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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  Fast sleek looking car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Thomas Conlin - December 12 - 2:00 am

  The revised Altima looks like a more expensive car such as a BMW or Volkswagen. It is fast and good lokking. People turn their heads and ask what kind of car is it? I probably sold three others by them looking at mine. The only problem is it is not a car for snow country. It is too light. My older Dodge Intrepid is a lot heavier and plows through the snow. Maybe it needs studded tiers in the winter?

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  Awesome Car - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Computergeek - December 12 - 1:46 am

  What is there not to say. I love this Car. It feels like a large car, but with a sub-compact price. I got mine loaded minus the sport package. I am 60" tall and have plenty of room. It keeps up well on the interstate. Car is small, but safe.

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  2002 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4x4 - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By markandleigh - December 11 - 3:50 am

  Coming from a 98 Explorer, I cant believe the difference in ride quality. The Explorer beats you to death while driving. On the other hand the Pathfinder is as smooth as any CAR out there. The engine is powerful and smooth and the transmission shifts very smoothly. It also holds its value much better than the domestics.

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  At 32K Miles-Poorly Made Car - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By Kay - December 10 - 10:53 pm

  This is my 2nd Nissan (first Maxima) and my last!!!!! There is a constant rumbling vibration felt through the gas pedal and steering wheel between 20-45 mph. I have taken my car to over 6 different dealers and they couldnt fix it or really find the problem, so the service rep came and said "this is normal for this transmission"!!!! For a car that cost this much!!! There FLAGSHIP VECHICLE!!!!They claim this new transmission is seamless, which apparently its not. It is soooo aggravating, and to top it off now my car constantly sounds like it is revied up high!!!!!! So, Im now stuck with it!!!! I wanted to get the 09, but now I am scared....

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  Excellent value for the money, still looks modern - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By blockmachining - December 10 - 10:29 pm

  Pros: Value, dependability, comfort Cons: Watch the plastic sliding door handles Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9 We bought the van new in April, 2002. We now have 118K miles on her. The only unscheduled problem we have had was the axle boots ripped open around 62K miles, so we replaced both axles. This repair was completely unexpected as the vehicle is always garaged and not abused. When it hit 105K, I changed the timing belt, water pump (preventive maintenance only...no issues at the time, just easy to get to while the timing belt was off), drive belts and spark plugs. She continues to run like a champ. We have the SE model which improves handling; however, you can definitely feel the bumps when you hit them. We get between 20 and 21 miles per gallon driving a 50/50 mix of highway and city driving. Right now, the only issue we have is the radio display fades in and out which is a common problem on these vehicles. There is a cheap repair where you resolder the power supply lead on a circuit board inside of the radio. Right now, its not bad enough to mess with so we are leaving it alone. We have the captains chairs in the middle row which is comfortable for the kids. We also have the overhead video player which the kids love. We, the grandparents, love it to. Just turn it on and the kids will not make a sound except for needed bathroom breaks and the Im hungry, feed me calls. The van came with Goodyear tires which lasted approximately 40K miles. Then we put on a set of Yokohama Avid Touring S tires which lasted almost 65K miles. These were really quiet tires; however, the weight of the van made the tires look underinflated. We now have on General Altimax RT tires which ride and handle excellent. They also appear to support the weight of the van a little better. Its too early to tell about tread wear but right now, it looks like they will last approximately 50K miles or so. The vans sliding door handles are a weak spot when the doors are frozen. Do not use these handles to break open the frozen door. Just grab the handle, pull on it until the door lock unlatches, then grab the body of the door and pull on it to break the ice holding the door closed. The handles are only plastic and cannot handle the pressure required to break the ice. I learned this the hard way. I like the white background on the instrument cluster found in the SE vans. They look really cool during the day and are easily legible during the night. The sound system is really good for a van. The SE came with the sub speaker system which gives it a little thump! I have used nothing but synthetic oil in the engine since it was new. It will burn approximately 1 quart of oil every 5K miles. I also have my oil analyzed at Blackstone Labs every 7.5K when I do the oil change. So far, engine wear is below the average level for this engine. I attribute this to the synthetic oil usage. I dont use the high dollar Mobil 1 or other high performance synthetic oils. I just use the Walmart brand synthetic since this is not a high performance engine. I used Mobil 1 in my 90 Nissan 300ZX twin turbo because this engine was a high performance engine and was often ran very, very hard. If you use synthetic oil, you can run this oil for the full 7.5K oil change interval recommended in the owners manual. There is no need to change it every 3K miles like the oil companies recommend. They really like to see you spend your money for their oil! Im going to change the transmission oil filter and oil when she hits 120K just to be safe. I have not had to touch the exhaust system so far, which is almost hard to believe. The muffler still looks and sounds good and the stainless still exhaust piping should last the entire life of the van. The van has a high performing AC system and the heat is warm within just a mile or two of starting out. There a few rattles in the sliding doors and rear hatch when you hit a fairly large bump, but its not too bad. The van is definitely past middle age, so what would you expect? I have some rattles now, too. I hope this review helps you. If you can find a good used Quest van, Id recommend it. No, you will not get a polished van like what is produced today. But you will save approximately 30K dollars if you were to buy a new one. Good luck.

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  Hanging on by a thread - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By sparrow1257 - December 10 - 11:49 am

  I love the car but will never purchase another Nissan. I bought the car new and starting at 15k miles the repairs started and never ended: tensioned assembly replaced three times, all brake assemblies replaced at 25k miles, transmission and radiator replaced due to fluid peeking into the transmission, cracked transfer case, bad veil and oil sending units, abs assembly on the driver side completely failed, coolant leaking onto passenger side firewall. Fortunately I purchased the 100k extended. I have 105k miles on the car. My total out of pocket for the past year would have been $18k if not for the warranty!! That is a new car! Nissan also damaged car during repairs and refused to pay.

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  First mid-size pickup. - 2011 Nissan Frontier
  By rdpope - December 10 - 9:51 am

  I have recently purchased the 2011 4X4 SV crew cab with the long bed. I have been quite impressed with the added safety features, good HP and handeling of this vechile. I traded an 06 Sierra for this vechile, and yes it is a tighter fit for me — 6Â’3″ 215 lbs–, but itÂ’s not bad. Not sure I would want to ride in the back for very long; but itÂ’s perfect for my 7 and 9 y.o boys. My father ownes a Chevy Colorado; I have say the Nissan far outpaces the Chevy both in interior design, comfort and ride. I looked at both the Frontier and the Tacoma. I just could not justify the higher price of the Tacoma. The Frontier has better HP, more room in the crew cabÂ’s rear seat, and again has more standard sa

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  Back Again - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Chris - December 10 - 4:13 am

  I owned a 2003 Murano for five years and loved every minute of it. I finally decided it was time for a new vehicle. Due the price a gas these days, I decided to try a 2008 Honda Accord XLE for mpg improvements. It was a nice car, but I just could not adjust to driving a sedan and missed the Murano. I had to trade it in a go back to the Murano. The interior upgrades compared to 2003 are great. The power and handling inspire confidence and the mpg is as promised. I love the sound system, the backup camera and the push button start.

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  Love my 2011 Pathfinder..it completes me. LOL - 2011 Nissan Pathfinder
  By RGreene - December 10 - 3:48 am

  Its a comfortable size with plenty room. Love the way it sits up off ground. Its a comfortable quiet ride especially for a 4WD. Great all around utilitie vehicle.

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  Just bought one - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Victor - December 9 - 9:26 am

  We just got a Quest and love it. Much larger inside than expected, with tons of storage space. The wife loves the sotrage hooks. Drives very smooth over all terrain so far. Power rear door and side slider VERY useful when raining and a shopping trip to Walmart with the family. The 4 speed auto tranny kicks down sometimes when I dont want it to for extra oomph. Also, please measure your garage if you plan on putting it in there. Our Quest barely fits in there, but at least it fits.