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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  Great All Around Car - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Tony - October 15 - 1:53 pm

  Purchased this 02 GLE from my cousin in 07 with only 50K mi. Well built, reliable, powerful, comfortable...its simply an excellent all around daily driver.

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  Oil Consumption - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxima -Minimus - October 15 - 6:53 am

  Had to replace engine at 61K due to excessive oil consumption. Was adding oil weekly driving less than 30 miles per week but rings still damaged cylinders. Bought car for known reliability. Very sad and painful experience. Wards 10 best VQ35. Yeah,Right!

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  Good, but Not Great - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By The Professor - October 14 - 6:36 pm

  We chose the Altima after looking at both the Prius and Camry hybrids. Glad we made the choice. Car rides smoothly and is quiet. Mileage is great for a car of this size if youre easy on the pedal. Consistently get 33 - 36 mpg all around. Extremely disappointed with the Technology Package. Definitely not worth it. The Nav system often suggests longer and less direct routes. Our little $150 Garmin does a much better job. The built-in Blue Tooth is virtually useless for dialing out calls. My little $30 ear piece does a better job. Sound system is great. The fiber-glass bumpers are cheaply made and easily damaged. I backed into a curb at less than 3 mph and cracked the rear bumper.

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  Love it BUT - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By noshoesinhouse - October 14 - 5:39 pm

  traded into a Juke from a Versa. the juke is fun it takes off great its fast look very cute. BUT it needs more storage place like example: versa has the console in the middle in the dash board & more room all together. the Jukes seat are not very comfortable ive had mine for a month & still cant seem to get my seat in the right position. i also miss the arm rest the juke doesnt have any. other than that i do love my car dont get me wrong but i REALLY MISS my VERSA.

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  Depends. - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By sucks - October 14 - 4:20 pm

  Got this car brand new from a dealer in 2006 here is a list of all problems i had exhaust leak at 32 km axle seal leak at 55 km breaks wore out every 12 to 15 km emergency breaks still doesnt works (dealer said its normal) very weak to haul heavy loads! what i do like about it that it is comfortable inside for a longer trips. Interior design is very simple and easy. average on mixed driving maybe 13.5 mpg.

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  Its ok I guess - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By jc - October 14 - 3:46 pm

  Perfectly fine vehicle to get from point A to point B. The ride was fairly smooth compared to other cars in the segment. I like the brisk acceleration. The doors had a good solid feel. This is the first car to get me car sick as a drive as the car rolled around in fast turns. I only averaged 28 mpg on the highway with the Sentra. This was probably due to the ride height, springy gas pedal and CVT config. Nissan still needs to improve their build quality. Plastic looked like they came out of a generic brand toy. Bottom line, you can get better driving dynamics, build quality, fuel economy or value with a Corolla, Civic or a Mazda3.

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  Great fun car but not perfect - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By shreve - October 14 - 3:13 pm

  I have owned my 2009 Altima for 7 months now. I love to drive it. It is such a fun good looking car. It drives and handles well, but it does have some exterior engine noise that could be looked into. Interior room needs a little expanding. They could have taken some of that trunk and given more leg room for backseat passengers.

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  Love it - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By aztec7777 - October 14 - 11:23 am

  Love this car, main reason I purchased it is the headroom and legroom which are excellent for a smaller car. I was thinking of going up a car size until I saw the 2007 Sentra. Ive driven it for 5 weeks now. Recently noticed light rattle coming from both "B" pillars, hope to address this at next oil change at dealer. I would definitely buy this car again

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  Not like the others! - 2015 Nissan Rogue
  By englddriver1 - October 14 - 2:02 am

  Love this car! Went from an 10 Inf M35X to this and glad I did. I know some hate the CVT but this CVT is much better than other cars. Honda has the best CVT and our MPG is around 31 Mixed highway and backroads.

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  Great Car, Classic winner - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By kbwoman - October 13 - 6:00 pm

  Just love the car. Fun and Hot!