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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  Nissan Warranties Are No Good - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By sellers - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I have NEVER had as horrible an experience as I have with this Murano, Nissan Corp. and the dealership. The vehicle is great but when it developed a problem emitting huge plumes of smoke, the dealership lied to me and have kept it for over 50 days. Nissan Corp and Nissan 1 have been no help. Nissan claims I did not change my oil frequently enough and that I did not use Nissan filters and oil. I have receipts and have faxed same to the company. Nissan tells me I need a new motor, but they will not cover it under warranty. This vehicle only has 12,000 miles. In short, Nissan does not stand behind their products

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  fun to drive, just dont watch the gas guage - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By mick3613 - October 27 - 10:30 am

  The juke is great in town and nimble in traffic, but the horrid gas mileage and the need for premium gas makes it fairly expensive to operate. We average 19-23 on a mix of highway and small town driving. best we have achieved on the highway @ 60 mph was 26. Thats a far cry from the 32 the epa sticker promised. The seats are well bolstered and ok for short trips but are a little too hard for long trips. the back seats are useless for tall adults. No headroom and limited legroom. I am 6.0 tall and my head hits the roof and legs are jammed against the front seat. The only cabin light is in the front so the back seat and cargo area is really dark at night.

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  04 murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By murano - October 26 - 8:43 am

  the only thing my murano is lacking is a back up senor there are some blind spots .. the car is fun to drive and very roomy

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  New car NIssan Sentra XE 2001 - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By marine11 - October 25 - 2:00 am

  Good vehicle so far. A little rattly when driving. Leg room in back could be alot better. The car is overall a good car, although the dealership never gave me a owners manual, and will not get me one. I think this should be included in a new car.

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  A JAPANESE M-5 - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By CarGuy - October 25 - 2:00 am

  EVEN THE LOCAL STATE POLICE LOVE THIS CAR. I ACTUALLY SAW ONE BEING PUT TO USE TO CATCH SPEEDERS. ITS A CAR THAT GIVES YOU MORE FOR YOUR MONEY AND THATS ALWAYS A WINNING FORMAULA. THANKS NISSAN FOR BUILDING THE CAR I WROTE TO YOU ABOUT.

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  mah nissan - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By troy - October 25 - 12:16 am

  really really , nice powerful v8 nice looking turn head nice powerful growl lol ~1~

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  Too many recalls - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Beverly - October 22 - 11:56 pm

  I fell in love with the 2007 Murano, and when read about the 2009 I waited 3 months to purchase the new sleek 2009. I even paid full MSRP to get the right color and style I wanted. But it has been one service visit after another. 2 recalls, 1 for reprogramming the airbags, and 1 for the repairing the clock. This last visit, there seems to be a air leak that is a known issue in Muranos, but since the car is so new, the parts to replace are not yet being manufactured, so the service department returned my car and asked me to wait for the recall notice to fix. How disappointing.

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  Had to have SUV - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By modriver - October 22 - 10:00 pm

  I spent 3mos researching cars and then wrecked my 03 Santa Fe about a week ago. Had to have SUV for AWD in winter. Considered Mit.Outlander, Sub.Forester and Rogue. Decided on Rogue for drive and features. Drove 200mi to pick up. Avg mpg on trip home was 26 on brand new motor!! A little disappointed in ride. Not as smooth as remembered in test drive, but its okay. Got premium and tech pkg so have Bose, Bluetooth, XM, premium seats. Would have liked leather, but couldnt get all pkgd with the color I wanted. (Gotham Grey) Would like more storage in front. Glovebox is huge, but not a lot of space for small things. I havent had long enough to know for sure, but so far I really like it.

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  Reliable, fast, and clean SUV - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Dr. Web - October 21 - 2:00 am

  Overall the Pathfinder was a good buy. Its strong, fast, and feels good to drive. The styling is a bit understated, and the extra exterior options (grillguard $399, skirack $100, rear wind buffer $78, taillight guards $168) can add up quick. Of these, the grillguard and the rear wind buffer add the most to the appearence of the vehicle. The main reasons I chose this vehicle over the other competitors (I had owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee) was the excellent reliability, and the lower price.

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  Great Car - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By kenny - October 20 - 6:16 pm

  Before I bought it, I shopped hard and the negative things I read about gas mileage scared me but still bought one. Well, the mileage is very good for the size of the car and it comes down to how you drive. If you use cruise control and drive the speed limit, I get 25-28 hwy. miles.I dont do much city driving so I dont know what I would get but I am happy with this car overall. Lots of go if you want it. I have just over 12,000 miles on it since May 2008.