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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  Good Car With Some Cons - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By slcity - December 30 - 11:16 am

  Overall, a very good crossover. Has plenty of power, good seats, and feels substantial. Getting used to the CVT takes some time... to avoid the RPMs going to 3-4K, you have to learn how to accelerate correctly. HUGE blind spots in the back due to the small windows, but the side mirrors are large and seem to help with the blind spots. Keyless start is very nice, along with the Bose audio system & satellite radio. There seems to be a lot of noise in the cabin when accelerating.

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  Insanly fun! - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By gmbailey21 - December 30 - 10:00 am

  This car loves hills (thanks to high low end torque) and curves (thanks to the best balanced sport suspension on the market, in my opinion). It is unbelievably fun in the curves. For 16,500 you cant beat this car. Its so fun and yet so practicle. I average 26 mpg. Changing the muffler to a ravin performance stainless steel and putting in a Holley Performance drop in filter which will give me about 10-12 hp. The muffler is 215 at midas, and the filter was 38 at advanced autoparts. The holley pn is 221-14 and outperforms the k&n by 10%.

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  Drivers (On A Budget) Wanted - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By The Driver - December 30 - 10:00 am

  Needed: a long-term reliable commuting car, quick and fun, for a little money as possible. At $18K fully loaded, theres no decision to make. Key attractions: Altima engine, big for the Sentra class, delivers serious torque without a turbo- or super- charger; 6-speed; handling-oriented suspension; and driver interfaces for real drivers (seats, steering, etc.) Strangely, while this car is clearly targeted at the 17-25 demographic (black-netting-over-orange fabric, Rockford-Fosgate stereo w/ trunk mounted kicker box), it only comes with 4-doors. Fortunately, Nissan did a great job of giving the dull Sentra body a totally different SE-R look.

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  2002 Nissan Maxima SE - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By jzmayer - December 30 - 10:00 am

  The family car with a kick in the a$$. With 255 HP this car has power to spare. This is an entry level luxury car. Bigger than the Altima, more power and cheaper due to less demand. This car is far superior to the Camry. This is the MANS car with a touch of class for the ladie.

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  AWESOME RIDE - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By JERRY - December 30 - 10:00 am

  Love the new xterra,,,,very smmoth driving,,,looks are exceptional S/C gives it lots of GET E UP....... Goes where ever you want to.

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  I love this Beast. - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Kishhu - December 30 - 10:00 am

  The S model comes with lot of standard features like v6 245 hp engine, 18 inch wheels and front and side airbags. I love this vehicle its so roomy inside and i picked this car after doing so much research cuz i am an tall guy whom needs lot of leg room and Murano has lot of room. Awesome rear seats which recline like a couch. Smooth drive and awesome exterior.

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  Tough Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Major Disaster - December 29 - 10:20 pm

  Researched full sized trucks and chose Titan in 2004, after driving the others. Never regretted it, now has 80,000 miles on it without a complaint. Factory replaced original rotors after first ones warped early on, and no further problems and couple minor recall items fixed. Strong truck with torque-monster motor, have pulled big trailers, loaded it up even beyond its capacity and no complaints from it. Huge interior, now wife drives it regularly, with two big dogs in pack seat. Sad to hear that Nissan will discontinue it soon, would replace it with another one if they are still around, but its indestructible for now.

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  Great City Car - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By brians2510 - December 29 - 5:40 pm

  Just put on 1200 miles and this car is great. Very quit and comfortable. I traded in a van and have no regrets. I get about 31 miles to the gallon with mixed driving. Feels very solid and build quality is excellent. Great power for city driving with 6 speed manual. Fun to drive in the city and quiet whats not to like. Very happy with purchase.

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  Allens new Maxama - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By George Eiring - December 29 - 5:23 pm

  Im 64 years old and have owned many vehicles in my life including a 1988 Nissa 300 Z . Very glad I went back to Nissan. This particlur car is first of all, absolutly georgous looking and the performance is supburb.The fit and finish is also supburb. I just love this vehicle. I would recommend this car to anyone especially what you get for the price. The list was 32,000. Incrediably low for the type of performance I feel. A friend of mine who owns a BMW drove it and said "I cant believe I like the handling of this car better than mine." THat tells it all

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  Best buy for the $$$ - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By L4 - December 29 - 4:56 pm

  Im a legacy Z watcher, and finally pulled the trigger in 06. Im glad i waited for the 06, I drove the 03 and 04 cant compare to my purchase. Although its not a primary vehicle its well worth it for anyone who cant or doesnt want to pay Porsche $$.