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:

• 

  Murano the BEST - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By al63017 - May 25 - 2:00 am

  This car is more enjoyable every day. It gets great gas mileage for this size vehicle 21mpg city/hwy and yet has outstanding performance.

• 

  Best Pick! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Jeremie - May 25 - 2:00 am

  I was hooked at first sight, and fell in love at first drive. Extremely comfortable, roomy for 5, and can even lug along 6 if your rear seat passengers dont mind being a little squeezed. Lots of great ways of maximizing storage space, with the expanding side storage compartments on the front doors, the ample trunk with space underneath as well. Beautiful design, and a great ride!

• 

  Murano is the best crossover SUV - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By dklanecky - May 25 - 2:00 am

  I need good gas mileage, reliability, functionality, and the ability to tow about 2000 lbs worth of trailer. The contenders were the Toyota Highlander (out because you can only get a light colored leather interior) the Toyota 4 Runner (incredible vehicle but out because of poor gas mileage) Honda Pilot (out because of lack of decent options (no heated seats, no sunroof, cheap looking leather interior). I also drove all the GM products and couldnt get over the poor reliability issues for about the same out the door price. The Murano wins based on my criteria and is really fun to drive. Much more like a sports sedan than an SUV.

• 

  Nissan Titan - great for towing - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By John - May 25 - 12:03 am

  Im not a truck fan, but I needed a full-size truck for towing a 33 travel trailer, to provide family of four transportation, and flexible hauling. I discovered the Titan is a power-house thats enjoyable to drive to/from work and haul the family around town. The down side is poor fuel economy. Im a conservative driver, yet my in-town milage ranges from 11 to 12 mpg. Towing a 7500 LB travel trailer is easy for this truck, even in the Rocky mountains. When towing the 7500 LB TT, milage ranges from 5 mpg (75 mph uphill) to 8 mpg (60 mph flat terrain).

• 

  A 2008 350Z beauty! - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By chaz1939 - May 24 - 4:46 am

  I have only driven my new Z for about two weeks and I love it. The Nogaro red is stunning and a real eye catcher. Handling, performance and acceleration are perfect and I just know that I am really going to enjoy this car.

• 

  Best bang for your buck! - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Jamie - May 24 - 2:20 am

  Amazing little car! Fun to drive, great on gas, and it wont nickel and dime you. I bought this car used with 50k miles, it just hit 80k, and I have had no problems with it. An incredibly reliable vehicle- this car has been nothing but good to me. The perfect car for the college commuter.

• 

  Cash Back and Tax Credit Did It - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Phil - May 24 - 12:26 am

  Had the hybrid for 1700 miles. It has greatly exceeded my expectations. I am getting 38.3 mpg and as the engine breaks in, I expect it to go higher. The list price of $29k was a little steep, but with $3250 cash back by Nissan and a $2350 tax credit, I was able to get this vehicle, with the Convenience package for under $21k.

• 

  Still a Great Car! - 2015 Nissan Rogue Select
  By Marji Lexton - May 23 - 11:57 am

  It has been over a year and I LOVE my Rogue Select. It is comfortable, runs great, is reliable, and suits all my needs. I typically drive in stop and go traffic, and get 22 to 24 mpg. I recently took an 1800 mile round trip with most of those miles on the highway, and was pleased to get 30 miles to the gallon. Cant speak highly enough about this Certified Pre-Owned Nissan Rogue Select. Recommend to anyone on a budget who wants all the perks of a SUV.

• 

  Better than I expected - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By Tom - May 23 - 2:50 am

  We have a place in the Western NC mountains and wanted a vehicle that could handle the old forest service access trails/roads. Began looking at the FJ but the back seat just didnt cut it. I had been trying to get the off road Xterra for six months. They are hard to get right now. This truck has a much better highway ride than I expect. On mountain highways there is very little lean in the curves. Gas mileage is better than I thought. The only negative so far is the XM radio which regularly drops reception even on Interstate highways. I am going to have that checked out. BTW the short center arm rest is no problem at all.

• 

  05 Nissan Pathfinder LE - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Philip Masonoff - May 22 - 2:40 pm

  The tire pressure monitor light has come on a couple of times in my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, but Nissan asures me that it is becuse of the change in the weather and not to worry. The vehicle handles well and is a pleasure to take on short drives or long trips. We drove the Ford Freestyle and the Honda Pilot and the Pathfinder just kicked their butts.