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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  Very Fun Car - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By rgp1000 - December 18 - 3:48 am

  Did a lot of research and picked the Rogue in Midnight Jade. Surprised every 3rd car on the road isnt 1. Ive found 4 distinct driving modes. The put it in drive and go mode, the Low mode- for slow, bad conditions driving, sport mode-yahoo. when I get it broke in Ill b using almost exclusively. Last is turning off the OD or over-drive. Great for going up hills. I dont have to worry about mph, live close to work, so when the motor is broke in...sport mode! The active trace- inside wheels brake slightly is nice. But the birdseye-view camera is awesome, better than I thought. I feel if I didnt get a lemon, ill be raving about this car for years.

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  Awesome Truck - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Mike - December 17 - 7:50 pm

  Great ride quality, brakes, & suspension. Love the big interior of the CC. I have the leather bench seats and the big fold-down center console is great, especially for a laptop. Nicely priced, got my brand new 08 CC SE SB, OTD for 26k.

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  Fun to Drive for SUV - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Cardy - December 16 - 7:23 pm

  Although a crossover, this SUV is like driving a sportscar. It will hopefully get more consistent gas mileage after the engine breaks in. Absolutley love it unless the alternator break as in a recall. Google it and find out if you VIN applies. Fortunately mine does not. Absolutley endorse this vehicle.

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  Great Mini-Van Purchase - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Hogshead - December 16 - 1:33 am

  This is a good, almost great mini-van. The in town gas milage is a little underpar, but past that I have no complaints except for the dealer. I recently took it on a 1200 mile trip and it was very comfortable to drive for the 10 hours each day I sat in the drivers seat. The kids had tons of room and had no complaints.

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  The "Sleeper" for 2007 - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Jimmy - December 15 - 4:43 pm

  I wanted to get a fuel efficient vehicle before the gas prices shoot up again, which will probably be in 2007. Before I actually purchased my Sentra, I looked at all the competitive models including the Corolla. The Sentra offers far more features than any of the other cars and is still in the same price range. My gas mileage is 26.6 in the city 37.1 freeway. It is easy to park and fun to drive. And having to live and commute in California, that says a lot.

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  A great car with mediocre customer servi - 2010 Nissan GT-R
  By Darren - December 15 - 1:40 pm

  The GT-R is everything the media claims and no poser on performance. The German master race car builders are in a frenzy to compete. The consumer wins! The GT-R is the hands down best performance car I ever owned. So well balanced to give thrilling performance and handling in a fairly comfortable daily driver.I am curious why Nissan left out some basic features like lane change signal, daytime running lights and a so so Bose stereo/Nav

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  I love my XTerra!!! - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By jsal74 - December 15 - 2:00 am

  Bought the XE-V6 4x2 Auto and have driven it for about 700 miles. So far no problems, and have loved driving it around town. Build quality is excellent, and I have no doubt that Nissan quality will provide me with a long lasting, enjoyable SUV. Exterior styling is eye pleasing, with its tough, aggresive hood giving it a "masculine" look to an otherwise cutesy vehicle class. Great features, fun to drive and plenty of safety features for an average family.

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  New Owners Review - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Murano_Owner - December 15 - 2:00 am

  An extremely comfortable vehicle with excellent handling. It performs flawlessly on icy and snow covered roads. The sleek exterior is an eye catcher.

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  Exceptional - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By knoll - December 15 - 2:00 am

  Based on personal comparison shopping, the 2003 Nissan Altima outperformed its competitors in terms of price and quality. The standard 170+hp engine on the 2.5s is more than sufficient and can be upgraded, while keeping a very young professional feel to it necessary in my line of work. The only minor drawback, which should not discourage the Altimas potentional buyers, is that the engine is slightly noiser than its Toyota Camry counterpart, which is to be expected with the larger engine. I am so satisfied with this car that I recommend this car to all my friends.

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  Nissan To Die For! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By TAL - December 15 - 2:00 am

  I have owned a Lexus, BMW, Mazda RX-7, Diamante and a Suburban, to name some. I can honestly say this is the most fun car out of all of the above. The power is unbelievable! You have to be careful when accelerating quickly due to the front wheel drive (it gets a little out of control!) I LOVE IT! I would highly reccommend this car for the money.