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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  Funnest Car Ive Ever Owned - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Keith - January 16 - 8:50 pm

  When Nissan tagged this "the four door sports car", they werent kidding. Very fun to drive, excellent technology and a great price point.

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  Michaels Review - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Michael - January 16 - 6:30 am

  Nice looking car. Mileage in the city is averaging 32 mpg according to the on board mileage calculator. I thought it would be a lot better. Everything is great, the only negative thing is that the gas engine is noisy when it first starts up when the car has not been driven for a while. As the engine warms up it gets a little quieter.

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  Miss my truck but LOVE my Murano - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By TruckGirl - January 15 - 5:36 pm

  Leaving my 2005 Pathfinder for the 2009 Murano was tough for me - still is. In an effort to reduce my "carbon footprint" and experience a much smoother, luxury-like ride, I just leased a new Murano S AWD. Nissan did a phenomenal job upgrading from the 2007 model. The CVT is a dream to drive with and the handling is something I never thought Id experience in an SUV. The only downsides for me: recommended use of premium gas and the sub-par stereo system offered in the S model. For those of us who cant afford the SL or LE, itd be nice to have the choice in the S model of upgrading to the Bose stereo system. All in all, an amazing vehicle-just need more time to get used to the size downgrade.

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  2 Year Recap - 2012 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mrcarp - January 15 - 5:09 am

  2 years old with a little under 13,000 miles. Continued happiness with the PF. Seems to be holding up and is still as solid as new. No issues as of yet (knock on wood). Replaced the headlight bulbs with super whites. Drastic improvement over stock. Lets hope it lasts, with any luck our 4 year old will be driving it, 12 years from now, of course.

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  Precision Grey Max SL - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By beavis - January 14 - 10:56 pm

  Recently purchased a SL with the platinum package (no sunroof). There was too much wind noise with the roof - even with the wind deflector. I drove just about everything out there and this seemed the best bang for the buck. I highly recommend the Platinum package ... you feel like you purchased a luxury car. This car is fast. I am coming off a 540i. While the max has more body roll than I am used to, this does the job for about half the money. In the first week of having the car, I got my first ticket. When your cruising at 80 mph, it really feels like 50mph. Gas mileage is at 21. For mileage cars, Honda and Nissan is where its at. Toyota will put you to sleep.

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  Fun - Luxury & Performance - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Tony - January 14 - 7:30 pm

  This is the 4th Maxima I have owned. It is by far the the most sporty. I compared all the other cars (TL, Accord, Camry, Avalon, G35) and came back to the Maxima. It has the best engine and features for the money. My last Maxima, I had to replace the oxygen sensor and alternator although it had low miles. Even with a couple of repairs factored in I come out ahead of the other cars. Ive had no problems with my 2006 SL and really like all the features including Bluetooth, which comes with the driver preferred pkg. This car drives excellent with great power and a nice little growl from the engine! Steve Hipshin with Tom Peacock in Houston is the best salesperson- great price and service.

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  My second Nissan truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Matt - January 14 - 9:40 am

  This is my second Nissan truck. My first was a 87 1/2 Hardbody and it served me well. It was a basic XE 2wd 5sp. I sold it with 70k miles to a friend who kept it for close to 200k miles. This 06 is lights years ahead of my 87 in every respect. I plan on keeping this 06 for 15 years. I was able to keep my 95 GMC Sonoma 4x4 for 11 years so I the Nissan being a better build vehicle should be able to meet that goal. My 95 was getting 18-19 in mostly city driving and my 06 is doing that with no problem. Considering the 06 is a bigger, heaver truck with more hp(155 for 05 vs 265 for 06)IMHO is pretty impressive in my book. Ride quality is impressive for the 06 compared to my 95.

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  Versa - Best Car I Never Heard Of - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By patrick - January 14 - 8:43 am

  Ive owned this car for four days now. I find that I cant wait to get in and drive to work. It has changed my whole experience of driving, its fun again! I happen to love the stick shift and the interior is so comfortable. I used to get groggy when I drove my old car but the design of the seats in the Versa seems to make me more alert. The car is also incredibly responsive, I cant believe how quickly I get up to higher speeds on the highway. When I shopped for a new car last Saturday morning, I never heard of a Nissan Versa. Im glad I found it. I think people are really going to take to it. Oops, almost forgot, the gas mileage is AMAZING!

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  Sentra = Solid - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Razalon - January 14 - 3:00 am

  My first ever car was an 83 Nissan Sentra wagon. It was passed down from my sister, to my brother who then passed it down to me after he totalled it, and it needed a clutch. Well after putting my own money into this car I drove it everywhere. It was nice going two weeks on a tank of gas that would only take 9 gallons on empty. Just got my 2006 because the deals were so good on them. I was going to wait on the Versa to come out, but I know that the Sentras are a for sure thing. I got mine loaded with the special addition and more options. Fog lights, SER grill 16" rims, 300W stereo etc... I got it for $13,500. For all I got with this car, and the Sentra reputation, It was not a hard decision.

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  Second Versa and love it... - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By donotoe - January 13 - 5:33 pm

  Had a 2007 Versa and loved it, so got a 2009... great commuter car. Just want a reliable comfortable car with good MPG and got it. So much room inside, it is really unbelievable - 350 lb. passenger in back seat was very comfortable. Two-hour drive on hills, no problem... performance was great. Plenty cargo room since interior so spacious.