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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  Beautiful -Fun Car - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Joni - August 29 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. I have the Daytona Blue. Get a lot of looks. Great performance, acceleration, etc.

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  97 Altima - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By mas2003 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this Altima after I put my 3rd set of brakes on a Potiac I owned and have been somewhat happy with this car. There seems to be a small problem every year which runs me $100 to $200. The emergency brake cables, the back light socket, and the transmission gasket have all been replaced. Battery is understandable. In general is reliable and is better than the American cars I have had. Very disappointed with the transmission, especially shifting into 1st gear. I now have some water building up in the trunk, no clue how it is getting there, need to investiagte

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  Simple, enjoyable sports sedan - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By clarka100 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car used with around 50K miles and have beed driving it hard ever since. It takes it all and keeps moving. Im a salesman and spend hours in my car, and this Altima is a lot of fun and very comfortable to be in. I love the sunroof, the leather seats are always appreciated and I havent had any work done to the car yet except new tires and oil changes. Sound system is great for factory, and visual view through the windshield is second to none. Have no complaints with this car except the rear end which is kinda boring. Ohh, and as with any car, more horsepower is great.

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  Maxima is good - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By mas2003 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this new and have been VERY pleased with it. I had the Check Engine soon light go on early in its life and they replaced some warranty part, all else went well until recently. Air bag light went on, spent $34 and found that there was no problem. The check engine light went on again and I ignored it and has since turned off. No other issues. I just replaced the Michelins

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  Not bad for what it is... - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By richbaker - August 29 - 2:00 am

  This is not a bad car for its price segment. I liked the Maxima for its size, decent comfort, good mileage considering it is a large V6, horsepower. It handles OK, but big understeer, and huge torque steer. Good features like stereo with 6 disc changer, xenon headlamps, steering wheel controls. The leather is cheap, hard and thin. If I bought the car I really wanted (Audi A4), I probably could have gotten a better car for about the same payments since the residual is so much higher (53%). So I have 40 months to go before I get what I really want.

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  almost perfect - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By butkus - August 29 - 2:00 am

  this is my second sentra in nine years.my last is a 93sentra with 180,000miles and still running.i wanted an upgrade with a little pep.that is why picked spec-v.

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  Not the best, but what really is? - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Osiris - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Having traded in my 2001 Focus ZTS on what seemed like a whim, I became the owner of a pure white SE-R Spec V. Its made me feel like I got a much better car for a reasonable price. Though inoffensive on the exterior, its certainly not ugly. The interior is pleasant and well thought out, though the plastics leave much to be desired. The red gauges are difficult to read sometimes. Seats are comfy, good back support. This is not a car for everyone. It doesnt even attempt to coddle you and your passengers. But I find myself looking for longer ways home just to spend more time driving. Thats a hard thing to get people to want to do with an economy car.

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  Spec Vs Rule - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By buddylser - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I think this is a wonderful car in my opinion its the best front wheel drive car you can get. Great power and handling.

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  nissan vibe - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By buni44 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I had a Sentra from 89. Reliable and smooth. I wish I hadnt give it away. Its more than one year now since I bought a brand new 2002. Problems with the brakes and the suspension. Safety problems too: today its been the tenth time that I press the brake and the transmission wont work and car wouldnt stop. RPM increases to almost 4000 sometimes. Very poor on gas. Poor transmission too. I took the car to the dealership for vibration problems. From 2400 to 2900 RPM front vibrates. Very unpleasant in overdrive. They wouldnt say what it is jsut gave me the keys of two new ones. They were worse. I envy the Toyotees.

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  pauls evaluation - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By paul miller - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I like the car and have had no problems or significant repairs