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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  Very Pleased with the Altima - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By ghowe3 - August 3 - 3:16 pm

  Just leased a fully loaded Altima (except for navigation) after leasing a 530i. Not as bad as a drop off in car as I thought. The Altima is sporty, quick on the highway and gets excellent gas mileage. The interior is roomy and sporty with a big advantage over the BMW - there is much more storage space and cup holders.

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  Transmission Problems with no fix - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mpom - August 3 - 9:05 am

  I purchased my 2013 Pathfinder in Nov of 2012, it began having the "shudder" fairly shortly after but I didnt acknowledge it for a while. As it continued to worsen, I brought it to the dealers attention. I was told they were aware but did not have a fix for it. I continued to mention it every time I brought the car in for service. I was finally told to call Nissan which is a joke. They sent me back to the dealer who has told me that for their protection they must be very careful with how they handle it. What about the $45,000 I spent. Where is my protection? I am considering hiring a lawyer....

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  "The Machine" - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Ricardo - August 3 - 8:33 am

  Excellent truck! This is my first pick up truck and I love it. I use it to work every day and to go off road on the weekend with my kids for an ATV run. Towing power is excellent, so far no problems.

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  Poor choice - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Noel A - August 3 - 3:43 am

  We bought our 2003 Murano AWD because it lookes great and we had liked our Maxima. What a mistake - luckily we negotiated a free extended warranty into our deal besause: the motor mounts failed at 35K, the mount control sensor failed as well,TWO different oxygen sensors failed at different times leaving my wife and children stranded, the front strut bearings failed at 60k, the rear lift latch failed at 61K, wiring leading to the mass air flow sensor failed, causing the sensor to also fail - leaving us stranded AGAIN,even the sunshades needed to be replaced as the spring tensioner failed. The total cost of these repairs would have been over $5500 if I had to pay for them!I wont buy another!

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  A Jaunty Truck - 2013 Nissan Frontier
  By igopogo - August 3 - 1:25 am

  Purchased new, currently at 16 months and 13,000 miles. The size of the KC truck is ideal for my purposes; roomy enough to accommodate two people (good sized) with luggage inside. Its dimensions are not too big to handle todayÂ’s traffic and parking situations, but are large enough to provide a comfortable ride. I wish it were quieter but will try to improve this area with future tire selection. I prefer the FrontierÂ’s more upright chair-like seating position over the Tacoma (the only other truck I considered).

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  Thought I was getting good deal. Nope. - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By ja1211 - August 2 - 11:55 pm

  I now have 15,000 miles on mine. Car would not start over 12 times now. Dash freezes and car does not respond to anything. Dealer told me to keep wrench in car and disconnect battery when it happens. Said they spoke to nissan and nissan is working on a fix. Called Nissan customer service and they have no record of dealer calling. Volume knob does not work some times, nav resets randomly, radio does not work randomly, passenger seat is completely loose, very loud on highway speeds with windows up and Nissan does not stand behind their products. Called them to say swap me out, get me into something else. Both dealer and Corp will not talk to me until 12 months into lease.

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  Not perfect but close - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By R Woods - August 2 - 9:00 pm

  Im in sales and purchased my car in oct of 05 and have put 33,000 miles on it and it has done great for me. Other than a squeak in the hood and the fact the bottom plastic panel inside the door is scratched from my shoes it has held up. Gas mileage has averaged 28.6 and I drive it hard. I can put 700 miles a day in it and feel fresh when Im done driving. Other improvements are offer cloth seats not just leather, the air conditioning system is too loud and when I first got the Altima I thought my turn signals at night were on but it was the glare of off the crome rings around the dash board.

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  Its all good, except.... - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By barakoutie - August 2 - 6:13 pm

  Overall, a great vehicle for my needs and preferences (more trucky than car- like, lots of power, all the amenities, etc.). Only knocks (mostly minor, in no order): cannot adjust seats to perfectly suit me, left wiper chatters, interior car panels are cheap and easy to mar, rear shocks bottom easily, can not raise 2nd row drivers side window from drivers seat (switch broken), gas mileage brutal around town, OEM tires not good, running boards too narrow (cant fit foot on them), heater heats ankles not feet, carpet is cheap, rear wheel noise invades cabin, climate control either 60 degrees (too cold) or 65 (too warm) with no in-between, hard to lift 3rd row seats from rear hatch.

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  nissan altama - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By joe byars - August 2 - 3:36 pm

  my experience with this car has been excellent. i most like the style and the way it is built and its features

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  Fun, but bumpy - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By chris - August 1 - 9:03 pm

  This is a very nice sport car dont get me wrong. It looks fast, it is fast, it takes off so quick I almost get whiplash everytime. It is a head turner too. But I have never had anything that is this bumpy and the rattles drive me insane. Ive had an S2000 and it wasnt this bad, and that thing had a super tight suspension. My Z rattles like it is falling apart, all along the dash, the center console, and if I am talking while driving it sounds like someone is thumping my chest. I have crammed things into seams and cracks to stop them, but its no use. But man is it fast.