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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  Titanium - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By sdffs - January 13 - 10:00 am

  It is a pretty good vehicle lots of room and good to tow your boat

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  First year Titans - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Splatt - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Powerful, solid, rattle free, comfy, quick...just a few words to discribe the Titan. A great truck for everything from runs to the store to towing a 26 power boat. The tie down bed liner system is amazing, great thinking.

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  Fun To Drive - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By MtnClimber - January 13 - 10:00 am

  All around FUN!!! A great looking SUV and great off-road adventures. Drives well around town as also.

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  Great Car Great Price - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Don Mega - January 13 - 10:00 am

  This is the best sports coupe you can buy for under $40,000. Theres no other like it. Take one for a drive and youll love the interior and ride. Lots of Sport mixed with a lil Luxury. If your bank account isnt large enough to purchase a Porsche then this car is the next best thing. Performance is nice and the MPG is good. Nissan reliability is a major reason I chose the 350z.

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  I love it - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By willow sara - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Very fun to drive and looks good! It turns a lot of heads!

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  30 days of fine driving - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By jd8900 - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Drove the car home from Texas to Kansas and with all the wind through Oklahoma and kansas I was surprised just how quiet it was inside.

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  best nissan - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By cyberman2004 - January 13 - 10:00 am

  By far the best vehicle I ever owned! Looks fast even when standing stil and stops on a dime. Cant say enough. You have to drive to appreciate

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  Maxima: The best there is! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Chris24L - January 13 - 10:00 am

  The 2004 Maxima, in my opinion, is the greatest thing ever developed. I love every part of it. It has excellent power, looks great, is super fun to drive, and always leaves me ready to go on another drive!! Its the best car on the market in my opinion!

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  Grand Cruiser - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Dajie - January 13 - 5:43 am

  Just got back from another road trip, this time we drove from Salt Lake City Utah to LA and back. This car certainly made the miles go by fast. Its comfortable, sporty (I have the 5 speed model), reliable, economical. My dad has a 1998 Camry V6 XLE, I would never pick his car to go on a trip like this for as long as I own mine Maxima, and I am sure it will be for a long time.

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  A great car!!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By bwc64 - January 11 - 10:46 pm

  After 7 months and 9700 miles, I still love it, its great car and Im very happy with it. Fantastic gas mileage 30 to 32 mpg combined city and hwy 38 to 39 in all hwy. This is my fourth Altima and the best one yet. Love the new style, quality and it is alot more refined over previous models its very quite and I love the upscale trim and smooth ride. The handling is great and I love it for long drives. I gets lots of compliments on the car and it style. Its very Infiniti like in the styling and Im not complaining about that. I had read about the issues the early models had so I waited and made sure I bought one produced later in the year, Mine was made in July 13 and Im glad I did!!!