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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  Nice...But. - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By R. Perez - April 1 - 4:53 pm

  I waited Several months to get this vehicle. Overall it was worth the wait. I am 511" and the comfort of the interior seating is ok... but the steering wheel is small and skinny. My hands and arms get tired. Pull out power is sluggish. No pep. Car is a little jerky feeling. Slightest movements on the wheel will move your body in the car. Engine is somewhat noisy, especially when you turn the OD off. I keep changing channels on my raido when I make turns...Bumping the switch on the steering wheel. I drive the car everyday. I love the exterior look, but not all that happy with the vehicle itself.

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  Horrible little car!! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Evan Grant - April 1 - 11:06 am

  I have had this car for 2 years. Of those two years, both were riddled with problems. The factory tires needed replacing at 8,000 miles, the brake rotors needed replacing at 14,000 miles, the check engine light came on at 18,000 miles, and the CVT is wayyy over-rated. Its not fun being on a highway at 70mph and not being able to hear people in the same car! The mpg is way worse than predicted by the window sticker, the best I got for city was 25, but highway mileage was ok at about 30. The sticker said 31 city and 34 highway. I wouldnt suggest this car for someone buying new in order to avoid repair costs. This thing is like an iceberg in snow. You go with the road.

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  An Understated Hybrid - 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Understated - April 1 - 6:33 am

  Purchased 12/16/2009, now has 4800 miles. Love the quiet, fuel savings and that Im not polluting when at traffic lights, slow traffic or drive- throughs. It is fun to watch the MPG go up, when non-hybrids MPGs are going down. At the time, Nissan was the only one which qualified for Federal Tax Rebates. It has all the options except Navigation, including leather. A NUVI is a good substitute, still I would have liked in dash navigation.

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  Happy with my new Frontier - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Coleman Ergle - March 31 - 8:53 pm

  This truck is just fun . I love to drive the highway in this truck . i love the ride and it has alot of power when you need it. This is a strong , safe and good looking truck.

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  It will get you there. - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By nurd - March 31 - 8:21 pm

  I bought my 2001 Xterra with 73k on the O.D. after looking for a foreign 4x4 SUV it was the least expensive with the best options. I now have 155k on the Xterra and have had some very small things like a slow leak on a radiator hose that took me an hour to fix and $10. But I just had my A/C go out right before summer and we have had several 100+ days that have been miserable. Because of gas prices I want to sell it but then I get to go on a beach, camping or we get hit with a foot of snow and I fall back in love with my baby. This thing is a monster that will get you there every time. Love it and wont get rid of it.

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  Great off road SUV - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By luckyzsquirrel - March 31 - 12:40 pm

  This vehicle has been truly a treat. Truly a great performer off road, and very decent on road. If youre never going to go off road I would not recommend, it rides a little rough than some would like, but if you are looking for a SUV that can actually climb rocky jeep trails you cant go wrong. The cargo area is NOT carpeted which makes very easy to clean.

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  altima 2006 se - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By altima driver - March 31 - 9:30 am

  nice all around car. a very nice ride. performance is good and 5 speed auto trans is also nice. mechanics are improved over 2003 maxima that I had. other manufacturers do not offer the performance in this price range. with rebate ($1500). paid $23k. standard stereo system sounds better than the bose i had in my maxima.

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  2002 Maxima GLE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By 2002maximachic - March 31 - 7:05 am

  Love this car (model/year) - bought in Dallas with 84K and it runs great with 171k now. Just recently I found that during heavy traffic it slips a little. It sort of goes with oil but got that fix. I dont know anything about buying transmissions but where do you start to figure the cost?

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  Be very careful! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Bad Truck - March 30 - 7:53 pm

  This truck is a huge headache. Ive had an enormous amount of trouble with it. Most of my problems were cosmetic related including a roof leak that Nissan cant seem to fix. Had the seal replaced three times and the windshield replaced once and it still leaks. Along with that the brake master cyl went out at 500 miles, bumper has been replaced twice, belt tensioner has been replaced three times, Window control module needs to be replaced, the timing belt system had to be replaced due to a technical service bulletin (only covered if the vehicle is under warranty). Do yourself a favor and buy a Toyota or Honda. I made the mistake of buying a Nissan because it was less money, bad move!

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  Something breaks every month - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By LostACustomer - March 30 - 6:03 pm

  Dont buy this piece of junk unless you want to spend 2 trips a month. I traded it for a Toyota Sieanna and couldnt be happier. Things that went wrong were: - cranks forever - loss of power annually - powered sliding door keeps reversing and still isnt fixed. - vibrations at fwy speeds - gas gauge shows empty after a fill- up twice - passenger air bag shows off even when adult sits there - replaced radio keypad twice - lights falling out of ceiling - door panels coming off - glove compartment warped - shifter replaced - radio antenna weak - headrests are too far from your head so you can get a serious whiplash if you are rear-ended.