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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  No JUKE, just a pathetic JOKE - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By msbeanz - November 5 - 7:47 pm

  I have had my 2011 Juke for 2yrs now and at first I loved the look, the handling, the size and fact that it can fit into the smallest parking spots! But 2 yrs later I am so done with it and have a baby on the way so its already to small just for 2 adults and our lab in the back. I sit thru 45 min of traffic going home every single day and the shifting in stop and go traffic is horrible! It really struggles in traffic! The hatchback is a joke if you want to fit anything more than a few grocery bags or if put one or both back seats down thats really the only time you can fit something of size into it. Again, with a baby on the way I will no longer be able to fold both seats down for storage!

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  Manufacture Support lacking - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Jab - November 1 - 9:40 am

  I have mixed feeling about my Titan ownership experience. I have had 3 batteries replaced in a truck with only 63k on it. I was working with Alice from Nissan and she advised no help would be provided even though the last battery was purchased about 2 years ago. Nissan will prorate however at the cost of $80. They take the position this is normal and haven’t identified anything wrong with it. The take away is the lack of support from the manufacture, so keep this in mind when making your purchase.

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  Its a real work truck - 2013 Nissan Frontier
  By heiliner - October 29 - 10:52 pm

  I just purchased my 4th Nissan Frontier. I traded in a Nissan D21 that I had for 25 years. My 2013 is a 4 cylinder, 5 speed, S model King Cab. It was priced about $3000 below a similar Toyota Tacoma. The truck has crank windows, no power locks, and no Bluetooth. The first tank of gas I got almost 28 mpg in city and rural driving. On the second tank full I got 25 mpg. The secret is to shift around 2200 rpm. The truck is clunky and dated and simple transportation. For every 100 miles I drive this Frontier I save about $8 over the Tundra parked next to it in fuel costs.

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  2016 Nissan Murano Brake Failure after a month - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Jorge - October 26 - 3:53 am

  Just purchased my 2016 Murano on September 2016. Had the car for about a month and 800 miles. Yesterday morning the brakes failed as my wife was pulling out of our driveway. Nearly backed into a light pole and crashed into our neighbors car. She had to place the car into drive while it was still backing up, then had to place the car into neutral when it started going forward. Brake pedal did not respond and was near the floor. Contacted Nissan consumer affairs about the issue and had the car towed to my dealer. Nissan consumer affair advised me that there wasnt any brake related recalls for my car. A quick internet search proved that to be incorrect. Nissan, not wise to lie to your customers. Luckily this happened near our driveway in a residential neighborhood, with no kids in the car because I dropped the kids off at school in my car this morning. Had this been at a busy intersection, thing could have turned out really bad. Any Nissan executives reading this post, take a moment and think, what if this was your family in your product. Get the issue resolved before it claims innocent lives. Feel free to reach out to me. Find my contact information on the Nissan Consumer Affairs case #24317348. I will be posting my story on every Nissan forum and consumer complaint site I can think of.

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  CVT transmission failure - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By montigirlmn - October 18 - 2:54 pm

  I am writing a follow up to my initial review, left by montigirlmn. My CVT transmission failed at 21000 miles, 10 months into owning a new car.

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  Trouble - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By I Love My Car BUT... - October 12 - 12:20 am

  I bought my car in May of 05 and love it to death. I dont know what Id do without it. The audio system is excellent and I believe it is roomy enough for me. But in Dec 06 my car has mysteriously stopped turning on but once it is on it runs great. So far the dealership keep replacing the fuel pump and spark plugs and it works for about a week or less, then I cant start it again and again with the replacements. I love this car but it is trouble....

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  Unbelievable - 2018 Nissan Rogue
  By Jack paugh - October 8 - 2:32 pm

  My big thing is no digital speedometer? With all the technology,no digital reading on speedometer. Has a digital average speed though! Rest of car is basic. Great gas mileage, and that is what I was wanting . Road noisey at higher speeds. I have owned most of simulator suvs Honda,Toyota,gmc ,Subaru all have some hold backs.

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  Nice ride, quiet, comfy interior - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By knh - September 16 - 1:40 pm

  Ride quality is better than the old G35, very solid, bump absorbing, never got unsettled by any bumps. Steering is reasonably responsive. Cabin is very quiet. Convenience package is very practical. MP3 player standard is great.

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  A Mistake - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By aewj - September 16 - 5:16 am

  Want to look good on the road? Then this may be your car. The body styling is sleek and exotic. It is fitted with an engine that sounds mean and has the zip to really move you. The true test of ownership, though, comes from driving for several months. After that, you realize the Z requires patience at the repair shop and money - lots of it. During the brief periods that the car is out of the shop, it is fun to drive. The bucket seats are narrow and can be quite uncomfortable after several hours of driving. Mechanical problems, dealer/warranty issues, and an uncomfortable ride are the price for looking good on the road. Unfortunately, the fun soon subsides.

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  Needs improvements - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Sherry - September 15 - 5:23 pm

  I do like the size of my Armada. However, I think that it should be made of better materials in the interior. It should not be squeaky at 9100 miles. It has rattles in it already.