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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  2004 pathfinder - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By AC - May 22 - 6:30 pm

  I like my pathfinder other than the gas mileage and the 6 disc radio gives me trouble in cold weather. Its a very comfortable ride with lots of room. Goes excellent in the snow.

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  New Max 07 - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Laen Irgaak - May 22 - 11:06 am

  Ride is extremely smooth with the new CVT. Interior is refined and comfortable and electronics and comfort improvements over previous year model made this purchase well worth it.

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  200K miles on my 00 X - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By calabash_72 - May 22 - 9:44 am

  Well, I bought my 2000 Nissan Xterra in 2003, shortly after my baby girl was born and I needed 4 doors instead of my extend cab suicide doors on my Silverado. I am going on 12 years owning and 200,000 miles. The cons-bad gas mileage, avg 12-14mpg, cold air intake gave me +1mpg. Really underpowered. Only thing is @ 145k my timing belt broke, supposed to change @ 125k anyway. Distributor went out @ 195k. Other than that, just normal maint wear and tear. I cannot really complain on cost of repairs since there have been so few.

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  I downsized - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Buddy - May 22 - 5:30 am

  Surprised at the handling and perkiness. Previous car was a Cadillac Sedan De Ville. The Versa is not as comfortable as the caddy but is more fun to drive. Very responsive, easy to park, twice the gas mileage

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  Great Truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By vuch - May 22 - 4:16 am

  I have a Crew Cab SE. This is a great truck to drive. Plenty of power, good interior space. I think it is the best looking mid-size truck on the market. The Utili-track and factory spray in bedliner are great also. I have a noise in the engine that is on a technical service bulletin hopefully it will be fixed the next time I bring the truck in. If you are in the market for a truck take the Frontier out for a test drive...you wont be disapointed.

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  New Sentra is Great!! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Bunny Monster - May 22 - 1:50 am

  I didnt like that they changed the style of the Sentra, but after driving the new CVT transmission I was hooked! It is smooth driving and extremely powerful for a 4-cylinder engine. On top of that, the new intelligent key is very convenient. I never have to take my key out of my purse!

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  Few annoying items - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Pambi714 - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Love the power, however we are getting a fluttering sound in the interior at certain speeds that sounds like air pressure. It stops if you crack open a window slightly. Also what really bothers me is at 3000 miles the brake rotors had to be cut because a pulsating pedal, and now at 6000 miles we are having problems again-I want the rotors replaced and not cut again-I believe they are defective and do not want to have to replace them at my cost.

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  Amazing! - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Yee-Haa - May 21 - 10:00 am

  For me, it was between the Durango and the Armada...with the Durango being top dog for 6 months before...that was until I test drove both! No comparison, the Armada had it beat in spaciousness and interior styling. I was a little reluctant to go for a full- size SUV after owning a Blazer, but this is great!

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  Best In Class SUV - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By rszkodzi - May 21 - 10:00 am

  This has to be the best Large Class SUV on the road today. I drove all SUVs in this class, except the Range Rover (Price), and Hummer (Not Enough Luxuries), and this beat them all. The drive is like my old Explorer Limited. Very car like feel, no boat like lean in turns. The on board computers do a phenominal job of traction control and the Auto setting for the selectable 4WD makes you feel like your glued to the road. The best selling point for me was the fold down seats. Perfectly Flat.

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  A Satisfied Customer - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By genius163 - May 21 - 10:00 am

  In general, I am very pleased with the performance of my 02 Altima. I have already put almost 80k miles on it, mostly due to commuting in Los Angeles traffic. I have had only one repair that wasnt due to maintenance. One year ago, after a long road trip in the middle of the summer, the oxygen sensor needed replacing. I dont know if the trip had anything to do with it.