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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  I love my car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By marm - August 10 - 11:36 pm

  It has been the first new car I have owned and I love it! I have had it about a year and a half and I still love driving it. I havent had a problem with it yet.

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  Good vehicle, a few disappointing SL features - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By edub007 - August 10 - 9:13 pm

  The Rogue is a good vehicle, just a few disappointments in expensive features. It has comfortable leather seats and roomy interior. Rear seat has dedicated vents, slides forward/back, and reclines; comfortable for adults. In general, the CVT offers a smooth, comfortable ride. Unfortunately, The Lane departure warning generally doesn’t work and Frontal collision warning will go off when driving curvy roads. The Blind Spot Monitor sees ghost cars. I haven’t gotten better than 23mpg (40% highway) but was told it takes 3K miles before the engine reaches peak performance. The engine is noticeably loud and bothers me more than I thought it would but hopefully that will get better.

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  Cramped - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Disappointed - August 10 - 8:36 pm

  Looking for a car that had some space. Trunk is small. Front seats comfy but, felt like confined space wise. Ride was nice. Bought an Impala. A car with a huge trunk and more cabin space. In your review the breakdown in each category would only register GREAT OR POOR. OK would not register in the survey. Big difference in describing the customers view points. Fix it or delete it.

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  Nissan got right this time - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By AD007 - August 10 - 12:13 pm

  The power and smoothness of the CVT is superb. This car has every feature I was looking for and everything works, except the Voice recognition could use improvement. The interior is gorgeous and very functional. The keyless entry/start is so convenient, I feel Im in the dark ages with regular keys in other cars. Handling and ride is extremely confident and planted. Brakes are great, almost too powerful. The biggest plus for me was NO torque steer. This is what kept me from buying the previous generation car. Gas mileage could be better, but considering the tremendous power, Im probably accelerating and driving faster than I need to.

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  Really great car - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By rbagnate - August 10 - 12:04 pm

  Ive always liked the 5th gen Maxima. I finally had the chance to get one from California. Purchased August 2014 with 50,000 original miles from an elderly couple that took real good care of it. I live in Colorado and book the trip to Dublin CA. Drove the car back and got 32mpg, she did great! One issue the radio had to be replaced and the power coming from the engine...WOW! So far Ive added 12,000 miles driving for work out of state and Im happy I bought the car. This car was immaculate inside and out.

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  What a BLAST ! Great car for the Money - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By apes girl - August 10 - 4:26 am

  Great job Nissan ! 09 Got the Nav pkg/Sport Pkg. loaded. I have owned Porsche, Vette, Cameros, Range Rover Ect.... This is a great car for the money Truly. Handles sweet, power when you need it. I live in San Diego so I have not experienced the heat or need for oil cooler ( hope you guys get help though ) Comfort is amazing, sound system great, Nav easy to use, like the phone opt. and inside is roomy, your not on top of one another, nice. Great use of interior space thanks.

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  Fun Truck - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By WK - August 10 - 4:23 am

  Looked at the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, and Honda Ridgeline before buying my Frontier Crew Cab LE V6. Frontier is better than all; its very close to the Tacoma but the Toyotas need for premium gas turned me away. The Frontier is not perfect; the seat fabric could be better, the turning radius is poor, and the console is too low/far back. The worst negative is the bump steer when driving at highway speeds; its a little distracting until you get used to it (keep two hands on the wheel and its not so bad). However, the acceleration is awesome (I added a K&N filter and gained a couple more HP). Gas mileage is what I expected (avg 18 mpg - hey its a truck not a hybrid).

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  Great non-minivan, non-truck family car - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Silicon Valley owner - August 9 - 12:46 pm

  I bought this car because I needed something that was roomy enough for a family of 4 but powerful enough to handle my mountain+freeway commute. I love it! Much sportier drive than an SUV or minivan. I like the CVT - very smooth. I get about 18-19 mpg on 87 octane gas and Im a somewhat aggressive driver. Im baffled by people who claim to own the vehicle but complain about the looks of it... so why did you buy it? Personally, I love the looks of it. I also like the fact that Nissan didnt try to cram in a 3rd row. The whole vehicle is much roomier as a result. Mines fully loaded and even then, much less expensive than comparable Lexus, BMW, Volvo, or even VW.

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  2006 Altima Special Edition - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By mearish - August 9 - 10:50 am

  Great car and excellent customer service. As a previous GM owner this cars quality and customer service at the dealer and on the phone is amazing!

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  Awesome Car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By ksweets - August 8 - 10:00 pm

  I love this car because although I dont have a family or a lot of people in my car always, the space is always there when you need it. and even though you might have guests in your car, the space is still there. It is a great car to travel in. You dont have to worry about being uncomfortable on a long trip. Im only 23 and its my first new car, and so far I love it!!!