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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  Love it so far - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By creaseys - December 18 - 2:06 pm

  This is my first crossover, I love it. I have been getting between 23 and 24.5 mpg (mostly rural) about 25% city driving. Its the most comfortable vehicle I have ever owned. It amazes me how much room is in the front sits. It handles highway driving and hills like it has more than 265 hp.

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  Nice but could be even better - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By EarlR - December 18 - 1:20 pm

  I bought my Frontier as a dual-purpose vehicle; a tow rig for my 240SX race car, and off-road toy for mountian trips. As a tow rig the truck is just adequate; the long wheel base (CC/LB) makes it very stable, but the engine is a little underpowered. If I had known they were coming out with a 4L 265-HP version I might have waited to buy my truck. As noted, the gas mileage is pretty poor, but part of that surely stems from the low gearing (4.63:1 rear) needed to compensate for the underpowered engine. OTOH, as an off-road truck it shines. With just a change of tires (M/Ts) the truck turns into a 4-wheeling beast; I can go everywhere my buddys Jeep Rubicon goes-until the beds starts to drag :)

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  Nissan got it right - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Tobyboy - December 18 - 5:46 am

  Let me start off by saying I love cars and have many, many cars. My favorite vehicle prior to this purchase was my GS 300 Lexus. This Altima is now is my favorite car. It has it all, interior and exterior style, comfort, technology and gas economy. Nissan got it right! I started out wanting a 4 cylinder car that is not a crap box. Most manufacturers will make the 4 cylinder the stripped down model, with no leather, limited options, etc. Nissan approaches this market differently. They take the same vehicle that is available in the more pricey 6 cylinder and simply put a 4 cylinder in its place. This car is near perfect. Accelaration with the 4 is more than adequate.

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  Sentra rules - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Frank - December 18 - 1:30 am

  I took my Sentra on a 1000 mile ride and I was very satisfied with the performance of the car.The acceleration is far superior to any other similar size car.

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  Worst Car Ever - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By som2 - December 17 - 10:29 pm

  My car from the time of purchase has only been service by nissan dealership. I have replaced everything from belts to last a motor. Now they are telling me that its the catalytic converter. Nissan should be ashamed of themselves for passing this pretty body off as car.

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  2012 Nissan Quest SL - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By westbrock6 - December 17 - 3:54 pm

  I have owned every car possible in the past few years. The 2011 Traverse LTZ, 2010 Honda Odyssey exl/res, 2008 Grand Caravan,2011 Suburban LT, 2010 Kia sedona Ex to name a few. I just bought the 2012 Nissan Quest SL it is the best driving van I have owned, interior is beautiful, the sunroofs are awsome, and the kids love the dvd screen that drops down from the ceiling with the push of a button. My husband who has hated minivans wants to drive this one. I loved the style and handling of the traverse but it was too small I have 4 kidos, finally the vehicle that has the sporty style, fun to drive crossover feel with all the space needed for the kids and their stuff. You have to drive this !!

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  I Love it, I want a 2002 - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Fradom - December 17 - 10:03 am

  Sporty, reliable, and fun

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  What a surprise! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Vanessa - December 17 - 2:20 am

  I had to buy a new car due to a bad accident in my Honda so I test drove many cars and the Altima came out on top! It drives so well, has nice standard features and is very roomy and comfortable. I had no idea how great this car really was! I am very happy with my purchase!

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  Questionable Quality....MORE Performance - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By fcn90803 - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Automatic, ABS & Side Airbags. Problems after 2 wks: rear fold-down seat locks missing; windows sticking; CD player skipped from day 1; map lights sticking. All minor but makes you wonder how well car has been designed/assembled. Took 3 days in a rental car and 2 trips to get all resolved; windows still stick. Tranny shifts out of 1st too early, can downshift roughly and slowly out of o/d and gets lost when youre on and off the gas. The plastic by the ignition and on door panels is scratched after 4000 miles. SE-R does handle great, gets decent gas mileage (22) and looks good but my ’91 Stanza with 138 hp and automatic would run circles around it. Disappointing. Shoulda looked at VW more.

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  Very Happy with My Xterra - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By xterras - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Wanted an SUV thats powerful, sturdy with reasonable off road capacities. Picked X due to its fair pricing, powerful engine(VQ), solid BoF construction, great outward visibility & the cute look. Have put 5K miles on it so far, incl. a 2500 mile trip in 1 week. Really impressed with the acceleration. Great handling. Tight turn radius. Perfect size for a single guy. I prefer firm seats and find Xs very comfortable. Like the high seating position, feel confident. High ground clearance, no need for ramps when changing oil. I felt far less tired driving the X for a full day, than diving a civic (my previous car). Manual is not clear about gas octane, so I use #89 since the engine is VQ.