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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  Fun - Luxury & Performance - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Tony - January 14 - 7:30 pm

  This is the 4th Maxima I have owned. It is by far the the most sporty. I compared all the other cars (TL, Accord, Camry, Avalon, G35) and came back to the Maxima. It has the best engine and features for the money. My last Maxima, I had to replace the oxygen sensor and alternator although it had low miles. Even with a couple of repairs factored in I come out ahead of the other cars. Ive had no problems with my 2006 SL and really like all the features including Bluetooth, which comes with the driver preferred pkg. This car drives excellent with great power and a nice little growl from the engine! Steve Hipshin with Tom Peacock in Houston is the best salesperson- great price and service.

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  Steering Wheel problem, rattling noise - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By nick - January 14 - 3:50 pm

  Steering wheel rattles everytime I enter exit driveways, bumpy parking lots, when turning left and right. I have this being checked since the first two months of my maintenance and no one could fix it. I think this is a factory defect parts. Services in 2 dealerships have failed my satisfaction already. I have email Nissan Canada, nobody seems to care. So I from now on, after that I could dispose this vehicle, no more Nissan for me. Thats it. Id rather buy a bit higher priced car than with this brand.

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  Transmission Failure! - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By Jerry W. Van Allen - January 14 - 2:25 pm

  I have a 2011 Nissan Maxima, and the CVT transmission has failed on the vehicle. I researched the web, to see if there were any other concerns with this type of transmission, and I found that from 2003 - 2010, a large range of Nissan vehicles had their warranty extended from Nissan, due to the CVT transmissions failing on the vehicles. Being that my vehicle is a 2011, their corporate office is saying that they will not assist me with repairing my vehicle, due to the vehicle being ONLY ONE (1) YEAR OUTSIDE OF THEIR WARRANTY EXTENSION ON SO MANY OTHER VEHICLES. Funny, there is an article listed on edmunds.com, on a 2011 Nissan Maxima CVT transmission failing him just after his warranty expiring (A 2011 MODEL). I am in the automotive industry and have a large influence in the Memphis area, so I am informing everyone that I know, to not ever buy a Nissan product, due to them not wanting to own up to their engine concerns and problems.

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  I love this car - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jimmy - January 14 - 9:56 am

  Okay, this car just rocks. Fun to drive, power to spare, and room room room. Just a great car to drive. But I do feel like Nissan skimped on the S model in order to force us to bump to the SE (+$3000). I mean, cmon, its 2010, and no AUX jack for the iPod? Are you joking? Its a great car, and I love it. I just wish I could feel like I wasnt being effed over by the mftr is all.

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  My second Nissan truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Matt - January 14 - 9:40 am

  This is my second Nissan truck. My first was a 87 1/2 Hardbody and it served me well. It was a basic XE 2wd 5sp. I sold it with 70k miles to a friend who kept it for close to 200k miles. This 06 is lights years ahead of my 87 in every respect. I plan on keeping this 06 for 15 years. I was able to keep my 95 GMC Sonoma 4x4 for 11 years so I the Nissan being a better build vehicle should be able to meet that goal. My 95 was getting 18-19 in mostly city driving and my 06 is doing that with no problem. Considering the 06 is a bigger, heaver truck with more hp(155 for 05 vs 265 for 06)IMHO is pretty impressive in my book. Ride quality is impressive for the 06 compared to my 95.

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  Versa - Best Car I Never Heard Of - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By patrick - January 14 - 8:43 am

  Ive owned this car for four days now. I find that I cant wait to get in and drive to work. It has changed my whole experience of driving, its fun again! I happen to love the stick shift and the interior is so comfortable. I used to get groggy when I drove my old car but the design of the seats in the Versa seems to make me more alert. The car is also incredibly responsive, I cant believe how quickly I get up to higher speeds on the highway. When I shopped for a new car last Saturday morning, I never heard of a Nissan Versa. Im glad I found it. I think people are really going to take to it. Oops, almost forgot, the gas mileage is AMAZING!

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  2004 Nissan Frontier XE Crew cab SWB - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Fabian - January 14 - 4:06 am

  Just bought this truck which had 37,000 miles. Rides a little harsh with off road tires but handles well and looks great. Interior is great, all instruments laid out well. Added a K&N air filter for improved fuel economy. Tows a 6x12 cargo trailer with my 4 wheeler fairly well. I plan on keeping this truck for a long time. looking forward to many years with it!

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  Sentra = Solid - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Razalon - January 14 - 3:00 am

  My first ever car was an 83 Nissan Sentra wagon. It was passed down from my sister, to my brother who then passed it down to me after he totalled it, and it needed a clutch. Well after putting my own money into this car I drove it everywhere. It was nice going two weeks on a tank of gas that would only take 9 gallons on empty. Just got my 2006 because the deals were so good on them. I was going to wait on the Versa to come out, but I know that the Sentras are a for sure thing. I got mine loaded with the special addition and more options. Fog lights, SER grill 16" rims, 300W stereo etc... I got it for $13,500. For all I got with this car, and the Sentra reputation, It was not a hard decision.

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  Great, But.... - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By PhotoPhritz - January 14 - 2:30 am

  This vehicle is really different... in mostly wonderful ways... Great Drive. Comfortable Seats. Super room in backseat. Versatile. Sharp looking. Tracks (drives) well. Very little stress felt, even after a 5 hour drive. Not seeing tire wear (like previous reviews mentioned). Middle dashboard confusing, too many knobs & options. Terrible gas mileage.

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  Second Versa and love it... - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By donotoe - January 13 - 5:33 pm

  Had a 2007 Versa and loved it, so got a 2009... great commuter car. Just want a reliable comfortable car with good MPG and got it. So much room inside, it is really unbelievable - 350 lb. passenger in back seat was very comfortable. Two-hour drive on hills, no problem... performance was great. Plenty cargo room since interior so spacious.