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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  Satisfied with Nissan - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Allen cat. - January 6 - 2:00 am

  Nissan always manage to improve on a already good product. I have purchased Nissans over the past 25 years and I have been satisfied with the quality and technology that NIssan manages to bring to the table.

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  2004 Maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By smbcpa - January 6 - 2:00 am

  Love it-been waiting years for the model update-third Maxima owned, and reliable as usual

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  Awesome engine, awesome sound system! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By LAlayla - January 6 - 1:56 am

  Incredible engine, awesome sound system, totally hot! I love my Altima! I bought it with just about every option available. It is by far the coolest car EVER MADE!

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  Real Deal on Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Kevin - January 5 - 7:36 am

  Its a nice vehicle but here are the bad things. Heat takes about 10 minutes til you can turn it on, anytime you turn on the climate controls it defaults to air conditioning (the most annoying feature). If you have the Bo speaker system, your subwoofer is mounted on top of the spare tire, so be prepared to take that off when you are broken down on the side of the road. Other then that I like everything else on the car, I know one review said it doesnt have fog lights but mine does, took me awhile to find them. Headlights are also adjustable if they look dim. Upgraded sound system sounds awesome, and it has XM radio! Dealer, Salesman and bestbuy guy that installed my XM all didnt know it.

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  2002 to a 2005 - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Zigler S - January 4 - 12:36 pm

  We had a 2002 SE 4WD SC, put 64,000 miles on it and needed another with a warranty, AC compressor went out, $1000 to replace. Loved it all but the mpg and the BF Goodwrench tires, wore out at 32,000. Stadium seating-great for the kids. 64/40 split-great for the carseat. No carpet in the back- bonus. Rockford Fosegate stereo-ROCK ON!good placement of subwoofer for wife. 265hp-nice punch when you need it. We had fun in the snow with the 2002, waiting to see with the 2005. We look foward to buy again.

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  Love my Frontier!! - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By FrontierLuver - January 4 - 3:53 am

  Ive got 78,000 miles on my baby and I have no complaints whatsoever. Have not had one problem. Have done nothing but regular maintenance. I would highly recommend this truck to anyone looking for a good, solid, reliable little truck.

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  Love at First Sight - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By CJ - January 3 - 11:23 pm

  Test drove the Tahoe and liked it but once my wife and I got in the Armada, we knew this was the choice. Lots of room inside and seemed to have a much tighter ride then the Tahoe. Love the power for towing. My wife thought it had less of a truck feel than other SUVs we tested.

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  No comparison - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jeff - January 3 - 5:00 am

  Its truly no comparison. The build quality is perfect. 100% reliable. Bought the truck used (05) and havent had any problems ever. Very powerful engine and very smooth on the road. Its like driving a luxury vehicle. Go test drive one to believe.

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  exactely what I needed - 2016 Nissan NV200
  By Akram Farooq - January 3 - 3:23 am

  Its an ideal van for my small business

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  Almost perfect Truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Little Mac - January 3 - 3:16 am

  This is my 2nd Frontier. First was a 2001 King cab with no place for my little dogs to sit and look out the window. They love the back seat of our new truck! Day after we got our truck we went on a 2000 mile road trip. MPG was 20-25. Best mpg is at 60-65 hwy. It might take you a little longer to get where your going but worth it at the pump. Better ride than my old truck more like a car. Turning radius took some time to get used to, old truck was much better.