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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  you know the story, bad transmission!!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Manuel Espinoza - January 19 - 3:44 am

  I bought my car in June 2013 and went on trip immediately after. It did really good and I was impressed, I also owned a 1999 Altima (manual trans) and it went 370K miles on the original engine and transmission. This 2013 had to have the transmission replaced at 34K miles and the new transmission at 45K behaves pretty much the same as the previous transmission. Whether the problem is the alternator or the transmission, Nissan should stand behind their product and correct the issues at n o expense to the customer. A Nissan mechanic told me that since Renault bought Nissan the quality has been diminishing on their products and it shows not sign of getting better. I am in the process of getting rid of my Altima and getting an Accord with manual transmission. I will never buy Nissan again, not because of the transmission, but for their lack of care in solving a known issue to them.

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  A Real SUV, not a Soccer Mom Mobile! - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Ardie86 - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Now this is an SUV! From the first day I saw the XTerra, I knew that was the SUV I wanted and could easily afford. The trucks been great. I live in the mountains and the XTerras made my life so much easier. Mudslide? What mudslide? Snow? No problem. Could use a bit more power to climb the hills, but turning off the overdrive gives continued power and saves the brakes on the downhill. I also make 500-mile road trips to see family and we always choose to take the X. Smooth ride. Plenty of space for people and cargo. Mileage isnt bad on highway. Friends love it. Think it looks cool. Two have gone on to purchased an XTerra.

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  Good Vehicle But Not Great - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By das - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Pros: Good workmanship, Good steering, Nice size, OK ride Cons: Engine Sound, Vibration through gas pedal, Large expansive dash - like a mini van, Costly by the time you add options.

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  Not a Honda in any way shape or form - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Dutch - January 17 - 5:23 am

  Bought a fully loaded GLE Meridian edition with every option that was available. Compared to my other car a 2001 Honda Accord EX V6, the Maxima is bigger and more powerful. The Accord on the other hand has been bullet-proof reliable only going back to the dealer for a malfunctioning clock. The Maxima however has had all 6 engine sensors replaced and now I am dealing with the infamous wheel bearing issues. Waiting to find out if the dealer will honor the warranty and cover them. Based on the lack of reliability I would have reservations recommending this car.

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  a few things about the quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By vette55 - January 16 - 2:00 am

  1. nicely designed 2. too many interior knocks (supposed to be repaired by recall..knocked more after "repaired" going in to the shop again. 3. over priced aftermarket items ( dvd player, navigation system ( this should be doen in factory) 4. terrible terrible mileage, nowhere near posted (12mpg local driving) 5. dealer seems to make service as inconvienient as possible. 6. manual back windows pain to open and close. 7. side windows do not open 8. back hatch never completely catches on first attempt. 9. lots of storage 10. great seat design 11.problem with passenger window controls.

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  Decent Car Overall - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By KG - January 15 - 6:16 pm

  I traded an 04 Impala in for this car. It is smaller than the Impala and gets worse gas mileage, so Im not sure if I made a good decision or not. The keyless start is nice, but if you lose your keys it is very expensive to replace. Its an ok car overall, but sometimes I miss my Impala.

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  3 month update - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By sdhk - January 15 - 12:16 pm

  The Frontier crew cab has nice road feel - stable and solid, a comfortable ride and great space utilization options behind the driver seat. I think with a few improvements/options it could fit the needs of lots more customers than it currently attracts and could be a perfect choice for those of us looking for an all around vehicle with versatility and dont need a truck for towing or offroading.

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  noisey sunroof - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By kevin+carmen - January 14 - 6:23 pm

  This a fun ride with plenty of power performs very well in interstate trafic . The sunroof is anouther story, It sounds like you have a window cracked open. we took it back and had a wind deflector installed a the dealer an it helped a very little.If i was going to buy anouther Amarda LE 4+4. I would not get it with a sunroof.the climate control doesent seem to work right either, and the mirrors hav blind spots this could han been easly fixed at the plant, the trucks have the right mirrors.

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  Excellent car, excellent value! - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By bobafett14 - January 14 - 10:20 am

  Only negative is the turning radius. 3 point turns and squeezing around tight spots (i.e. parking lots) can be tricky at times. Othewise, this is a great car at a great price. Holds up well, repairs are minimal. I went with a Nissan Maxima after years ago vowing never to buy chevy after seeing a fleet of salesman (company) cars (1/2 the sales force picked Chevy Mailbu 1/2 picked the Altima, 6 Malibus and 6 Altimas go head to head over a 3 year run). Basically the Malibus ALL started shaking, rattling, needed "front end" work..ballbearings needed repaired, brakes/rotors...you name it...all went after about 24K to 26K..the Altimas didnt need any repairs until into thier 30Ks.

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  Solid Truck - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By jcdavis94 - January 14 - 2:00 am

  Bought it new. Ive yet to have any major mechanical problems. The initial set of tires were defective (bridgstone I think)but the dealer replaced them and upgraded with michelins at no charge. The 1st radio quit at 12K miles, but the dealer replaced it under warranty. Second radios light failed about 1 year and 12K miles later. I had to replace the battery and headlights at 40K. Other than that, I have had no problems whatsoever with the truck. I get approx. 22 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Acceleration is decent, but handling feels a little sluggish. Overall, for a dependable truck, I highly recommend this truck.