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 PURCHASE IVE EVER MADE! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By HiltonHamptonGirl - April 8 - 10:13 am

  This car literally rocks my socks. I have fallen in love with Nissans. By far the best made car I have ever owned. Went from a Mazda6 to a Buick Rendezvous and now this Nissan. Very clean and reliable car. Have a blast driving it! Plenty of room for my 7month old daughter and all her belongings. Who says you have to get a mini van after you have a child!?! NISSAN IS THE BEST!!! As well as their luxury end of vehicles (Infinity). Wonderful performance.

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  Z only car that matters. . . - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By m3000gtsl84 - April 8 - 7:50 am

  Excellent engine, and aside from a notchy feel, excellent manual transmission. Gets looks no matter where you are, and will dust anything aside from GTO or Mitsubishi Evo. Handling is excellent, and the car is one of the most solid feeling on the road.All in all, a successful advance from the excellent 300ZX.

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  Great Buy - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By M.ENGR - April 7 - 9:43 pm

  Bought the car with 10,000 miles, and Ive put on well over 20,000 in less than a year. My gas mileage has been consistently over 30 mpg, and Ive averaged almost 33 all summer. No problems at all. Great manual transmission with lots of power. Comfy ride and lots of room in back seat, even for large adults.

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  Absolutely awesome - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By doublemp2262 - April 7 - 4:53 am

  Ive never been so eager to drive. This truck is fun both on and off road! Perfect for camping, traveling or just daily driving, and the base price is a lot of bang for your buck.

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  Best little car in town - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By HRD - April 6 - 2:40 pm

  I LOVE everything about my new 2004 Nissan Sentra 1.8S. I shopped on line for a month,comparing Honda, Toyota, Hyundai compact sedans.The Sentra was my last choice, until I saw it and test drove it. I knew this was MY car, and it moved all the way up to #1 spot. I also thought it was at least $10K more than its actual price tag!I love the great front and rear design, sleek and elegant,the interior dash is well laid out with easy access to all controls, the exterior/interior workmanship, fabrics and construction is superior to its competitors. This car has great zip, steering control and it really hugs curves on winding roads. The doors slam shut with the sound of a really expensive car.

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  It is what you think it is - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Titan Man - April 6 - 2:30 pm

  Titan King Cab SE 4wd with offroad pkg, tow pkg, util pkg, bed divider and extender. Perfect for a young guy who rarely carries more than you passenger. Drove f150 and silverado. Really were nice trucks for the 45 and older crowd. Power and handling well exceed competitors (except big8 Ram and Tundra). Every Ram has the exact interior of my friends moms 1997 caravan. Couldnt give rams away in 2007 ($10,000+ off msrp). Definitely best value. Comparable Ram +4000 comparable Tundra +8000. And doesnt fall apart or randomly accelerate. Plenty of power, good all around handling, absolute 100% reliability. Get one before they become the Nissan ram next model ye

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  Great car - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Juls - April 6 - 10:00 am

  Great car never had a problem with it would buy another one in a couple of years. Highly recomended.....

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  Great looks, not so smooth ride - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By MTCS - April 5 - 10:53 am

  I have already traded the car in for an Infiniti M45X. The car is a head turner. It really is a good looking car. The fuel economy was great for a V-6. This car has all the toys you want, rear view camera, iPod, and something really cool was the compact flash drive. 8.3G hard drive. You can play music for hours. Now for the bad part. The passenger side seat shook when I got over about 50 mph. Got the tires balanced at my expense and then took it to the dealership as the problem persists and they told me that is just the way they are. The car drives decently on a good road but on a rough road this car shakes badly. For $32k I was expecting more, so now I drive an 2008 Infiniti M45X.

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  My Murrano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Mya - April 5 - 10:00 am

  My husband and I researched multiple different SUVs as well as test drove all competiters in the same size and price range as the Murrano. I as well as my husband felt as far as comfort, ease of handling, safety, price, and just overall options offerd on this model, as well as fuel economy non of the competiters could compare to the Murrano. I felt very safe in it during the winter driving, it was able to go places most others couldnt. I have to say I would diffenitly recomend this vechile to anyone and I would buy it again if I had to do it all over.

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  It just keeps on running - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By JHR - April 4 - 10:03 pm

  I have had my Maxima for 11 years. During that time I have only had minor repairs even after 187K miles. What a great car! This is the second of two Maximas and the 4th Nissan/Datsun product I have owned. Great vehicles. Too bad the newer model Maximas turning radius was so short. I would never own one due to that.