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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  versatility manifest - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Ethan Rode - October 31 - 12:00 am

  This truck is the perfect compromise of size and power. It combines the flexibility of a smaller truck with the power of the big boys

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  Easy to own - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Mike - October 30 - 6:50 am

  Weve had this car since april of 2001. Its been back to the dealer 4 times I think, replaced driver window motor, driver mirror, camshaft sensor, and a recall on the front end, all covered under warranty. Its got 65,000 miles on the origional tires(BF goodrich). Ive put one set of brakes on the front which is normal. Other than that all weve had to do is change the oil, put gas in it and drive it. Nothing is trouble free if you dont take care of it.

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  Best SUV in its class by far - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By best suv yet - October 29 - 4:26 pm

  The Armada has all you need for an SUV, when I purchased the truck I had to put it to the test, so me and 4 of my buddys took a road trip to south beach miami. Needless to say 4 fully grown men fell asleep 20 min into the trip. They all said that that this truck was smooth, and roomy, and the bose sound system was really nice. They gave the truck tens all around. The only thing is this truck does eat gas so know that when you purchase this vehicle, but all SUVs are gas guzzlers.

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  Very cheap to drive - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By keith - October 28 - 11:30 pm

  When I first got my license I bought this car with around 175k miles on it. The car is a great commuter and definitely cheap to own and drive. I get around 31 MPG in the city and 41 MPG when traveling, so trips are no longer going to eat your banking account. I carpooled with 3 other people to Chicago, 5 hours away, and paid about 12 dollars for a 2-way trip.

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  Try this for your 1st 4WD - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By back2nissan - October 28 - 2:00 am

  This our 1st Pathfinder. Really like it so far. Not a real prtty car but thats part of the appeal. Wife drives it primarily. Did well in the big snow here in the NE with one exception. All season tires work 90% of time. We tried the other 10% and the right tires would have fixed that. Good traction in ice. Ideal for a family of 4. Our family of 5 (all average) a tad tight. Weve put on just shy of 20,000 mi. just since April with no major problems. We have a little buzz in the steering column at about 2,800-3000 RPMs(?) Body is free of rust even though it spent several years in NY State.

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  Great Solid Vehicle - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Shawn - October 27 - 5:50 am

  I bought my pathfinder with just over 200k miles and so far, overall, I have really enjoyed this vehicle. After I bought it I did the normal upgrades: new belts, water pump, brakes, and wires/plugs which I did myself. The cost of the repairs were not outrageous (use an independent mechanic, not nissan) and the engine runs very strong. It now has just over 210K miles. I have a manual trans. as this gives me the power I want when I want it. I put Michelin M/S all terrain tires on and I can go anywhere in 4wheel drive. It drives great in snow and up into the mountains as well as the highway. It is a comfortable ride and drives well.

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  Altima - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By J - October 24 - 7:06 pm

  I purchased my Altima in 2001. . . It is a very reliable car and does not require very much to maintain the car other than oil changes and fluids. The Altima has more horsepower than the 2000 honda civic, 2000 toyota coralla or 2000 hyundai elantra. The other brands command a premium price with options standard on the Altima and for less with the exception of the newer models of the hyundai elantra being the better cost and warranty.

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  Nissan Delivers Again - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Joseph - October 23 - 8:46 pm

  This car is great,I bought it the same year it got the new body in 2002.I always trusted nissan,my first was a 1985 maxima,then a 1990 maxima,a 2001 quest and of course the 2002 altima.This car only has 49000 miles on it to this day it is always in mint condition.

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  Wont Buy Another Nissan - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Kelly - October 23 - 12:16 pm

  This was my first brand new car. Bought Nissan because of reliability. Have been sorely disappointed in quality of car. Have had to replace both front door locks (quit unlocking) windshield (mirror came off with a chunk of windshield with it) Bose 6-CD player quit after 2 years. Now some of the display on radio doesnt work. Drivers side visor falls down 20 times a day & is now velcroed to the headliner. Lost one of the black inner fenders somewhere.One of the little trays in console no longer opens. Drivers seat rocks & moves when you start & stop. Local dealer "has never heard of any of these problems before with a Murano". Im trading it off ASAP.

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  Fun truck to drive - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Ted - October 23 - 3:06 am

  The 05 Frontier is the replacement for a 91 Nissan pick up that I have driven since new. Needless to say, theres a HUGE change here. The physical size of the truck is about the same size as the Dodge Dakota. The power is great for the size of the vehicle and it pulls a trailer like theres nothing back there. The suspension is a little stiff as you would expect from the off road package. I would like a little better gas milage, but i get about 16.6 avg. which isnt terrible. Interior is roomey, but some tall (6-4") people arent going to be comfortable. Build quality so far has been nearly flawless. I had to have the spring on the gas tank door re-set, but thats the only prob so far.