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:

• 

  I will not sell my Murano - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Happy, very happy! - May 12 - 6:50 pm

  I am owning 2009 Murano for two months and I could not be happier with it. Well, I could - if it would consume a bit less but one should not expect too much (like those having back and leg problems who probably would not be satisfied in a private jet). After all it is an SUV/crossover and San Francisco is not nice to fuel economy. This is very comfortable car and to be honest I would rather be sitting in plushy seat of my Murano and cruise around than write this review. Lots of throttle response, classy interior and distinctive looks made my choice of a family car.

• 

  I love my new nissan! - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By kirjam - May 12 - 6:20 am

  I have owned this truck little less than 3 months. I can not rave enough about it, we are a Nissan family and I would never think twice about any other product. I love everything this truck has to offer. Would recommend this truck to everyone!

• 

  Stylish and has power - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By ramy - May 12 - 1:50 am

  Drives like a car not a mini-van. Looks great and has more power than expected. It also handles very well.

• 

  Overall I love this truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Seth - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this truck for nearly two years. I bought the truck with only 15,000 miles on it, and I now have 55,000 miles on it. The only repair I have had done to it was the timing chain tensioners/guides, but they were covered under warranty without question. In my opinion that was a poor design. However, everything else on the truck is perfect. I replaced the BF Goodrich tires with Michelin ltx ms tires because I do not drive off road. I hear people complain about gas mileage, but I get 17.5 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. In my opinion that is excellent for a truck with this much horsepower. The handling is excellent, I drive 50 miles daily on paved mountain roads and I love the handling.

• 

  6 month report, 6,000 miles - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By bargainman - May 11 - 10:00 am

  Actually, weve had the car almost 7 months now. For the past 25 years Ive been a huge Honda/Accura fan. When I 1st saw this car I fell in love. White with glass roof and tan interior, simply gorgeous! It truely drives like a 4 door sports car as promoted. Had it up to 100mph on the turnpike the other day and it rode as smooth as glass. Havent had any service issues. The CVT does feel somewhat unorthodox. Feels like a 4 cylinder at low speeds. I could have bought another TL, but bought this and saved well over $15k! No regrets.

• 

  We love it! - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Frank & Jessie - May 9 - 2:10 pm

  Bought the car primarily for my wife. She is small, 5 feet, and always had to sit too close to the steering wheel to reach the pedals. This one has the adjustable pedals, and it is the first car she is completely happy with in all respects. Went for all the options, nav system, etc. Would highly recommend!

• 

  Best in class - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Manny - May 9 - 4:20 am

  With over 77,000 the car still runs like new. Only replaced the brakes once on front and once on rear. I followed all suggested maintenance on the car and just switched to Mobil 1 synthetic and now the engine feels like new again. I have a SRI intake, racing header and 2.5" cat-back exhaust and the car gets about 33mph average. This is THE best car I have ever owned, second best was my 89 240SX.

• 

  Happy Nissan Owner!! - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By GLE Sedan - May 8 - 4:06 pm

  Ive been very happy with my Maxima purchase. Ive only owned the car 4 months, but only routine maintenance is required. (Car has 142,000 miles) No major problems, except bad water pump seal. Minor oil leak, which is the oil pressure switch, diagnosed by my mechanic The 3.0 engine I LOVE, along with the super-quiet, comfortable ride. I thought about trading it in for a 95 Camry (with car payments-no thanks)!! Then I decided not to because my Max is so beautiful in/out, along with the Nissan reliability! Drives too damn good to even THINK about giving him up. Change all fluids regularly and itll last forever. No car payments! Nissan Maxima is the way to go for reliability!!!!

• 

  Best darn truck out there - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Rolie - May 8 - 8:10 am

  Wow, talk about a nice truck...my 2005 Nissan Titan is rock solid and fun to drive. I havent pulled my boat yet, but that 9,500 lb towing capacity will make the job effortless. The limited slip 4WD got me around in the last snow storm just fine, thank you. And the looks I get....people stop me everywhere I go and make small talk about it....quite a looker too. My truck is bright red.

• 

  Great Car - Could have been better; - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Newsha Makooi - May 7 - 2:00 am

  I love the car, but the fog light design is very poor. Also, after 32000 miles, the interior has developed a lot of road-noise. Sounds like little parts have come loose and rattle too much. I hate that. However, the BOSE system will cover any noise/road-noise that you might otherwise hear. Also, the OEM tires are useless. I had to replace all 4 at 22,500 miles.