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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  This is the best car I have ever owned! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By P.N. - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had this car for a week and I already love this car. I have no complaints, the car handles and looks great. Every day people are telling me how great the car looks. I cant think of a car both American or Asian that is a better value. I was debating between a manaul and automatic transmision, Im very happy with the automatics performance. I would definitely recommend this vehicle.

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  Frustrated! - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By bigisland808 - September 29 - 6:18 am

  Bought this car from the orignal owner with low mileage 30K, seemed like a realiable car. The car well kept, inside and out. Too top it off we did our homework, called the dealership... the lady bought in her car faithfully for service since she bought the car. Only thing was there was a nail in the tire which they fixed 2 months ago. Had the car for 3 weeks with no problem then all of a sudden one morning the car had a hard time starting up. Bought into the dealership the very next day and they said that I had a blown headgasket. Nissisan claims it was a defect and costs $1800 to be fixed! AGGHH!

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  Love the Murano - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Leonid Shekhter - September 29 - 2:50 am

  Nice elegant car, pleasure to drive

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  Awesome car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By roushfan5 - September 29 - 2:27 am

  A lot of people are complaining about their cam shaft sensors. Well my check engine light came on for the exact same problem. Turned out I was just using the wrong type of oil. Make sure you are using 5-30W oil to avoid this problem. After a couple hundred miles with the correct oil in the car the problem went away. Our car is the V6 with a 152,400 miles on it and to date the only problem weve had to fix is replace the seals in the engine, oil cooler and the rear value gasket. The interior is a little cheap Ill admit. But the car def. makes up for it with that fantastic engine. A great car but it has to be maintained

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  This is a car that you can only "Make do" - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Karin - September 28 - 8:48 pm

  Where do I start? The car definitely runs well, but slowly, has problems with even a mildly steep hill. Traveling in the rain and snow is a complete hassle. Aside from lack of power, I havent had problems with trans, engine or drive train. However the exhaust heat shield rattles after one month of ownership. The electronics are lackluster, being just windows and a radio, but the drive side is automatic so thats a bonus. The fuel economy is good but not great, considering the size, I dont have an exact estimate but I top it off every week and a half with a relatively short commute. Storage is okay, nothing spectacular, I moved with this car but I only had a bedrooms worth of furniture, on a side note the hatchbacks lift broke within a week of owning it. In summary, this car will do but there are tons of better car in the used market, definitely look elsewhere especially with Honda civic/accord, Toyota corolla/camry, ford focus, and other nissans like the sentra.

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  Lots of Pep and Good Gas Mileage - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By JT - September 28 - 7:20 pm

  I purchased the 1.8S Special Edition package and received an excellent deal. I looked at everything from Scions, Focus, Hondas and Toyotas. One test drive and i was sold, not to mention the deal. This car has been very peppy so far. Not a squeak, rattle or a murmur so far. Im getting 36mpg, and i average about 65 to 70mph on my commute. The Rockford Fosgate stereo system is incredible. Backseat is a little, but i dont sit there. The dash layout is easy to read, all dials and buttons are where you would think they would be. Trunk is spacious for a small car. Also if youre so inclined this car has been very easy to service yourself.I would recommend this car if you want dependable transport

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  Funmobile X - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By Ron E. - September 28 - 11:10 am

  Off Road model. I wanted a vehicle that could take a lickin and keep on tickin. The build quality is outstanding. The fuel economy is a little less than I expected. This is not a fancy fum fum vehicle but has all the off road extras available on other more expensive, and more than some vehicles. Easy and fun to drive. Serves well for the purpose I bought it for. Would certainly purchase again.

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  Disappointed - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By kim - September 27 - 9:20 pm

  I totally agree with Carolina (first page.) I had a Sentra in the 80s never changed the oil, did any maintenance or anything. Ran like crazy. Now, I totally maintain my 2006 that I bought new and it has had belt replacement, thermostat replacement, heat plate adjustment, and now until it warms up it sound like its going to fall apart under the hood. Also, the cup holder is too close to the stereo controls. It switches from radio to CD when you bump it. The gas mileage isnt the greatest either. I wont buy another Nissan.

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  Great Car!!! - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By bigev - September 27 - 7:33 pm

  This car has been in my family since 98. Never had any serous problems knock wood. It is fully factory except for a k&n air filter. Gas mileage not 2 bad I get about 17 city on regular and about 28 highway. Engine is more than sufficient. Currently has 112,000 mi on it still almost as good as new. I would recommend this car to anyone in the used car market

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  It is what it is. - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Mr. Ed - September 27 - 4:31 am

  I have had mine six years. It has 160K on it. Other than what you would expect - a set of brakes and a serpentine belt. Not a single repair, just routine maintenance. It is a basic model, cheap interior, not overly comfortable but I knew that when I bought it. It is extremely reliable and it was not expensive. It has been paid off for years. I plan to drive it until it drops - I think that is going to be a long time. ..--About 2/3 of them are highway miles.