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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  Goodbye Chevy - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Ron Davis - June 28 - 10:06 am

  Bought my crewcab LE because I was tired of the problems and recalls with my 01 chevy extended cab sportbed. The chevy cannot compare with the Nissan in quality. Just opening up and closing the doors on the Nissan you can feel and hear the difference. Living in Tx I never thought I would by anything but a American made truck, but Nissan has done its homework with the nissan frontier. This thing drives like a mini titian. Unlike the Chevy I think the nissan is going to last me without the rattles and poor build quality. My wife had bought a Murano and I liked the quality of it so much that I bought a truck the next week. I now have a solid truck that rides well, is built well and looks great.

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  Dream SUV - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Sen - June 27 - 11:56 pm

  I researched and test drove CRV,CX7,FX35/45,X5 and i love this vehicle. Handling is smooth, Accelerates pretty fast, Luxury interior which i fully loaded it with sat radio, NAV, DCP. Test drive this vehicle if you are planning to buy any just for your comparison

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  Test drive this baby - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Diana - June 27 - 11:20 pm

  The car is hot. This is my third Altima and they keep making them better. I went for the top of the line this time. I recommend a test drive of the V6. The new Altima will give its competitors Honda and Camry a run for their money. Test drive it and you will see.

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  Amazing Car! - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Christine - June 27 - 7:16 am

  Originally I was not looking at this car and Im so glad I bought it! I did get the convenience plus & premium audio package which is worth it. Everything about it wonderful! It is a smooth drive and I was driving 90 and it did not feel even close. The technical features are amazing including the back-up camera that works like a dream, bluetooth is an awesome feature and the smart key is so convenient; I do not ever have to take the keys out of my purse. It is comfortable and very roomy. It has huge trunk space too! The MPG does not seem as good as it stated but it is still brand new to me. I only have 500 miles on the car and Ill do another review in a few months but so far A+!

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  Reliability and Cost Efficent - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By UBR - June 27 - 6:03 am

  I was given this vehicle at 60,000 from my parents. It is now at 140,070 miles and I must say it has been extreme reliable. I am a college student so like some, I dont bring it in for routine maintenance or bring it for oil changes when I should but It has been treating me well. So far I had to replace one of the coils which didnt go over 200 dollars total and other minor things but all in all. I havent really had to spend much money compared to others to keep this car going. Its quite comfortable inside, GREAT mileage, the brakes work nice, audio system is pretty nice for a standard sound.

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  2007 Nissan Froniter - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Pistol00017 - June 26 - 2:13 pm

  Let me tell all of you out there that are going back and forth on the frontier and tacoma issue Ive had tacomas in every model from 00 to 2007. I just purchased 07 Nismo 4wd cc, there is no comparison. The newer frontier is a lot more solid truck than the new taco. Engine, trans, axles oh ya 32 spline vs 31 even interior. Overall the frontier is a much more solid truck.

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  "This Car ROCKS!" - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Clyde - June 26 - 1:33 pm

  This car is quick for a 4 cylinder! We took it out on a test drive and by the time we merged with traffic we had hit 80. It is smooth riding, roomy, none of that shift surge you get with geared car, in fact the "pro" reviewer said he could hear the engine rev up, and be noisy; when you accelerated. We heard none of that. No run up in RPM. This vehicle is a pleasure to drive. The car is for my wife. She had an expedition with an 8 cylinder and she was afraid the Rogue was going to be underpowered. NO WAY, she was a happy camper after the test drive.

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  great car - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By jr - June 26 - 2:23 am

  I love this car! I had a sunroof put in and it works and looks awesome. This is fun to drive. I love how it tells me how many miles I can go before empty. I test drove a toyota corolla before I drove this, it doesnt compare to the Nissan Sentra. Very smooth ride for a small car. Inside is just ride not too close to the passenger and roomy. I like how it auto locks when you go past 15 mph. Very easy to park and back up.

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  Best Deal for $$$ - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By STEELDOG - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Traded in 95 VW Passat. Bought SE model with cloth seats used with 7600 miles. Dealers wouldnt budge much on sticker price on new. Love the care. But needs minor improvements. Test drove SAAB 9-3, Honda Accord, Acura TSX, Mazda6, Volvo S60. Best deal for money.

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  Overall a great car! - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By juskishi - June 25 - 8:33 am

  I have a 2011 Maxima with premium package and overall I absolutely love this car. I moved up from my 2009 Altima SL and couldnt be much happier. The only problems are interior noises from the radio/climate console (which i think could use a redesign), what sounds like the rear window, and vibration and noise from the front passenger seat when unoccupied. The noises seem to be worse when its colder out and I havent owned it during the summer yet so Im hoping to see a reduction of the noise soon. Other than that, I feel the nav and voice recognition system do not work very well. Otherwise, the look and feel of the rest of the car is great and think its a great car for the price.