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:

• 

  Great Car and Fun To Drive 2008 with CVT - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Josh77 - January 16 - 7:56 pm

  I purchased my versa in on March 12, 08 and had an issue with the brakes rotors needing to be turned due to vibrations. This was repaired next available date I could get it in. I have about 3600 miles on it an started to have hard starts, taking 10-30 sec. to start. Thought it was bad gasoline but ended up being Fuel Pressure Sensor. Just had that repaired and continue to enjoy this car. Getting 30-32mpg consistently. The CVT takes some getting use to but the selling point was no maint. for 150K miles or more. Lots of interior room but black seats show lots of dirt when you have kids. Needs more 12 volt outlets. Comeon Nissan its the 21st century! Overall I am very happy with car.Enjoy

• 

  Great Car - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By DCFRY - January 16 - 11:43 am

  I have put 45k miles on my Maxima and it is a great car. There have been a few recalls, but who doesnt have them. Great combination of performance and fuel economy. Should you decide to see it; it has a great resale value compared to american cars and a few foreign. I would highly recommend this car to anyone.

• 

  AMAZING - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By James Alofs - January 16 - 2:00 am

  Much better, and cheaper than the Tacoma.

• 

  Wonderful - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By JORDAN - January 16 - 2:00 am

  I was in the market for a SUV since my wife will be expecting our first baby. Ive searched and checked with a lot of magazines about SUVs and thier reviews, but after taking a test drive and looking in depth on the Murano, I found a perfect SUV that had everything to offer and then some. The ride quality, gas milage, space and dont forget about the desing. Every new technology was put into this SUV and from the exterior design, the Murano will not go out of style even after 6 to 10 years from now.

• 

  Smooth as Glass - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By azeebabee - January 16 - 2:00 am

  As our search narrowed down we had decided on the Audi allroad, But opne day I recieved a copy of Automobile magazine and in there wae a short report on the Murano. We were immediatly struck by its good looks and then and there decided a test drive was in order. Obviously we liked it. Great looking, powerful, sporty handling and about $12,000 LESS than the allroad.

• 

  Quiet and smooth - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By bill hearn - January 16 - 2:00 am

  The best car I have ever driven. Quiet, smooth and plenty of power. The Morano looks like one of those concept cars at the auto show inside and out. The transmission is seemless (no feeling of changing gears). Everywhere I go someone has something to say about how great it looks. Once you test drive this car its all over with but writing the check.

• 

  surpasses extremely high expectations - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By markyy - January 16 - 2:00 am

  After reading reviews here on Edmunds and other car sites, I narrowed down my search for a 4 door sedan between the Altima, Passat and Accord. THough I initially leaned towards the Passat, with its nice interior and good mileage,I liked the overall value the Altima gave me. Even with the premium package, whch included the Bose 8 speaker stereo, leather wrapped wheel, moon roof, and steering wheel controls, for the stereo and cruise control the Altima came in ~ 1 -2k cheaper than the similarly equipped Passat. After a test drive in the Altima, I was hooked. Overall, a great package for the money you pay.

• 

  Toyota Killer - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Bill Walters - January 15 - 2:06 pm

  I shopped Toyota and many other products from the American "Big Three" and settled on the 05 Frontier XE. This workhorse has style, class, dependability, a comfy ride amd all appointments in the right place. It outperforms the Toyota Tacomas in every aspect and is priced under Toyotas ( fixed pricing ). Econony is great at 24-25 MPG and the Frontier does not have that "sissy" look that Toyotas do. The ride is like driving a nice SUV. Pay load is good for a mid size truck too. Fifth gear could use a little more "beef" but a small bother compared to the overall performance of the Frontier. I would recommend it to any one. Ill get 200,000 or more miles of great service from this vehicle.

• 

  Great truck....Go Nissan! - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Ned Booher - January 15 - 12:40 pm

  Makes a great work truck, and has a very comfortable ride. With 31,000 miles in 10 months, this rig is taking a beating. I recommend this truck to anyone who wants to have a lot of fun driving a very tough rig many thousands of miles. Heres to hoping I make it to 175,000mi w/out any major issues. :) PS...The brake replacement from Nissan is working nicely.

• 

  My Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Simpson - January 14 - 10:16 pm

  I love it - drives smooth, legroom great, I will buy another this time with leather.