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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  last one - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By dont get it - September 25 - 2:00 am

  afte 3 of these babies, its time to move on.......big step down from the 1997 that I had.......the 1997 was bulletproof....yeah it lacked a few ponies, but it was perfect for what the vehicle was intended to do....the extra power has negatively affected its offroad capabilities and the build quality has taken a dive...no wheel shake like others have had, but at 27K this thing feels like its going to fall apart....lousy gas mileage and forced to usepremium to boot........ oh well, they killed a good vehicle

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  Loving It !!!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By CDTILL - September 25 - 2:00 am

  The commercials do not do this vehicle justice. I was skeptical at first, but after the test drive I bought it that same day. The exterior is exotic looking and the interior is spacious (I am 61")and fun. I was looking into the volvo XC90, but decided this was the better choice. It is FUN to drive!!!!

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  refreshingly fast - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By the kid - September 25 - 2:00 am

  0-60 in like 7.5 sec for a SUV that also average like 20 mpg. Whats not to like? Concerns: long term reliability with new CVT tranny and price.

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  fun driven suv - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By fussy - September 25 - 2:00 am

  styling is a eye catcher. performance is very good. and fun to drive

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  Great Car, Great Price - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Manny - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I am extremely happy that I chose an Altima 2.5S. This car is step above the usual family sedan. It feels more like a sports sedan (ie: BMW 5 series, Audi A6). While other reveiws seem to focus on the interior plastics etc. Id take performance iver plastic any day. Also the front seat comfortability and adaption to each driver is better than any other car in its class. The 4 cylinder has incredible pep. and the suspension maintains a balanced ride. Put that with the incredible price that this car is going for you cant beat it. The Altima 2.5S is winner.

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  Nissan SE 3.5 - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Haptay - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought the SE 3.5 Model Mid Jan, And I cant say enough good things about the jobs. My first car was a dodge Neon and as you can imagine, the Altima says it all its ALLsome, and then some more. The performance is excellent, and the Bose system is off the chain. So I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who wants sporty, sleek, attractive, and comfortable. I plan to keep this vehicle for a very long time.

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  Our Altima - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By DG Marshall - September 25 - 2:00 am

  handling and looks is superior, inside trim is a little weak. the power is fantastic.

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  4 door style - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By san leandro - September 25 - 2:00 am

  Other cars were standing still.....oops, Im doing 80 mph and didnt realize it. Beautiful to look at.

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  I bought A Nissan Finally! - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Mr Lee - September 24 - 9:43 pm

  I bought the car in 8/05 because of all the good things I heard about it. It already had 60,000 miles on it from the date of purchased but I said so what its a Nissan. A week after I bought it the oxygen sensors went bad. Whew the warranty saved me $500! Two months later the vent control went bad. I started not to fix it but I was loseing 8mpg due to the pressure failure. I still like Nissan. However, I will never buy another car with more than 30k miles on it. The paint on the front bumper had to be repainted due to cheap paint quality. Overall Id say its a pretty well designed car. I get a lot of compliments with it. I do a lot of driving so a car has to last me.

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  A Break From the Norm - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Wm - September 24 - 3:30 pm

  This is a GREAT vehicle in contrast to the Honda/Toyota. Quality, quiet ride. Experts/critics who knock center console just havent gotten use to it. It is awesome to get into something that is truly different.