted the Juke but got bullied into this piece of sh** by the Nissan dealership in Hayward, CA. I have never hated any car as much as I do this car.

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  Great car that could have been better. - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By hydrointeract - January 14 - 2:00 am

  Have about 18k miles on the car in two years. Has been in the shop twice for recalls, and has a consistent problem with starting. Dealership says it probably floods, told me to press down gas pedal when starting if this happens. Has happened about 12 times in last year. Problem still not found, though Ive towed it to the dealership twice. A shame since its less than 2 years old. Almost always takes a long time to start. It does, however, get a LOT of compliments when out driving.

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  Wonderful SUV - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By htn123 - January 14 - 2:00 am

  When it first advertised, told the mrs to trade in her old Stanza and get the Murano. She did not like the style much. Convinced her to do so. Now everytime she drove it, she came home and said everyone comments on the murano and she loved it. The car is great, powerful yet easy to handle. My two kids 9, and 8 yrs old loved the roomy back seat and the storage has plenty of room for the 2 dogs we have. Been doing some fixing on the house and the folded chair is very handy for the 10 feet lumbers and trims. This one is a keeper.

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  The Perfect Compromise - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By SHINDIG - January 14 - 2:00 am

  This car is the perfect compromise between sport and utility for a family. Great interior room and incredible looks and performance. Incredible ride. CVT is smooth and powerful - and I love the Ds gear for added power. Even during break-in, I can average 27 mpg on some highway trips. Have had none of the "infamous" rattle problems ... yet (fingers crossed). "Wind buffeting" problems have been fixed - no problems with sunroof or rear windows down at speeds over 45 mph. Got a great deal - invoice in Chicago. Contact me at shindig@lycos.com for more info. For the money and features, blows away the competition.