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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  Perfect Options - 2014 Nissan Armada
  By nutfarmer - November 20 - 6:00 am

  I actually use the features of a large SUV. I frequently use seating for 8 so a 2nd row bench seat was a must have feature. Leather seats and DVs were a required luxury. In addition I wanted actual tires, not the wagon wheels that new SUVs come equipped with recently. Believe it or not, that is a very difficult combination to find in todays market. I was surprised to find the luxury and utility combination I needed in the Nissan Armada. Glad I did. Very nice running, powerful, luxurious and filled with usable technology. All seats are comfortable with good legroom. Whole family loves it on the highway, dirt roads and around town. Price is very good for the group.

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  Disappointed - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Jim Campbell - November 19 - 12:33 am

  While I am very impressed w/ the quality of construction, I remain disappointed w/ the performance of the vehicle. The best mpg I have achieved is 30 mpg when I first bought the car, but this has decreased to around 25 mpg, even on highway driving. The most disturbing aspect of driving my Altima though is the jerky performance of the engine/variable speed transmission. In suburban driving the engine stumbles along until the speed of 40 mph is reached. I can only describe its performance as rough, depending on the rpm modulated by the transmission. When descending hills the transmissions gears down, rather than coast for increased fuel efficiency. My last purchase of a cvt.

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  Cool Canadian - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Cool Canadian - November 18 - 11:23 pm

  Right now western Canadians are paying about $1.10 per litre ($4.15 per gallon) for regular unleaded. I was paying about $400.00 per month in fuel alone driving my restored cutlass supreme. I needed something to save money, fast! Apples to apples the Versa is the best quality in its class with a lot of bragging rights in the category! Love it, love it, love it! I thought I was going to hate a compact car because I drive a 300+ hp car and a new crotch rocket, but this car has a lot of pep! The 1.8L engine is matched beautifully to the 6 speed manual. I tried the cvt, liked it, but the 6 speed was way too much for an enthusiast like me to pass up! Nissan, youve made a believer out of me!!

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  Just some info!!!! :) - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By CSR - November 15 - 7:03 pm

  Purchased brand new 2008 Titan pro-4x, galaxy black with the leather bench and Rockford system. Awesome looking with tow and sliding bed divider. Truck has been a pleasure to drive so far. Lots of power and getting lots of looks. Radio rocks and bluetooth works well. Getting between 11-13 mpg so far; only 400 miles on truck so too early to tell how close epa mpg will be. Two issues though - truck delivered with airbag malfunction which needed a dashboard drop and new airbag module installed and the incab microfilter missing. MX shop told me 3 days to 2 weeks to get fixed - lol!!! Not great news for a brand new truck BUT fixed in 3 days.

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  family freindly - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By ameaustin - November 15 - 2:00 am

  Duel rear air is a very nice feature, driver controls and passenger comfort exelent! Power and road handling above average.

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  Very good first car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By redcoatjones - November 15 - 2:00 am

  Bought my sentra in 2000. First car I bought myself (post-college), and I have been very pleased. Good gas milage (30-32 mpg), and great handling for a commute up and down the interstate. No major problems, but I had 1 trip to dealer for recalls and had to replace the original tires after only 1.5 years. Recommend for someone who needs a car for commuting. Not recommended for large families or someone who carries lots of cargo.

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  Solid SUV - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By DesignerX - November 13 - 10:23 am

  I bought this 4wd truck used almost 4yrs ago, it was a rental car for the first 13k miles and I have added 57k miles. This SUV is solid... Im not a gentle driver and have had no problems. This truck has endured 2.5 yrs of city driving (short trips and lots of stop and go) and over 4k miles pulling a 3500lb trailer. Its not the most luxurious truck, its no speed demon and the mpg isnt any better than a Chevrolet Tahoe v8... but to me the cost of ownership, reliability and functionality does the trick!

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  Love the car - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Brian - November 12 - 7:30 pm

  Car is well worth the money. Has plenty of power to accelerate on to the interstate, without worries. A/C cools the car quickly. Stereo has great bass and sound quality. Car is quiet no wind noises up to 80 mph. Its light weight so be prepared when an eighteen wheeler fly by. Any compact will give you the same feeling of being blown off the road. Wish the rear seat on my sedan folded down, but does have a lot of trunk space. Blind spots and the small quarter glasses on the front doors take some getting use too. Automatic trans shifts smooth, 1.8L engine has noticeable injector noise or valve noise when accelerating hard. Would buy again, and again. Great gas mileage..

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  Great Car - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Great Car - November 12 - 9:13 am

  I bought this car new at the end of 2001. Because it was an XE with a 5sp manual it was still on the lot. For the first 100k it had very few problems, and they were covered under warranty. A new catalytic converter and a fuel pump were all that went wrong. The clutch lasted until 115k. Now that I have 140k on it, Ive had to replace the rack and pinon steering and needed some engine repairs for rough idling. Overall, I love this car and for the mileage it has needed few repairs.

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  Beware of just Design - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By nissancustomer - November 12 - 8:56 am

  I have been a Nissan vehicle only for the past decade. My decision was enormously influenced by the sleek Quest designs. I have just driven 800 miles since I bought it a couple of months back and the passenger side door doesnt open or close properly. This Van is pretty hard on the gas and the transmission slips at times. Plus Nissan of North America corporate folks are pretty "customer unfriendly" if approach them for any post car buying issues.