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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  Best Maxima Ever! - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxima #3 - March 25 - 5:36 pm

  Bought as certified used with 22K miles, now have 122K miles and this car is still awesome!I havent had any major problems at all with this car. I plan to drive it well past 200K miles.

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  Fun Car - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By prabh - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Fun and comfortable. No complains, low maintainence

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  South Dakota Maxima from Iowa - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By CYCLONZ - March 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought my SE in Jan of 2003. prior to this i owned a POS neon. My first experience was in a 97 GLE which my brother in law owned. I never imagined what i have invested in till now.. The v6 is sweet, sound not so much (neon wins this one). However the leather and the performance is outstanding.. my baby hits the road and i am flying. I am sure one of these days i will get a ticket.. it will be worth it!

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  Did I get a good deal? - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By ChrisATL - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Just bought new 03 SE ....traded in 99 SE. Paid 22000+TX for a base 03 SE. A fellow Maxima lover

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  review - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By AprilRN - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Gas Mileage is really, really bad for a smaller SUV.

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  Impressive - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By skillet1 - March 25 - 2:00 am

  I test drove virtually every possible performance wagon, crossover, and suv on the market today. All of them had something going for them but the best compromise for the money was the Murano ( bar none). I knew when I test drove it that I had finally found a perfect blend of performance, comfort, practicality, mileage,safety, and affordability. Very nice ride, super comfy seats, nice styling, smooth powerful engine. Mileage has been ~20mpg during the break-in period in very cold weather.

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  AWESOME CAR - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By STEVEN HESTER - March 25 - 2:00 am

  GREAT OVERALL CAR! AFOORDABLE! DEPENDABLE AND RELIABLE. A CAR WITH A LOT OF CLASS

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  The best Ive owned!!! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Fitchick - March 25 - 2:00 am

  I sold cars for the last 3 years. I sold Fords, Infinitis and BMWs. This car is by far the best value for your money!!!

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  Performance Rules - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By hilljo - March 23 - 7:26 pm

  Performance is King, and this Pathfinder rules. The most horsepower in its class equals a happy camper. Traded an Acura MDX, and it feels really good to be back in a truck SUV and away from a car SUV. The ride is very, very good for a truck SUV. The extra horsepower offsets any and all negatives, plus it just plain looks great. The Bose sound system with 9 speakers is also nice. Laying down all of the rear seats is slightly cumbersome.

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  Fantastic SUV - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Dmitriy - March 23 - 9:53 am

  Ive just bought this car. It is powerful and smooth. Perfect performance. The CUV has everything I needed. Its real fun to drive.