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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  Fast, Fun, and Sexy - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Beaz - October 25 - 10:00 am

  I have had my 02 3.5 Altima for almost a year, and I can honestly say I still have as much fun driving it now as when it was new. The Camry (which I sell for a living) doesnt even come close to the feel, and I love the attention I get while driving it. It was well worth the wait to find the 5spd. The road noise is a little higher than I like but the stereo more than makes up for it. Great car, but a built in radar detector previously mentioned by someone else wouldnt be a bad idea. Its easy to go well over the limit and not even know it.

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  AWESOME Car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Kenny D - October 25 - 10:00 am

  I havent bought an Altima yet but have rented several of the 4 cylinder automatics from Budget and I have to say that I will be buying one soon. I have never considered a 4 cylinder before but after experiencing this 4 cylinder Im not even interested in the V6 anymore. VERY fast, handles great and good on gas. I cruised several times from LA to San Fran at 85mph with the A/C and cruise going and it still had power to spare. I would buy one in a heartbeat (and will!!)

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  I did like it - 2007 Nissan Pathfinder
  By half and half - October 24 - 11:13 pm

  I bought the truck with a whole 25 miles on it. I love the power and performance this thing puts out. Its great and its so comfortable. The heated seats are great and so is the individual climate control. I would like to say the Bose is great but most of the time its broken. Im now on the 3 head deck because all the ones before have just broken. Not to mention the air conditioning went out. I took it into the dealer, they said they fixed it but the second I pulled out of the dealer it went out again. The problem still hasnt stopped. Just yesterday I went to start it and it wouldnt turn over. I talked to the dealer today and theyre telling me the electronics are fried so Im stuck in a rental.

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  Basic QG Manual - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By b15uqg - October 24 - 8:11 pm

  My 1.8s Manual Sentra is a quick little QG that I love driving and doing mods to. Stock it will do 0-60 in 7.8 seconds (if youre good at power shifting). Its super good on gas, picks up speed well, a lot of torque in 4th gear. I easily get up to 90mph in 4th gear, doesnt even get loud. The car has 114,000 miles on it too. I havent had to fix/replace anything on it yet. Clutch might be starting to get a little slippy because I dropped it to do burnouts. If you buy this car from a dealer I can bet you it will be extremely reliable.

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  Family dream - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By Gary - October 24 - 7:43 pm

  The Quest is a fun to drive take everyone and everything van with multiple seating arrangements without removing a single seat or head rest. The ride is smooth and effortless, but still fun to drive. Still getting used to the navigation system, but the 3-D view that it offers is great. We gladly would recommend the Quest to anyone considering buying a minivan.

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  2004 Nissan Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Martinclipper - October 24 - 9:06 am

  Having to choose between the 2004 Maxima and the Murano I picked the later because of its styling, comfort and features. Although I ordered a basic model it nevertheless came with all the features I desired. Friends were surprised at the spaciousness and comfort of the back seats. Despite that the ride can be somewhat stiff on bumpy roads, the seat comfort off sets this drawback to a great extent. Like many SUVs the Murano suffers from blind spots that were difficult to get used to after driving an Altima for six years. Highway driving is a dream. It manages well and the gas/milage is great for an SUV. Ive driven New York - Washington, 245 miles, on half a tank, which I consider good

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  second rogue (LAST?) - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By douglas - October 24 - 4:10 am

  This is the second Rogue we have purchased(had an 2008) We had electrical problems with the first one that were taken care of by the selling dealer. The one we have now also has had electrical problems with the keyless system. The selling dealer has been great but nissan has dropped trhe ball. After 3 times not repaired ( writing this review while waiting in dealership) If not fixed this time want it replaced. we do like the vehicle, averages 27 MPG rides well, handles well on interstate(9455 miles). But will probably not buy another due to 2 for 2 having electrical issues. Like the sound system not so happy with CVT (had a 2007 Maxima with CVT didnt like the trans).

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  Nice ride - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Paul Hitchcock - October 23 - 1:26 pm

  This is my first suv after owning 2 bmw 3 series. I really miss the bmw. I love the power and looks but do not like the gas mpg. But thats what you get with a suv. For the 1st suv I have owned I really like it. I wished that I got the premium package tho.

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  Love the new Murano - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Allen - October 23 - 9:36 am

  My wife and I just purchased the 2009 Murano and absolutely love it. The ride is smooth, the seating in extremely comfortable, controls are easy to reach and we love the styling. The new double sun roof is really cool

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  Love This Coupe - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Ron - October 23 - 7:46 am

  Bought my coupe in AZ and drove it home to Kansas the next day. It is a very comfortable ride. The CVT keeps the engine at its peak power range. The manual mode was great during mountain driving. Averaged 30 miles per gallon. Love the sound system in this car.