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 Maxima! - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By Hillary - March 31 - 2:00 am

  I love my Maxima! I hope my next car purchase is a Maxima!

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  Sexy Monastery - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Kena Ohea - March 31 - 2:00 am

  THis is the best V6 you can get out of a car before the millenium. It also has a great bose system and you can go cross country with this baby.

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  2001 Nissan Maxima SE - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By johnvent - March 31 - 2:00 am

  My 2001 Maxima SE has been an excellent vehicle. The engine is great, build quality and comfort are top notch. I love driving this car!

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  great looks - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Davey35774 - March 31 - 2:00 am

  Love the looks on this very relaible truck. It is fun to drive and handles well on different environments.

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  Good Truck, Can be Improved - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Jay114 - March 31 - 2:00 am

  My fourth Nissan since 1986. This one is nice to look at....fenders, light assembly, roof rack....but drinks gas bad. Sticker said "16 to 20" but I only get 13.5 mostly highway miles. Also I am a little disappointed in the power/acceleration. I must say though that adding a load to the bed or towing does not affect the performance...I think its torqued a little too low. Overall I enjoy the truck.

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  Love my Versa - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By survivorqueen - March 30 - 1:30 pm

  In 2006, after much research, I was happy to decide on the Versa. I am tall and plus sized, the Versa is very spacious. The mileage seems to be the same as my previous Sentra. I did have problems with the vehicle. First there was a recall on the wiper arm (or in that area). Nissa didnt informed me. I found out about it online. Secondly, whenever I turned on the air conditioner, and turned off the car, there were problems when I tried to restart the car. The car wouldnt turn over. It took two years to finally repair. The fuel line had to be replaced. I too kept losing the hubcap. I lost two. Ive never had that problem with any other vehicle.

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  Sentra is the name - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By LISentra - March 30 - 6:40 am

  79K and I still love it. i keep looking at new cars and still for the money you can not beat the 2001 Sentra SE. I reluctantly got the Automatic which kills the gas, but I still get 24/30 on a consistent basis and that is with running it hard on the Long Island Parkways. The worst thing on this car is the brakes...the best thing is the brakes...how does that work? They go after about 15-20k, but this car stops on a dime. Even in the wet and snow, I have not had a problem stoping the Sentra. But the cream of the crop when it comes to this car is why we all bough it...The SR20DE...this engine just keeps going. My Sentra has never once let me down...and low upkeep to boot.

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  Happy owners - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By J-Roy - March 30 - 2:00 am

  We purchased it with 68,000 miles and now it has 135,000 miles and runs very well. We do have occasional issues that are costly (fuel pump, fuel pump wiring harness, brake work, shocks) but they are going to be problematic with any car with these miles. It feels a bit underpowered when we have our family of 4 in it but still maintains freeway speeds without problems. We have loved this car so far.

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  Cheap Plastic - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Adnum7 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I had one of these as a rental in the summer and it seemed to be a solid, quiet, tightly built little car. Ok so I bought one. Now the weather is cold and the cheap plastic used for the console and dashboard rattles and squeaks like crazy until the interior warms up. Not impressed.

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  Fun to drive with high quailty - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By Steve - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have driven it for 1 week, very happy to drive it. High quality can be found interior. Eco mode is a little weak but good EPA, I most drove by Normal mode, enough power for driving, Sport just for fun on the country back-way. some people often ask me about the car when I pump it or park.