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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  People Need Retraining - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By badrobot - December 3 - 3:20 am

  I only heard one or two reviewers mention this car was a good value. The cars CVT takes some getting used to because it accelerates in a linear manner but overall this is a very well built car. I have owned Scion and Hondas and this cars power is just as good as a Honda and much better than a Scion. I have also owned a Kia and have had friends who own Hyundai. They are good cars until you get into a collision in them. Then they will sit in the auto body shop for at least a month while you wait for replacement parts to come from Korea. I bought a SR Special Edition Model for under 16.5K. There are none of the competitors than can match the options and accessories for this Price!

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  Great Car! - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By afriedma - December 2 - 5:15 am

  Ive only had my Leaf for a couple of weeks, but it is a great car; fun to drive and a novel experience. I just love that I havent visited a gas station since I got my Leaf. Its got peppy acceleration, a forgiving suspension, good handling, and a comfortable interior. Real-world range is only 75-80 miles, depending on speed, acceleration and climate control/headlight use. As long as that will work for you, the Leaf is a fine choice. We were drawn in by big discounts on 2012 models right now.

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  Impressed - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Fletch - December 1 - 9:00 pm

  Im glad I came back for a second test drive. I didnt like the Murano when it first came out. Over time and all the positive reviews its had, I finally decided to check it out again. It has to be the best vehicle Nissan makes in my opinion. Its the perfect size and shows enough style to make a quiet statement. I bought the S model because the upper level ones are to pricey for what they are. I think all SUVs are fairly overpriced to be honest. This blows the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander away!

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  New Owner of Altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Rosalynnr - December 1 - 10:00 am

  My 2.5S (Altima) is beautify, however I thought it would be a lot smoother on bumps. Im wonder if I should get different tires.

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  takes a licken... - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By akhenax - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Overall good experience with my Pathfinder. A few problems every now and then, but then again, its almost 10 years old. Very reliable. Im envious of other performers however; not enough horsepower for hills when Im trying to maintain speed. It also drinks gas like water.

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  Lemmonsville - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Artemous - November 29 - 10:00 am

  This will be my last nissan bad weatherstrip all windows, on 5th sun visor, bad window regulator, bad speaker, flaking paint, sagging door, exhaust leak, ETC. What can you expect from a Mexican built car. As many defects as an American car.

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  Max wins out - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By the mick - November 29 - 10:00 am

  the SE tempts you at every sweeping curve and on-ramp to push its handling ability. suprisingly quiet and smooth in straight line driving for the sport-tuned ride. ok, you can get over the front end & grille. versus the TL and G35, it came out on top. much larger than the TL & G35 in regards to interior and trunk. styling loses out to TLs interior, however. handling was a dead heat. handles better than the G35. throw in the all important purchase price being $2k - $3K less, and it was w/o second thought to tell infiniti and acura, no thanks.

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  Thanks for the warranty - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Ron - November 28 - 5:06 am

  Had car 2 months bought it used 24,700 mile now 29,634. Took it to the dealer, had trouble starting, they called head gasket, thanks for the warranty no cost, gets great mileage 35. Like the car, I hope it has no more problems, brake are noisy.

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  Good Car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Harry.C.Sadler - November 27 - 10:20 pm

  Good car but Nissan has dropped the ball on their Quality control. Car had serious airbag defect upon delivery took almost 2 months to have it repaired. In the meantime, front end alignment was out. Dealer had to get specs from Nissan before they could repair. When it rains keep your windows closed while driving or youll getr a shower. Roof gutters allow rain to come in. And side vents arent available yet. TPMS seems to be the biggest problem with this vehicle. All else is good. Have been getting anywhere from 32-36 MPG driving w/9600+ miles on vehicle. Ride is good. Arm rest is too far to the rear and tiny. Just holds a small bag of peanuts.

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  Nice Truck But A Thirsty Truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Derf - November 27 - 3:56 am

  Overall this is a very nice truck for a half ton, but at 11-12 mpg its one of the thirstiest trucks I have ever owned. My previous trucks were configured the same with big V8s & tow & off road packages and had better mpg performance. Helping a friend out with a trailer over 5,000 lbs can be a hassle also since the Titan needs a weight distributing hitch over 5K to achieve its 9,400 lbs rating. My tranny also hunts for gear between 4th & OD between 35 to 40 mph.