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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  Love this car - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Kim Harper - June 25 - 2:29 pm

  So far I love owning this car. I plan on having leather installed on the seats.

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  Great car but - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Rich - June 25 - 7:43 am

  Everything is great but I am disappointed with MPG. I average 26 and do mostly highway driving. Thought I would get 30 mpg. Also, the nav system is bad compared to garmin or others. It is stupid how to save a point, forcing you to go out and around and back it to name it. Also can not access your saved points while the car is moving. I feel stopping on a highway is FAR more dangerous than accessing your saved points as you get near your destination. Stay away from remote start, 3 tries and they still can not get it right with the push button start. My suggestion is NOT to go for the technology package. Voice command does not work either. Other than that I recommend the car.

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  Reliable and low ownership costs - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Andy - June 25 - 5:31 am

  We bought this car in Dec of 2015 and now have 23K on it. During this time all weve had to do is take it in once to the dealer to have them do system check to comply with the warranty. All the car occasionally needs is a tire rotation. My wife drives the car 46 miles rt each day and usually has from 22 miles left in cold weather to 35 in warm. The car has been completely reliable. Its great not having to go in for oil and filter changes. We park it in the garage and use a home charger. Plugging in takes about 6 seconds. If the car is at 35 range, one hour of charging will put it up to 75. Even with low gas prices over the last two years and the higher cost of electricity in NY the Leaf is still cheaper to operate. We spend about $60 extra in electricity each month to travel about 950 miles a month. That works out to .06 cents a mile. Gas at $2.25 and 25mpg would come to $.09 per mile. Not a lot of difference but were pleased with the lower cost from not having many systems to check and maintain. We like that there arent any exhaust fumes. No belts, exhaust system, 2/3 less parts. No transmission or steering fluids to clean/replace. One thing some people dont realize is how fast the car is. We operate it in ecomode but if in regular driving mode the car is very peppy and able to keep up with almost anything on the road.

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  First Impressions - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Mike - June 24 - 11:53 pm

  Ive only owned the vehicle for less than a week now, so this review is not intended to be anything more than the title states. Im only 58" and feel that the seats are made to fit my size perfectly, so taller drivers may have issues with comfort. Im generally very pleased with everything about this truck and pretty well initially convinced that I made the right purchase. Only time will tell if this is a lasting impression.

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  Great truck for a lot of gas - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By Darby19d - June 24 - 9:23 pm

  My Frontier is a great truck: fun to drive, comfortable, reliable, does everything I ask it to without complaining. But my only complaint is that it sucks gas like no one elses business. I average about 15-16 MPG. Granted, I live in the city, which isnt optimal for fuel efficiency, but it still hurts the pocket book. It still gets below average gas milage on the freeway (about 16-17 MPG), but its still better than in the city. My recommendation, if you do a lot of freeway driving or dont live in the city, its a great truck to drive. If you live in the city, you better be rich.

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  Touring 6 speed, Nismo exhaust - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By OC350Z - June 24 - 9:50 am

  The new Nagaro Red looks awesome and the car handles well. I only have 250 miles but it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. Had a Nismo cat back exhaust installed prior to delivery and it is the best option you could ever purchase. Sounds awesome, quality build, and is covered by the new car warranty. Looked at vettes and mustangs but their quality was lacking. The extra features like bose stereo, leather heated seats etc are worth the extra money in mp opinion. Drive one and you will buy it!

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  OMG What have I done! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Dawn B - June 24 - 9:46 am

  I have had my Rogue for 2 weeks! It has been in the shop twice and I have to bring it in again and leave it for a day and a half. 2 days after buying it the AC died and turned into heat that still came through the vents when off and this was during a heat wave! Then the tire function light came on, then the rattle under the driver side when I start it. Called the dealership, brought it in. (I live over an hour away- my stupidity) The tech came out after 2 hours of waiting to tell me they figured out what was wrong but the parts wouldnt be in for a couple days. Now there is another noise from the CVT, it hesitates on acceleration and is wheezing. Thank God my husband is paranoid and we bought the extra coverage. So what do we do? Havent even made a payment yet! I am disabled and we traded my Rav for the Rogue~ I drive to PT twice a week, an hour each way. I need a dependable vehicle that im not going to get heatstroke in while driving. I live in Mass so I have the Lemon law on my side to a point. Im going through all the complaints, making a list, checking recalls, making sure they have been taken care of against my vehicle. When I go in to drop it off I will be armed with all this info and just may demand another vehicle. I should of checked here before shopping, Im so P/Od!

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  Glad to be back - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By New York - June 24 - 2:06 am

  I have owned a number of new vehicles and had left Nissan when I had a paint issue with my 2001 Altima. My last car was a 2004 Camry and when it came time to trade I headed back thinking I was going to like the new Camrys & was very disappointed. My husband & I decided to try Nissan again and fell in love with a 2008 Altima. Even though its a 4cyl. with the CVT its perfect. The price, style and options were amazing for the price. It definitely beat Toyotas line up. If you want something sporty, economical and fun to drive, this is it.

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  exitement - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By otto v. bismarck - June 24 - 2:00 am

  Just got rid of my GS300 with about the same hp. I got the SE with 17/235/45 Toyos - what a fun car to drive! beautiful interior Negative: turning radius, no memory seats.

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  Nissan SPEC V Blues - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By KR - June 24 - 2:00 am

  I have already replaced one rim and will probably have to replace another. Shifting remains an adventure. Oil consumption is high - the dealer checked into this and stated that the engine has a lot of channels and it takes a long time for all the oil to redeposit in the pan.