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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  Update - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Chris - January 5 - 12:46 am

  5 months and 3100 this garbage heap is going back for the third time. Now the alarm does not work properly, the passenger side door panel is pulling away from the door, and Nissan has informed us that the car is being recalled for brakes. Could explain the front end banging the service department had "no clue where it was coming from". Gas mileage is poor still. Never again. It is back to Ford at lease end.

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  2002 to a 2005 - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Zigler S - January 4 - 12:36 pm

  We had a 2002 SE 4WD SC, put 64,000 miles on it and needed another with a warranty, AC compressor went out, $1000 to replace. Loved it all but the mpg and the BF Goodwrench tires, wore out at 32,000. Stadium seating-great for the kids. 64/40 split-great for the carseat. No carpet in the back- bonus. Rockford Fosegate stereo-ROCK ON!good placement of subwoofer for wife. 265hp-nice punch when you need it. We had fun in the snow with the 2002, waiting to see with the 2005. We look foward to buy again.

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  Roomy, Powerful SUV - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By John - January 4 - 9:30 am

  The Good: roomy, powerful engine, smooth transmission, comfortable seats, good stereo system (if you can afford the audio upgrade, get it), AWD works great, CVT transmission works great (much better than the traditional Nissan transmissions which had many problems), seats 5, decent cargo space, good looking vehicle. The Bad: Wheel bearings went out ($800), catalytic converter issues ($1,500), interior plastic parts are cheap and scratch easy, rear seat handle release broke, could use a bluetooth upgrade. Overall... a great buy!

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  Love my Frontier!! - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By FrontierLuver - January 4 - 3:53 am

  Ive got 78,000 miles on my baby and I have no complaints whatsoever. Have not had one problem. Have done nothing but regular maintenance. I would highly recommend this truck to anyone looking for a good, solid, reliable little truck.

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  close one - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By seeme - January 4 - 3:01 am

  After taking the SUV home I was over joyed . After about 300 miles I noticed a a shutter when the gas pad was applied lightly and it disappeared as the suv s speed reached about 35 mph..My dealer Sutherlin Nissan was wonderful..They put a new converter as per the mother company"s policy and on the way home about 10 miles, the problem was still there.. I called them and they then took it to the next step and ordered a new tranny. Since then two long trips and 7000 miles on the Suv and now after owning this Suv for three mths,,I give it 4 1/2 stars overall..Sutherlin Nissan of fort myers fla gets 5 stars and they also give a lifetime warranty at no add.charge on the drivetrain. Very nice SUV.

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  The best in its category - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Venkat - January 4 - 2:40 am

  I researched Civic, Corolla and Sentra before deciding to buy the Sentra. I was impressed by its size and feel. Sentra was bigger, longer and wider then both Civic and Corolla. Even though I liked the looks of Civic more, I choose Sentra because of some key striking features. The gear shift knob was moved towards the dash to make more room in the drivers cabin. The CVT feature made the drive very smooth. I chose the intelligent key feature and the music system had an auxiliary jack which enabled me to play my iPod. All this combined with good looks convinced me to go for Sentra. I am very happy with the car.

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  Love at First Sight - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By CJ - January 3 - 11:23 pm

  Test drove the Tahoe and liked it but once my wife and I got in the Armada, we knew this was the choice. Lots of room inside and seemed to have a much tighter ride then the Tahoe. Love the power for towing. My wife thought it had less of a truck feel than other SUVs we tested.

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  2009 Altima Hybrid--disappointed - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By msginny - January 3 - 8:36 pm

  I really wanted to like this car. Even though it wasnt originally sold in the Midwest where I live, I had a dealer get one for me back in 2010. Over the weekend, my car stranded me with the infamous steering column issue. I couldnt get it started in the Mall parking lot...no prior warning lights, etc. Upon trying to start it, the red "key" light came on. Today they fixed it under the "extended warranty" which shouldve been a recall. The dealer did tell me the parts arent always in stock, and some customers had to wait a month for a part and repair. Bad job, Nissan. The romance is over, and Im kicking you to the curb.

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  No comparison - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jeff - January 3 - 5:00 am

  Its truly no comparison. The build quality is perfect. 100% reliable. Bought the truck used (05) and havent had any problems ever. Very powerful engine and very smooth on the road. Its like driving a luxury vehicle. Go test drive one to believe.

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  exactely what I needed - 2016 Nissan NV200
  By Akram Farooq - January 3 - 3:23 am

  Its an ideal van for my small business