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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  Armada lemon???? - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Brian jones - April 4 - 4:50 pm

  The idea of owning an Armada is great, the power, comfort etc.... Its not until you own one and have to constantly take it back to the dealership for computer issues. Its like Christmas all year, your dash lights up like christmas tree. In additional to systems issues the brakes need lots of work. AS soon as you hit 10k you will feel a vibration like no other, and it has happen to two other that I know. They warned me and I snickered and now as you can tell I wish I would have went with Toyota.

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  2015 Not bad total but very poor interior desgin - 2015 Nissan Sentra
  By Hom Jar - April 4 - 10:59 am

  Pro: I put 6500 miles on my 2015 Sentra, I bought it new for $14K it has AC, AT, auto lock and auto window. Car runs good and (according to car computer at least) it does get good mileage (unless rigged to give favorable readings). it handles well with adequate power. One big con is the interior design: the center console between front seats serves no purpose, almost zero storage, no arm rest and very cheap cup holders; they did not spend a penny on this thing. The glove box is also useless without side walls every thing falls down when you open it. Almost no inside storage. Trunk is good and spacious, the inside (rear seats) seems to be better space than 2013 Corolla I had, if they had paid attention to interior design it would have been a better can than the Corolla. The car is worth 13 to Max $14K, it is not worth to spend more.

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  I felt it is for Older people 45+ - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Sam Hourani - April 3 - 5:20 pm

  When i first bought it i was thrilled with the looks of the car especially the black (the best color on an Altima) and loved the Bluetooth system, start button and the intel. key system and so on. but thinking i got a sporty car every-time i see this car on the street i see a 45+ person driving it(with all due respect). now i reached 10,500 km and want to sell it for this reason mostly. i thought it was a sporty car but i was wrong.

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  Timing Chain - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By JAC - March 29 - 12:30 am

  This 04 nissan maxima 3.5 SE is a stick and is quick for a 4door sedan but unfortunately the car has been a big disappointment. The car has had a least two recalls and the rear panel always rattled. I finally got nissan to put in additional padding to get the rattling to stop. The oil has to be changed often or the engine will run very noisy. The sun roof leaks and now after 28000 miles the timing chain has to be changed which is costing me around 2k Im done with nissan never again JAC

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  Blows my mind, and my head gasket too - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By ChristaLynn11 - March 28 - 1:03 pm

  Original owner. Good commuter car for someone who does about 80 miles RT daily. Driver seat would benefit from lumbar support. Small back seats with little room and my goodness the cupholders. The two best parts about it are the gas mileage (average almost 30) and the stereo that comes with the Special Edition - it sounds amazing and is my favorite part of the car. I however, did have the blown head gasket issue yesterday, at 51000 miles. Although it was covered by warranty, I still found coming to a near stop with smoke blowing out of my car during rush hour which going 65 mph to be terrifying enough to warn others that this car DOES HAVE an issue with the headgasket going out.

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  Avoid this 2005 Maxima - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By rcs26 - March 26 - 4:11 pm

  I have bought all new cars Malibu(150k), Camry(225K) & donated both cars while running good. Then I bought new Toyota sienna ( 252K & running good), I decided to buy new & different car & I bought brand new design Maxima "Nissans Flagship Car" with so much hope. It ran good for 2 yrs & then started breaking down. Dealer fixed whatever was under warranty. After all warranties expired major things started breaking. I replaced all Camshaft sensors. A/C was fixed twice still leaking. Struts and tie-rods were replaced. Within last year timing chain guides & transmission broke, estimate ~$7000. Now I was told it leaks oil. Havent decide whether to repair/resale. I still love to buy new Nissan.

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  NISSAN SENTRA 04 RATING - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By FYRLOVER - March 21 - 10:00 am

  SO FAR I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR 4 MONTHS AND I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT IN FOR MEACHANICAL PROBLEMS 3 TIMES NOW. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE FRONT AXEL BECAUSE IT IS CROOKED WARPS THE ROTERS AND BRAKES AFTER 1000 MILES. THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. FOR ALL THE CARS I HAVE BOUGHT USED AND THEN BUY THIS ONE NEW BECAUSE I DIDNOT WANT ANY MALFUNCTIONS WHILE I AM ABOUT TO HAVE A BABY, BUT I BELEIVE THAT I WILL NEVER BUY A NEW CAR AGAIN! THE FUEL IS NOT THAT GREAT, IT IS BETTER THAN MY TRUCK BUT IT IS NOT AS GOOD AS MOST OTHER 4 CYL.

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  Not that Great - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By SNOREZZZZZZZZZ - March 21 - 10:00 am

  The car is nice inside and out. THe stereo BOSE dont waste your money on it, NO GOOD. The front end tires have been re alligned twice now and still hear road roar and noise. Pesonally would not recommend or buy another Nissan again GOOD LUCK

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  Great Vehicle - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Buster_Balz - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my 95 SE PAthy for 3 and 1/2 years, and I still love it. It looks great, and runs well. But there are a couple of weak spots. The automatic transmissions are prone to failure requiring a rebuild. This can be avoided by installing an aftermarket trans cooler and disconnecting the stock on. The step bars rust through fairly quickly, but are easy to remove. And the truck looks much better without them.

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  Dealer decline to honor warranty - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Gilbert - March 17 - 2:00 am

  The car showed a paint imperfection like small craters all around the body. I took the car to the dealer to get the dealer paint the car. However it declined to do. The fact is that the car is parked under the roof/garage all the time. The dealer alleged it was caused by environment. The dealer is Motorambar, San Juan Puerto Rico.