Nissan models

Nissan was founded in 1933 and built up in Yokohama, where it still keeps its headquarters. For most of the next century it was Japan's scrappier mass-market giant, the maker willing to take swings that Toyota wouldn't, with results that ranged from brilliant to baffling.

The high points are genuinely high. The Datsun 240Z made affordable sports cars credible, the GT-R became a giant-killer on track and road, and the 2010 Leaf was the first mass-produced electric car, on sale years before most rivals had a plan for batteries. The everyday cars, the Sunny, Almera, and X-Trail, did the quiet work of paying for all of it.

Nissan's recent story has been bumpier, marked by turmoil around its alliance with Renault and a thinning lineup. For buyers, the appeal is still value and a few standout models rather than blanket polish. It rewards people who know exactly which Nissan they want, and it remains one of the few mainstream brands with real performance heritage to draw on.