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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  Luvin my Murano! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By DChick - February 5 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had my MO for 2 weeks now, but I just love it! Id researched this vehicle and knew more about it when it hit limited prod than any salesperson at the dealerships. The car is FUN-FUN-FUN to drive, has the get-up-and-go you need in those "special situations," has a smooth and comfortable ride. This is a great vehicle; Im hoping its as reliable and long-living as my other Nissan which has 222K miles on it and is still running like a champ. Its a little pricier than I think it should be but if you can go thru something like the Costco Auto Sales program, you can save some serious $$$.

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  SMART BUY - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By TANGO - February 5 - 10:00 am

  REAL HEAD TURNER, FINNALY A CAR WITH SPEED AND GREAT LOOKS IN AND OUT. EVEN THE WIFES HAPPY WITH IT.

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  Love it!!!!! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Michelle Gilston - February 5 - 6:00 am

  Ive had my Armada for over a year now and absolutely love the look, the drive, and the performance! I have had a problem with a touchy check tire light since the cars delivery, comes on when driving on interstate after about 50 miles. Also drivers window rattles when about 1/4 of the way down, but I just turn up the volume on the awesome sound system, and it goes away. The only other thing is that the letters on the radio and steering controls are already starting to scratch off and its only been a year. I love my car - even the fill-up at the tank seems worth having a car that is safe, fun to drive, turns heads, holds my 2 kids/dogs/1 husband comfortably and is safe and reliable.

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  Sentra Suprise - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By 350zmarty - February 5 - 1:05 am

  I just purchased a 2012 Nissan Sentra, and ..... I was pleasently surprised on how solid this car really is. It is super quiet, very peppy, and saves me at the pump. I purchased the Sr model with the value package. So I was able to get a sporty car, with sunroof, navigation, nice looking wheels, for only 17,900. I just put 250 miles on only 1/2 a tank, my 2006 Mustang Gt, would have been on less than a 1/8th of a tank at this point.

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  Fun, Peppy, Economical, Just What I Need - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By stormee - February 4 - 9:40 pm

  Ive only had my Versa for a week. 774 miles on it so far. I needed economy and comfort for my commute to work and traded in my NIssan Quest minivan that I bought new in 1996. It had 193,000 miles on it. I hope I can get as many miles on the Versa. I drove in the hills and hollows of Indiana last week and the power for getting up the steep hills was phenomenal. I have had other 4 cylinder vehicles that didnt perform on those same hills nearly as well. I was hoping to get better mileage than 25 but perhaps on my next tank I will do better. I need to slow down to 65 mph instead of driving 80 which is very easy to do in this car without even realizing it. I think Im driving a racecar.

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  160K and still going strong! - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By FireRed1220 - February 4 - 7:10 pm

  I bought this vehicle with 103K miles on it in 2006, I replaced the water pump and timing belt @ 105K miles, the harmonic balancer went out @ the same time and I had that replaced as well, other than that, which as far as Im concerned are just normal maintenance issues, Excellent Vehicle. I have a growing family and need a bigger vehicle, but I would love to keep this just to see how much I can get out of it.

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  Great All Around Vehicle - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Jeff - February 2 - 7:20 pm

  One vehicle that does it all, great, fun to drive as summer sports car, handles and rides like one, a sure footed winter SUV on snow or ice, the CVT is smooth, quiet as well as the overall interior, have LE with 20" wheels, drives perfect down the road

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  The future of crossover is here! - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By DJ - February 2 - 9:13 am

  Just traded my 2004 350Z for this vehicle. Strange choice? Hardly. Exterior: it still has the same stylish looks as previous models except the grille-work, which gives it an almost "storm-trooper" facade which is head turning. Interior: smooth clean lines continue to demonstrate that Nissan has not gone away from its earlier models. Very easy to handle all dash displays and the interior cabin is spacious. Driving: power to burn, tight steering radius, and easier than you might think to park. There is some body roll when cornering (maybe I drive too fast). It drives like a car and with the added horsepower you feel like you can control any driving situation. Best buy for sure.

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  So glad I bought the Z - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Tans Z - January 31 - 10:00 am

  I am so glad I bought my Z. I have been in love with them since I was a teen. My previous cars were a Sentra and 200sx. I love Nissans, and I am very pleased with the comfort and all the attention I get driving it.

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  Z U next year - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By sokrateZ - January 31 - 10:00 am

  This is the car of affordable sports cars. This attention grabber has been a conversation starter every since the night I picked her up. Nissan has outdone itself with the new body style and performance.