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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  Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Kbarn - September 13 - 10:00 am

  This van has plenty of power up hills and in town on freeways I drive alot of miles a year and I am on LA freeways on a daily basis and climb the hills it is wonderful.

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  LOVE my new Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By kidDkat - September 13 - 10:00 am

  I traded in a Sport Trac (my first SUV) for my fun Murano. The features are cool, with detail to the creature comforts. The car drives like a sports car, hugging the road, not feeling top heavy on turns. The continuosly variable transmission feels different at first, but becomes natural after driving it a few times. This car truly is a match between sporty and practicle. I highly recommend it!

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  titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By jfsrjfhsej - September 13 - 10:00 am

  The only problems were a squeaky passenger seat and faulty front brake rotors.

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  350Z Roadster (6MT Touring) - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Zthuzist - September 13 - 10:00 am

  This is a terrific car. The ride quality of the 04 is much, much better than the 03. The roadster is more fun than the coupe.

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  Only a little disappointed - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Joe - September 12 - 10:46 pm

  After reading positive reviews, I purchased a Murano. I like, not love, this car. It has great style, comfort, easy and fun to drive. The overall look, storage areas, rear camera, intelligent key, smooth trans, roominess and MANY other quality features makes this a very acceptable car. However, my disappoinment is the bumpy ride over rough roads and the low fuel economy. I knew from other reviews that the fuel economy wasnt great, but I seem to be one of few who is unhappy with the rougher ride on bumpy pavement, certainly NOT highways. Also, I often accidently open the center console with my elbow. Bad placement of 2 sensitive push buttons which control this compartment.

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  Great Things From The "Cube!" - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Jim in Acworth, GA - September 11 - 7:40 pm

  I love this car! Its "snazzy," and fun to drive. Im getting 31+ mpg around town. I expect to do even better when I drive to D.C.

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  Lets be fair - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Rezavi, G - September 10 - 12:20 pm

  You get what you pay for. I am satisfied with the car considering what I paid for it. There are some recurring themes of problems (lets face it we want to know the bad before we buy): 1. There is occasional weird noise when I make a hard right turn at > 30 mph from the rear right wheel. 2. Transmission down shifting is non- existing, it is another weirdness to it overall not very smooth. 3. Experience the fan on with only 10 secs interval when the air conditioning is on. That does not sound right. Thats about it, the good news is that if your car is exhibiting one or all of these symptoms, well thats the point of 36,000 3 year warranty, get the bugs worked out while its covered.

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  Too Many Rattles - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Katie - September 10 - 9:40 am

  I have owned this 09 Murano SL for 18 months. I am happy overall with this purchase, however I have experienced a few issues. After 6 months my brakes started squeaking, they finally fixed them by replacing the brake pads and lubricating the rotors. The brake pads were not worn, the problem was in the rotors. A few months later, the car started to rattle in many different locations. The service department is still trying to figure out the issues. My Murano SL is loaded with great goodies, more than my husbands Mercedes ML350, but its just not built as well.

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  Great Mid-Size SUV - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By pf03bob - September 10 - 2:00 am

  The 2003 Pathfinder LE has the BEST styling of any PF ever built.( Now Nissan is going to change it!) It is also a safe vehicle since you are surrounded by air bags and side curtains. Good visibility. Drivetrain (2wd)offers power and reasonable mpg. The PF feels car-like in a parking-lot. An enjoyable vehicle to drive!

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  This SUV is a 10! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Chris1 - September 10 - 2:00 am

  This is probably the best SUV on the road now! I love it. No one need to look further than the Murano. It has everything anyone could want! Seriously.