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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  toms - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By tom 151 - November 7 - 10:00 am

  its very powerful and fun

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  Nice Car - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By DDA - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Maxima new 4 years ago. Im pretty tall and this was one of only a few cars with moon roof where I sat comfortably. Found out the alignment was bad after 25,000 miles. Replaced the Goodyear Eagle tires with Michelins and significantly reduced road noise. No other real maintenance issues other than warranty repair on a bad air bag sensor.

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  MY MURONO TURNS HEADS - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By TERRY SAUL - November 7 - 10:00 am

  THIS IS A VERY COMFORTABLE, SOLID RIDING SPORTS CAR THAT LOOKS LIKE AN SUV! THE NEW TRANSMISSION (CVT) IS THE BIG KEY TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS RIDE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO ADJUST TO INSTANT POWER, NO WAITING FOR PASSING GEAR TO COME IN, IT IS READY BEFORE YOU ARE. EVERYWHERE WE GO, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. IT SETS IN FRONT OF MY BUSINESS AND WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL CUSTOMERS STOP AND WANT TO KNOW ALL ABOUT IT.

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  This car ROCKS!!! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By biener777 - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car after a neighbor bought a 2.5S. I had a decked out Focus that I was planning on slamming till I saw his ride and found out it came with a 3.5l V6 w/ a 5 speed! I got the car a month later and paid the same price I paid for the Focus with 100 fewer horses under the hood. Needless to say it was icing on the cake when I test drove the Altima and found I wasnt rubbing elbows with my passenger and my daughter was no longer able to kick the back of my seat! This car has ROOOOOOM to just "be" and enjoy the drive! It is surprisingly easy on the gas too. In fact, I get 24 city and 28 highway.....slightly BETTER than the Focus!!!!

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  04Max - Great - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Rand - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Have Silver SE with Driver Preferred , VDC ,Sunroof ,mats and guards. What a great car. this is my 4th Max SE and is by far the best handling of them all. I will say that build quality is somewhat worse then my previous Maximas. Minor Shimmy in steering , wheels ned to be balanced , small paint problem. Gas milage has been around 23.5 combined driving. My people look and like what they see. Very quiet running car.

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  Rogue SL AWD Doesnt Disappoint!!! - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Hillbilly Chic - November 6 - 5:52 pm

  After test driving and researching the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Cherokee, we decided on the our Jet Black Rogue with beige leather interior. It comes with a panoramic sun roof which fully extends back to the second row of seats. We love the electronics, GPS, LED lights and overall look of the interior and exterior. This vehicle has six cameras that allow for excellent views while your backing up. I also love the heated seats, dual AC/heat controls, heated exterior mirrors, blind spot warning lights and did anyone mention the lumbar spine control on the drivers seat? I will say this could have been added to the passenger seat for the price of this vehicle. If you want a vehicle with more zip I recommend a 6 cyclinder which we opted out of due higher gas costs. I noticed in the comments that no mentioned the sport and eco modes. Living in the mountains of Tennessee, I was concerned about the zip going up and down hills. No problem there. I switch to the OD/off or sport mode and have all the pep I want climbing the hills. I love that I can save gas on the highway with eco mode. Overall, my Rogue gets great mileage! I also enjoy the "keyless" ignition. Good bye to fumbling and digging in my purse for keys. Love, love, love this vehicle. A very satisfied customer.

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  Happy Altima - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Patricia - November 6 - 2:43 am

  Its a Great comfortable car. Spacious, and quiet. Very happy with this car.

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  Quests are great! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By C. Evans - November 6 - 12:46 am

  The Quest has been a smooth, comfortable driving experience under most circumstances. It does not handle well in wet/snowy road conditions (and I KNOW how to drive in the snow...in a van even) and has a few issues with side doors opening in extreme weather conditions (below -25 and also above 105). They were recalled and fixed but we still experience the problem. Always make sure side doors are closed before switching gears. Other than that, the interior design is great, every seat has a perfect ride! Very quiet road noise and very quiet body with no squeaking too and excellent options make this van a perfect fit for large young families.

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  Best value minivan - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By zyndurai1 - November 5 - 9:32 pm

  This van is fairly fun to drive. What makes it fun is how luxury and comfortable you feel when driving it. I seriously considered the odyssey and sienna but you just get more for your money with this one. The looks also is much better than the others. My boys love the entertainment DVD. IPhone blue tooth is good but not great as well as input for listening music from your iPhone. It works but you have to do a little playing around to get sound from different apps. You get this van for its value and the look and feel. The others are good if you want more amenities like cooler or split screen DVD. This one feels most comfortable IMO.

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  Mikes Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By PTA Mike - November 4 - 5:43 pm

  Fashionistic! Great style and performance. Got stability control/traction control, adjustable pedals. Great Bose stereo, 6 air bags, 18" tires/wheels. Rides great, excellent handling/performance. Smooth CVT (transmission). High intensity headlights, leather/sunroof. A real joy to drive. Excellent visability - removed rear headrests. Intelligent key (no key to unlock or start engine! Easy to drop rear seats, from the rear. Can lock the car with a button on rear hatch. Great eye appeal, with the technology to match.