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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  I am in love!! - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By mrsrrn21 - July 5 - 2:51 am

  I recently purchased the Nissan Altima 2.5 S. This was the first time I purchased a new vehicle and I did my research and test drove many cars. I drove the Camry, Optima, Cruze, Mazda 3, Fusion, etc, but I knew when I sat in the Altima that it was made for me. This car out did the competition in style, performance, and the fact that it was just fun to drive. The CVT is smooth and I barely notice when the car is shifting gears. The features are stylish and I love the intelligent key technology. The inside is sleek and classy. There is plenty of leg room in the back! So far, I am avg. 25 MPG city, stop and go driving, which is great! Im in love! Will do another review later in the year.

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  Biggest little car out there! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By ChrisJ - July 4 - 12:46 pm

  With 1000 miles under my new Nissan Versa SL I have to say I am very happy with the car. Rides like a big car. SL includes 6 CD changer and aux input for iPod or MP3, a must have. Plenty of room for my wife and 3 of the kids, along with a trunk full of groceries. Rides smooth and quiet, can hardly hear the engine run. So far I am averaging 30 mpg with 70/30 highway/city driving. Seems to be improving with each tank full, but I am a little disappointed its not better. New 08 mpg estimates list the Versa at 26/33 for the CVT. Lower then the sticker 30/36. Guess I will have to slow down to 55 on the highway.

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  Digging out the snow - 2013 Nissan Juke
  By Millie - July 4 - 10:17 am

  The snow builds up in the wheel wells...you have to dig it out everyday.the paint chips really bad.the heater is not warm enough for minnesota.the defogger is not strong enough for minnesota. Lousy gas milage.I do love driving my juke..does good in the snow and ice,but you have to dig the snow from the wheel wells daily.and I think Im getting little rust spots already.and the paint is chipping all over.the car is 2.5 years old.

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  Good Enough - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Davey00000 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I had a 97 sentra GXE then traded it in for the awesome SE-R. Great car, tons of fun to drive. NEVER HAVE HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM, even after 15,000 miles. Love the power.

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  Think about the Sienna or Odessy first! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By shotgun - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Not a bad vehicle if only Nissan could improve build quality! We had the interior lights falling out of the ceiling. Knobs coming off. Numerous times the engine would not start and would take about 4 minutes of trying. One time, while driving the van lost all power. Regardless, of what I did nothing helped. After leaving if off for about 5 minutes, it worked fine. The dealer has had similar compliants and said there has been no guidance from Nissan as to what is wrong/correct fix. Cannot recommend this vehicle because of reliability.

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  Best Van Ever - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Dianne - July 4 - 10:00 am

  its wonderful, I cant believe how wonderful it made from the inside out

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  Two Question on my Murano SL FWD - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By UlaUla - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Too many positve evaluations. However, I noticed that: (1) I have never got the 25MPG fuel economy on highway with a speed of 70MPH, only about 22MPG. (2) When I try to accelerate the car (not very sudden) at low speed (<20MPH) I find that the engines revolution has a slight shift down (i.e. from 1800rpm to 1500rpm), and then stay at that revolution with an increasing speed; on the contrary, when I try to slow down the car, at the speed of 15MPH I find that the revolution has another shift up (i.e. from 1100rpm to 1500rpm), and then goes back to 1100rpm with a decreasing speed. Anybody noticed same phenomenas? Comments are welcome to lishu998@hotmail.com.

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  i am an owner - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By hdgirl - July 4 - 10:00 am

  i own this vehicle i love this unit it is so fun to drive its fast and sporty the stereo system is like being in a concert i recommend this vehicle dependable comfortable i plan to keep this unit a long time

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  So far, so good - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By lorigct - July 4 - 10:00 am

  None of the SUVs in the market appealed to me but living in NE I needed something reliable for the winter. Murano offered the AWD plus the nice luxury like look. Took 2 long trips and was very confortable. Fun to drive, however, watch out for the blind spots! The paint seems to be very delicate (already showing some chips and I am not a commuter!)

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  Love it - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Rev. Bruce - July 4 - 10:00 am

  This is the most fun drive since my old Honda Prelude in 80. Quality of build is top notch, it does everything I ask even recreating the Cabot Trail Advertisement this year! Did fine off road on mountain trails, smooth ride, plenty of power. Center console is a bit awkward and the engineers should have included Mph/Kph conversion on the English/Metric Converter! Dont understand why no running lights on US models, just a cheap relay. Huge room in the back seat, enormous leg room in the front. This SUV is awesome, like driving a luxury car that goes like heck and pushes through snow like its nothing. Safe and steady and Fast, wish heated cloth seats were available. Id buy it again.