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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  Best car I ever owned - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Brittany - July 29 - 5:10 am

  Never broken down! Not once in coming up on 8 years! That is impressive. Such a stylish car for being a 98, I still get compliments on its appearance. It still looks cutting- edge in design. This car has such superb stability and it has even more manuevering ability. I can turn around in the tiniest of places! We have gotten excellent customer service from various Nissan dealerships for maintanenece. Cannot even speak a bad word about anything about this car....not one thing comes to mind at all!

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  Are Altimas Made by Duracell? - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By BabyMax - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car 3 years ago w/ 1900 miles on it. I replaced my 92 Accord EX with this vehicle (which by the way the auto. transmission began to slip @ 115K). Other than dealer faults I am proud to have the experience of owning a Altima. I have an Ultra Red SE Limited w/ almost 78K. All Ive done is changed the oil and filters on it. I love the rich look of the interior dash layout. I would recommend diehard Honda owners(like I used to be)to give Nissan a second look. Less maintenance runs great!!!

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  New to Nissans - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By edmunds13 - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I was just about to purchase a Honda Civic or Accord when I tried my new Nissan Sentra GXE. I am glad I did not go with Honda because the Nissan has more features for a better price.

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  beats them all! - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By sharkbait - July 28 - 10:00 am

  the edmunds research was dead on. we test drove all the mid-size suvs on the market. this one beats them all in design, quality, ride, sound system, braking, acceleration, reliability, comfort - you name it. dont bother with anything else. this is a truck you will be able to drive for a long long time.

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  Back to nissan :) - 2012 Nissan Frontier
  By bgarthe - July 27 - 6:20 pm

  Years ago I had pathfinder and 720 pickup and went Jeep for a bit. Our Nissans were great and I am very glad I returned. I recently bought new Frontier crew cab Pro 4x and it is a dream. The styling, power, performance, and features set it apart from the many other brands considered and researched. It helps that the local dealership has such great service dept. It is quiet, has a nice music package, moonroof (my first), and handles really well. I think the safety features are a sure plus. Mileage is ok, but is sure to get better as she ages. I had my Jeep for twelve years and look forward to at least that with this truck.

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  Very Dependable and safe car - 2001 Nissan Quest
  By Nissan Qwest Owner - July 27 - 9:36 am

  Bought the 2001 Qwest brand new on 1/1/2002. We have owned it for 7 1/2 years and it has been very dependable. All we ever had to do is the routine maintenance and oil changes. In all that time we just had one window latch break on the van. It has been through a stress test of three children.

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  My Max - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Peacock - July 26 - 5:33 pm

  I have owned my max for the past 2-1/2 yrs and I love it. If I had to complain about anything it would be the turning radius of the car is maneuverable but a little hard. I am not crazy about the orange dash board illumination because it seems harder to see in the daylight. Otherwise, i LOVE my Max!

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  Rough Ride - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Don - July 26 - 10:53 am

  Bought our Altima 2.5SL in may. I am satisfied with the mileage we are getting 21 city 35 hwy with avg. hwy speed of about 63 mph. This is a great car so far but they need to improve the ride. It is very rough if the road is not smooth. I would also suggest that you get the connection package which I wish I had done. I also like the lifetime power train warranty.

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  the urban suv performs on beach - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By j clement - July 25 - 10:00 am

  Drives excellent on smiths point beach on li ny . goes down the back trails too. i have the sl rides a little soft on the bump proboble th se would be firmer.

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  2005 Altima SE V6 270,000 Miles and counting - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By frank1981 - July 25 - 5:46 am

  What can I say, My Altima has given the best run! It has had only one problem, Alternator gave in during its first 30,000 miles and was under warranty. For the first 3 years I drove about 30,000 a year. Then I slowed down, drove about 20,000 after that lol Amazing vehicle ! No major problems. I have done tune ups as needed, purchase tires, oils changes & other basic needs.