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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  Tried them all, loved this one - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Awesome Car - October 16 - 12:03 pm

  Handles well, good gas mileage. I am waiting to see how gas mileage does after it has been broken in. Great pickup in tight spots. My only complaint is when I put the windows down, there is a tremendous amount of fluttering in the stereo. I cant have the radio on and windows down.

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  2006 Nissan Maxima SE Happy Guy - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Black Max - October 15 - 8:30 pm

  I spent months researching a handful of vehicles. I was conflicted regarding cost vs true value between Nissan Maxima SE & Infiniti G35 and am very happy with my Black on Black Maxima; which turns heads. Driving is flat out fun with a very "torquey" yet smooth engine & transmission pairing. The black interior "matches up" better with the factory brushed steel interior trim and looks "integrated" overall compared to other interior colors. The interior lighting at night, on black, is awesome and detailed as almost every switch has an amber light for 2006. It doesnt lack for technology and features, many of which go unspoken on the nissan.com site. HID is great, has fog lamps, auto set.

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  2014 Nissan Rogue SV - AWD - Owners Impressions - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By steveomaha - October 13 - 3:00 pm

  Just bought my 2014 Rogue SV with AWD a few days ago. Overall I really like the vehicle and think styling inside and out is much improved from the 2013 version. I am a pretty dedicated Nissan owner but also checked out the Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Chevy Equinox. I was sold on the Rogues interior - looks and feels very upscale, better than its competitors, and the cabin is huge. The Sirius XM radio is awesome and Nissan gives you a 90-day trial to test it out. Mine came with dual climate control (have never had that before and love it!), pushbutton start, backup camera, and an extended power moonroof and it listed for just over $28,000. So, I feel the value was great.

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  Definitely Recommended - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Frank - October 13 - 10:20 am

  I went from driving various trucks for 20 years to the Nissan Sentra. Like for many, gas prices drove the change. I evaluated all the small car options from: Mazda, Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, and VW. This took me 4 weeks to complete. For a loaded every option Sentra SL, I feel like the time spent was well worth it. Im getting about 32 mpg mixed and almost 36 mpg on the freeway. The ride is very comfortable. I was a little skeptical of the CVT at first but I am a fan now. This is really a smooth drive. Its almost too comfortable in the leather seats and cruise control zipping down the freeway with the moonroof open and XM on! All I can say is: Buy it!

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  Just Short of Perfection - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Rob Federle - October 13 - 10:00 am

  One issue separates this car from the great review that it truly deserves - Im talking about world class torque steer. When you jump on the gas, two things happen, exhilaration and the immediate need to latch on to the steering wheel. If you change the drive wheels to the rear pair, youll have perfection.

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  Best bang for your buck - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Mjacobs - October 13 - 7:23 am

  I bought this car to get better MPG and I am pleased, CVT is awesome, its not even broken in and gets 29.9 MPG. Thats with about 25% highway miles. Big difference coming from a 05 Xterra. Glad I didnt buy the Civic I was considering. My car is twice as quiet and rides smoother. The sentra information center blows the civic away, o/s temp,average MPGs, trip timer, etc. Better sound system.

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  Love My Coupe - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Bev - October 12 - 3:36 pm

  I had been admiring the coupe since February. I thought it look so much like the G35. I started checking out the pricing and said Bingo! Ive been driving a Toyota Solara for 5 years and was looking for something sporter. I purchased a "Code Red" coupe and I love it. Heads turn as I whiz by. When I park, people stop me to talk about the car. I always find reasons to go out to drive. It has great pick up and go. Love that I dont see a lot on the road!

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  Very Happy - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By cmroler - October 12 - 10:00 am

  My Frontier XE CC LB is 1 year old with 12000 flawless mile. Looked at Toyota Tacomas but the dealers wouldnt deal. Nissan dealer was great, drove in for 1st time look and 1hr.15min. later drove my new truck home. Love the whole truck, looks, power, and handling.

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  excelent - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By fernan - October 12 - 10:00 am

  excelent auto.i dont have any complaints .

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  2003 Murano SE - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Stepos - October 12 - 10:00 am

  Drove many different vehicles before chosing the Murano. From the styling to the little subtlties of the interior, Nissan has a winner. The SUV is very sporty in its handling yet retains a hint of the truck. Would recommend it for somebody looking for more than the conservative offerings from Honda or Toyota.