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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  Great Car! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By HUNTER - May 9 - 12:28 am

  Wont be disapointed

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  Happy owner! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Neil Weber - May 8 - 6:33 pm

  Previous truck was a 2004 Dodge Dakota with 4.7L/automatic. This combination turned out to be a very poor choice for towing anything! Transmission was the problem as it was constantly gear hunting! My Frontier has the very powerful 4.0L/six speed manual combination. It tows my 3600lb boat/trailer easily and when towing my motorcycles I dont even feel the weight Im towing (approximately 2200lbs.) I have owned many pickups. So far, this is the best of them all.

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  Love/Hate this car - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Suzy04 - May 8 - 2:40 pm

  For the most part, I love this car. I have owned it for about 18 months. I use my 94 Camry for the daily drive to work. This car is used on weekends and traveling. In town, the road noise is okay. On the interstate, sometimes it is terrible. My sister and I were shouting at one another on one stretch of Interstate. It is a beautiful car. I get lots of compliments on it. It is a comfortable ride--much more so than the Camry. It is also fun to drive but sometimes seems "big" to turn and park. Only maintenance so far. The one problem I have had is when I have a passenger. Two different people have knocked the shift out of drive--both times it was pretty scarey.

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  Just Right - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By JT - May 8 - 8:43 am

  We have been extremely happy with our Xterra. It is not full of "creature comforts" but makes up for it with functionality. It is easy to carry bikes, dogs or haul 8 ft pieces of lumber. Pleasant on road manners for a truck. Off road ability is impressive. If you want a true sport utility vehicle this is an excellent choice.

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  Fun to drive and looks great - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Charlie Zarzour - May 8 - 4:16 am

  I had been shopping for a small sports car, but when I saw the 2 door coupe my mind changed. The 3.5 270 hp engine is very fast. Price point on the car is tough to beat for the horsepower, features and looks. I would recommend the Premium package and also the 3.5 over the 2.5. The 2.5 is better on gas mileage, but the 3.5 will put a smile on your face when you push down on it. This is my third Nissan. Had a Stanza with 180,000 and Frontier with 145,000. You can not beat Nissan quality. I do a lot of interstate driving and the gas mileage is good. On 2 lane roads the car passes other cars with a lot of confidence.

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  Owner of 10 years - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By grezavi - May 8 - 2:20 am

  I bought this car model when it was first released back in late 1999 as 2000. Typically I dont buy first model years but in this case I did because it was so much superior than the Civic or Toyota. I had problems with its electrical system and A/C in the first couple of years but after sorting that out, things have been great and I am very pleased. The last year or so a check engine light has come on, it is harmless for the part and has been on for about 40,000 miles so go figure. I am very impressed by the car now in its 10th year of ownership and I am tempted to repeat another Sentra purchase.

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  Js Rogue - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By J. Roberts - May 8 - 12:12 am

  Love my Rogue-way it looks and drives!

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  Weak Clutch - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By vb - May 7 - 10:00 am

  The clutch is weak if you plan to pull the rated 3500lbs. It will slip bad (with the peddel fully out)trying to pull a heavy boat out of the lake. Other than that it is a great truck, just too small of a bed for me.

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  Good car for the money - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By doubleplusgood - May 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my first car, and I really enjoy it. I test drove a few other cars in the class, and I was most sold by the new body style, the little extra performace, and the comfort of the car.

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  Great car for your money - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Artur - May 7 - 10:00 am

  I have purchased the car a year ago.I have 34000 miles on it, and I drive this car to its limits everyday, very fast, and very harsh.The whole time I owned this car, the only problem I have is with the gears on the car, are always late on shifting, other than that the car has not given me any problems, and is very fun to drive.