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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  This is a great vehicle! - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Nissan Fan - November 16 - 7:30 pm

  The Murano has to be the best value on the road. I leased my Murano in February of 2005 for a great price! It drives like a car (handling, acceleration) and has the storage and off-road capabilities of an SUV. I previously owned a Nissan Xterra SE and my wife had purchased a 2004 Nissan Maxima SL in the fall of 2003. I loved the way the Maxima drove, but I needed the cargo space and the Murano was the perfect fit. I also looked at the Acura MDX, BMW X3 and the Volvo XC90, but the Murano was a far better value.

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  Excellent Car; Excellent value - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Chad - November 16 - 7:56 am

  My wife leased her 2006 Maxima SE 5AT and really enjoys it. We got a great lease deal that was much better than anything else in this class. Overall the car seems great; will know more once we put some miles on the Maxima. The engine, style (both interior and exterior) are very nice, and the features on this car are better than many cars costing $10k more. I recently purchased a 2006 G35 sedan 6MT and it lacks several of the features this car has and costs 10% more. You will not be disappointed with this vehicle.

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  great value - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Todd - November 16 - 1:03 am

  I purchased a 2016 Nissan Rogue SL AWD with the premium package and love it. It is very fuel efficient, drives smooth, holds the road and corners excellent for this class SUV. Comes with a ton of tech and safety features for the money. Great value. Would definitely buy again.

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  Take a Long Ride before Buying - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By Idaho Opinion - November 15 - 7:56 pm

  Dont be smitten by the beautiful good looks of this vehicle, because it is nice to look at. Instead concentrate on the seat comfort, because in the end that will be very important. Not only are the seats very hard but also, for short legged people like my wife and I (under 56"), the fact that the front of the seats (both front seats are power-seats) are not allowed to drop down far enough creates a very uncomfortable amount of pressure on the undersides of your legs. The back seats are very hard also. Like all of the newer vehicles the head rests protrude too far forward, and for those (like me) who like to lean back in their seat this creates another uncomfortable intrusion.

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  Good In small wagons segment - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Chamarthi - November 15 - 6:10 pm

  Have had the Versa SL for almost a month and am loving it. The CVT transmission is super smooth. The just checked MPG was almost 30. The seats are comfortable and the interior is well finished. The interior is midsize roomy with lots of leg and head room. The convenience package makes a nice ...

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  Ill miss my Xterra - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By JP - November 15 - 2:50 pm

  I bought this truck new and in 4 years put over 90,000 miles on it. I knew I was getting a truck, and it rides and sounds like a truck (lots of road noise). The engine was good (a little underpowered), never giving me any problems; however the CD player borke, the power windows rarely worked after 40K miles, the A/C fan only worked on high and the gas mileage is not very good. However, I really liked this truck and if my wife was not going to be commuting 500 miles a week to grad school, I would have kept it and driven it into the ground. Ill miss this truck, and if they ever get the MPG up, would consider buying a newer model. I got a very good trade on it, $1000 above edmunds very easily.

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  Nissan Front Brake Issue - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By mike - November 15 - 12:16 pm

  Nissan needs to fix this front brake problem that they say is only in So. Ca. and NY. This will be the second time for shutter in steering due to warped rotors from brakes overheating. I guess if it isnt fixed a third time I will review the lemon law in Ca. I know others who have been there 3 times for brakes.Front window problems.

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  My Third and Final!! - 2011 Nissan Pathfinder
  By markrec1 - November 15 - 11:40 am

  This is my third Pathfinder, I previously had a 1996 and 1999, both unbelievably reliable and fun to drive SUVs. This truck is a disaster, rides horribly on all road conditions and after 1 year, I am still trying to figure out why the transmission shifts at the inappropriate times. There are much better choices out there, especially if you want to achieve any type of respectable MPG.

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  I LOVE MY 350Z - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By JBROM06 - November 14 - 10:00 am

  SINCE I PURCASED MY 350Z TOURING THERE IS A LOT MORE FISH IN THE WATER AND MY BOAT IS DRY ROTTING.OH WELL!

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  This not your fathers SUV - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By R. Bahar - November 14 - 10:00 am

  This is a true SUV. It does what the ad says it does. This SUV is not just a raised car for those soccer moms. This is a vehicle for those who are truly outdoors and adventurous people and will need a truly a tough, solid and reliable SUV to take them there. The price, fully loaded w/o leather seats, is the best value for a quality SUV. The HP is not enough. Only 180 HP under the hood and could have easily used another 50 HP. Buy it if you want a true SUV and not a fancy raised car, but do not get it in yellow!