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:

• 

  Happy Driving - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By TTR - January 5 - 2:36 pm

  Only had my 6M hatchback for a month but have already put over 3,000 miles on it, went to N. Arizona for Christmas - $83 one way! Handled very well on the snow and ice, very impressed with the quietness, in fact just yesterday a passenger in my car didnt believe the engine was still running til I pulled away!! Half a tank of gas will see me over 200 miles (driv to work is 30 miles highway 15 miles city). Fun to drive, responsive and spacious, after driving a V8 truck for years didnt expect to like it that much outstanding value for money!

• 

  Updated Review 3 yrs & 150K miles later - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By GKLCPA - January 5 - 4:13 am

  I was just looking back through the various reviews when I noticed one I wrote in August 2002. Three years later, I still own the same Maxima which now has 150,000 miles on it. The car rides like the first day I got it and basically requires little other than basic maintenance. The vehicle has aged very well and I still highly satisfied with this purchase.

• 

  Monster SUV - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Alberto - January 4 - 3:20 pm

  Trouble free for right now. Very impressive when towing, since it has rear air system with the tow package that absorb any trailer jumping. Driving carefully I get about 15 miles a gallon in the city and as much as 21 in the hwy driving with cruise control at 75. Remember that the Armada has a 5 speed transmission that will keep the vehicle RPM lower than 2000 at 70 miles a hour. So far I love my NISSAN ARMADA.

• 

  Great Car - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Leo - January 4 - 1:23 pm

  Everything i wanted in the car is in the fully loaded max: great engine, excellent mobility, good stereo, all comfort features, etc

• 

  A great experience - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Mike - January 4 - 8:33 am

  I had recently fallen in love with Muranos look and had to buy one. I wasnt disappointed, it was the greatest experience! This car is just awesome, very powerful, stylish and comfortable. Its a real winner!

• 

  Fantastic Truck - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By John Lee - January 3 - 6:53 am

  This truck has never let me down in the 6 years i have owned it. No mechanical problems and has been comfortable on long trips. The Nissan frontier is the best truck in its class and is fantastically reliable.

• 

  1st Time Nissan Titan Owner - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Ed Knight - January 2 - 5:10 am

  My toy was a 2002 Ford F-350 7.3 Diesel, straight cab and long bed 4x4 Black and chrome, had it for 6 1/2 yrs. Had a chance to get this Nissan Titan Se KC 5.6 V/8 for a good price so I tried it. So far plenty of power to pull my 25 Travel trailer. A nice ride that my wife likes better than my Ford. I have owned a lot of Toyota trucks and all were awesome. Hoping this truck will be just as good or better.

• 

  Solid - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By kdawg - January 2 - 3:23 am

  Ordered this 2dr Nismo after reading Edmunds 2006 review...rated Frontier as #1 and again in 2007. Super solid, crisp handling, fantastic acceleration, impossible to get stuck, comfortable ride...just one tough truck. This will be a keeper for a long,long time.

• 

  Loving every minute of every drive.... - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Joe Williams - January 1 - 7:13 pm

  I dont get to drive my SE-R much, but every time I do, I love it! Im gonna have to get a radar detector cuz it BEGS to be driven well in excess of 60mph. I had a 2003 Altima SE that was great, but this one is a very significant improvement over that one. The road noise issue has been addressed and the interior is much improved from the cheap-feeling plastic stuff that was in the old one. I havent seen a car in the class that could hope to compete with the thrill factor available here. As good as the car looks parked, it has to be driven to be appreciated. Do NOT get the automatic (though I test drove one and it handles itself well, too!) - youll be robbing yourself of a lot of joy.

• 

  worth it - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By happyrogueowner - January 1 - 6:50 pm

  The rogue brings a nicer design than the RAV4 and CRV for a better price and mpg consumption. The driving is super nice and the engine responds better than the other V4 of the same category.