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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  Great vehicle - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JB - October 6 - 8:16 am

  Great suv for the money! The v8 has great power and will tow anything. I take my patty to the mountains in Colorado to ski and it will pass anything in the snow. The luxury is great and its a very sturdy car. No rattles. I have but 27k on mine and no problems. I had a toyota 4 runner before this. The seats were small, had no options, horrible stereo and the transmission in the 4 runner would burn up every time I went up the mountain passed. Toyota over rated and an under performer. You can be take everyone and own a toyota but I laugh as a pass a 4runner with 4 people cramped in and dogging it up the pass. I can sleep at night knowing that I got what I paid for.

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  Great Truck - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Dan - October 6 - 7:50 am

  Test drove a Tacoma, didnt like the car like interior. Then drove the Frontier and loved it. I have owned it for 8 months now a have no regrets!!!

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  pretty good so far - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By cnn4eva - October 6 - 1:50 am

  This is the first nissan i have ever had. I came from a Toyota camry and I have to say the altima is much better.It is fast, very good pick up. The engine is quite loud for a 4 cylinder car though.One thing when you drive over 50 mph with the windows down you hear a seeping air noise coming from the driver side.

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  Underrated! - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By lawrence - October 5 - 9:30 pm

  Put my first 800 miles driving from south Florida to East Tennessee. Entering North Carolinas Appalachian mountain region on interstate 26, this little Sentra with 16 inch tires and CVT delivered exceedingly smooth and capable performance for a supposed compact. I wanted to buy American and wish Chevy would build such a great compact now that America needs to conserve gas more than ever - but they seem too interested in pushing their "onstar" instead of the virtues of the car itself. Looked at Kia Forte, Ford focus and Mazda3. The Mazda3 would have been my second choice. Honda Civic was not even considered because it, along with VW, in my opinion, were way overpriced in this segment.

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  Love My Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Ann - October 5 - 2:00 pm

  I have had my Rogue for a little over 2 months and I really have enjoyed it. The best part about it is that it only takes about 50 dollars to fill up the gas tank. I can enjoy the perks of an SUV with the fuel efficiency of a car. Overall, it was worth the purchase.

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  Good Ride - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By lewisb - October 4 - 8:00 pm

  I have had my 2.5SL for over a month. So far I am getting on average 30mpg. The car is very quiet and handles really well. The sound system is ok, could be improved. (I did not get the Bose) The exterior look sharp. Plenty of room for 4 passengers. I am 61 and find the drivers seat somewhat uncomfortable. I am still trying to play with the 8 way adjustable seat to figure out how to get comfortable.

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  My 2003 Nissan Altima - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By dgzlz - October 1 - 7:32 pm

  I just felt the need to give special props to my 2003 Nissan Altima that is not at (372 THOUSAND MILES) yes I had to spell it out so no one would think it was a typo. She needs a new catalytic converter, but other than that she is still the greatest money maker I have every had. I drive 172 miles a day, 5 days a week. I have tried reading online to see if anyone else was running with this many miles, but it saddens me to see some have not been as lucky. A mechanic not long ago told me mine car must have came off the line on a Wednesday. I tried looking that up with no sucess.

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  Best car for your money - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By PAT - October 1 - 6:26 pm

  This is my second sentra and i am very pleased with this one as well. my next one will more than likely be another sentra. i have had no problems with either one so why mess with a good thing?

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  Cant go wrong - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By J Cromwell - October 1 - 6:33 am

  I sold Nissans for about a year. I drove an Altima for a demonstrator for about 3 months and have never driven a better value. As soon as my wife graduated college we ran right out and bought one. There are nicer, more expensive vehicles out there but for the money you will not find a better buy. Any problems you find on JD Powers website are almost certainly the salespersons fault for not explaining fully the cars features and how to opperate those features. Remember that they only count "problems", which could range from a blown engine to how to open the fuel door. Dont fault the car for an incompetant salesperson. You cant go wrong with the Altima reguardless of trim level.

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  Amazing value - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By OT - October 1 - 4:36 am

  This is a car that feels way more expensive than it was. Consider the motor: its got liquid-filled mounts and at idle, its so quiet I once tried to start the engine while it was running! More torque than most 2.0L engines, and I love the 6-speed (which Renault co-designed and uses in their cars). The seats are plush but supportive, good for at least 4 hrs continuous driving (Ive done it). Way more backseat and trunk space than "compact" cars used to have. Tire pressure monitors, computerized (RFID key) ignition cutoff, high safety rating, all standard. Plus Nissan reliability and resale value!