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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  ugh - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By steven - June 20 - 10:10 pm

  CD player has static noise in it, 3 cd players later still the same. Outside noise can be heard in back like window is rolled down, very noisy. Also 22 mpg on hwy I use Chevron gas too, advertised 26-33 not even close.

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  Poor Braking Vehicle - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By J.Howard - June 19 - 9:53 am

  I purchased the Armada New in Nov of 2004. I have had the vehicle at the dealer 4 times for brake issues, 1st time a 7000 miles, 2nd 11,000, 3rd 20,000, 4th 36,000. Brakes still do not function properly, pedal depresses to floor to come to complete stop. Nissan tells me brakes are "within stardards" Very frustrating having a 7,000lb SUV not stopping. Sun Roof switch replaced 2 Xs. Temp/direction in mirror still acting up. Car is now shaking at higher HYwy speeds. SUV is very roomy and fun to drive but, I do not like to take a NEW SUV in for work every 6 months. Very Poor Reliability. Nissan Should have fixed the problems before they sold the Car. I may never by another Nissan again.

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  Nissan=poor build quality - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By slappy - June 17 - 2:00 am

  Terrible paint Car is constantly going to dealer for"adjustments" and to fix defects and problems caused from poor quality controll

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  Can Look but Cant Drive the Altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Unhappy Altima Owner - June 14 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Altima for 2.5 years and have had 2 major breakdowns. First off, the catalytic converter went out. This was under factory warranty. Next the fuel pump went out. These are the types of breakdowns that should happen to MUCH OLDER cars. Overall I am pretty unhappy with this car. The interior is cheap, rattles, it has had a LOT of recalls, and breaks down a lot. Overall it is a good looking but if you cant drive it, what good is it? I think this will be my last Nissan.

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  STAY AWAY!!! - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By Tom Olzak - June 9 - 10:47 pm

  I bought this car used with 38000 miles on it. I drive about 12000 miles a year and have had the car a bit longer then 2 years and the transmission needs replaced (there are 64000 miles on the car) The initial warranty expired after 60000 miles. The Rogues transmission was problematic for years 2002-2010 to the point that there was a class action suite filed against Nissan and as a result they extended the warranty on the transmission for those years to 120000 miles. I was happy with the car till this. Never again will I buy another Nissan or any car with the CVT transmission.....

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  Fully loaded - Get the Maxima! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Jersey Driver - June 5 - 10:00 am

  Ive had a ton of electrical problems with this vehicle. Dont rely on the handling of this car. Maybe with the entire car full and the truck stuffed with weights it might handle well. I was fooled by the looks and hype. The interior is gracious and roomy. The exterior looks are one of a luxury car. With the options that I purchased the price reached one of a well-equipped Maxima. So, to make a long story short this car isnt worth the money. Once again, Nissan has a good marketing strategy when it comes to this one, but thats about it.

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  Okay car--I just expected better - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By BecGood - June 4 - 11:50 am

  Like other reviewers, I passed up a civic for this car. I thought it would be a good choice. Im not pleased with the gas mileage (22 mpg in the city, and 30 mpg on the highway). My heat also works only on the highest setting so Im either really cold or really hot. Ive also noticed that this car handles really poorly in the wind--I was blown into oncoming traffic once!! And who can forget the paint job--the top coat is peeling in several locations.

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  Not a cold weather car!! - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By budreaux1 - June 4 - 4:29 am

  If you live where it rains or snows dont buy this car. The car body designers never drove this car in rain or snow. The spray from the tires creates a truly ugly car within miles. The snow build-up in wheel wells and the 6-12 inches of crud on the running boards is beyond annoying. Try to buy a splash guard post-factory? Not available without a special order and a 4 to 5 week wait. The actual driving range in winter is lowered by several factors: 1. less charge in cold temps (10-12 miles less) 2. if you use the climate control 15 to 20 miles are subtracted from your range estimate. So if you want a car that can go 50 to 60 miles and turn your garage into an ice rink...this is the one.

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  real one (review) - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By imsh - June 3 - 10:16 am

  With every day 8 miles run to work and back home it gives me only 20MPG. Blind spots are awful, rear window is way too small, backing up is a pain... (I understand now why my insurance went up after I gave up Jeep Liberty for Rogue). That small orange, round shaped computer screen is annoying after a week of looking at it, its so cheap and like an alien to the rest of dashboard. Suspension is weak to my taste. Lots of road noise when on poor pavement. With high speed and gusty winds vehicle behaves strange least. When you close your door it sounds like something loose inside. Ignition/access key is huge and ugly. Steering wheel, cruise.ctrl buttons, speakers/sound are poor quality. Etc.

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  Nissan Titan, should be Nissan Titanic.. - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By serch - May 30 - 9:10 am

  After reading a ton of great reviews on the truck I finally test drove one and purchased it. It had all the bells and whistles that one could ask for in a full size truck. However that was short lived. After a month the truck was in the shop more then I had it. 7 trips in less then 3 weeks. Total of 12 trips in 3 months before I got rid of it. Be aware of the major brake judder problems. Gas mileage never got to what the sticker suggested. I usually only got 9mpg city and was lucky to get 11 on the highway. Pulling my 5000 pound trailer I got 8mpg.