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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  Titan King Cab, 4X4, Galaxy, LE - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By rdgrnr101 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I am extemely pleased with my Titan. I have been pleasantly suprised by the layout and finish of the interior. The engine power is smoothly transferred through the drive train to the wheels. The ride of the vehicle is really comfortable, while being firm enough to handle off-road riding. Being a former Ford, F150, Lightning (2000) owner, I do believe that Ford, as well as GM have a real full-size, competitor, in the Titan, for their dominance of US pickup sales. With Nissans planned, addition of options and other improvements on the 2004 model, for later roll out, the competition is here.

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  catch me if you can - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By cra-zzz - March 8 - 2:00 am

  For the price i spent you cant find anything that would be a ble to keep up, better ride then the boxster and the 911 carrera, more cabin space the the toyota mr2 spyder, and more power then the mazda rx8. what more is there to say.

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  Z car delivers where others fail. - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By nzz - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I was set to buy an S2k..and decided I needed more torque. I tried the G35, but it wallowed and squealed in corners...so i decided to pass. Tried the Rx8, just found the motor and styling underwhelming. Tried the Z and was instantly won over. The Zs motor is the best in its class...the Zs handling is probably second best to the S2k (but its much easier to drive quickly b/c of the stability aids).

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  HIGH END LOOKS FOR LESS - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By IRV - March 8 - 2:00 am

  FEELS GOOD TO DRIVE AND LOOKS GOOD TO IVE OWNED SL600 SL500 BMW325I ALTHOUGH THIS DOES NOT HAVE THE GITTYUP GO OF THE SLS FOR THE PRICE ITS ONE HONEY OF A MACHINE AND $30,000 LESS THAN THE SC430

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  The Nissan Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Free Willy - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This car is a dream....excellent handling, stunning appearance, good gas mileage,fun to drive. Its only weakness is that it cannot be driven in snowy,icy conditions. It Is very powerful but very lightweight and therefore sldes all over the place on snowy/icy roads.Otherwise a great performing, very powerful,fun to drive vehicle. I love it!

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  To much - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Johnny_blaze0024 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I traded this car in before i had a chance to kick myself in the but later. It cost to much had no special features and was to small inside. I expected a little more cargo room not much but at least more room then they gave me i would not recommend this car unless you are balding and having a midlife crisis!

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  maxie taxie - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By west des moines - March 8 - 2:00 am

  great car.. this is our 5th maxima and we love the car more all the time!

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  STAY AWAY!!!! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By abradach - March 8 - 12:23 am

  Do not buy this car, i got mine a year ago from a nissan dealership and now i have the problem everybody else has with this car: the radiator coolant leaking into the transmission. now the radiator has to be replace along with the transmission. (thousands of dollars). they extended the warranty up to 80,000 miles, but this problem usually happens around 85,000 like mine. this was figured out only after spending about $1000 on useless repairs the nissan mechanics kept guessing at. This car has drained me and i will NEVER buy anything from Nissan again!!!

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  Money Well Spent - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By watermain - March 7 - 2:30 pm

  Great all around car with a sporty nature. Less expensive (on the used market) than a similarly equiped Camry or Accord. Better quality than a Taurus. Lots of room. Decent power from the silky-smooth V6. Happy with the purchase and would recomend it to friends.

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  love it! - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By coler1978 - March 7 - 12:23 pm

  We bought the LE with Navigation a month ago and we love it. Very comfortable, versatile and stylish. We shopped for a new car for over a year and just couldnt find what we wanted - finally we settled on this and we dont regret it.