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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  Great Car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By efy - July 6 - 6:40 pm

  We bought this car in March of 2010, with 85,000 miles; it now has 96,000, after only 5 months. So far, it has been a very reliable, roomy, and comfortable family car. We average around 24.5 mpg. On a recent 300-mile trip, I averaged 31.2 mpg with luggage and a passenger. The front seats are comfortable, but the seat backs are shaped oddly, and can become annoying. The back seat is huge, and is more comfortable than the front. It is very enjoyable to drive, with lots of power, engaging handling, and a firm yet compliant ride. It is quiet inside, with only minor road noise. The BOSE sound system sounds great, and the radio display is excellent. I would highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  Best SUV - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By danp - July 6 - 10:00 am

  This is the best SUV for the money. I had a number of GM SUVs and the Nissan quality is superior. Great power, quiet, and stylish. Only real drawback is the gas mileage. The resale value is also outstanding compared to any American SUV. For a few thousand more, get the LE - the added features are well worth it. Im sold on Nissans.

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  Reliable and good handling although ugly - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By CanadianDriver - July 6 - 7:13 am

  I bought this car used in 2002 and its been very reliable, which is important for someone like me who knows squat about cars. Gas mileage is excellent. The only problems have been replacing the clutch cable, a/c leak, and a bit of rust. The seats are comfortable and the car is easy to maneuver. The heating and a/c come on quickly and work well. The cup holders are awkward because they block the radio and clock. It doesnt accelerate overly well and my friends tell me its ugly (which it is), but it was a lot cheaper pound for pound than a Civic and frankly, a better investment.

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  Just OK... - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By A - July 6 - 12:56 am

  Fourth Nissan leased. Two prior Altimas, then a Sentra SE-R, now this Altima. Great inerior room and trunk. very impressive audio system for low model car. Handles pretty nimbly as well. The cloth seats are the lousiest cloth I have ever lived with, didnt seem as bad when purchased, but looks and feels cheap when compared to other vehicles. Been quite reliable. But car not exceptional in any way. Nice basic transportation, and very respectable looks.

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  I made the right choice - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Gemi - July 5 - 8:56 am

  Having never owned A SUV, I did a lot of research. 240 HP, no longer an industry leader but plenty of power. 6 disk in dash Bose with stearing wheel controls!!!! WOW. I keep hearing about how cramped the backsteat is and..OK a little smaller than most but unless you are over 65" 250 lb it is fine. 1 touch up and down windows and sun roof:) You can even roll down the windows with the keyless entry:) This car makes me happy.

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  Not too Impressed - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By T. Moront - July 5 - 4:43 am

  My 2006 Altima is an attractive car, but it sure has a jerky kind of pick- up. Im not impressed with the motor and power to accelerate when needed. It also does not ride as quiet as I thought it would. The interior is comfortable enough and roomy.

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  Clutch Problems - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Stickman - July 4 - 6:26 pm

  Love just about everything about the car. Only real issue Ive had is that the clutch needed to be replaced at 20,700 miles and then again 37,000 miles later. Ive been driving manual transmissions for 47 years and never had a problem with clutches wearing so quickly.

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  So far, so good! - 2009 Nissan Quest
  By Cliff Biggers - July 4 - 3:40 pm

  The Nissan is the only van Ive ever owned that drives like a well-made SUV rather than like a van. Steering is responsive, the engine seems confident and responsive, and the mushy ride of my prior Sienna & Odyssey is nonexistent here. The seating is more comfortable. The Bose stereo is much better than my two prior vans, making even XM sounds good. Nissan should have gone one step further and designed the second row seats to fold absolutely flat rather than almost flat. The central command console/stack is a bit too large and rounded, intruding slightly into the knee area. An intuitive redesign of climate & sound system would help, as would improved iPod integration.

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  Not what i expected!!!! - 2016 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Ivan - July 4 - 3:23 pm

  the first thing that you have to know is that the bluetooth technology that is in the car is the worst! unless you want to spend an extra 10,000 dollars to get the fully loaded version, but then that would put you on high priced vehicle, and with that might price you might be able to get some thing with more luxury. The bluetooth capabilities are just to hear a phone call come in....that is it! You may ask.....what about audio streaming? NOPE, not available. you would have to buy a dongle/adapter for it or some audio cables that are going to be hanging out of your middle console, and look crappy. (yes im picky like that) i just feel that it is not worth the price. my 20,0000 nissan rougue had audio streaming; i paid twice as much for this one. I do not get navigation, so i have 6 BUTTONS from my stearing wheel to the control panel that do the same thing!....... and that is to change my radio station one up......really? I know that my review is mostly on the sound system ...and it is, but i like to go down to the details like these. When i purchased the car i asked if bluetooth was included and they said yes, but i never thought that it would be just for calls. when i told my dealer about the complaint, the sales guy said "yeah sometimes the cheaper cars have better feautures"....(wow) Also, nissan stated that they spent 6000 just on the entertaining system; mmmm i dont know, you would think that 6000 dollars can get you a higher quality screen for your dash board. there are also two "back" buttons, 2 "settings" buttons, 2 "info" buttons that alone is just 6 buttons wasted. i hope that this review makes sense to you, i do think that the car is a good reliable car, but after driving it for several months, i feel like it is not worth the money that i am paying on it.

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  Issues-resolution - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Issues-resolution - July 4 - 2:43 pm

  The Quest is a great van, I even managed to get 32 miles per gallon, (cruise at 67 miles per hour). On the other hand there are two main problems with the car, first front driver side seat moves. Second the tire bounces, but that is not a Quest problem that is a Goodyear problem, you cannot balance the tires the only way to eliminate this problem is to have the dealership replace the tires. Nissan dealer tested 16 tires before they found 4 good ones – test was called road force, it fails every time. It’s not dangerous it’s only irritating. I also had problems with vibration while braking while driving through hills of West Virginia.