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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  Love Quest so much bought a 2nd one - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Scooby Mom - March 5 - 1:43 am

  I initially purchased a 2004 Nissan Quest SE and I absolutely loved it (DVD player didnt hurt). My 17-year old son was involved in a bad accident in my 2004 Quest. He walked away without a scratch; the car suffered all the front end damage but my son had not one scratch. Unfortunately, my 2004 Quest had to be totalled because it absorbed all of the energy and the frame was crumpled behind the engine. Well - I had 2 days to shop for a vehicle and I kept coming back to the Quest. I bought the 2007 Nissan Quest 3.5S in chestnut brown - it is a beautiful car and my 8 yr-old twins love the car. I highly recommend the Quest.

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  The critics who know trucks love the Frontier - 2017 Nissan Frontier
  By evaheidi@aol.com - March 4 - 2:13 pm

  A near perfect truck that LOOKS like a truck. Not trying to look like SUV or mini-van like most others. Its a reliable nice driving vehicle that I would definitely buy again. It does what it is designed to do and does it well.

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  Nothing better than a Maxima - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Indira - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I just bought a 98 Maxima SE w/ leather and i must say this car drives like a champion.Its fast, smooth, sharp looking, and can carry a family of 5 rather comfortably. I love everything about it. You can bet that Ill be a Maxima owner for life!!

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  This car is excellent!!! - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By ANIMEGEE - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for about 21 months now & its been a very fun car. No reliability issues yet, thanks to the mighty reliable SR20DE engine which is also found on the Infiniti G20. Ive been up & down the twisty roads of the Angeles National forest in CA several times & I havent broken anything yet!! I love this car.

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  Great Truck for a small Family - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By frontiernc - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Great Medium Sized Truck. Great for small jobs to medium jobs for around the house. Can get up to 2 cube yards of mulch. Good in Traffic, good for long trips. Some bugs with the truck at First, Rear Main Seal(fixed), Wiper Motors(fixed), couple of rattles(fixed). Get 16-20 MPG. 4WD great in Snow. Tire Wear Great. Routine maintenance Costs are middle of road with Nissan. 4 door option is good for Groceries. Very Simple but Functional interior design.Solid outside Design, best Paint job, no chips in front. No so great Dealerships with Nissan if you have a problem.

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  Just bought my new Altima... - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By CamryConvert - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive driven Toyotas exclusively since the age of 16, but instead of another Camry, I bought the Altima this time, and FOR LESS MONEY. I have to say, originally, I wanted it because of the way this car looks. It is super- super. You know? But as far as the nuts and bolts, I find the 4 cyl to be PLENTY zippy, especially over 3500 RPMs when it really kicks in. Im not wild about the placement of the air vents in the severely slanted dash - too far from my face. But other than that, the interior and exterior of this car are wonderful. That BOSE stereo also makes my rearview mirror vibrate some, but who can really complain about that?

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  Love it other than the Front Brakes - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Chris - March 3 - 11:50 am

  At only 2,700 miles the Front Brakes need an overhaul. It is sad that this is such a common problem for such an awesome SUV. Tons of power and very smooth Trany. Consumer Reports complained about Engine and exhaust noise, get a clue, its a V8 SUV. It happens to be one of my favorite things about the Armada, the deep exhaust and powerful sounding engine. We have four boys, and they love the room and especially the BOSE DVD system, it ROCKS!!! Almost bought a Toyota Sequoia based on their their awesome track record. They were more $ and under-powered. Nissan has built a great SUV other than a few little rattles and their one big problem, the brakes.

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  Reliable truck - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Tom tulenko - March 3 - 9:12 am

  Very reliable truck. I have 120k miles on the truck and the only serious malfunction Ive had is the a.c. compressor failed prematurely. I have also replaced the knock sensor and have done a preventative timing belt change. Starts every time and does everything your ask from a small truck including towing without incident. Truck isnt particularly fast and it gets 17 mpg mixed driving but its a truck so thats ok. Bought this instead of a Tacoma and Ive had no regrets.

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  2013 Pathfinder review after 2 weeks of driving - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By gotexans - March 2 - 6:29 pm

  Traded in acura mdx for something more affordable. I was pleasantly surprised with many of the features on the SL as listed in my fav features section. It drives and feels very similar to our 2004 acura mdx and has plenty of room in the 2nd and 3rd rows. Decent power and acceleration with good mileage (after 2 weeks im getting 20.1mpg average though). Overall you get great value for price paid.

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  Best value for your money - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By bwinter7 - March 2 - 4:23 pm

  I have owned a 93, a 97 and an 01. I had the 01 for about three months before somebody in an SUV sandwiched me between a snow plow and himself. I am convinced the design quality save our lives. I then bought my 02, and I have never been happier. The six speed, and all the little changes new to that year are that much better. In terms of power, luxury, performance and desirability, try to find something better. That Nissan 6 cylinder is one of the top 10 best motors ever made. All of my Maximas had well over 200k on them (except the 01) and never a motor problem. Everything else starts to go, but the engine will still purr like a kitten. Take care of it, regular oil changes etc., it will last