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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  Nice car - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Eric - December 24 - 8:10 am

  The car is comfortable, peppy, and quiet. Fun to drive. Very easy to clutch and shift. The back seat is very roomy, more than you would expect. The pros rate it as just a blah, so-so car. But they always compare it to another one that is 2-4 thousand more. It seems they do not have to listen to their bank account telling them a little compromise is OK. About the only thing you have to get used to is that on the highway, doing 65-70 mph, even in 6th gear, the engine RPM are about 3K, so you always think you still have to upshift.

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  Mixed Review - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By cbnbuilder - December 23 - 6:40 pm

  We have owned our 2006 Quest for 2-1/2 years. It has 61,000 miles. All recommended service performed by Dealer. Although the van has been reliable till recently, the transmission went out two weeks ago (1,000 miles outside the warranty period). After much (too much) debate and pleading, Nissan covered the repair ($4100). When we picked the van up from our dealer, the windshield was busted... were still debating their responsibility. I find the seats to be very roomy but uncomfortable. Front seat feels like you are sliding out of them toward the steering wheel, makes you kind of hold on to wheel to brace yourself all the time. Original Goodyear tires were noisy and wore poorly.

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  classy looks - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By glenn - December 22 - 6:30 pm

  recommended by a friend. car drives very nice, its quiet and rides smooth. everything seems to fit well in place.

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  Great truck sized right! - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By FKNJR - December 22 - 5:10 pm

  Bought my 2006 Nissan Frontier LE Crew Cab in Sep 2006 new from the dealership. As soon as I test drove it, I bought it. I love the look of the roof rack (looks like the Xtera) The utilitrack bed system is awesome! I have hauled so much stuff in this truck. I added a Flow Master 40, and an AFE Cold Air Intake. Wow! What a difference. Much better sound, better power. MPG city went to about 18, hwy went to around 24. The only thing I dont like is the legroom. Im tall, so its difficult to find anything that has decent legroom. The adjustable seats are great, and very comfortable. Unless you are a general contractor or living on a farm, there is no need for a truck any bigger than this.

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  I like mine - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ben-nissan - December 21 - 1:30 pm

  I have put 1500 miles on mine and I have concluded that "I like it". It has power, comfort simple to operate and handles very well. Great for hurricanes and remodeling. It can easily haul 12 sheets of plywood or sheetrock if you fold the rear seat down and lay 2 2x4s on the top of the folded read seat back - I was unable to do that with the Durango or 4-Runner. Only thing Id change is the location of the oil filter. Its a bear to get to. Great little vehicle.

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  Great Car - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By Ray - December 21 - 7:56 am

  Bought the 2010 370Z touring model about a month ago. Really enjoy the ride and handling. The style and shape is a big improvement over the 350 model. The manual transmission takes a little getting used to, but is worth the work.

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  I love my Altima! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By datunison - December 21 - 5:20 am

  I have a 2007 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL. I could not be happier with my Altima! It has everything I wanted at a great price! The gas mileage is wonderful, especially with the way gas prices are right now! I get so many compliments on it! It drives so smooth! I go through at least 1 car per year, but I think I might keep this one for awhile. It is just the best one so far that Ive owned. Definitely a keeper! If you are looking to buy an Altima, I would put it at the top of the list to check out. I love it!

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  my review - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By chris - December 21 - 12:53 am

  ive had my titan for two years and have over 40,000 miles on it with only minor problems with the brakes. ive towed my boat and hauled furniture and all sorts of scrape and garbage. its the best truck ive owned.

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  Good car but outdated desigb - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Maulik Shah - December 20 - 4:21 pm

  With beautiful interiors specially with mazdas and Hondas. Altima looks very stale design. No CarPlay too.

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  First Car - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Carter - December 20 - 1:16 pm

  While there is a special place in my heart for this car, I cant recommend the GXE. With such a powerful engine, the car was all over the place. The extra handling power of the SE is necessary. I loved the way this car looked, inside and out, especially with the spoiler. Interior materials felt premium to me. Loved the beige velour seats. It was pretty well equipped for a base model with no options.