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:

• 

  Solid, reliable car - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By natenoyd - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Very well built, reliable car. Havent had one problem in 6 months of ownership. I dont expect any either. A great bargain when compared to similarly priced competitors.

• 

  You may not be able to drive other cars - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By che - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I test drove the 02 Altima and was disapointed with its cheap interior quality. Then test drove the 02 Max. This baby flies; I knew I had to have it. IMHO its the best car available for the money. I opted for the auto tranny despite my love for the 6 speed manual because the auto provides more than adequate response with its smooth intelligent shifting. The GLE will end up being cheaper than a similarly configured SE (I dont care for the rear spoiler) With Nissan offering the vehicle for $1000 under invoice, who could say no to such a deal with additional dealer discounts. 02 Max owner since early Feb 02.

• 

  IN THE MARKET TO BUY - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By ELMOBLATCH - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I love the looks of the car...only 2 faults that I see are the cheap plastic interior parts & the goose neck arms on the trunk. Would like to see the price of anti-lock brakes reduced...Honda & Toyota charge half as much for this feature. ABS should be standard on a 20k car.

• 

  I love my krom edition Nissan cube - 2010 Nissan Cube
  By KROMBEE - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Love cube at first sight! I love its unique design wrapped with many glasses! I chose between the sl model and krom. My favorite color is scarlet red but they dont have it in krom edition. Finally, I picked my steel Grey krom edition instead because its fully loaded. I would say that I made a good decision even though I paid more $ but it comes with push button ignition, rear view monitor, front fascia and grille, & rear roof spoiler, aluminum-trimmed pedals and usb connectivity (iPod®- compatible)! It looks very unique & cute. The cube is so roomy and the performance was better than my old matrix xr esp. The tight turning radius. Its fun to drive with and I got many compliments.

• 

  Just Purchased - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By Bobby - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Great little car with lots of potential. If Nissan would consider a few more inches of ground clearance and a roof rack for surf boards this ride would be unstoppable! Love it! Fun to drive, and am pleased with all the "standard" features such as bluetooth, iPod, Cruise, sunroof etc. For the price, cant be beat. Mpg below expectations. Avg 22-27 mpg.

• 

  Cute and fun - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By digo - February 15 - 2:00 am

  traded an is 300 try to save gas, 27 city and 38 highway is misleading, drove for 3 days in ecco mode, 28.5 mpg max highway, in sport mode 19-21,

• 

  The kids named it Thor..and Im okay with that - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By markfahlsing - February 13 - 8:35 pm

  We just picked up a 2014 Pathfinder on year-end closeout; paid <$35K for the Platinum (no premium) Other car is a 2008 Infiniti M35, and I can safely say that this Pathfinder is our M35 with a 3rd row! We looked at the Flex Limited and CX-9 Grand Touring, and the Nissan just flat-out wins. Yes, we did look at the JX35/QX60, but I cannot see the difference to justify a 12K gap in pricing (wake up Infiniti, and put the 3.7 in there...) Kudos too to the Nissan buying experience; Ford is still stuck in Anchorman-era. Mazda offers compelling choices, and I will probably kick myself when the diesel CX-9 comes out next year, but heres to X-MAS bonuses

• 

  My first nissan - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By BOBRAT - February 13 - 7:30 pm

  My first foreign vehicle. Always been a chevy man. Worked for gm for over 23 years. I love this truck. The 265 hoarses are great. I may never go off-road, but i know if i have to, i can. And i cant wait for a serious snow storm!!!!!

• 

  Geat car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By DavidAAA - February 13 - 12:50 pm

  If you want afast sedan!

• 

  Nissan Value - 2016 Nissan Pathfinder
  By William Hart - February 13 - 11:57 am

  Fourth Nissan stretched over 20 plus years. Extremely reliable with great resale value. Nissan service departments have always been easy to deal with and I have been comfortable with their recommendations. I went with the Platinum trim to get the 20 inch vs 18 inch wheel, which may explain the slight road noise. It took awhile to learn the controls and instrumentation. I like the auto adjust on the steering wheel and the electric seat adjustment on the passenger side as well. I purchased the cargo protector which unfolds to protect the third row seat also when down; a nice feature. Overall, very satisfied with this purchase and ready to take my first road trip.