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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  ABS Brakes - PLEASE - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By TY - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Yes, I have that chirping noise in the morning before the car is warmed. It started at $11k miles. I thought it was the brand of gas I was using. NOT! Okay, the brakes. The car skids even at 15 to 25 miles. I drive two to three cars back on the highway and streets rain or shine. Its a great car - but it needs a better braking system.

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  Bad Start - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Mrdegu - August 12 - 10:00 am

  This thing was trouble as soon as i got it. I had maybe 5K on it when the A/C compressor goes on me. Little things in the car were breaking rather easily, such as the handle to move the angle of the seat. The distributor cap craked on me at 13K and then the distributor then went 2k after that. I was left stranded on the highway twice because of this. The 4wd would not work properly all the time. The dealership was not very helpfull either. Over all i had a very bad experience with the truck, the dealership and Nissan all together....i will never buy Nissan again.

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  overall good car - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By jay123456 - August 12 - 10:00 am

  the spec-v has a lot of power for its class. six-speed is awesome, but a little jumpy. i have been driving stick for years and was hoping the transmission was a little bit smoother on this new car. i have continental contisport tires on from the dealer, they have been rated bad for wet roads, but so far have held up well in rainy conditions. suspension is really tight. overall the car is excellent for its class and value. very sporty looking and at the same time very practical and gets pretty good gas mileage.

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  not yet sold - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By workinmanstruck - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Not yet sold on this vehicle. I have a 2002 V6 4x4 XE king cab. Gas milage good at 20-21 mph everywhere. Having problem with clunky brakes, fade in pedal, long stops and heavy pulling to left. Loud wurring noise,like that of a power steering pump is getting on my nerves. Fit and finish not the greatest. At 7k miles (8 weeks old )it is starting to get squeeky. Motor is loosening up and acceleration is improving. Love the look, price was right. Will be making first trip to dealer for service, well see how that goes.

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  Better than I expected - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Mark G - August 12 - 12:20 am

  I had a time choosing between the F- 150 and the Titan, but when my wife drove the Titan, she wanted it more than i did. Im getting better then expected gas mileage (15 city, 20 highway), and have had no problems at all. The tow mirrors like the F-250 is reaaly nice to see with, as well as the parking sensors to back into tight places. Also, I found an SE with the Utilitrac Package and have used it all the time. If anyone is looking for a truck, this one has to be considered. Just one drive and you will see what the domestics DONT offer.

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  Love my Rogue - 2015 Nissan Rogue
  By njm4 - August 11 - 6:38 pm

  I have had the Rogue for 4 months now, have put in 6500 miles. I had a pathfinder before and could not be happier with going with the rogue. Iv hit 32 mpg on the highway. Seats are super comfy. I had an older car so going with the S model to me was just a perfect upgrade as I didnt need all the bells and whistles (sunroof). Bluetooth, rear camera, are standard. Went with the AWD and I cant wait to see how it does in the snow. Had a bad ice storm my first wk with it and it did great. I thought the AWD was on, but it wasnt lol.

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  My Titan - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Shane V - August 11 - 2:26 pm

  I recently bought an 06 LE Titan for my 17th birthday. It is one sweet truck. It came stock with the Rockford Fosgate system. I by far have the nicest truck of the school, and defenitly in the top 20 of this city. It has racing tires with 20s, and the heavy duty chrome package. I put some 40s flows on it, and my friends have nicked named the truck Screaming Demon. Gas just seems to be put on fast forward in it however. Its really hard crossing town or just cruising without someone wanting to race or feeling the need to rev their less superior engine.

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  Sporty with a touch class - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By CHUCK ESCOBAR - August 11 - 10:23 am

  I use to own a mustang cov and it was a fun car to drive but lacking space,in the trunk and interior,but when i got into the altima wow a whole new experience.I never though that a sedan can be fun to drive with out spending big bucks, i found a lot of aftermarket accessoiries, for the exterior making the car look very classy.It handels well for a sedan, i got the convenience pakage plus which includes a sun roof,trip computer and a lot of other fun stuff, the color satin white very classy and the best thing is a 20 gal gas tank and great gas milage 21 city and 28 hwy.I realy do not have any thing neg to say only that evry where i look i see an altima.Test drive one see for your self.

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  Avid Nissan Fan - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Michelle - August 11 - 3:46 am

  Ive been a Maxima driver for years, Ive known people that have switched to Nissan after riding or driving my car. I think Nissans are very underrated. They are very relieable and dependable cars. I will never drive anything but a Nissan.

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  This is my second Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By DALE - August 11 - 2:06 am

  I purchased a second Nissan Altima last December replacing my 1997 that had been hit and totaled. The 2005 has improvements that show Nissan listens to its customers. The windows can be opened and closed without turning the engine on, the back seats fold down wider allowing larger items to fit into trunk, the trunk opens wider and lower, a larger "donut tire" is given, the key lock on trunk with sliding Nissan cover has been eliminated. My logo cover on key lock on my 1997 fell off long ago and all the other ones I have seen on other cars are broken also. They got rid of those plastic hub cabs that cracked and fell off. Plenty of compartments to hide stuff.