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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  whats up with the cd ? - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By frist nissan - January 31 - 10:00 am

  Good car, no problems strong engine. A fun vehicle to drive,sure be rated higher.

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  great fun - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By ladytx - January 31 - 10:00 am

  It drives and handles great. It has plenty of performance. The interior is very comfortable. It is easy to load items in and out of it.

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  New Tow vehicle is great - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By TheBman - January 31 - 10:00 am

  $500 over rebate was finally obtained, and the truck is great. I read reviews about the major contenders, and you wont be sorry with the Nissan. My only disappointent is towing an open car trailer gets me around 9.5 mpg. Otherwise, its sporty, fast, comfortable, fairly good on gas when not towing, nice list of features and amenities. When I do tow, you hardly know there is a trailer back there, its that solid. Ive test driven the competition, and Im much more satisfied with this truck than any other.

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  nice car! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By nickyv - January 31 - 10:00 am

  So far its an awesome machine!!

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  My wifes possesive of it - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By sneak a trip - January 31 - 10:00 am

  We just love it. Was searching for an 04 but couldnt find one in silver with features we wanted. Found an 05 with what we wanted and negotiated a price on the spot, straight up. Has been 1 week now and my wife wont give it up, to drive:). Never offered an extended warranty and havent had a follow up from dealer either. Just didnt seem to really care since they got my $, took their name off the back.

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  Love it so much I bought two - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By patrick - January 30 - 10:50 pm

  Leased mine in May. After doing extensive research I came to the conclusion that this was the best value for what I wanted: unique body style, performance, luxury, amenities, and decent gas mileage. I have not been disappointed. I love getting into this car every morning and evening. The car is incredibly smooth. Someone once wrote that it drives like a "heavy" car. I know what was meant. It feels solid and heavy. If you ever drove, say a bmw 7 series, when you take your foot off the gas, it seems to coast forever. As this does. My wife loved it so much she got her own about one month after me. So now I have my black and her white max. in the garage. It is a good looking garage.

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  Better than driving a cheese-wedge - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Steve - January 29 - 10:36 pm

  I sold my high performance MBZ and became green about 16 months ago. Living on a hill impacts the gas miles I get but I average about 35 mpg on regular gas. The car comfortably seats 5 adults. The design is pleasing to the eye. I got the model without the technology package but has one electric seat and a few minor extras ($25K) minus the $2300 rebate. The Altima drives better than the Camry hybrid without the clunky shifting from electricity to gas. Since gas prices have doubled since buying the car it was definitely worth the extra dollars over the gas only Altima models.

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  maxima gle - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By misty - January 29 - 10:00 am

  so far have had no problems, have 1400 mi, fun to drive, good family car yet sporty, smooth and powerful engine have all options except nav.

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  My X! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By mangeli - January 29 - 10:00 am

  Wow, talk about an all around well built truck. The Xterra takes the cake. Test drove and SE and I went home with an XE with the powerpack option on it. I love it. Gets average MPG, but other than that its the best thing I have ever owned!

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  The 2012 Quest is the Best - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By kilkel - January 29 - 7:32 am

  Just bought the 2012 Quest in Feb and love it. Looked at all the others, Honda, Toyota, Kia and Dodge and none compared to the Quests value and looks. We have owned a Pathfinder, Titan, and now the Quest. I believe we are a Nissan family. Went for the low end model and, other than 1 or 2 features, we dont really mind. If youre in the market for a mini-van, stop by a Nissan place and take a look, youll be surprised.