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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  Nissan Juke - 2014 Nissan Juke
  By Erica Mcfadgon - December 12 - 4:05 pm

  This car was really amazing, it was nice and spacious. I got my Nissan Juke in 2017 from Orlando Nissan and it was a really great fit for us.

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  Front fender and Hood alignment - 2022 Nissan Frontier
  By Kenny Scheidt - July 24 - 4:19 pm

  The gap between the front fender and the hood is so large I can stick my little finger in it from the headlight to the mid wheel well opening there is no adjustment for this

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  This is the best car ever - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By John - September 26 - 10:08 am

  I have a 1999 Nissan Altima GXE. Just a solid, extremely reliable car. I have almost 240,000 miles and running strong. No issues. very little maintenance done, one sensor, AC compressor, alternator and that is about it in 7 years I have owned it. I think I can get another 50k or 60K miles easily on this car. Highly recommended car. Best car I have ever had.

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  If I had known... - 2016 Nissan Juke
  By Susan Thompson - May 9 - 9:42 pm

  If I had known that I would be this much in love with the Juke I would have bought it sooner. I love driving it. I find excuses to take a drive. The speed and the handling are over the top. Itseems a beautiful car and love all the extras. The 360 cameras are my favorite featurns. The hands free is great. Been wanting it for years. Best purchase by far.

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  Best Car I have ever have - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By John - November 5 - 10:32 am

  Extremely reliable, 227K miles on it with no issues, just regular maintenance. Nissan knows how to build engines. Will keep it until falls apart. Very recommended.

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  Good efficient crossover - 2015 Nissan Rogue
  By RemRogue - October 27 - 4:37 pm

  I love my Rogue its a smooth efficient SUV ever. Has lots of features in class the performance is amazing love the navigation and panoramic moon roof. Rogue gets good gas mileage + using ECO does help a lot love everything well equipped. Believe Im pretty satisfied in purchasing a great crossover as the Rogue. It has good handling plenty of power making even fun to drive at least know can be more secured driving with all of the safety features standard in Rogue. Fit and finish materials are absolutely best for good priced with everything being great instead finding anything cheaply made in the Rogue.

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  Versa Note SV 62,000k - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By patrick - October 24 - 5:35 pm

  I have had this Versa Note for 62,000 miles now. Had all the recommended services at 35,000. Good thing, the CVT fluid needed changing. I get 41 miles per gal/ with the original tires and 38 with the snows on, If you believe the counter. With the right snows the car is great in the snow. I do have this annoying rattling when I step on the gas pedal. It has decreased after the last recall updating the CVT software. I have hauled a lot of stuff in this car. With the seats down you get a lot of room for transporting. I would recommend this car as a commuting car , great so far. BTW Im still looking for rain guards.

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  Nice Ride - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Mark - December 31 - 6:10 pm

  What can I say, its a nice ride. I live in NYC and I commute about 100 miles a day and this car is great on the highway but not so much on fuel. Little disappointed there. Fun to drive on the highway, not so much on the NYC streets. The potholes are a killer. No time to enjoy the ride. Too much shifting only to slam on the brakes for red lights and taxi cabs. Takes a little time to warm up. I love the shifting but can be hard at times. Great to drive in the mountains. Stiff ride in the city streets and sometimes to highway. Girlfriend complains of the stiff ride but I dont mind. Look for a car that gets better gas mileage. Look at the SE 2.0 liter. Better ride and gas mileage.

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  A good little car with great mileage! - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By buck1810 - December 31 - 1:04 am

  Bought my Versa in September and have been relatively happy with it. Most important: great gas mileage. I drive 40 miles each way to work and, according to the computer, I am averaging 40.4 mpg. Amazing. That figure reflects mostly freeway driving. In-town stop and go driving brings the average down. This is a car for cruising. It is quiet inside the cabin and pretty smooth going over bumps. A lot of room inside the cabin. I call my car The Beast, because it is a big car inside, although it looks little outside. Very high roof, so it feels very spacious. I am happy....though not overjoyed.

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  engine light - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Peni A Buckland - December 30 - 7:36 pm

  My engine lite was on constantly. Took to Nissan dealership. Seems it had something to do with broken support bracket drivers side. They wanted $1300 to fix. Called Nissen and they paid for the repair. Took sever conversations but finally go an OK.