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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  THE Urban SUV - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By georgaynea - July 26 - 8:16 pm

  Living in Houston, this SUV can handle traffic with ease and can park anywhere a smaller car can (and thats a BIG deal here!). I am very impressed with all of the bang for the buck. The CVT is a change for those of us who are used to hearing and feeling our vehicles shift. But it only takes a very short time to get used to. In fact, if you used noise (engine or wind) to gauge speed, WATCH OUT! It will be at 80 mph in seconds if you dont watch.It appears that the very few things that I would change in the 2005 have been addressed in the 2006 model. I think I have found a vehicle I could really be loyal to.

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  And i almost bought a chevy tahoe - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By john johnson - July 26 - 8:00 am

  this is my first ever suv and wow!! what a truck. This suv is such a pleasure to drive for long hauls or even just setting in downtown chicagos traffic. the great take aways frome this suv is outstanding comfort for the drive. Im 62" and i can set comfortably in the back seat with out adjusting the front seat. And man does this monster move, i was blown away that its only a 6 clinder. i can honestly say the second and third row seats are extremely easy to move and figure out how to use. well i love my truck and nissan has a new fan!!! oh and by the way this truck has a great center of gravity, you wont feel any weird rolling motions from making turns.

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  I will never ever own a Nissan again! - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Vickie - July 26 - 2:10 am

  I bought this car in 2003 as a graduation present to myself, little did I know what a piece of crap I bought. Im not joking when I say my CD player broke about once a month. Something went wrong with my electrical system and my lights would randomly turn off. Just about any replacement parts have to be bought from Nissan (rip off). After my radiator and my head gasket went at 60,000 I got rid of this car. I couldnt afford to keep up with all of the repairs and of course Nissan kept trying to turn everything around on me even when my car was under warranty! I traded this piece of crap in for a Toyota Matrix and 3 years later Im still happy I did so! I swear I will never buy a Nissan again

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  Fantastic car - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By motosys - July 25 - 7:31 pm

  We purchased the last 2013 on the lot and got a great deal. The ride is very comfortable I took it on a 250 mile road trip and wasnt sore at all. The fuel economy was fantastic especially for a V6 I got 35 mpg for the trip. The only issues is the fabric that the seats are made of are nice and plush with a white dog who sheds we have to vacuum it out at least once a week to keep it looking good inside. The voice commands are awful. In my 2013 Hyundai the voice commands are better and work. However the interface on the Nav works great so I dont feel the need to tell the car to do things. for the bulk of what I do the buttons on the console and on the steering wheel are great

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  Disappointed - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Don - July 25 - 12:16 pm

  I have been bragging about my Titan up until this weekend when I heard a loud clunk coming from the rear axle. The noise got a little worse yesterday & today the truck is almost undriveable. It sounds & feels like something is slipping in the rear end, BAD, the slipping got so frequent & bad on the highway today that I was expecting to go home on the back of a flatbed. The truck will be going into the dealership where I bought it in the morning. They better not call me & tell me that they cant duplicate the problem or there are no "error codes" showing on their diagnostic equipment like service departments are prone to say! I expect them to blame the problem on abuse or some other excuse.

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  5th Gen 2000-02 are best - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Johns - July 25 - 10:00 am

  Purchased new w/Infinity all-leather interior. 130K miles. I take good care of it. Still looks great w/a few minor paint touch-ups. Wonderful car for the S.W. and high-speed touring. Good power/weight ratio. 21 mpg city, 28 highway at 80+mph. Unmatched visibility for touring and safety. Roomy inside and comfortable rear seat for passengers up to 6 tall. Great driving car with ample power. Good human factors design for driver - everything obvious and handy. Replaced all 4 O2 sensors, starter, radiator and alternator between 105K & 120K miles, front camber kit and rotors are due. Regular maintenance w/synthetic oil. Altogether a great car thats fun to drive w/a lot of good miles left in it.

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  My, how far cars have come! - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By PR Gomez - July 25 - 10:00 am

  Bought a NAH coming off rental (Budget) with 32k miles for less than $16k, to replace a 12 year old Ford Contour V6 (stick). The NAH is bigger, peppier (0- 60 in 7.5 vs. 8.5), and uses less gas (averaging 35 mpg in Chicago driving). It also almost cost less. One year of abuse by multiple drivers doesnt seem to have caused any damage. It still glides effortlessly until I step on it, and then it "moos" forward (it doesnt "roar" exactly) like its got a rocket on its rear. Great fun to drive around the Mississippi bluffs, especially when passing slowpokes in two-lane highways (60-80 in about 2 sec). I feel like installing a bumper sticker saying: "You Were Just Passed by a Hybrid."

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  Somewhat impressed - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By clintons - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car in September so I havent had it that long but I have put almost 3000 miles on it driving 14-16 hours on long trips every weekend. I am impressed with the way it drives, feels and the design of the whole car. It has a huge trunk. The gas mileage is good when you dont give it a lot of gas and dont have a lot of people or luggage in the car. I get about 36-40 mpg highway at 75 mph. I dont like the rough downshifting and the whine the engine makes. (almost sounds like a turbo.) the CVT takes some getting used to as if you are on the gas, it wont shift

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  Amazing car - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By terry thrasher - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I just bought this car today and I love everything about it. It puts you back in your seat "amazing performance" weird looking in the front but it grows on you

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  Nissan can do better - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By A.H - July 25 - 8:40 am

  I love my Armada and so does my wife, my complaint is the front brake system, the overhead console rattles, the quality of the interior, cheap plastic and leather, NISSAN CAN DO MUCH BETTER for the asking price. Im use to top quality workmanship and materials since I also own a lexus, I realized that this is not a lexus.