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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  Maximize with Maxima - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Gene - January 4 - 8:16 pm

  I purchased a 2016 Maxima one month ago and have driven it 3000 miles. I previously owned 2000, 2006, and 2011 Maximas, so obviously I am partial to them, primarily because they have excellent styling, good value, and you dont see yourself every third car coming down the road. My previous experiences have been mostly positive, so that has kept me coming back. First what I like about this car: It has great styling, very cool wheels, a classy interior, and loads of power. I dont know how they did it, but this car has ten more hp than my 11 Max, but gets nearly five miles per gallon better gas mileage. The car drives nicely, corners great, sounds throaty, and has less wind noise than my 11. I love some of the color combinations, and the whole effect is very classy. In fact, I prefer the styling to several of the much more expensive luxury brands. Now what could be better: the seats are ok for comfort, but the ones in my 11 were much preferable. The trunk is way too small for a car of this price. While wind noise is reduced, I find that Nissan could work on a quieter cabin from road noise. The placement of the accelerator requires you to turn your foot to the side, and the room for your feet is smaller than I like. Interior storage is minimal and could be better. But, I give the car at least a four out of five overall.

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  Cute but sluggish - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MontereyLori - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Good looking SUV with a SLUGGISH gas guzzling engine!

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  nice - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By who really cares - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Very nimble driving ability (theres a reason for all those gears.) Good pickup from a dead stop; passing ability is superb. On clean, level pavement the handling is nice and tight. On uneven pavement the can go airborne very easily. The front end is very light. Im not looking forward to driving in the snow. There is not enough traction to keep even a modest start from making the tires squeal. The premium sound package is tight and well tuned. It is not super-audiophile quality, but it is mostly clear and has a good range. The back seat is _very_ cramped - there is hardly any leg room.

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  Dont want another one - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Randy - January 1 - 7:40 am

  We fell in love with the minivan at the dealership. It had plenty of power. Went on vacation the fuel mpg was showing around 20.8 mpg. However the mileage continued to get worse traded it in this week was showing 17.5 mpg. It was in the shop right after we bought it to repair the manual sliding door (drivers side) because it would not completely close all the way. The dealership swore we had wrecked the van since they could not fix it in their shop. Tires were bald at 29k miles and the front brakes were terrible. The car would shake badly when applying brakes during normal stops. For 30k dont buy one of these. Traded it in on a 2007 Nissan Armada. Will give Nissan one more chance.

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  Quite Slow for a nissan - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Mike - January 1 - 5:36 am

  I just test drove this car. Id have to say I am very disappointed that it is so slow for a Nissan. Previous years were quite fast. The CVT allows for a very enjoyable ride but does not allow for the quick start from 0. However, once going 30+ it has plenty of power. Starting from 0 is like starting a car with a big engine in 2nd gear. If you have no reason to lay into the gas this is the car for you. Its smooth, no shifting, and the CVT gives for a ride passengers would enjoy. Ive got very mixed impressions - Its got Toyota Camry beat with everything except for the 0- 60 factor, or so it would seem.

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  First car - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By John - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Its a simple little car nothing special but I have gotten from girls that its cute and they like it. It even has a cute name. Great for the price.

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  Good overall car - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By hogan - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Altima with 35,000 miles. Ran great for awhile. Had a major problem with transmission not shifting and I could not get the car in Drive, or Reverse. Turns out this is a common problem. There is even a little thing in front of the shifter that can be popped open and then you are supposed to push your key in it to disengage the shifter so you will not get stranded. I did not know this so I had to get towed. Whole time the rest of the car was flawless, ran great. Shelled out $600.00 and the garage put new sensor in, but said problem could come back at anytime. Google it and you wont believe how many people had same problem. Other than that great car.

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  Great First Automatic Car! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By SunnyInSanDiego - December 29 - 4:20 am

  This car is awesome! It is my first automatic, my first 4 door sedan and my first Nissan. I got it loaded - 3.5 SE V6 + Prem package and nav/XM. IS 250 had too small of a backseat, the 328i was out of my price range and Im just not a Mercedes girl. I love to drive around with the windows down, the sunroof open and the Bose speakers blaring. Perfect for those sunny San Diego days. The CVT engine is great but takes a little time to get used to if you are a manual transmission girl at heart like me. Overall a great ride! Previously owned a Ford and 2 Mitsus. What a difference! My friend has a 2008 G35 and this is basically the same car. All the same features and $10k less. Sold!

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  just got mine today - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By josefina - December 27 - 3:10 am

  I love my new sentra even though I bought it today. I got the base model; I love the car overall forget about the Edmunds rating at 7.1 Ill give it a 10! Interior is easy to use comfortable love the auxiliary input jack, although a little bit pricier than its competition its still worth it. Has a lot of power to be a 2.0liter 4 cylinder I love velocity &its really fast & ideal for daily commute. Its also fun to drive.

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  BEST LIL CAR! - 1996 Nissan Altima
  By T-money - December 27 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, easy to park, sooper dependable! one setback not as good fuel ecomomy as might think. bought at 20,000 miles now has 101,000 never lost a day due to breakdown, never got me stranded!!!