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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  Still Going Strong at 171K. - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Peace - January 25 - 4:10 am

  Purchased this car in Oct. 1999, and its a very good car to my family of 4. In the past 10 years I havent got any issues to the engine. The original parts still in the engine such as timing belt or chain, sparks plugs, all the belts, air conditioning unit, fluid, ect. The only parts that have replaced is suspension on the front/back, tires, front brake, oil change every 7-10k, and air filter every 25k. The passenger window wouldnt work about 5 years now, but who cares! Currently the trade-in value for my car is $1600. Therefore, I wouldnt pass up on the cash clunkers deal, and hopefully my new 2010 Honda Pilot have a same performance like this car.

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  I love this car - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By DaveN - January 25 - 3:06 am

  I love the car, it is fun to drive, handles beautifully and peforms better than anything else I have driven (for the money). It rides rough with the 18" rims and is noisy when driving in the rain (back wheel wells open) but to me the benefits far outweigh the negatives. I will buy another in the future.

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  Love the altima butt regret upgrading to the 15 - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By KitaM. - January 24 - 10:44 pm

  I traded my 14 altima in for a 15. It isnt even a year old and the paint has two chips. I can get over that but when I bought the car I found out it has a stained windshield. After cleaning it numerous times, we reported it to the service bepartment and they have done nothing and suggested nothing. If you buy a brand new car and it is suppose to have a lifetime warranty, you should have a car free of defects.

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  It OK - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Boriqua - January 23 - 3:10 pm

  My AC went out. It Left me stranded once, but had a recall so Nissan fixed the probelm for free "ECU and oxygent sensor had to be replaced". Besided that I runs like a champ.

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  Good Value - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By warwickfender - January 23 - 10:00 am

  This car has a lot more torque than other small cars in the same price range - and thats what makes it a very fun car to drive. The manual transmission is a bit notchy, the interior materials areant of the highest quality, and the red-colored instrument panel is tough to see sometimes.... But you need to remember that this is baiscally a cheap economy car with a big engine dropped in it. If you take it for what it is, its a great car. Ive been averaging 28 mpg with mostly highway driving - not great for a small car, but there is a lot more bottom end on this engine than on a Civic or Corolla engine, so you are trading mpg for torque.

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  Could be better... - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By batman7 - January 23 - 10:00 am

  THE GOOD: ...Good for the pocket,around 18.000 full equiped. Good performance,excellent windshield that allow you to have a good view, automatic mirrors, powered windows, good cd player and 7 speakers with subwoofer, nice trunk...enough for what you usually need. Nice grill design THE BAD: Generally speaking is a typical sedan. poor interior design THE UGLY: PROBLEMS WITH WINDSHIELD DEFOGGING- DEFROSTING, ENOUGH HUMIDITY ON THE CONSOLE. NOISY AIR CONDITIONER. NOISY ACCELERATION AND CHANGE OF SPEED

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  Good But... - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Matt Pinkett - January 22 - 12:16 pm

  Overall this is an excellent automobile. I like the styling both outside and inside the car... BUT... I have had a terrible time with the gas mileage averaging only about 13.5- 14.2 MPG City, which have been calculated manually. I was told that there is a break in period of about 6000-6500 miles before you will see better mileage. I have 8000+ miles now and no improvement. This is where this car has really let me down. The only other complaint is that the ride is somewhat harsh over bumps and inconsistencies of the road surface.

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  More good than bad - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Rob - January 21 - 1:23 pm

  We have loved driving this minivan. We have 2 children which the roominess and TV are great for. It really does drive like a car, and accelaration is great. Drive is VERY smooth. I do a lot of woodworking and have tested out putting 4x8 sheets of plywood in, and yes, they do fit, but it is pretty tight. Still amazing though. The bad has been new tires at 30,000 and new brakes already, which Nissan blames on the weight of the vehicle. Yes, the doors do rattle, and we were aware of this potential problem before buying. However, the power gate has been giving us problems. It currently does not work, and Nissan has had our vehicle for 2 weeks and still cant fix the problem.

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  Kinks that need to be worked out - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Mike - January 21 - 11:26 am

  Good car, quick yet fuel efficient. So far not too fond with the workmanship, little things like the driver side mirror missing interior insulation/causing a whistling noise when driving at 50+mph. Driver side seat (power) loose. Spoke to service department and was told that its a Nissan issue they have yet to figure out. Volume control on steering wheel activates the vehicles horn, must be very careful when using that feature. Unaligned hood fairly noticeable. Rear bench seat needs proper fastening (middle section is loose). Several issues with the braking system. Most recent that needs attention, squeak from rear brakes, in process of having fuel regulator replaced.

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  Excellent SUV - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By TBA - January 20 - 4:16 pm

  Bought new in 2000, before wife and kid. Most reliable ever, currently 180k miles. Need only routine maintenace. No fancy bells and whisles, just a simple SUV that can take on almost anything. However, with another kid on the way, I may finally have to part with it.