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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  I love my Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By F.K - April 18 - 11:53 am

  ive looked at honda accord and toyota camry and test drove them but there was something about their brakes and the way they ran .. but when i drove nissan altima for the first time it felt just right .. everything about it was just perfect .. from the interior and exterior .. plus i drive it a lot .. it is already up to 40k miles .. no check engine lite , tires still look new ..

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  Excellent Car - 2001 Nissan Quest
  By ghazal - April 18 - 3:46 am

  I had this car for 8 years and very happy with it.

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  Mouse in new rogue 2016 - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Mony Den - April 18 - 3:39 am

  i had the car 6 weeks...It had 357 miles on it.....They say a mouse nest is in the blower...how....as it sat waiting to be bought....They told me the same thing when I bought a new sentra in 2010....This is a common problem with nissan....stop selling cars that have sat around and not clean the blowers....bs....#designflaw

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  1997 Nissan Sentra - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By osgoodusa - April 17 - 11:43 pm

  This is the second worst care I have owned. out of about 15 cars and pickups. At 88000 miles, the fuel system failed completely, the steering and front suspension are going out, and the timing chain is about to go. The oil and filter have been faithfully changed every 3000 miles. It is a strange combination of poor performance and bad gas mileage. Yuk!

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  Best car I have owned yet - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By jhogan - April 17 - 9:43 pm

  Great car. Bought used and love it. Good weight for snow and rain, have had no problems slipping, spinouts, or traction problems. My brother borrowed it and said he almost totaled it in the snow, but he is one of these drivers that drives to fast and to close to other cars. Decent mpg for an engine that is 175 hp. Plenty of pickup for ramps and highway traveling. Enough room for me and the family. With trunk space to spare. Wont be my last Nissan. Good car for the money.

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  1ST SUV - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By YO - April 17 - 11:43 am

  This was my first time owning a SUV. I fell in love until I had to fill the gas tank. The gas mileage on this SUV is very bad for a 4cyl vehicle. There is no get up and go. How could you have a visor without vanity mirrors? Take this SUV and start over from scratch. And next time have a female design it.

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  Cute Car, But I Hate It - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Lin N.H. - April 17 - 7:00 am

  I got a really good deal on my Sentra, thats the good news. The rest is mostly negative. The driving position is very uncomfortable for me. I am an average size woman 56" and I find the seats too small. If it was a purchase from any place other than a car dealership, I would have returned it for refund in the first week. But Im stuck with it for years. It has been in the shop 5 times. The clutch makes a noise when depressed and again when released. The side windows rattle in their seals. After 2,500 miles, the Service Engine Soon light came on and the cruise control stopped working. I definitely should have spent more time test-driving this car and exploring other options!

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  Love and miss - 2016 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Love you Nissan/Miss you!! - April 17 - 12:59 am

  Had the 2016 Nissan Platinum and traded for a Mini Van...I dont know what I was thinking. And Ill be back Nissan..dont change anything!!!! I cant even express how much I loved the 360 cam, Bose, heated second seats and a/c front seats, controls on the steering wheel for everything!!! I could go on with so many more features!!! Movable second row with car seats in!! Never was a Nissan fan, but owned it and now miss it!!! It has even more stuff and comfort..dare I say it...then the MDX. Listen, go test drive this first and then test drive your other options and youll go back to this! We have owned Acura, Honda, GMC, Subaru, Infiniti, Jeep, you name it we have owned it and other then the Subaru having minimal space...I would actually return to this vehicle in a second! Pathfinder was a great vehicle in 2000/2002 but it got cheap in the later 2009/2010 and now its back its roots. Nice job Niss, Ill be back!

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  After a years search, near perfection - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By JP - April 16 - 6:40 pm

  I must say that after searching for over a year and test driving dozens of new cars, i made the right choice with the X. Great ability, great looks, and yes it could stand a little spicing up on the inside, great power, great EVERYTHING. i drove land rover, jeep, and many more but none came close. it drives slightly like a truck (if youre used to cars) but it is supposed to, it IS a truck, a truck that can outperform, both on and off road, most others. maybe the Wrangler has it off road. so if you want a good ride, a lot of power, speed, fun and great styling this is the SUV for you. if you want a road SUV with a car like ride look else where, this one is for on and serious off Roading.

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  What in the world did I pay for - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Deborah - April 16 - 2:13 pm

  Yes, I know you dont buy a car just for all of the bells and whistles. Doesnt that add to the decision of your purchase? I traded a 2012 maxima for this beautiful 2016 Platinum. There are a few things that really bother me about the vehicle like stupid visors. They look like they were forgotten about and just had some thrown on. The curves on the outside of the visor are just in the right spot for the sun to come through when you use the slide feature. In the previous Maxima there was a sliding extender that worked very well for blocking out the blinding sun. That did not need to be changed. I also had a six disc CD changer that also included a feature that I could record my CDs and save them right there in the system. Now I have just one disc option . That did not need to change. Now the thing that really makes me upset with my purchase is the fact that all of the cool apps I was told about are not available on the TOP OF THE LINE, FULLY LOADED 2016 NISSAN MAXIMA I PAID OVER 42, 000 FOR. Talk about buyers remorse. if the little small things I thought I was getting could change then this would be the perfect vehicle. If I could turn back the clock a few months I would have kept my 2012 and waited until these stupid things were fixed. On top of all of that, there was a recall already on the fuel system/gas tank and after starting the vehicle there is an annoying clicking when I apply the break that I was told was something that I would just have to live with.