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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  Fuel Mileage - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Susan Kite - December 13 - 4:30 pm

  We traded in a 1998 Toyota Corolla to purchase our 2007 Nissan Versa in order to save gas. The sticker on the window indicated that we would be getting 28 city and 35 highway miles. We have now owned this car for almost a year and are barely getting 23 miles to the gallon, a far cry from our old toyota that ran perfect. So not only due we now have a car payment but a car that gets horrible gas mileage. Weve tried several times to off load this to purchase a car that gets good gas mileage only to find out that a car we paid $14,000 for less than a year ago is only worth around 9 or 10 thousand dollars. Im so sad that we no longer own our toyota. Cute car, fun to drive but dont buy it to save.

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  Good New Purchase Value - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Cognashene - December 10 - 10:00 am

  When I first bought the vehicle it was a really good value for the money. Lots of features and excellent performance. After two years of ownership and 80K km the car is still pretty solid but the performance doesnt feel as good as it did. Ive had numerous recalls and the ECU decides to act up every now and then by stalling the engine - the dealer still cant figure it out. The interior is not the greatest, design or material wise, but the build quality is pretty good and the seats are great for hard driving. Although the colour of the fabric (red/mesh/black) is not the best, I think the material is excellent - with the exception of a little fraying on the seat back.

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  Fun but could be so much better... - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Urooj - December 10 - 10:00 am

  A truly fun car to drive, however, there is considerable oversteer and the roadhandling is not all that great but the acceleration does put a smile on ones face. Interior cabin noise is fairly intrusive. The overall interior fit and finish is done well with some minor exceptions. The faux wood trim is -quite frankly - a little cheesy - choose the faux chrome, it looks better. All that being said - it is probably more fun to drive than its older sibling, the Maxima and several of its more conservatively styled competitors.

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  Where is the quality? - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By SXZ62 - December 9 - 6:50 am

  Bought the car last December. About 8800 kilometers (in Canada). Today I found the "Service Regine Soon" light is on. Havent taken it to the dealership yet. But come on, this is brand new car, where is the quality and reliability? I bought a new car because I dont want to have trouble of going to garages.

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  Too much plastic for the money - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Usker - December 8 - 4:26 pm

  We bought this car because my wife wanted her dogs to have easier access to get in. It is a beautiful van! Mileage is not what they tell in the city. Its way better on long vacation trips. So dont by this one unless you can afford the expense to have it. It takes some work to keep it clean inside. So in other words this better be your second car. Specially with the games they play with the cost of gas. When gas was at its most expensive, close to $5 a gallon, it cost almost $70 to fill up. Now that gas prices have fallen to $1.50 in our area, its under $30 a tank. Is the inside as good as I saw 4 years ago. No. I miss the center console idea, I saw in another friends Quest.

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  shopped for a 2018 bought a 2015 - 2018 Nissan Frontier
  By robert - December 8 - 5:18 am

  I ended up with a 2015 with 45000 miles on it. Not many bells or whistles but i only wanted a work truck. Price difference between 2018 and this 2015 was almost $9000.00 the main reason i went this way. So far looks like it will be a good truck for what i want gas mileage seems on the low side for a 4 cylinder other than that pretty much what i expected for the price. Time will tell .

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  Wow! - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Brant Walker - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Spec V for 2 weeks and came out of a 2002 Maxima SE 6 speed. Wow! the go-kart handling, powerful engine, precise steering, etc. The 6 speed is a world apart from the clunky 6 speed in the maxima. Nissan did their homework on this one. The ride tolerable on all but the worst of roads. What a fun time can be had with the relatively small price of this vehicle.

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  Nissan Quality w/No Legroom - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By BlackIron - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Im 63" and owned my 2002 Nissan Frontier for 13 months. The outside of the Nissan is sharp when you get it decked out with the running boards, the body moulding, and the overhead racks, and not an ounce of problem out of it the whole time. The interior front seats are fine...plenty of room for two people...but there is ABSOLUTELY NO leg room in the back seat of this vehicle...the long bed is nice if you haul things and came in handy several times.

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  Its been a ROCK - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By kkempskie - December 7 - 5:23 pm

  Gotta say this has been a solid truck. Bought new in late 02 and ever since my XT has been very reliable. Its no-nonsense and does what its supposed to do. Off-roading is a blast when we ride the dunes on the beach and it is a tank in the snow. My 1st set of tires got 50+ on them and 2nd sets of Coopers got 60+. It hauls everything Ive needed - dishwashers, plywood, kids, vacay stuff to the brim. Love my XT but may have to part with it soon since I need something that will tow a heavier boat! Great truck, so long as its properly maintained.

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  One of the last traditional midsized SUVs - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By zweibel - December 7 - 2:22 pm

  The Xterra PRO-4X is large enough for a family of four (although not long-legged teenagers in the back seats), but small enough to maneuver around town and offroad. It is powerful enough to easily tow my 2,000 lb boat at 75mph or climb Colorado mountain passes while fully loaded. I bought it because I wanted a midsized SUV with genuine offroad capability and decent performance on paved roads. My last two vehicles were overloaded with technology and too fragile for my tastes. Like the ads used to say, it has everything you need and nothing you dont.