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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  If you want reliability..... - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By AEP - April 14 - 1:06 pm

  This is the car to go for, if you need low prive and reliability. I just had the 120K miles service (as recommended by Nissan Manual) and it was all 320$. I have never had a single problem with this car - the engine is powerful , it has enough comfort for a commute car and it goes 23 mpg on the freeway - a good value given the 6 cylinders.

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  So In Love - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By So In Love - April 14 - 6:43 am

  Ive had my car a little over a month and I must say it is one of the best. I test drove and reviewed at least over 10 cars from chrysler, honda, to toyota. I previously owned a "06" G6, which was horrible. Hands down the 08 altima met my standards. The body and the interior style is wonderful. The CVT takes some time to get use to but I rarely notice. There is a little noise with accelerating, but goes away so quick you dont notice. Bottom line was sooo worth every penny!

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  Great vehicle - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Linda - April 14 - 5:06 am

  So far so good. Great riding, great gas mileage and sharp looking. Drove the CRV/ this Rogue is a much smoother ride.

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  i miss mine two - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By chonseydsa - April 13 - 3:06 pm

  I loved my 2000 Nissan xterra in silver it had about 190,000 miles on it when I recently totaled it in a accident on Thursday. I also had the problem of the airbags not going off but overall it was a great truck Im hoping to get another one with my insurance money and buy one with lower mileage. It was tons of fun I miss mine so much.

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  Just a perfect vehicle... - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By SpadedAce - April 13 - 2:23 pm

  I have had my 2005 Pathfinder for exactly 1 year next week and it still feels like I bought it yesterday! I love it. Very comfortable (drove it from south Florida to Maryland and back in 4 days), very sporty (hauls my kayaks and dirtbikes around like its nothing), pulls a 5000 lb boat very well (not underpowered or feeling like the boat is pulling me), the sound system is amazing, and I have not had 1 problem with it yet! They really are fun to drive in-town, on the beach, on the highway(lots of get up and go when you need it) and they are really great looking. They also have all the creature comforts you could ask for including 3rd row seating and a first-aid kit included! Get one!

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  Best Bang for the Buck - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Guy - April 13 - 7:46 am

  Purchased our 05 Pathfinder in July 2005. $26,000 out the door. A lot of truck for the money. The 4.0 V6 delivers plenty of power. So smooth, you cant even feel the tranny shift. As far as comfort, no complaints here. I had one problem in four years. The belt tentioner had to be replaced. I love the looks and secure ride of this vehicle. I will most likely buy another one. Also looking at the Suzuki Equator (Pick-up). This vehicle is a twin to the Nissan Frontier. Suzuki give the better warranty.

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  Excellent Value - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By P2D2KU - April 13 - 5:53 am

  I have owned this vehicle for 5 months. During this time I have driven it 3300 miles. It is a pleasure to drive. The handling is excellent, it also has very good acceleration. It does have a small amount of torque steer which is not surprising for a FWD vehicle with this much HP. At this point I do not have anything negative to say.

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  hot hot car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By jesse - April 12 - 11:40 pm

  I would reccomend this car to anyone. i feel comfortable and safe in it. Even though i would consider this a family car, it has power. I live in Hawaii and there is alot of uphill driving, and this car has no problem keeping up. Room, room, room lots of room. The front seats can be all the way back and you still have lots of room for rear passangers. Thats hard to find. Overall, I love the car and will probably upgrade to a newer model. Cant wait to see what nisaan will come up with for the altima in the future.

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  Fun car - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By shoreman2 - April 12 - 8:34 pm

  This is a fun car to drive. You can put it in Econ mode to max mpg and at the push of button put it in Sport and blow the doors off! I find that I dont need the back-up camera most of the time as it has such a short rear. Fit and finish was very nice. Trouble with the voice recognition responding to my voice. It seems to work okay with my fiances (female) voice, but mine it never gets the right name on my phone list. Need to go see the dealer about that. All else is wonderful.

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  The 2016 changes make this car. - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Kumacho - April 11 - 4:40 pm

  I am a dyed in the wool gearhead. I love cars, I have always loved cars. However, as age caught up to me I felt it was time to leave my Detroit muscle and sports cars behind. When I first decided to buy a more (as my wife puts it) “Adult” car I looked at the 2013 Altima. I liked the features but I let the dealership steer me to a Dodge Avenger because that was the only car they had that would be suitable for getting me out of the Audi A6 I was upside down in. They made it clear they could work the deal on the Dodge but not the Nissan. What a fool I was. I should have stuck to my guns and not have gotten the Dodge. When I decided on the Nissan I drove the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu and the Toyota Camry. While I liked the Optima most of all (2.0 liter turbo) it was more expensive than the others and the dealer wouldn’t deal with us. The Altima and the Sonata hybrid were actually tied as far as driving and initial quality. But the Sonata hybrids in the area were all base vehicles and the limited were hard to find. The Malibu and the Toyota were both in last place as a tie. The Malibu just didn’t have the fit finish and feel of the others. Cheaper plastics and the infotainment system was not to my liking. The Camry fell so low because it lacked styling and didn’t seem as advanced as the others. The Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) on the Altima works really well. I was actually very surprised at what it could do. To test it; I allowed it to slow me all the way to a stop. When it came to a stop the car sat there for about two seconds and a chime warned me the ICC was turning off. The front seats are nearly lazy boy recliner comfortable. Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats are not just a gimmick they really are very comfortable. I find them just as comfortable as the 2005 Audi A6 I had two cars ago. Here is where most people have a problem with the Altima. They are not accustomed to the Constant Variable Transmission (CVT) and the way it feels. For a four cylinder car that gets as high as 42mpg on the freeway (I got that on a 180 mile trip) And 0-60 in 8.2 seconds is not that bad for a midsized 2.5l car! It just doesn’t feel like a normal transmission. Even in Ds (Sport mode) the transmission doesn’t give shift points really. It tries to simulate them, but it does fail. What the CVT doesn’t fail at is giving smooth power at a constant rate and delivers great MPG. I was a little concerned about the reliability issues with the transmission. Until I read the article about Nissan demanding Jatco (the manufacturer of the CVT) make them right. Everything I have read shows the early problems were just that, early problems… I also own a Subaru Outback with a CVT and it feels different. Much more “slushy” feeling.