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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  Best Car Ever Owned - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By ksp2trader - April 22 - 4:21 am

  Without a doubt, the best car I have ever owned, and I have owned plenty. Hottest looking car on the road with its sexy lines, accelerates like it has a supercharged V8 with endless power (thanks CVT) and handles like a RWD sports car yet is still a awesome family car if need be. I own a White on Black with the Sport/Tech package SV (awesome Navi system), have 115k on the odometer and never had any major problems with the car. Looks, performance, reliability, I think I summed up the perfect car.

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  Altima Hybrid - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Gene - April 21 - 4:00 pm

  Just bought the Altima hybrid a few days ago.

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  Delightful experience - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By IIIJFULLER - April 21 - 10:23 am

  A very tight, well-put-together large SUV with exceptional performance and neat features without getting to far out of sight on expenses. My Armada cost $48,350 and has many of the same features found on vehicles costing ten to twenty-thousand dollars more. I especially like the back-up camera and courtesy lights. Ride greats. Shifts into auto, 4hi-4lo very well. I plan to drive to AK and tow a trailer this summer- Ill give updates...stay tuned!

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  "LOVE MY LITTLE SENTRA" - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Andra - April 21 - 4:03 am

  I bought this car brand new, and this little car will get up and go, handles excellent in turns and has great gas mileage! I have driven this car 400 miles on one tank of gas. The interior lighting on the doors work on my Sentra. My family of 4 fits comfortable in my little car. At 25,000 miles its just settling in and it rides great!

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  Parting is such sweet sorrow - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By nlangdell - April 20 - 6:39 pm

  I finally had to let it go at 177000 miles and 14 years old. Talk about take a lickin and keep on tickin! I sure wish it hadnt become a rust bucket. She started every morning even on cold ones and thats -05 or more.

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  Love my 2010 Sentra!! - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By Mel - April 20 - 2:45 pm

  I got this car brand new and havent had any problems with it. I currently have 133k miles on it and am now having to put minor money into it for routine age/mileage repairs. Ive almost driven the wheels off of it and it is still a reliable work horse. Id buy another one of I could! Great car!!!

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  Proud owner of Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Jegan - April 20 - 5:16 am

  We compared CRV and Rav4 before going with our Rogue. The main reason for us is the front seat comfort. I never go below the 20 miles per gallon. I also love the handsfree phone option and the reliability of the car. The cargo is little disappointing but compromisable compared to other features.

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  Best Bang for your buck out there. - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Zak - April 20 - 4:40 am

  I cant say enough about the Pathfinder. I read all of the reviews out there. The interior room is smaller than you think, but unless you lug around 4 63" adults all the time, youll be fine. XM radio is great and DOES display the song information, you just have to set it up right. Who cares about fuel economy...its an SUV! If youre buying it for fuel economy youre not buying the right vehicle. As far as SUVs go, I think the fuel economy is great. Car is priced extremely competitively and has great features. My only complaint thus far is that the sunroof and steering wheel controls do not light up at night. This truck drives like a dream and I have no regrets about my purchase.

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  Wills "Xterra" Files - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By CF24MVP - April 19 - 8:46 pm

  I previously owned a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder and purchased a 2003 Toyota Tundra. I missed the capabilities of an SUV and my 2005 Xterra SE 4x4 has filled the void! Love the "new" style. The 265 hp engine delivers. Solid and sturdy on the highway and looking forward to taking in off-road. Lots of storage space and the rear bumper step feature along with tubular steps helps access the roof rack. The 380 watt Rockford Fosgate audio system "rocks". You feel the deep bass in the driver seat.

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  Best vehicle Ive ever owned - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By masterelrond - April 19 - 8:21 pm

  Last year, I got a job that required a long commute, and had to get rid of my 2003 Xterra. I really miss that SUV, by far the best vehicle Ive ever owned. The only maintenance that was ever required was the scheduled maintenance, I never had a single problem with it that required fixing. It drove smooth, and was surprisingly quiet for an SUV. The V6 engine was very powerful, as we towed and carried many loads across the US without even straining it, there was always more power than we needed. By the time I traded it in after 7 years of driving, the paint was still perfect, the suspension was perfect, the engine was perfect, and the interior looked brand new. I really miss that Xterra. :(