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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  CAUTION - Big Mistake - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By K Clark - December 14 - 8:40 am

  I am VERY DISAPOINTED. I purchased the Armada 7/04 new. It has been in the shop now 6 times in the last 6 months. The dealership is great and is sympathetic to my problems. Overhead compartment squeeks like crazy. New Tork Converter, Transmission, 4 New Michelin Tires and New Overhead Compartment @ 7300 miles. Sunroof rattles along with everything else. New brakes @10,500 miles. Front end still shakes. waiting for next go around of rattles to start. Overall 30+ business days in shop so far. I have called Nissan Corporate 4 times they promise calls back, but never deliver. I was thinking of creating a web sight called "My Armada Squeeks, Rattles and Shakes." Think before you buy!

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  Never again! - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By element - December 14 - 8:26 am

  V6 engine is a +. Interior has a lot of space. Exterior looks very good to be called an Altima. The parts on and in the car is something else. Got my 2004 Altima in Dec. of 2003 and the o2 sensor wend bad @ 1200 miles after that was the left strut at 6000 miles. Then the right at 6800 miles. Over and over. Never ending. Total times struts were replaced is around 7 times for a 2004 Altima w/ 17800 miles. Now Nissan Service has me going in again for a window molding to be repaired for the 4 time now. Nissan Service, and the Altima. NEVER AGAIN! Tips for the ones thinking about the new Altimas. Dont do it. Check all websites w/ info on the Altimas. Wish me luck w/ my lemon.

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  Still going strong - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By UNT84 - December 13 - 9:10 pm

  I bought my 96 Maxima SE to take to college with me. It was very low mileage and had only 59k miles at 7 yrs old. Now, two years later, it has 114k on it and is still as good as it was when I bought it. I love the leather seats, sunroof, and esp. the Bose audio system. Ordinarily, it gets between 22- 25 miles per gallon and thats a combination of highway and city driving. The only things I would possibly change are the quality of the paint (mine is dark green) and I do wish that it had a manual transmission. Its an awesome car though, and more than likely I will have it until it dies.

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  Should have kept my Sienna - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By emharn5 - December 13 - 8:53 am

  I was ready to be done with minivans with the kids off to college. Traded sienna for the 2009 Murano with 30K miles. Base AWD model, very clean. Same common complaint about cheap plastic inside with A LOT of rattles and squeaking whenever you hit small ruts and bumps in the road. Ride is firm but plenty of power. very smooth shifting and I am averaging 23.5 mpg. Big loss of cargo meant I had to rent uhaul to carry 50 in TV. blind spots take getting use to. Seats very comfortable. Murano wanders easily on highway so can be tiring. took getting use to. My wife doesnt like driving the Murano saying it is an effort to be smooth with the gas pedal and keep it from wandering out of lane

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  Tired of visiting the dealership. - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Frustrated - December 12 - 3:43 pm

  I purchased my 2008 Altima new in 2008. This is one of my mistakes. I like the style of the car. I have spent more time in the service department than I would like. Recently my car is making a whining noise while driving over 60 mph. It stalled on the interstate and I had it towed to the dealership, they kept my car for 3 days and said they could not find anything wrong with it. I am doing research online at this time.

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  Was a great vehicle until it reached over 100K miles - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By xterra02sc - December 12 - 3:57 am

  I really loved driving my SE S/C 4WD 2002, and it was mostly problem-free except for last couple of years. One owner vehicle. Problems accelerated dramatically after 100K miles.

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  Original, Best 4 Door Sports Car - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By ILTHOMPSON - December 12 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. It out performs any other car in the class. Ive driven "suped" up Camrys, Acuras, and others and I like my car best.

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  Its ok. - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By ADOBO - December 12 - 2:00 am

  I was very excited to get the new Crew Cab design knowing the Nissan reputation. This one, unfortunately, proved me wrong. After I bought this vehicle, the "Nissan reputation" I relied on went down the drain. The vehicle had gone to the shop 8 times the first month after I purchased it. To top this off, the Nissan Corporation gave me the run-around. I was on the verge of filing under the Illinois Lemon Law. This may be the last Nissan Ill buy.

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  Awesome SUV - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Everclear - December 12 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Xterra for a week now. I love it so far. Really fun to drive.

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  2002 altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By donovan robertson - December 12 - 2:00 am

  this is the best car i have ever own man cool awsome nice beautiful fast