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 AWD- a great cross-over SUV - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By KansasBruce - January 14 - 2:00 am

  After looking at all the crossover vehicles (Pilot, Highlander, Murano and Toureg), we selected the Murano. All the vehicles offered great rides and performance, but we didn’t like the looks of the Honda. It looked very generic SUV. After owning the Murano for five months, we are very pleased. We have had no problems and we just love this vehicle.

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  Frontier Rocks - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By jakefrontier - January 14 - 2:00 am

  The Frontier really could be used on the open Frontier.

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  A beautiful ride - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By fastgrl - January 14 - 2:00 am

  A great bargain coupled with great looks and excellent performance. This is a great car if you want performance, but dont want to sacrifice a touring feel. Low end torque gives the car a punch as soon as you hit the gas. Plus, the resonant sound of the Z is beautiful! Definitely a head turner - be forwarned...if youve got good looks, the car only draws that much more attention. Dont be surprised if you gather a following! :)

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  2003 Altima 2.5SL - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By jrgibjr - January 14 - 2:00 am

  I have been very happy with this vehicle. Great performance from a 4 cyl engine, great styling, handles nicely and has a smooth ride.

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  DONT BUY NISSAN!!!! - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By kslice39 - January 13 - 7:27 pm

  ive had nothing but problems with this car. The bumper randomly fell off, the cd player wont eject or take a cd, the visors wont stay up, battery went out after 6 months, blown head gasket, the passenger side windows wont roll down or if you get them down wont go back up, break light switch went out, check engine light wont go off...keeps saying cylinder 3 is misfiring and all the coils, plugs, injectors have all been replaced and STILL cant figure the problem out. This has all happened within the last year. And nissan has nothing to say about any of this. WORST CAR EVER!! i will never again buy nissan or recommend it to anyone. Not even your worse enemy deserves this pain in the ass.

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  Not Happy Not Driving - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By Dave Caylor - January 13 - 4:06 pm

  Its a good car but, customer service is terrible. Getting replacement parts following an accident has been a nightmare. Its going on FOUR MONTHS and we are still waiting without even definite delivery date for a simple wiring harness. Of course even though the car is not in our possession but in a repair shop, payments are still due to Nissan Acceptance Corporation on time. It really is infuriating to make payments on this car and bum a ride to work to pay for it. Would you like to have this experience? I have never before written a letter of complaint to anyone, but this experience takes the cake.

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  nice truck! - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By crew10 - January 12 - 10:56 pm

  Wow, I cant believe all the silly things people were complaining about on the 09 models. Its not a 45000 dollar truck! I have the 2010 crew cab(same as 09) se 4+4 with the 4.0 v6. You get alot of truck for under $30,000. just go buy it!

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  Lean Mean Driving Machine (3.5SE) - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By JimmyJam - January 12 - 5:43 pm

  What a great vehicle to drive! I have driven just about every sedan in its class and this car drives and handles the best. Highway mileage for this beefy V6 is unheard of! Magnussen Auburn Nissan willing to deal when other dealer wont sell below MSRP.

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  Happy we got it! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By alb&rav - January 12 - 2:06 pm

  Our 5dr SL is a very comfortable car. The rear seat legroom is excellent! I really enjoy the smoothness of the CVT. The handling is surprising also. Im used to driving high performance sports cars, and this vehicle makes me feel at home behind the wheel. BRAVO Nissan!

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  Path a perfect pick! - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Dame - January 12 - 1:30 pm

  Last year, my wife and I traded our sorry Ford Focus for a 2002 Pathfinder, and I must say, they step up has been huge! Ive always wanted a truck, but needed one now because of the birth of our second child. The truck has proved to be extremely reliable, handling last winters snow storm with no drama. Its also decent on the open road. We go back and forth between PA and NY, and the car handles I-95 wonderfully, as it does Canal Street traffic. Anyone who knows Canal Street knows that it can be unbearable on an engine during a hot summer day, idling while trying to get through the tunnel. The interior is also decent, with full power and access. It was a solid purchase!