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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  Is this really a CVT? - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Jack - July 28 - 3:54 am

  Had a Maxima for six years before trading for this vehicle. There is absolutely no comparison in performance of the transmissions. This Rogue behaves more like a standard 4-speed automatic. Unpleasant for me because the Maxima shifting was so much smoother, responsive and predictable.

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  you might think twice - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Altima is so-so - July 25 - 9:46 pm

  I bought the 97 altima in April of 02. After the 1st 6 months of ownership, it was one thing after another. While it only broke down twice, I never really enjoyed the car w/o some lingering minor problem. The car brakes and ride were noisy from day one. The antenna quit working properly after about a year and a half. I was so happy to be rid of that car this year. My comfort and leg room was not great but Im 63" so I accept certain things in life. Overall, if I had to do it all over again, I dont think I would buy it again. There are worse cars to buy for sure, but there are better. Spent over $2000 in repairs in a 2 year span.

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  Nissan ruined this car with the poor frame material they used - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By solstice7 - July 25 - 6:13 am

  The Pathfinder itself as a vehicle is queen of snow and off road. It always starts and runs. Never broke down on the road. However theed very poor quality material used in the frame is apparent. I paid 4600k for it with 56k miles about 4 years ago. I have spent 6k rebuilding every part of the frame you can think of to pass inspection twice now. Not sure if it will pass this year for either frame issues or steering rod issues-1996 was recalled for rusted out steering rods but not the 1995. If you can weld then its a great off road, snow vehicle, otherwise expect to pay for some type of frame rebuild. Do not expect this it be a quiet or pretty ride-its all utility.

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  Needs work - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By EW - July 24 - 9:46 am

  Nissan needs to work on quality control for the Quest. Ours has developed rattles everywere, skyview window leaks, and the right side sliding door is sticky just to name a few. The dealer has attempted to fix most of our complaints, and Nissan did extend the warranty to 5 years/60K for free, but for a van this pricey it should not have the problems it does The engine and transmission combo are a plus. The trans does tend to annoyingly hunt between gears at 20 mph.

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  Nissan Not So Happy - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By JMH - July 24 - 2:00 am

  While the car is stylish, the seating is not comfortable for long drives. The 4 cyl has plenty of power for highway passing, and keeping it in 3rd while city driving can be fun. The steering is not responsive, and gives the feeling that you may loose control in tight turns. I am unhappy with the fit and finish of the interior parts. The lack of a hood liner, trunk lid liner, and solid flooring in the trunk make for more road noise in the cabin. Back seat passengers have plenty of room even with the front seats moved back.

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  Not LOL, but falling apart :( - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Nissan like Chrysler - July 17 - 5:43 pm

  This is the worse Nissan my dad ever had. We had an Altima S 2004 went in to 70k with out major problems. It was salvage so we went for Quest 2007 with only like 16K. Problems very loud rattling noise from bottle holders between driver and pass seat! Piece of exterior flew away while driving. Air conditioner not working. The part keeps burning very fast after we buy it! Now at almost 30K we want to just get rid of it! Brake pads need to be replaced at almost 30K!

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  Bad transmission - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Wanda - July 10 - 5:47 am

  2013 Nissan altima transmission is no good they need to do a recall on the transmission. I brought my car last year it had about 54,000 miles on it now i have to replace a transmission on it.

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  A lemon - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Greatly Disappointed - July 6 - 8:30 pm

  2003 Murano has had nothing but problems. Have replaced hatchback lock, rear wiper motor/blade, transmission, radiator, headlight, transfer case for a total of $6,000. The transmission was still under warranty. If it hadnt, that would have been another $4,000. Powertrain only warrantied to 60,000 so transfer case cost me $3,700. Nissan and dealership refused any assistance on repair cost despite well-documented history of these known problems for this model year. Dealer told me I should have bought the extended warranty when it was offered to me.

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  Im Trading in My Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Chris in NY - July 5 - 3:03 pm

  My main issue with the Rogue is the poor visibility. I am also frustrated that I am unable to tow a 1500 T@B camper comfortably, despite the fact that I purchased the SL with all the extra Towing features, giving it a rating up to 3000 pounds. Oddly, when I roll down the back window without rolling down the front window, a strange vibration occurs. The seats show every stain and are uncomfortable. The voice recognition on the Bluetooth has never worked right. I loathe the little joy stick for adjusting the mirrors. When I purchased this car, I loved it. Then I noticed one little thing after another. Im trading it in.

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  POOR QUALITY - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By henduuu - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I really want to like this car. However, I have had nothing but problems with this car over the past year. Three engine coils (yep, thats half of them) have gone bad over the past six months. In addition, my computer was replaced within the first year, had to be updated again recently and now my oxygen sensor is having problems. Ive been into the service department more times with this car than I have with any car previously.