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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  2 years later and still happy - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Dave - October 27 - 9:20 pm

  After having the car for 21 months I am still pleased with my choice. I have a mixed highway/city street commute and am much less stressed knowing that I am in EV Mode when in heavy traffic. People are still amazed that a hybrid does not have to be a Prius - even Prius drivers. The car does well on long trips as well. My only problem after 2 years is the Aux Input on the stereo has stopped working. Love the power seats, stereo, and large buttons. Plenty of storage reachable by the driver! My long legged teens say the back seat is comfortable too on long drives. The swing from summer MPG to winter MPG is dramatic (I turn the heat off a lot - it has more impact than the AC in summer).

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  Lot better then the Santa Fe it replaced - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By usmcbigguns - October 27 - 8:16 pm

  Replaced our 2 year old Sante Fe piece of #$%@! Get a lot of car for your money. Had to get an all decked out Xterra since that is all the dealership could find for us in our region and still only paid $26500. Lots of power, good turning radius, great brakes, the ride is not as bad as I thought it would be and it is GREAT IN THE SNOW. I have 2 kids, 2 big dogs and this suv was made for families like mine. So many useful features in this suv. We even used the roof bin for my daughters nasty soccer cleats after her practice. Gas mileage was on par with the Santa Fe it replaced, which is surprising since the Xterra has 60 more horsepower. 3 words for you "JUST BUY IT" you wont regret it.

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  Great small SUV - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By jchipp - October 27 - 3:36 pm

  I bought it in Jan 2004, and have loved it ever since. The "stadium" seating in the back is great for passengers - it lets them see, plus it adds a cool exterior styling, which turned me on to the vehicle in the first place. The interior is pretty basic, but functional. I have had no major issues, with it, just a couple of things: I had a check engine light come on frequently, it ended up being my catalytic converter, which was replaced under warrantee. I also needed a front brake job at 35000 miles, which seemed a bit early. Other than that, the truck has been bulletproof. I only wish it had more power and better gas mileage.

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  Awesome - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By stubby - October 27 - 1:30 am

  As a previous owner of the 350Z I feel as they have completely refined an already amazing ride. Exhilarating performance, exceptional handling, everyday driving comfort ability, and sleek styling, for which pictures do no justice, to this Porsche like appearance and feel for a car that was only $30,000 with a sports package.

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  Disappointments - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By chuck181 - October 26 - 4:43 pm

  Ive read a lot of reviews from other people. The repairs on my XTerra are mounting up. Should I bight the bullet and dow out the money. They say I have a cracked radiator which seems common with this model. Power steering fluid leak will cost $1200 to replace unit. Dealership says it can leak into other areas of car. Brake rotare should never wear out in my mind. And now wheel bearing problems. Several years ago, I paid to have the timing chain corrected. Why are all these things happening.

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  Very Happy Owner - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Zilya - October 26 - 3:56 pm

  Went to replace my 95 Quest to a new one and couldnÂ’t resist taking Armada out for a spin. WOW! Can not fully explain why, but an hour later I was an owner of a brand new SPV (not SUV). Almost a year and 12K mi later I still convinst that was a good buy. Please note that this is still a Nissan, not a Lexus. Some interior plastic parts will remind you of that. Gas mileage is what it probably should be for a V8, 5.6L. Overall, very happy with my first Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

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  2 year update - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By c192ps - October 26 - 1:13 pm

  the stock tires are only good for southern Cal. I purchase a set of BFG AT and they made a world deference off road. It will climb now with all most no wheel spin, where as before the stock tires just couldnt find traction. The only down side to using real off road tire is I lost about 2 mpg. No real problems with the truck, I even have hauled one cubic yard of gravel with it, just got to go slow.

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  Problems from the start - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jjhood - October 26 - 9:40 am

  No room to type --- drove it off the lot and heard a rattle right away. Three days later discovered it was the sunroof. Took it to the dealer, they said that had it fixed after an hour and I was pleased. Drove it back off the lot and immediately heard the rattling. Looked up and saw grease stains all over my headliner from the service men. Took it back and had to leave it for the day. They said it was fixed and of course it isnt. Now it is scheduled to go back in for a third time. Then I was washing the car and noticed I have spots all over the paintwork on back door. Looks like water droplets underneath the clearcoat. This car is already full of problems!!!

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  4th Nissan n never again - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Mo - October 26 - 12:00 am

  3 years 50000 miles, has had a new transmission, fuel system put in already. Gets 20 mpg and doesnt always start. Biggest mistake ever. So much for the great new Altima that gets 3mpg. I should have kept my 05 altima with 120,000 miles it was better than this pos

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  Satisfied - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Jones, T - October 25 - 11:23 pm

  Having narrowed my search to the Maxima, Avalon, and Accord, I settled for the Maxima primarily because of ease of negotiating with the dealer. Now that Ive driven the Maxima for the past four weeks, I have only one real complaint. A deafening pecking noise began under the dash below the steering wheel. Talked with the service dept and if you have a similar problem, turn on the defroster and it should stop. It turned out to be coming from the heat/cooling system. A part will have to be replaced that controls the doors within the unit. Had same problem with my 2004 Chev truck (but it wasnt as loud).