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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  This car fits like a well tailored suit. - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By ray deluc - October 20 - 10:00 am

  As great as this car looks, it drives even better. Plenty of power and handles like a go- cart. Eats mustangs for lunch regularly. The more i drive it the more i want to drive it.

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  Not Bad!! - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By johnmorfd - October 20 - 10:00 am

  This SUV has it all and is great for anyone looking for a midsize vehicle. Alot of thought went into this SUV. This was the first vehicle that I bought in a long time that had no defects of any kind. While I dont drive it everyday, it is fun when I do drive it. The only gripe is that the running boards are not wide enough. Thank You, John

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  Marvelous Murano - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By JMichael - October 20 - 10:00 am

  A dream car for anyone who is looking for the functionality of an SUV with the styling and comfort of a road cruising sedan. With the Murano you cant go wrong. We went from the Subaru Outback, a car in which we loved, to the Murano, which we couldnt be happier with.

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  Good Choice - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By bbking - October 20 - 10:00 am

  This is the first miinivan we have owned. As young parents we vowed to never drive a minivan! It was easy until we went to buy a new Altima and drove the Quest for the heck of it...When we got back to the dealership, we looked at eachother and hated to admit it but we were both sold on the Quest. To this day, we have been impressed with its performance. It is zippy, stylish and gets lots of attention. We have tons of room and our two girls love it! We will never own another SUV or car again.

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  I love my Altima! - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By I love my Altima! - October 20 - 3:43 am

  I needed to get out of my Chevy Tahoe which was costing me over $450 a month in gas.I read an article about how the Altima sedan won as best family sedan for 2010 in 10 categories. Safety,reliability and a fun car to drive were important factors in my search.I loved my test drive so much, with the feel of the CVT, that I knew it was the car for me.Since driving it for 3 weeks I am so very satisfied.I would have had to fill up the Tahoe 3 times since then, and I havent needed to fill it up yet! My car payment is much less than what gas alone used to cost me!

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  Almost Perfect - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By uscfan - October 19 - 6:40 pm

  Weve had ours for 1 month and 3500 miles. Nice car so far. Getting about 30 mpg with 65% city and 35% highway. Plenty of room in the car for the four of us. Trunk is bigger than it looks. The leather is nice and soft but would like to see a lumbar support and power seats. CVT is nice and smooth. Braking is a little clumsy when the CVT disengages. I test drove all the others, civic, corrola, elantra and mazda3. The Sentra provides the best bang for the buck.

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  the best - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By richard - October 19 - 8:10 am

  My job takes me on the road and the Murano is a second office for me, great place to bring my customers too.

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  Great Van - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Ifletchr - October 19 - 12:56 am

  We bought this van after looking at the Honda, Entourage and Town & Country. The Entourage and T&C left a bit to be desired and the Honda packaging options meant we were spending a lot of money for some options we wanted and a lot for some we didnt. The main option we wouldve liked but wasnt available was AWD. The interior was by far the nicest of all the vans and although there wasnt as much storage as the Honda (lazy susan in floor), the fact that no seats had to be removed to have cargo space really helped.

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  First Year Delightful - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Alex in Maine - October 18 - 4:26 pm

  To start I have to say that this is a handsome car. I have gotten a lot of feedback on the way the car looks. I also get asked about mileage (32-33 MPG on average, with about 36 MPG city and 30 MPG highway). The navigation system does not have a complete set of data and I have gotten stranded once or twice in an "incomplete mapping area". I like the color backup camera, and the Bose sound system rocks. The cruise control hesitates at times, but you get used to it . Powerful performance, feels like a good 6 cylinder at all times. Phone Bluetooth is great too and easy to set-up. In general it is a techno-guys dream car.

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  Amazing... - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Rob - October 18 - 6:43 am

  Picked up my Maxima is Navy Blue with Black leather fully loaded... Amazed with the quality of materials but more amazed with the power. I was on the verge of getting an altima v6 when the GM of the Dealership had me test drive the Maxima, a "real" v6 and holy moly... Altima was out of the race instantly and now this beautiful Maxima sits on front of my house. Could not be happier with it!