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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  A different experience - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Interesting drive - December 25 - 2:26 am

  Traded in my 2007 Sentra SE-R Spec V as the ride was getting a bit too harsh for me along with just OK fuel mileage. Liked the style of the car with the twin exhaust outlets and the spoiler certainly makes it a much more appealing car to look at as opposed the Camry in my view. Interesting ride for sure. Have never owned an automatic before (30 years plus of manual transmissions). Pushing the gas pedal gets results but sounds a little strange to begin with and feels like a rubber band is being wound up! Its nippy and no slouch though. A little jerky at constant highway speeds. Feels like Im driving an amusement arcade what with all the lights and gadgets but very pleased with the purchase.

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  Worth waiting for... - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By FFunque - December 24 - 1:33 pm

  My wife and I researched for several months on our next new car looking at the Toyota Highlander, the Mazda CX-7, Ford Edge, Honda Pilot, the list goes on... Each of the the aforementioned models has options and accessories we liked but none had everything in one vehicle - not until we came across the 2009 Murano. The comfort, quality, fit & finish, ride, accessories and options combined to make this car standout from the rest. We are extremely happy with our purchase and thoroughly enjoy driving this car. We know that this may not be the car for everyone, were just thankful that we waited for this and we couldnt be happier. 2009 Murano, Silver, LE AWD, Nav, Leather, Dual Moonroof, et

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  2005 Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By titan2ss - December 24 - 12:10 pm

  Nice around town or on road. Handles well. Im 62" and have plenty of leg room. Cargo area is good and the handles to lower rear seat in back work great. Just got with 250 mi and have over 1100 miles. Ac work well in front *but YOU DON"T GET MUCH AIR through the 2 rear vents. Some of the family complained about this. *will update later.

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  Best SUV ever owned for Value - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By FredMurano - December 23 - 9:36 pm

  I have owned Acura, Lexus, Ford, and Infiniti cars and SUVs for the last 15 years and the Murano SL AWD has been the best price value of all of them. The Ford Escape was pitiful in terms of comfort and performance. The Murano was at the other end of the scale -- best value, comfort, performance and value. I wish I had purchased instead of leased it because it is still in perfort condition after 3 years. Had two bumper replacements which were very affordable (only $600 each) compared to fixing other cars. Am considering buying this SUV again.

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  Awesome car - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Jen Fortin - December 23 - 9:30 pm

  I recently purchased the 2006 special edition Altima.........I just LOVE it!!! A very smooth ride, very comfortable, and handles extremely well. By far the nicest car I have ever owned.

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  Switched from Titan LE Truck to Pathfinder Platinum - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By chaseco321 - December 23 - 5:10 pm

  Absolutely Love this vehicle. Bought 3 weeks ago, I average 25K miles a year, and so far it is wonderful with no problems. Does not have the power of my previous Titan V8, but for a V6 with a CVT Transmission, it does great for my needs. Researched Ford Explorer Limited and Pathfinder, mulled over all the blogs, comments and bottom line for me, the Price for the vehicle & all the Premium Platinum features verses the Ford Explorer Limited, along with the "trade Value" three years from now, Nissan won this buyer over again. Especially love the remote start and heated/cooled seats. So Far So Good!! 360 camera view also a neat feature!!

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  Nissan did their homework. - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Drew Hensarling - December 22 - 1:06 am

  Ive looked at the Titans for a long time and was excited about the remodel for 2008. I took advantage of the rebate offered and am pleased with the price paid. Nissan really did a good job designing this truck and the interior room is outstanding. The only options that I got on the SE were floor mats and a bedliner. Thats really all I need because there are already lots of features that come standard. The ride is stiff but comfortable and Ive been surprised at the quietness of the ride so far. All in all, Im very pleased and am glad I chose this over the F-150 and Silverado.

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  So far so good - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Juanito - December 22 - 12:16 am

  This is a very fun truck to own. It replaced a stolen F-150 which I liked very much, but this is actually more truck for the money. Gas mileage is what youd expect from a 261 hp V6 and the ride is good. I love the 6M transmission and it shifts like a car. I finally got a chance to fully use the 4wd low in Escalante National Monument in Utah and I can say this truck certainly has the ability to craw up steep slopes. Overall, I have been very pleased with the truck. My only complaint has been a consistent rattle on the drivers side rear door that I will have looked at under warranty. At 3500 miles, I can fully endorse this truck.

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  The rounded cube! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Cube lover - December 21 - 9:30 pm

  I purchased the car two weeks ago. While having initial doubts, I have to admit that I love this car. I have a combined city/HWY of 30.5 MPG. This is much better than I expected and what it is rated for. It is very comfortable and I like the bluetooth. It drives smoothly below the 70 miles. If you expect to drive at a higher speed, this is not for you.

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  Altima Coupe, a good choice - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Dukester1a - December 21 - 3:43 pm

  The ride is very quiet and comfortable but Im still getting used to the CVT transmission. I previously owned a 4 cyl. Honda Accord (manual transmission) which had more low end power. Vision is somewhat compromised by the coupes design. Mirror adjustment is thus important.