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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  Best car I ever owned. - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By jpolack - November 29 - 8:17 pm

  I have had dozens of cars and this has been the best. Purchased used with about 40,000 miles, now about 90,000. Only repairs have been wearout items like tires, battery, etc. Always starts. Have the 5 speed stick shift and it has lots of power, even with the a/c on, which by the way, works very well. Has power windows, power brakes, cd, a/c, cruise control, remote trunk and mirrors, just enough gadgets to be comfortable. Its not a luxury car, but for an econobox, its really a great great car.

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  Not a Japanese car - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Chris - November 29 - 9:43 am

  The fit and finish is awful. The hood and trunk are off center.The trunk so much it almost touches the rear 1/4 panel on one side and has a 1/4 inch gap on the other. The plastic dash is not smooth and the edges stick up. The cheap labor shows here. The eyeglass holder is so hard to open you wind up pulling it from the dash. I dont even use it anymore. Bumps can be teeth jarring. Gas mileage is less than stellar. At this pricepoint there are much better choices. Shop around. This car will be going back at lease end and I will be back at Ford. Also no power seats rather an antiquated crank to raise seat height

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  Amazing Sports Truck - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By GregBoyt - November 28 - 10:00 am

  Fast!!!! while using the 6 speed auto- CVT my SE Murano can zip from 0-60 in under 6.7 seconds. Just as fast as my wifes Infiniti G35. A best buy!!!! Definitely get the SE over the SL for better performance.

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  Frontier is a great value - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By ELannan - November 28 - 10:00 am

  The Nissan Frontier base model is an excellent value. The four cylinder is perky, the gas milage is excellent for a truck, and the styling is in a class of its own. Its much cheaper to buy that a Colorado, for example, and has a proven engine that has a reputation for durability. Ive only owned it for a few months, but I have been very pleased with its overall quality. Its not a truck for everyone, but for my basic camping and around the house needs, it is great.

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  Not well-rounded enough - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By veljo756 - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Nissan 6 months ago and have not been disappointed. It delivered its promise: cool exterior, great image and capable offroad. However anyone driving this thing around town, like I do should think twice. Ride is uncomfortable, at least compared to a CR-V fuel milage is poor and the worst thing is engine performance. Shortly, this vehicle is very slow! Im glad Nissan will improve on that for 2005, because while the numbers are impressive on paper, this is a very heavy SUV and hence simply slow. Before you buy it, test drive a Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4 and Ford Escape. They cost about the same and should meet your needs just fine. Do not spend money on image alone!

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  Not Enough Space to Brag About This Car - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By DaveW - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I got the Z in the last week of March. I have to say I havent been disappointed in any way. I ended up with the auto as a concession to my wife, but I cant say Im sorry. She loves the car as much as I do. There dont seem to be many in our area, so we continue to get looks everywhere we go. Ive driven the car nearly every day since I got it. I think the ergonomics are ok. The stereo is fine, but there is more road noise from the hatch area than I like. Be prepared, the ride is stiff. I never owned a car like this before, and that took some getting used to. I havent had any of the problems earlier models seemed to have. No problems period!

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  Better Than the Boxter - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Bud cook - November 28 - 10:00 am

  The 350Z is nice to drive and handles well. I have had 2001 and 2003 Porsche Boxters and 911s in the past. Several with a manual and one a Tiptronic. The 350 Z is easy $10k less also. This car has much more interior room and head room. The performance is also excellent. Plenty of scoot for cruising and passing. Nice glass rear window. It is fairly quiet for a convertable when driving with the top up or down.

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  Love that car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Pauli G - November 28 - 10:00 am

  In the past I always bought Honda Accords. I took one test drive of the 3.5SL and I was sold. This car has incredible pickup. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly it goes 0-60mph. The exterior design is classic(esp. with the rear spoiler). The quality of the leather could be upgraded just a bit. Overall, very pleased with the preformance, comfort and value of this car....Highly recommended.

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  Worst Car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By CWise - November 28 - 6:46 am

  I like my Altima very much but their are alot of problems wrong with it. First my car has a mind of its own it starts when it fells like it. Second has a bad water sound of the right side. Third all of this stuff has been checked the water noise was fixed but came back, and the car starting was checked and they see nothing wrong with it other of my friends that have the car say they have experienced this problem even with the 6cylinder engines. Nissan should make this problem a recall on this car.

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  Best Car I ever owned for the money - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By akinchen - November 27 - 5:10 pm

  I expect Fuel to stay around the 3 to 3.25 range so I bought the 3.5 SV , i prefer cloth interior . I have about 10,000 miles . I converted to 0-20 viscosity Mobile one oil . I get about 34.5 average highway , the computer stays about 27.7 average around Houston . I love the acceleration and quietness of the CVT . The 3.5 has no noise when gunning the engine . Materials are excellent , love the engine and power . Best car I ever owned , got it on sale for about 25,000, beats everything in its class . Low interest rate