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:

• 

  Great Car - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Tha P - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Powerful, very fun to drive and comfortable. Good price for the car. The best quality/price in the range of car.

• 

  One of the best - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By SMS - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Although the car has 3 recalls on it, it is still an excellant automobile to drive and own. All recalls were promptly taken care of by the dealership and aloaner car was provided.

• 

  First time Nissan Buyer - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By paul stratton - July 24 - 2:00 am

  The design caught my eye. I drove it and was impressed with the handling as well as the power of a 4 cylinder. Ive owned it for a year and have had no problems at all. Standard maintance only. Have taken it on long trips and felt comfortable the entire way.

• 

  05 Frontier - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Jeff - July 23 - 11:26 pm

  This is a great truck so far. Just got over 1,000 miles. Gas mileage is very close to the rated 15/20, although you can do better if you take it easy. Everything is where it needs to be. Only problem is a rattle in the dash. It only does it when it is cold and near idle. If I turn on the defroster, the rattle stops. Wanting to get it fixed but not looking foward to the dealer tearing into my dash. Would still buy the truck again. Drove the Tacoma and the Nissan just feels bigger.

• 

  Got Nissan? - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By southerncali - July 23 - 8:10 am

  Love my white 07 Sentra. Installed the K & N air filter and an exhaust in the back for that vrooom and more mpg but I think my mpg went down because I love to put the pedal to the metal. I get about 370 miles highway. Head turner! Gas mileage at 11,000 miles is still 28 city. Much more horsepower helping that tranny (CVT) on engine with the exhaust. My trade in was an 05 toyota corolla Sport. This Nissan is way better!

• 

  It was a keeper - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Paul L - July 22 - 1:43 pm

  Fell in love by the time I pulled out on the test drive that lasted less than 3 minutes. Fantastic in the rain and floods we have here. Too bad I could only get 3 tanks of gas into it before I was broadsided and totaled. He hit me doing over 60mph. Thought I was going over, but the stability controls and such kept me pointed and landed safe and sound. RECOMMEND the side air bags. It was the one option I didnt care about and turned out it saved me from major injury. Next one will be yellow so even another "vision impaired" driver can see me. Just waiting for Farmers to get me a check.

• 

  Best SUV on for the price - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By T-roy - July 22 - 10:43 am

  The Best SUV on the market. The price is right in the range of an average car but all the luxurys of an SUV.

• 

  Looks + Performance + Gas Mileage.. WOW - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By FIshiman - July 22 - 9:06 am

  I saw an Altima and liked the looks but it was when I drove the car that I fell in love. The cherry on the sundae was the gas mileage of the hybrid. I live in the hills and get 34 mpg or more and on the freeway I averaged 39 mpg. Pretty awesome to say the least.

• 

  Lots of Power - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By RHW - July 21 - 9:10 pm

  Have used this truck for business purposes since I bought it new 7 months ago. I use it to pull a tandem axle trailer weight approx. 6K pounds 90% of the time. The truck pulls this trailer flawlessly! No complaints at all. The crew cab w/ long bed allows me to take the family along with tools, trailer, and a good size load with no worries thus far. Fuel mileage is to be expected for a truck of this size and power, but well worth it. My only semi complaint is that the exhaust noise occasionally wears on me by the end of the day. It is a sharp looking truck, plenty of space, comfortable, and can be used as an office on wheels. As a contractor, I am completely satisfied with this truck thus far

• 

  Very Reliable - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By joe - July 21 - 12:06 am

  I have had my v8 pathfinder for 2yrs and it has been great! The power and performance is amazing! Great options and no problems. I test drove other SUVs and there was no comparison. The pathfinder had more power than any v8 out there. The gas mileage is better than expected. It gets about 15 in the city. Well worth the v8 for 1 or 2mpg difference.