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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  Well put together car - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Bek - September 8 - 3:40 pm

  The car has great head room, not present in many small vehicles. Its peppy and maneuverable. The design of the instrument panel is really great. Id buy another in a heartbeat.

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  Nice new ride - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Grunger - September 8 - 8:26 am

  Ive only had the truck for 3000 km, but so far Ive been nothing but impressed. The shifting is smooth and the power is excellent. Ive read some complaints about the gas mileage, but I just got back from a 2000 km road trip and averaged 24 mpg. For a new truck that has not been broken in I am satisfied. If you really need a truck you dont buy it to get 30+ mpg, you buy it to get the job done.

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  Go get one! - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Trav - September 8 - 1:06 am

  I use this truck to tow my boat and get around town with my family. Great power and torque. Very well thought out interior and exterior design overall. Highly recommend.

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  Miss my Frontier so much! - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By S. B. - September 7 - 7:06 am

  I bought a 2008 Crew Cab Nissan Frontier brand new, intending to drive it for 30 years or so, and planning to "hand it down" to my son when he got old enough to drive. I drove it for 8 years, then gave it to my son, who only got to drive it for about a year before someone plowed into it while it was parked and totaled it :( It was a really awesome truck--I absolutely loved it. Super comfortable, good for city driving or highway driving, handled well, drove well, didnt nickle-and-dime me on maintenance, super functional, good looking truck. Not ridiculously big, or uselessly small--just right. The interior plastic materials were a bit clunky looking, and it had the turn radius of an aircraft carrier, and handling the stiff steering wheel was a great upper body workout. The paint held up really well--still flawless after being parked outdoors for 9 years, but the black trim was in need of reconditioning. The cloth on the seats was very rugged--it was kind of waffled...I forget what they called it, but it was very durable and helped keep the seats cool. I used to joke about bringing the seats into the house because they were more comfortable than my favorite recliner. The cam position sensors did go out--the truck suddenly lost electrical power and shut off when driving around 35-40 mph twice, and gas mileage decreased noticeably over a few weeks time before it was diagnosed and repaired. That was the only problem I ever had with it. It had one recall that was quickly fixed. It was an all around great vehicle. I really miss it, and if youre an experienced driver looking to buy one, go for it!

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  Pretty Good - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Richard Seibert - September 7 - 6:53 am

  Car has smooth ride and decent handling. Handling could be improved with better OE tires. Very pleased with MPG so far. Lease deal was terrific, and that is what swayed me, although I do like the styling and interior design. Intelligent key is great--no fishing for the remote.

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  stay away from this piece of garbage - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By wayne - September 6 - 8:20 pm

  tupperware car - beautiful to look at but build quality and materials are junk. it has been in the shop more times than i can count with a less than helpful dealership(stealership). had problems starting, ABS light came on for no reason, crank position sensor went, bouncy ride/rear shocks lack rebound damping, intermittent buzzing from under dash area, turn signals stop clicking, lots of rattles etc. Stay away from this one and buy a camry or accord.

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  Awesome Vehicle - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Mike S - September 6 - 7:53 pm

  This vehicle has design appeal, something I wanted without paying luxury pricing. The controls in the car are very techno, handling is superb. I had five adults in the car, and everyone was comfortable. Air Conditioning works great, very important since I live in Arizona. My only disappointment is that the Radio is not XM ready. I have contacted Nissan about this, and hopefully this can be resolved without using a FM modulated aftermarket unit. Since I have just taken delivery on my vehicle, it is hard to get into the mechanical aspects, but find it generally very tight and responsive. Great job Nissan design team!

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  Still Happy - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By dvkiel - September 6 - 5:26 pm

  I purchased the Versa 14 months ago and am just now approaching 9000 miles on it and so far I have not had any issues with the vehicle. I am getting a very consistent 29-31 mpg commuting around town. Havent taken it on any long trips as yet but would expect the mpg to be very good.

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  BAD REAR END CRASH******RESULTS - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By ufocafe - September 6 - 3:53 am

  I love my Armada! I was rear ended by a Water Tanker Truck when I was stopped at a traffic light. And I wasn hit so hard,that I crashed into an Police car stopped in front of me. I found out from the police report that the tanker weighed over 33 thousand pounds. What a scare. But,I was barely scratched. I was not hospitalized and I was back to work the very next morning. I owe all of this to the fantastic design of the Armada. I WILL be an Armada owner from now on. Thanks Nissan.

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  Can go anywhere - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By erox - September 6 - 3:40 am

  Within one week of owning the pathfinder we had a snow storm and it did exceptionally well in 10 inches of snow. Also, did great going up mud hills. It basically exceeded my every expectation of a nissan product. For fans of nissan, how could you not get one of these.