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 it! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Jquinn14 - December 14 - 10:00 am

  I love this car! Its fun to drive, it looks great, it has room for everything. Now, if I could just find more reasons to drive it... I am completely satisfied with this vehicle. I highly recommend it.

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  NICE RIDE - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By rgallma704 - December 14 - 10:00 am

  COMFORTABLE RIDE QUALITY, GOOD PERFORMANCE,GREAT STYLING

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  great car - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By bluerock21 - December 14 - 10:00 am

  faster than other in same categorie

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  Yep - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By LilPnyRacer - December 14 - 10:00 am

  I Love the quickness of the car. The interior quality is bad but I can get by with it. Also my chairs are charcol cloth so lint gets stuck in them and hard to keep clean. Other than that its a wonderful car.

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  Best of the best - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By atf - December 13 - 9:43 am

  We just bought a 2008 Quest after looking and driving other make(Honda & toyota), but in my own opinion this is the best among them, in terms of performance, comfort, finish quality and value. This van runs like my E 350 MB, very smooth and responsive, and more features for your money. Reliability and dependabilty, I like nissan, this is our fifth nissan car.

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  Transmission Nightmare!!!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Tasia matthews - December 12 - 10:04 pm

  After only 70,000 miles my transmission has to be replaced on my 2013 altima. The car begin to shake unexpectedly one day and shut down. Ive never had any mechanical issues with my car since I purchased it at 30,000 miles and Ive always had the recommended maintenance done, so replacing the transmission was a shock! Be prepared to pay over 3K to repair, depending on what dealership fixes it.I would definitely recommend purchasing a extended warranty if you decide to purchase a Nissan . The cvt transmission has the worst reviews Ive ever seen online . Calling corporate is like talking to no-one . They wont do anything !!!!! Im definitely trading my car for a HONDA .

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  2006 SE-R Automatic - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Rob - December 12 - 7:56 pm

  For the money one of the best sports sedans on the road. Linear speed, top- of-the line tires and wheels, and great- looking to boot! Had it for one month and I look forward to driving it every chance I get. Carries 3 kids in comfort in the back and rides beautifully. Does have torque steer but thats normal for a powerful FWD V-6. Make sure to buy the air bag-TCs option for safety. Considered the Acura TL, Maxima, and the Mazdaspeed 6. No regrets about the choice. See below for potential improvements.

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  Happy camper - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By exjumpseater - December 12 - 3:26 pm

  It has been a pleasure to own and has done everything I have need to do from towing my boat to camping and 4 wheeling. The only draw back is electrical, the power window lift on the passenger side is real slow.

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  Gets the job done - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By jayhawk - December 12 - 11:13 am

  I wanted a vehicle that would not leave me stuck on some remote ranch road and would tow a decent sized trailer. I added mud terrain tires. It has done all I have wanted and I am still pushing the limits.

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  The Fast - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Via - December 12 - 7:30 am

  This car was a surprise, good gas mileage and performance. And it turns a lot of heads for the price.