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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  Blows Everything Else Out of the Water - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By LuvNissan - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I drove the F150, and the Silverado...Dealers would not budge on the price. I was willing to buy the F150 for 22K...The dealer offered 22.5k...Went, fell in love with and bought the Titan for 22.3k. 6 cd changer...nice stereo system...tint...pedal adjustment..cruise, outstanding compartments(6,7??). Vamity mirrors, sun visor extensions..ETC..I may have gotten extremely lucky with my deal, BUT I would have paid 2k more to get into this vehicle. Rides and looks like an SUV. Buy it. You will not be sorry. emial me at avalderas@austin.rr.com if u think im kidding. Serious truck. I love it....

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  :( - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Scorepin - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I chose the Xterra becasue its a Nissan & always loved the car. Have no complaints about the ride or the gas milage, purchased knowing both were bad (the ride is NOT that bad). The vehicle has a major flaw that nissan cant seem to diagnois. At times it make a noise like a weed whacker,shakes, vibrates & wont excel over 50. Nissan plugs it into the computer and if it shows nothing then they say theres nothing wrong with it. They tell me if they dont hear the noise they cant (really mean wont) fix it. She has 5,000 miles on it and has been in the shop 6 times. Also be warned that this is my 5th new vehcile & Nissans service sucks.

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  My Max - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Jeffert - August 12 - 10:00 am

  This car has it all. I believe that the Maxima is a full size verson of the 350Z or better stated a 350Z for us older folks. Fun to drive, almost too fast, this car has style, handling, go and wonderful features for any gizmo goon! The design is the best in class!

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  04 Maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By jackconly - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Weve owned a lot of cars over the years but, except for a clssic 1963 Lincoln Continental, weve never had a vehicle that turned so many heads. Strangers come up to us on the street and say, "What a beautiful car." Really amazing. The engine is quick and smooth, seating comfortable for long trips -- we take it down to Mexico in the winter -- the only drawbacks are the control center screen is a dust magnet, and theres some torque when you kick the acceleration. Wed definitely buy another when the next generation comes out. Ours is black with grey leather.

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  Great Car for the family - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Keith 1 - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased one of these vehicles and it is GREAT!!!!!

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  Lower cost to own and fun to drive - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By moon-buddy - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I bought an Altima 2.5 with SL package after comparing the Accord and Mazda6. Insurance rates was a factor that made the choice for me. Quotes for the Altima were way lower than the other two cars. Although there are features that the Altima lacks compared with the Mazda 6 (Traction Control, Dual exhaust ports, sport shift mode), the bigger cabin space of the Altima, outweighs this. Compared with the Accord, I find the Altima a better bang for the buck even if the Accord has a 5 speed AT. 175 HP engine speaks well of itself. The car just goes when I step on the gas pedal. Sometimes too much that I often exceed road speed limits.

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  Nice Truck at a Nice Price - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Jerry Hardison - August 12 - 5:20 am

  Excellent rebuild of an old body style. Not even the same truck compared to the old hardbody design. The 4.0 Ltr motor has some very real power as the larger and heavier truck requires. Interior design and comfort is terrific and the exterior design is hard to distinguish between the Titan at a distance (nice look). Time will tell if it will perform as well as the old style. (The bed squeeks have to get that checked out) Wheres the keyless entry or alarm?

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  Best 1/2 Ton Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By milleniamarv - August 11 - 9:13 pm

  Ten months and 10.5K miles of ownership and best truck I have ever owned. Aint perfect, brakes have problems (judder) but Nissan is stepping up to plate and covering any brake problems for a full three years and 36K miles on original brakes and replacing with newer rotors and pads to correct problem. If looking for a used one, try to find an 04 with tow pkg, since it included VDC (vehicle dynamic control) an option appreciated with a truck that has this much POWER! VDC is optioned with side air bags on the 05s. Both these options hard to come by, or not even available, on Chev, Ford, Dodge.

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  Best value crossover SUV - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By stactum - August 11 - 8:23 am

  I own SL AWD for almost 3 weeks now and was able to test it in some heavy snow conditions here in WI and what can I say - just AMAZING! I liked the previous 07 Murano in the past and was waiting for redesign for about a year and Nissan did not disappoint me. I like the handling of this car a lot. I havent driven BMW X5 which considered to be one of the best sportier handling SUVs, but Murano handles very well and secure, body lean is very little and steering and break feel is great. Interior space is just perfect for me, even it is a little smaller then 07 model. Exterior is still growing on me and I think in a year or so everybody will be talking how good looking this car is.

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  Good car, could be better - 2013 Nissan Maxima
  By cdub4 - August 11 - 7:42 am

  Purchased in April. Now have 10,000 miles on it. Overall very happy, something I wouldnt have said two weeks after purchasing, but time and service departments can heal all wounds. Within a week of purchase the steering wheel controls all died. It was thought that it was a fuse but needed a new cable system. Since replacement it has worked fine. Two weeks after taking possession when shutting the car off it went into On mode and drained the battery. Another 25 mile trip to the dealer only to be lectured on how to turn the car on/off properly. This is our 3rd Nissan, we know how to turn it off. It has shot into the On mode since but we are careful to watch for it.