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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  NISSAN 05 - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By red dragon 07 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  THE NISSAN IS ONE OF THE BEST CARS I HAE DROVE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONHTS

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  Japans Finest - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Nissan Fan - August 1 - 10:53 pm

  225k miles and still strong. Idles and runs just as smooth as my 03 I35. I drive from Southern VA to Northern VA daily. Everything works well. Bose sounds great. Seats are still comfortable although worn real bad. It needed a little work when I purchased it (struts, cv boots, clutch, tune up) but it was expected with 200k+ miles. All buttons still intact, nothing is cracked or broken. Nissans are amazing vehicles. I would recommend Nissan products to anyone. Love the car. I am a Nissan fan forever. This makes our 4th Nissan we own right now.

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  so far so good - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By mr bullit - August 1 - 6:56 am

  WOOT...does 265 Hp ever rip... best handling truck i have EVER driven. Very comfy seats,stereo leaves ALOT to be desired. this is my 4th frontier from this same dealership.

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  Great Car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Justin - July 31 - 10:50 pm

  I had my 2007 Altima for 2 weeks now. I love the car a lot. For a 4 cylinder, it has a lot of muscle in it. I like that I can play my iPod in it, with the AUX feature in it. The seats are a little uncomfortable, but I got used to it after a while. I have the leather seats in my car, and I did not have that on my previous car. Overall, its fun to drive, and I get a lot of compliments from strangers about the car.

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  My First Nissan - 2016 Nissan Sentra
  By Gabriel Welch - July 31 - 10:03 am

  My boyfriend and I decided to lease a 2016 Nissan Sentra SL after our Volvo left us stranded a couple of times. The price was right at $210/month with a 36,000 mile lease. The car has a sporty look to it and is definitely an eye catcher. It stands out from other compact sedans in its class in my opinion. The cars performance is pretty great too. The acceleration could be a little better but I guess thats the sacrifice you make to get 30+ miles per gallon. The handling and braking are phenomenal. Speaking of braking, did I mention the car stops itself? The safety features on this thing are insane! The intelligent cruise control and frontal collision detection have saved me from an accident on more than one occasion. The back up camera and blind spot monitors are also quite helpful. The Sentras audio system is amazing. Ours came standard with Bose speakers and bluetooth. I think our Sentra has a better quality audio system than my relatives brand new BMW! We have already put 3,000 miles on our Sentra and have experienced absolutely no problems. This car is unstoppable! And that is a hard thing to say about a car when you live in a place like Vermont where the harsh winters are enough to stop a 4WD SUV. We might even buy it out at the end of our lease.

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  A great little car. - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By claire - July 31 - 10:00 am

  This 96 Sentra was my first new car. Great for city & highway driving! Live in DC & have to park on the street, so the size is perfect, but can still fit 3 of my friends in comfortably. Has 130K miles & still going! Had very few problems with this car with the exception of the automatic windows. Still driving on the original battery, rear brakes & rear struts. Stereo tape deck (standard Nissan) plays all the time & still plays like brand new & amazingly the speakers are still great too. Would recommend this car to anyone as a great used car!

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  Great Truck - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Long Distance Driver - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I drive 200 Miles to work on Sunday Night and then the same on Friday. About 20 miles aday at work. Solid, fun to drive, great fuel ecomomy for a small truck (28 mpg at 75 mph). Only complaint was dealer who repeatedly lied during sale (surprise!!)

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  Great choice - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By XterraOwner - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehicule several months ago and have been extremely happy with it so far. Before the purchase I spent about 3 months doing some pretty extensive shopping around. In the end, I bought it for several reasons: A high reliability rating by consumers and magazines alike, its ability to tow heavy loads, its flexibility in use (large cargo area and seating area, and because I found it to be one of the nicer looking mini SUVs on the market.) I get constant positive feedback on its looks, ride (despite it is based on a truck platform) and flexibility of use.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By ChuckGT - July 31 - 8:03 am

  The car is wonderful. I couldnt be happier with it. I have a fully loaded 07 and all the toys are great. The improved navigation system is really amazing.

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  Great, Fun, Compact truck. - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By bqd - July 30 - 2:20 am

  I have the basic 4-cylinder king cab XE. Its fun to drive and the creature comforts are pretty decent. Although the interior design and material have a cheap plastic feel to them, espcecially the knobs for the AC/Heater. Great truck for the price. The four cyclinder version is a little weak and takes awhile to get to highway speeds.