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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  Like it OK so far. - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By JD - May 7 - 5:50 am

  Looked at both the Frontier and the Dakota. Chose the Frontier (storm grey color, steel grey int) due to proven reliability, also the interior materials looked much better than the Dakota. Frontier has a quiet car-like ride to it, outstanding getup and go when you need it. A/C is good and cold, getting 20-21 mpg so far on hwy. The bed extension works really well when slid up near the cab to keep stuff from sliding all over the bed. With 2 boys, cup holders throughout the truck come in real handy. Would have gotten LE Crew cab, wanted Blue exterior (cant get on SE), but would have had to have roof rack (standard on LE crew), which I thought looked ugly on truck.

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  Best Ever Murano - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By brr - May 7 - 2:00 am

  After five previous Nissan vehicles, this is the best ever. Nothing but praise. Who would have thought a SUV could be look so good

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  sues car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By hermit - May 7 - 2:00 am

  An exciting and powerful car, reminiscent of the 1970s

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  Beautiful Junk - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By ScottieG - May 6 - 12:50 pm

  I bought my Max privately just after the ABS sensors and actuator were replaced @ Lancaster Nissan. 14,000mi later, I needed the very same work done by the same dealer. I refuse. I have had other items go bad @ a couple $100 here and a couple $100 there. The car is beautiful but full of knocking noises. The car is uncomfortable because I sit on the seats instead of in them. I owned a 93 Altima & a 96 Max. Both were of a much better quality than this car. I owned a Buick between the two Maximas & will go back when I can get rid of this car. I bought my 2004 Max based on a good reputation. I will never buy another Nissan. -ScottieG

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  MUCH Better than 05MY and competition! - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By mimurano - May 5 - 5:03 pm

  We traded in our 05MY Murano for an 09 SL loaded with navi and glass panel roof. What an upgrade! This truck should be sold as a luxury model. We shopped around for an Edge or Enclave and wanted to wait to see the 09 Murano. The interior is what sold us on this one and put the competition to shame. Well worth the wait! The interior is very soft and pleasant. Seats are much improved and more comfortable. The built in hard drive music server works great.

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  Slow but wins the race - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By William Bender - May 5 - 4:30 pm

  Bought new and have never done anything but routine maintenance. Tight handling and has used tires like a Mack truck. I finally relented and started to carry 26 lbs. of pressure in the tires and have 40,000 miles on my current set of Yokohama HT-S Geolanders. Have done some very hard four wheel drives with this vehicle and only broke one shock. She still takes us skiing all winter and never complains. Expect to still have this Pathfinder in 2020 just like my 1991 Nissan truck.

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  not the best - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By canam77 - May 5 - 8:30 am

  Other than the non repairable alignment issues. And the bad welds on the frame it hasnt been that bad of a truck...

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  Xterra - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By XterraS - May 4 - 8:26 pm

  An excellent SUV. Very responsive engine. Sits higher than a car giving a better view of the road. Great room for easier movement inside. The Utility Package includes the step rails and more compartments. All around great vehicle.

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  Rattles and more. - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By wayne4al - May 4 - 7:11 am

  This car has more ratttles than a babies crib! I cant even find them all. I cant open the sun roof it rattles so bad. I have one coming from the back some where. There are others. The seats belts scratch up the inside of the passager sides. I also have a strong gasoline odor at times. Car is on its way to the shop.

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  Hidden Transmission warranty - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By My2006 - May 3 - 2:26 pm

  OK, need some Karma so thought Id take the time to post. My wifes 2006 Murano with ~115K on it had the transmission die. IIRC, Nissan has a free Extended Warranty added to all 2003 (?) - 2009 or 2010 Muranos transmissions. My $4000 Dealer price replacement ended up being free. Did have a minor problem as my wifes Murano was a Japanese Manf. vehicle, and the VIN had aged out of their system. Took a day or so for the Dealer (Napa Ca ended up being the most helpfuly and did the work) to get it pulled back from HQ database. This isnt exactly advertised as far as I know, or at least not widely. This covers only the transmission, and is valid for Muranos with 10 years/120K or less. Here is the notice actually: http://www.nissanassist.com/ProgramDetails.php?menu=2 Was initially POd as wife had given me her car as weve moved from NorCal to WNY and the AWD was a prime feature. Very nice that Nissan recognized the problem with early CVT introduction to their line, and didnt screw over their customers.