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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  Hemi-Killer! - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Lonster - July 26 - 1:33 am

  OK, Ive owned a lot of cars. I mean a lot of cars. Ive been driving for 21 years and Ive owned 22 cars. My last vehicle was a 2000 F-150 XLT-4WD, with the 5.4, and it was ok, but this truck is the BOMB! Of the 22 cars, 6 of them have been Nissans, and I swear by Nissans...Reliability, styling, and did I forget PERFORMANCE?!?! I waited until the 3rd model year to get the best full-size truck available, and now that I have the vehicle of my dreams, I think it will be a long time until vehicle number 23...

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  Enjoying the Ride So Far - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By cubuff - July 25 - 7:20 pm

  1st time Nissan buyer, test-drove Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander but liked the Murano best (I like the smaller size, I dont need 3rd row). Love this car so far, fit and finish / styling are top notch. Took it to the mountains to go skiing this past weekend and it did great, but not much snow or ice to challenge AWD on yet. Leather is comfortable, moonroof is fun. Am averaging about 19-20 mpg so far in mostly city driving but only 500+ miles on it so far. Very quiet, smoother ride than I expected from SUV. I was a bit worried about buying a Nissan due to their hit or miss reliability but am hoping it is above average like 07 design. I also hope crash test ratings come thru clean.

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  Enjoying my new ride - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By phillyeagles - July 25 - 9:09 am

  I had a 2012 Maxima SV Sport fully loaded thought of keeping for another 10 years but after a oil changed dealership had few of 16s in the showroom lot. Well I instantly waited until few months later not long away on getting a newer model. Absolutely blown away with everything on this eighth generation its a beautiful car overall their lots of new updates and more advanced features. The Maxima rides 10x better than my 12 its little bit comfortable with Sport-Quitted leather seats now available with ventilated cooled & heated front seats. Navigation system seems great but looks outdated not much if have center stacked center its so convenient doing anything instead using the display at the screen. This car got better performance more quicker than ever compared to my old Maxima this new car is much powerful with a 300hp V-6 plus newer parts and Continuously Variable Transmission is absolutely perfect along there is (Sport and Normal modes) I usually keep mines in Sport mode as car gets more aggressive on road. Compared with the last model this new model has got more advanced on everything its a much highly technical car in class. I feel much safer driving this car has all of the bells and whistles rides quieter no squeaks or rattles even interior looks more top of the line liking this new Maxima might be weird looking coming down the highway but its a great car overall new exterior looks beautiful love all new latest features ever as a more computer car.

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  Love it!! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Veronica Rivera - July 25 - 6:53 am

  My dad bought me this car for my high school graduation. People usually say that the car looks to big for me but I love it, I owned a sentra before this one but the Altima was the one I always wanted. I travel 4 hrs to college and the gas is very economical, it fits me extremely well. The ride is very comfortable and the car is beautiful inside and out.

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  Typical Nissan Truck... - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By theironchefchris - July 24 - 3:56 pm

  After a year, the truck has impressed the hell outta me. I went with it over the Tacoma which I like a lot as well but the Nissan was black, so I had to get it. The truck is what it is; a tough tank of a truck, nothing you dont need, simple, great design, and super powerful. The price is right and it holds its value well. Im hoping to keep this thing for a long long time at least until we can get one with a diesel! The paint is a bit weak and does chip behind the doors near the fender flares, but hey its a truck. Also, mine didnt have keyless entry and i got it from eBay for 7 bucks, so stop complaining people! I use it daily and love this truck, excited to drive it everyday

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  Family Wagon With Looks - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Dave - July 24 - 3:00 pm

  The 4 doors are great for a family and the benefits of a pickup bed. Traded a 1994 Ranger for this truck. Gas mileage is the same but the power of the Nissan 4.0 is better than the Ford 3.8 dog. Getting 19 mpg - it is a truck.

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  Very nice truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By army95bravo - July 23 - 3:13 am

  I purchased my 2008 Frontier used with 32,000 miles on it(one owner). The truck is great, turning radius sucks and I wish they included fog lights as standard equipment on the Frontier. Ive had Toyotas and Nissans and both are very reliable trucks. But this time it was all about price. I love this Frontier, the way it rides, the looks of it!

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  Great looking econo car - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By 350Z Owner too - July 22 - 8:46 pm

  I own a 350Z and its gas hungry and I wanted something I could commute to work a few days a week to save on gas, but also travel in. I researched and came across the Versa. Its got a great interior design compared to comparable cars in its class. Its roomy and has great visibility all around, which is hard to say for the 350Z. I think this is a great buy for anyone looking for a good point A to B car to save on gas, but not feel like your driving a cheap tin can on wheels.

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  2008 Nissan Sentra 2.0 s manual trans - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Cassandra - July 22 - 7:50 am

  Great car, I drive to and from college in it and often get over 36 miles to the gallon. The 6 speed manual is fun to drive, but a little difficult to get used to at first. The new sentra is full of extras: the bluetooth system makes answering calls while on the road a lot safer; the back seats fold down for extra storage; there is an amazing audio system with radio, cd, and mp3 compatability; as well as a trip computer and air bags everywhere.

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  Great Truck... - 2012 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jbw5 - July 22 - 6:24 am

  Awesome truck. Bought a brand-spankin new one Wednesday night and am happy. Took the family to the beach and was impressed with the ride and gas mileage on the freeway. My only real complaint about this thing is headlights. Very hard to see, even when using the high beams. The SatNav system is awesome as well as the information display. No USB port, but aux input is there. The overall fit and finish is really nice.. and the Nissan dealer I dealt with (Jenkins Nissan) was very accommodating and professional. People complain that this thing "rides like a truck," but thats WHAT IT IS. Its meant to be tossed around and used as such. If you want an SUV that comes with a purse, go buy a CR-V.