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 SUV Value - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Nissan Again - January 22 - 2:00 am

  Best combination of power, handling, ride, and comfort of anything in this class. Combined with an excellent lease promo from Nissan and above average residual value makes the Pathfinder a great value.

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  Nissan Crew-Cab Long Bed - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Art Hawkins - January 22 - 2:00 am

  Great Truck. Not as much fun as the short bed Crew-Cab, but hauls a bunch. Excellent workmanship and reliability. However, Gas milage is below my expectations at 18 highway/16 city with 6 cyl auto, no supercharger. The Nissan trucks NEVER let you down.

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  Best SUV Ever - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Qtipp73 - January 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car and is probably one of the best suvs opn the road and deserves a perfect ten.

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  Best Car Ever - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By Chad - January 21 - 4:16 am

  I bought my 1995 Nissan Maximain March 2004 with 170,000 miles on it. Since then I have put 10,000 miles on it. The only problem I have is a leaky sunroof and a broken antenna, but the guy before me neglected everything but the engine and paint job. The car has an amazing shine (black), and gets a lot of compliments. It still looks like a newer car. Ive had a Stanza and a Maxima before this and would definatley stick with Nissan.

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  You wont be disappointed! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By username - January 21 - 2:46 am

  Red, premium package, technology package, just fully loaded. I had saved up and was ready to get a new 2008 Infiniti G37. I wanted to drive this car before purchasing it however. Wow great choice! Great Bose system, amazing comfort, awesome power, fantastic handling. This car just blew me away. 2 things differ from the G37 and this car. This car is front wheel drive which in the winter is going to be a big plus. However off the blocks the G does a bit better (glad I am not racing anyone). This car however has much more room inside, and the comfort is what sold me. Every feature you could want is offered on this car. For 28k out the door its a no brainer between this and the G37.

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  Great car and good price! - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Ray - January 20 - 2:46 pm

  Originally I was interested in the Versa until I realized I could have the Sentra for a little more. I found the Sentra very roomy and lots of nice little extras such as a trip computer that will display, time, outside temp, and average fuel economy amongst other things. The Sentra is peppy with very good mpg and handles well. The styling is modern and the ride very quiet compared to our Sonata.

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  Great ride & high fun quotient - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By sdkrause - January 20 - 10:03 am

  Fun to drive and excellent build quality. The handling and the power are superb. If you want a sportscar that doesnt break the bank and still delivers the sports car experience, this is it. Even the trunk is well done. You can actually put golf clubs in it. The rag top is easy to use and provides a great open air experience. Could use a better arm rest and a glove box.

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  owner/main driver - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Mary Priske - January 20 - 10:00 am

  We have only had the Armada since July 2004, but really love it. Not only do the third row seats fold, but the second row seats and the passenger seat. We just used it to move, and had it loaded, with all seats down except the drivers seat and even hauled an extension ladder. Loaded it drove extremely well. At this point we really love it. The mpg is low, but you can expect that with all large vehicles. We also have a chevy one ton pickup whose gas mileage is much less. We pull a 34 l/2 fifth wheel with the pu.

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  Buy the Quest and Forget the Rest! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Buddy and Soul - January 20 - 10:00 am

  This the second Quest I bought. That tells you something. Not to waste alot of time but I checked the others out like many people did. Same story. The Quest was the best! I have purchased many new cars since I bought my first one in 1969 and this is by far the best vehicle I have owned. The dealership had alot to do with it also. I have purchased 8 cars from them since 1998. My 4 yr old loves it and one of the reasons I got it was that it has the curtain air bags all the way to the 3rd row. The Quest is a very safe vehicle. I would not let my son ride in one that was not. Buy it, buy another! I love the sunroof and he loves the back top glass. Best ride, service and warranty! Great stereo!

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  Titan really rolls - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By BigRedTitan - January 20 - 10:00 am

  great truck, runs great loads of torque, gobs of power.. surprisingly thrifty on fuel