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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  LOVIN EVERY MINUTE OF IT - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By ROMO - January 3 - 10:00 am

  BEEN SHOPPING FOR A BETTER PART OF 2 TO 3 YEARS ON AND OFF. TEST DROVE ALL THE FULL SIZE TRUCKS ON THE MARKET. GREW UP ON FORD AND ALMOST BOUGHT THE NEW F150 BUT BACKED OUT. AFTER TEST DRIVING THE TITAN 3 TIMES I WAS CONVINCED THAT NISSAN PULLED IT OFF. I GOT THE LE KING CAB AND AM LOVING IT. PLAN ON HAVING TRUCK FOR 10 YEARS AND IM SURE IT WILL EASILY LAST WELL BEYOND THAT. 2 WORDS FOR EVERYONE "THINK TITAN." NOW GO FORTH AND BUY ONE.

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  great truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By mad rooster - January 3 - 10:00 am

  one outstanding truck. this truck will turn heads.very fun to drive.

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  Steady and Reliable - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By newro - January 3 - 8:17 am

  My third one, had an 05, an 07 and now a 10. Love the Pathfinders. I have an LE this time so a little more plush inside. I am a contractor and use this for work so carry lots of tools and materials, no problem carrying the load. When it clean up it cleans up good. Gas mileage isnt great but other than that I can honestly say non of the Pathfinders that I have owned have ever let me down. Excellent build quality and would highly recommend.

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  9 Years and Still Reliable - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Mad Hungarian - January 3 - 1:30 am

  I purchased my Altima new and after more than 9 years, it has been the most reliable vehicle that I have owned. It had over 100,000 miles before it needed a repair that was not a routine maintenance item. It currently has close to 150,000 miles and I plan to get one more year out of it. Nearly everything on the car still works as well as it did when new. Quality is even better than my Toyota Camry which I had for 7 years. I would definitely buy another Nissan.

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  2008 Nissan Versa - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By bomart - January 2 - 7:50 pm

  I test drove the Yaris, Fit, Focus, and the Scion xD. The Versa was not the best driving car, too much oversteer on turns, felt top heavy, and uneven braking, but I felt it was the best value. My 2002 Focus SE handles much better, and gets about the same 30-34 MPG. The 1.8L CVT has better acceleration than my 2.2L Focus, but is noisy at higher RPMs. What sold me on the Versa was its upscale stock interior styling and the roomy back seat. I found only 2 manufacturing defects, a squeak coming from the dash, and the chrome plating on the front Nissan emblem peeling (dealer replaced). Not bad compared to the many defects I found in my Ford Focus when purchased new.

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  One of the Best SUV I had - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By steel11 - January 2 - 8:29 am

  We just got 2013 Pathfinder SL with Premium Package and we love it. It drives like car and room inside is great. We test dove the JX, MDX, Highlander and Pilot at the end we went with Nissan I dont regreted one bit. SUV is comfy and fuel economy is best. We keep it on 2WD all the time and we are getting combine 22.5 miles per gallon. If you drive on AUTO mode gas miles is around 21 combine so we keep it on 2WD unless we needed. We had 2010 Pilot leased for 3 years Pathfinder drives better and more rommer inside. Also it is much easy to get to the 3rd row

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  SUV for life - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Regina Watts - January 2 - 6:55 am

  Ill never go back to driving a car again. I simply love my Rogue.

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  So far so good - bought used - owned it for 6000 miles and 6 months now - 2011 Nissan Versa
  By casinnova - January 1 - 12:19 pm

  I am definitely a skeptic and buying a new car is so hard to do. I settled on the Versa for 2 reasons: Leg room and fuel economy. Both are absolutely acceptable. The car is spacious. Compared to any other hatchback or sedan that I have ever been inside of, this thing feels huge. It fits 4 adults very comfortably. Since keeping track of mileage I have averaged 29.35 MPG mostly city driving. If I drive carefully I can get 32 MPG in the city but most of the time I am late for work and have to drive crazy. I have no complaints really. The car is solid. I will update my review after another 6 months.

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  Nissan - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By lin ma - January 1 - 2:31 am

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  Excellent value for features and quality - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By woow - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a powerful and sporty sedan that didnt seem too "young" and radically styled, that wasnt too common (i.e., Accord or Camry), was reliable, and that didnt look cheap...at less than $12K. So I just bought a loaded SE with 88000 miles, and it worked out great. With some detailing and wax, felt like I just bought a new car; the styling and features are still contemporary. The 190 hp engine is smooth--and is a nice balance of power and fuel efficiency. It cruises powerfully up hills and on the freeway.