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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  Love my Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By jack - December 27 - 10:03 pm

  I traded in my 03 Frontier Crew Cab for my new Titan Crew Cab. What a difference. I have been a Ford fan for years but Nissans products are hard to beat, especially on quality and price. We have taken 2 road trips and found it to be most comfortable. Passing is not problem. The folding rear seats make for perfect storage while carrying things that dont need to be exposed to the weather I have received numerous compliments on my Titans appearance. Especially the Deep Water blue paint. Im routinely getting 16 mpg in town and 19 on the highway without a headwind. Outstanding Truck!!

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  Is this car for you? - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By NJ Firefighter - December 27 - 8:33 pm

  This car has an amazing interior, you just feel like your in a nice car and all of the neat features back that up. The CVT is still weird, I have read other reviews about this car being slow. It doesnt seem to get the punch of a standard automatic. However it is a very smooth transmission, you really do not feel any shifting, car has a nice luxury / sport feel. I have test drove the 07 Alt, That seemed to react even weirder when you mashed the gas, the CVT acts different in the Alt if you ask me. I dont feel this Max is as fast as some other years (esp. manuals) It handles bumps really well, with the SEs 18" wheels. Does well on turns for its size, good feel, you dont feel out of control.

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  2006 Nissan Altima very noisy - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By jack - December 27 - 11:50 am

  I bought the 2.5l as I was told it was peppy enough and it is. Gas mileage was main reason and I can get 26 mpg on hway but only 16-18 local. Both way below sticker estimates. Car has too much road noise that is annoying. Also, air conditioning is much too noisy and you cannot leave it in auto climate control due to noise.

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  Titan Rocks! - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By gatorce - December 27 - 9:53 am

  I’ve owned 4x4’s for 25 years, both as daily transportation and for getting to the “backwoods.” The Titan gets the job done! I’ve owned GM, Ford 4x4, Dodge, Jeep, and Nissan vehicles, and none of those compared with the Titan for quality of build and performance.

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  X-tra Special Xterra 2008 - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Debbie - December 27 - 7:56 am

  I truly love the way the X-Terra handles and drives compared to the 2003 I had. I like it being bigger and wider.

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  Fantastic Truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Bowhunter - December 27 - 7:03 am

  Gotta love this truck. Handles well, plenty of power, great fuel economy and its just fun to drive. I have the 6 speed manual transmission and couldnt be happier

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  I lasted 3 weeks before trading it in! - 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
  By sileroy - December 26 - 5:19 am

  I lasted 3 weeks, then finaly decided that I was getting rid of this car. I was transfixed by the idea of having a true four passenger convertible and I ignored all of the cars faults on the sunny day that I purchased the car. I traded the car in after 3 weeks on a luxury SUV. To say that the car handles poorly is a gross understatement. The car needs to take even relatively tame corners at mild speeds and still the front wind shield would reverberate. The car is roomy for passengers one inside, but rear access is difficult. The front seat releases each have significant issues. The drivers side is power and too slow. The passenger side is manual, but is very unreliable.

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  After only 72 hours - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By rforrister - December 25 - 2:22 pm

  I know what only 72 hours. Well, I have been searching for a new ride. The search got sped up when a tornado destroyed my garage and car within. I had already driven most of the competitors and finally decided to drive this vehicle. Well after just a few minutes I made up my mind. 1 hour later I was a proud new owner of a Rogue. I drive roughly 100 miles a day 5 days a week. this vehicle smooths out the roughest roads. The 6 way seat is wonderful and my back is feeling great. If you have not driven this vehicle try it out. It fits me just fine. AWD drive will make winter drives so much safer as well.

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  Love this car!! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By JFW in NJ - December 24 - 9:20 pm

  Ive only had my new Altima for 3 days, but Im in love already! For the money, it is a very smooth, quiet and luxurious ride. I find it very comfortable and fun to drive, and I was pleasantly surprised at the great pickup she has! I had to pass a slow moving truck going uphill this morning, and the car really kicked in! Great power for a 4 cyl. Anyone looking for a sedan should definitely give the Altima a shot.

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  My 2007 Max - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Kent - December 24 - 1:03 pm

  Really love this car. I looked and drove many models and for the money this is the best. Top features, room, style that cant be beat.