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:

• 

  Loved it, but time to move on? - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By cfowler - December 13 - 10:23 am

  I bought this car used from a rental company about 5 years ago. It had 37,000 miles and I am very near 110,000 now. Most expensive repair was window switch which was less than $100.00. Just had to replace the sending unit to the transmission yesterday and my mechanic said not to expect more than 25,000 - 30,000 more miles before needing a new transmission. Now trying to decide if I should sell it or spend the $2500 - $3000 on the transmission and hope it lasts me a few more years. Overall this car has been very reliable and I love it. Hope I can find a reliable newer one as my next car!

• 

  my first car - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By pinaypincess - December 13 - 10:00 am

  i am a new driver, and this is my first car. i love it. its easy to drive, attractive, and very fuel efficient. i love how it handles and how its so quiet. i would greatly recommend this car.

• 

  excellent - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By vick user - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Great second car. Sporty enough for my college age son. Gets wonderful gas mileage.

• 

  A working Moms review - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By MommaJo - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I had previously leased the Sienna and switched to the Quest at the end of my lease. I love this van for the first reason of the fold down seats, with 2 kids this really comes in handy with bikes and camping equipment. And I am not yet in my "Old Mom" years so I like the fact that I am driving a minivan but still look good and have great pick-up and reliability in the van. Everytime I stop at the grocery store I come out to people admiring my van....that is a nice feeling for a Mom that works hard for her money!

• 

  Just a great car to drive - The Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By JACQUE - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I enjoy the overall comfortability of this car. You glide right into the seats, you dont have to climb in or duck down to get in it. Its definitely my favorite choice out of all the SUVs on the market.

• 

  Great SUV - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Rdlapaz - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Smooth ride and very comfortable with lots of options. Love the style and handling of the Murano. Very good pickup.

• 

  Excellent car for the price - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By JordanCS - December 13 - 3:40 am

  This Sentra replaced my Honda Civic Hybrid (too expensive to keep when I switched jobs and started driving 15 miles a day.) The Sentra is a great performer... nice acceleration, comfortable ride, though the suspension is a bit stiff. Interior comfort is excellent. I feel like I have plenty of room, and Im a large guy. Fuel economy has been excellent - getting 35 MPG highway, and about 26 in the city. Great trunk design. Controls are easy to use and well placed. Seats are comfortable. The only nitpick is the lack of two power outlets, which I understand they fixed in the 2009 version. Great car for the price!

• 

  Absolutely amazing - 2010 Nissan GT-R
  By Rushnut - December 13 - 1:30 am

  This car is all that youve probably heard it is, and much more. Ive owned a Premium 2010 GTR since June of 09 and it continues to amaze me every day, as its my daily driver. AWD handling both on and off track is amazing, as it the smoothness and quickness of the gearbox when you shift with paddles in manual mode. Not a cushy soft ride at all, but thats not what I want, or expect, in a racecar like this. For my tastes, the exterior is absolutely stunning in design with the hood resembling an Aston Martin and the rear end (my fav part of the car) reminding me a bit of a F-430. I find the electronics inside are excellent and the build quality is superb. Hats off to Nissan--brilliant.

• 

  Bought Two Rogues In Ten Days! - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Jewopaho - December 12 - 2:56 pm

  After driving my wifes new Rogue, I gladly traded in my 08 Merc Mariner ... $1750 in rebates didnt hurt, but the overall value and performance cinched it. It has the smoothest and quietest ride of any small SUV by far (believe me, we drove em all!), and the comfort level is superior. The "whining" CVT transmission noise is inconsequential, but can be switched to traditional shifting if its an issue. Ours have both the Premium and Leather Packages, and still came in just over $22k. There are a couple of options that wed like to have had, but theyre not available. Still, were thrilled with the vehicle, and highly recommend that you drive it first or last when shopping for a new SUV.

• 

  All Good - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Stephen - December 12 - 5:23 am

  I think the Altima is a steal. You cant get leather, sunroof, alloy wheels, and better than 25mpg for 26K from any other car.