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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  Amazing Car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By William Greenwood - June 16 - 6:36 pm

  My wife and I live on Cape Cod, but travel for business... I had a Versa on order, but after a delay we found a loaded Versa out of state. It has the CVT, bluetooth, XM, sunroof etc. My first drive in the car was a 4 1/2 hour trip home... I am very impressed to say the least. Lots of room, very comfortable, stylish, smooth and I got 32 mpg on the way home... in bumper to bumper traffic (and its not even close to being broken in!) I went from a full sized car to the Versa & I couldnt be more pleased. This is an amazing car!

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  Juke is no joke... - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By Go Cards - June 16 - 2:00 am

  This is a very well designed vehicle - peppy, solid, and fun! Does not feel as if you are driving a smallish vehicle - feels substantial. Steering is a bit numb - but I also have a Mini so that is probably not fair...and the premium stereo does not really sound premium, again compared to the Harmon Kardon in Mini. Well pleased overall - the goodies you can get on this ride for under $25, unreal!

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  TITAN #1 - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Chuck - June 15 - 3:36 am

  My Nissan 4x4 Titan is by far the best truck I have owned in my 35 years of driving. The truck is a class act and it has been awhile that I owned a truck that gets as many complements as My Titan. The titan drives as nice as it looks with plenty of power on or off the road, also the Titan goes in 4 wheel drive with ease.

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  Should Have Been Truck Of The Year - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Matt - June 15 - 1:23 am

  When Toyota Tacoma was named "Truck of the Year”, I think it was done because of brand name only. When I looked at the Tacoma, I noticed that it did not have full-boxed frame. Part of the frame was C channel. The concept of a composite bed is nice on paperwork but the practical aspect is not. A pickup trucks rear end is light enough without making it lighter by using a composite bed. The V6 in the Frontier is generations ahead of the Tacoma in efficiency (hp to ci) and its done with 87 octane not 90+ as recommended by Toyota.

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  Nissan winning me over - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Wilkesboro - June 14 - 12:03 pm

  2007 Versa 1.8SL is good value for the money. I rated all 9s on survey but reserving final rating until I have driven 3k miles. Compared Civic and the Yaris. We didnt like the base model and the upgrade to SL gave us the power features and the sweet CVT transmission. Felt weird at first driving the new transmission (no winding of the transmission gears) but I like it now. I had my first 126 mile road trip yesterday and it was even better on the highway. Safety features are really nice with all the airbags and antilock breaks. Car lines are good and backseat has plenty of leg room for an adult. The 6 CD stereo sounds excellent with nice button layout. Handling and ride is above average

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  Living large and loving it! - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By Zoomnbyu - June 14 - 6:36 am

  We replaced an 03 Expedition. We went with the Nissan because we could get it equipped pretty much exactly the way we wanted it. Almost a thousand miles later we have really fallen for this truck. A few quibbles so far would be only a couple of interior fit issues and a booming noise in gear at idle. I would complain about the gas mileage, but that would be pointless! You get what you get in MPG when you buy a behemoth like this (I rated comparable economy). With three kids, frequent family trips and a boat that gets used nearly every weekend in the summer this quickly becomes the ultimate family vehicle!!!

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  LOVE THIS CAR!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By trek2 - June 13 - 11:46 am

  I have owned my Altima for 5 months now and it is by far the best I have ever owned. The mpg Im getting is better than advertised. When I stay at 60 mph or under I get near 42 mpg on the highway I thought I would be disappointed in its performance considering its a 4 cylinder, but I have been pleasantly surprised. The 4 cylinder is a bit noisy, but easily tolerable.

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  Surprised - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Steph - June 13 - 10:30 am

  I dont really care for small cars. I once had a 1994 Sentra and it was too small. I had my heart set on a 2008 Max, but with the gas as high as it is, Im glad I got the Sentra. I am very impressed with this car, the speed, the interior, the exterior. The style is awesome, looks like a mini Max, if the Sentra still had the body style that they had before 2007, I would not have purchased it. The 2008 Sentra has much more room, and the accessories are the best. There are only 2 things I dont like about this car and that is the tight steering and as with any small car, the wind blows it around. I would recommend this car to anyone, plus Im a Nissan woman.

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  I love it - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By pompocho - June 13 - 2:07 am

  I bought the 2008 Versa SL on May 2008 and I really like it. I had to take it to the dealership for services because the air sensor keeps coming up. I took it back 4 times and they were not able to find the problem. I finally took it to SEARS and they were able to fix it. It is very economic and roomy. I have been reading about some ABS problem, thanks god I havent had any issue yet. The car has 28000 miles. Lets see when it reach the 50K. For now I enjoying it and I am planning to give it to my daughter who is turning 18 pretty soon.

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  Best truck on the road - 2011 Nissan Frontier
  By feyded1020 - June 12 - 12:49 pm

  I drove the Tacoma and the Frontier both considerably to compare, and the ultimate winner as far as price goes and value, is the Frontier. The Tacoma has a weaker engine, the bed is flimsy, as well as the frame that the truck rides on, its not a fully boxed frame(Only HALF of the truck is semi boxed, the rest is just open framed) like the Frontier(every respectable truck manufacturer uses fully boxed frames for a reason, they are more rigid and provide better towing #s). On top of all this, the Frontier rode better, offered way more power and way more features for less money. Overall the Tacoma didnt hold up when side by side to the Frontier.