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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  Best Z Yet - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Mikeandjed - September 30 - 10:00 am

  I am 57 and this "Z" has put "FUN" back in life. After owning two Vettes and two "Zs", the new "Z" gets a 10 for looks, handling and design. None car buffs think its a new Porsche. They seem to love the design and I have received comments as best looking car on the road to better looking then the Porsche at 1/3 to 1/2 the price. I have the Liguid Aluminum paint and its beautiful sunshine or not. I cant say enough about it. I only wish it was American.

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  Fun car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Pastor - September 30 - 10:00 am

  this is my fourth maxima. This is also the best model they have produced

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  Murano is a great SUV - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Murano Fan - September 30 - 5:20 am

  Excellent fuel economy for an SUV. Has styling, comfort, power and class. Interior is accented very well and has a luxury look. Exterior is very stylish with a solid build and classy look. I get a lot of people that want to look at the inside and when they do, they rave about it.

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  26 MPG V-6 Auto 4x4 4 door! - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Randall - September 30 - 3:20 am

  Yes, 26 mpg @60 mph Cruise control on basically flat road. 21 mpg at 75 mph. Use Mobile 1 5-30, keep air pressure checked regularly. Plenty of power to get to freeway speeds. Bought new in 2007, now has ~ 33k. Fixing to put kn air filter. If there is one thing that is somewhat irritating is the turning radius. Oh, as for the high mpg, it is repeatable. Tried it again this past weekend, little different terrain, a few small hills, 25.2 mpg @ 60 mph! The only thing I can figure is the engine does not work hard at that rpm, so it sips fuel. Nissan has a winner here. Is there a diesel frontier coming?

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  YAAAAHOOOOO! - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By ZmaznZ - September 29 - 11:50 pm

  I owned a 1967 Austin Healy MK3 3000 in 1974. I fell in love with the "sports car". When I test drove my Z, it felt odly familiar, sensitive, powerful, wonderful, totally insanely FUN! I drive it every day and 2 years later still love it totally. I cant wait every morning to get in it and DRIVE. The car is for the drive. Period. I also test drove a 07 corvette, lots of power, but no fun, no road feel, felt like driving a squished super powerful station wagon! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Z! Still no mechanical problems and I drive the day lights out of it every day in the city.

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  Excellent Value - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Phil/Carmen - September 29 - 3:23 am

  For the money, best value on the street. I am ex football player for the size of the car this vehicle is very comfortable. When we first purchased our Versa the brake lights kept blowing out every week, our interior cabin seems to be hot all of time. However fun car to drive, gas mileage gets better as it breaks in. Love the sound system, but they need to correct rear seat belt issue mine is so tight you cant slip your fingers between the belt and the rear back support portion of the seat. Remember this is a economy car, we are very Happy. Make it easier for us to work on the car Nissan, at least to change oil/filters and make a better key and hub caps the holders are plastic (Weak).

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  2000 Nissan GXE - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Brooke - September 28 - 4:50 pm

  I was the original owner of this vehicle. With regular oil changes every 3,000 miles, this car has held up very well. I had to replace the fan assembly because the bearings went out on one of the fans. Nissan would not replace just the bad fan which cost me about $400 more than it should have. I lost a key, because as previously mentioned the plastic top part of the key broke. I have also had the throttle body cleaned 3 times which has made a huge difference in performance every time. I have 180,000 miles total on this car and would not hesitate to purchase another. The downside is, the base price for the Maxima has gone up $8000 since 2000.

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  Great durability - light on design - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By Ensign - September 28 - 8:16 am

  I have been buying Nissans since 1981 mostly for their engines. Generally they tend to be superior on durability but light on comfort and convenience. My Xterra is the first SUV I have owned. I bought the X model because I wanted a manual transmission but did not want to buy the more expensive off road. As usual the engine and transmission are excellent but poor design on comfort and convenience. I could not believe there is no side mirror control and no map light. No mirror or light in the visor. The storage compartments are poorly designed. These little things are not expensive but are very much appreciated by consumers. Nissan designers - get a clue!

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  2007 Maxima SE - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Charlie E - September 28 - 12:40 am

  This is my 3rd Maxima.It is everything that I expected and more. My wife loves it.Acceleration is excellent.CVT is great although you have to get used to it in the beginning.No torque steer.Pleasant ride.Handling could be improved.Impressive gas mileage, even with only 2500 miles on it. Trunk storage is great and the rear seats fold down - unlike some Toyota models.Great looking-my neighbors and friends were very impressed.

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  Renault is tarnishing Nissans reliability - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By mkh142 - September 28 - 12:12 am

  These Nissans in many respects are Renaults in disguise. Renault has consistently produced unreliable cars for decades and now that they own Nissan, many of Nissans products are suffering. The Nissan Murano looks nice, and has nice features, but it is a reliability disaster as with every other "Renault". They are not designed to last, but instead designed to be "profitable" to the company. Id reccomended not buying and going for a more reliable brand.