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 truck, but... - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Grant Chance - March 11 - 10:50 pm

  Bought truck in Jan 07, & have irritating clanging/rattling sound that occurs at medium rpm around 30 mph. Sounds like a heat shield. Took to Niisan dealer & was told it was the catalytic converter, that there was nothing they could do. This is unnaceptable for a 23k truck! Very comfortable, good power, OK mileage for a truck. Base radio is a joke! Heavy tailgate. Headlights are slightly dim.

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  Best Gas Mileage I Have Ever Seen - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By TimC - March 11 - 3:40 pm

  The car rides better than my Lincoln. The sticker said 25 city/ 33 hwy but I have been watching it and I am getting 38 Hwy and 29 city. This car has it all, style, mpg, ride. Need to look at this. I looked at Honda Fit, Civic, Accord and Toyota Corolla and Camry and Focus and Fusion. Spent 3 weeks shopping. The Sentra is about 3000.00 cheaper but delivers more. Check it out. I am trading my truck in and getting another.

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  Burning Oil-Nissan says to bad. - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Antonino Ferrara - March 11 - 11:06 am

  I purchased this vehicle 10 months ago. About a month later I received a letter from Nissan that some of the 2006 Altimas 2.5S were catching on fire due to mechanical problems that was causing the car to burn a large amount of oil and to keep on checking and add oil to the vehicle until they could came up with a solution. Finally 8 months later there was a recall on it and to bring the car to the dealership. There I was complaining that the car was burning about 2 qt of oil every 3,500 miles And I was told by the service manager that it is normal for the car to burn that much oil and for something to be wrong with the car it has to burn 1 qt of oil every 700 miles. Nissan headquarters gave same ans.

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  I test drove it and walked away - 2016 Nissan Frontier
  By David Jewell - March 11 - 9:30 am

  This is a nice mid sized truck, however the brake pedal is very sponge and goes down almost to the floor. We checked with the service manager and said the brakes are designed that way. Also I felt the controls were confusing, remembering I did not have a chance to really study them. Ill keep my Silverado.

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  Great car! - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By lissical - March 11 - 2:09 am

  I just recently purchased the 2012 Nissan Sentra SR Special Edition and I love it! It is so quiet and the gas mileage is incredible. Plus, for a small car it is actually pretty roomy. I was very impressed with the price, especially since this package comes with bluetooth phone, GPS navigation, moonroof and XM radio (only for 3 months...then you can either subscribe or cancel). I must admit that I had to get used to the CVT since my previous cars did not have that. But all in all, this is a great car!

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  lemon?? - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By lynn - March 10 - 7:26 pm

  So $31k and 15 trips to the dealership later, needless to say, def never buy a Nissan again. Cheap interior components, rotten egg smell, chipping paint & peeling grille, falling headliner, etc. etc. Too many probs, not enough cooperation from dealership; they never fix ANYTHING. A total disappointment. Ive spent more $ on rental cars than I spent on the warranty itself. It is fun to drive, but the issues Ive had outweigh the 265hp engine. The interior suede door panels are hard to keep clean & the mpg stinks. It is an extremely safe car (been in front end & rear crash). But, not worth the money or the dozens of trips to the dealership. Blah. HATE IT. Never make that mistake again!

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  A 60k car for 40k - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Matty M - March 10 - 6:29 am

  Im a 29 y/o male roughly 63" and 275 pounds. I was driving a Infiniti 35 before this car. I was looking for something a little bit more roomy, sporty looking and capable of holding my friends of similar stature. I saw the Murano and immediately loved the look of it. I know its a bold design but its flawless in my eyes. Its sporty, the interior is great (I have the arctic blue exterior with black leather interior) and I LOVE IT! I would caution anyone with kids not to get the S or SV as its cloth and dont get the cashmere because it is too light in color. I couldnt believe for the price I am paying the quality of the vehicle that Im driving. I believe that the car is comparable to a Infiniti Q70 which I was looking into but was way too expensive for me. It has a lot of the same qualities just not the big budget name. The car handles smoothly at all speeds (Ive gone 75 in it so far). Fuel efficeny has got me going 450 miles per tank. The viewing angles are great and the blind spot monitoring, 360 degree cameras, are very helpful as well. I believe that I am riding in style with this SUV with a lot of curb appeal. The cons of the SUV are few and far between but the USBS arent fast charging so that is unfortunate. The Nissan Connect doesnt allow any other apps except for Google Search so no Pandora, no I <3 Radio or others. (I hope they release an update for this). Also I dont like that I have to hit the lock button before the auto start on my remote. (I wake up at 4:30am for work and hate that it beeps and may wake the neighbors. (Again a small flaw but Im considerate). Again the car is fantastic and Im very happy with it. There are multiple tools to learn about the SUV. Overall Id give it a 4.7-4.8 rating out of 5. I hope if your serious that this review is worth your while. The pros definitly outway the cons.

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  Nissan rules - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By bambam1962 - March 9 - 9:26 pm

  I/we own a 1997 maxima, with 197900 mileage, never been in the shop.. replaced only the alternator and a heater sensor behind the glove box which was simple.. OK as of this one the 2008 just purchased 12/18/09 so far so good.

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  Still going strong - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By chuckb - March 9 - 6:20 pm

  I now have around 98K on this truck. I bought it in 2003 with 23K. Overall, it has been very reliable and comfortable, but the repair bills have been adding up. I guess thats to be expected with any nine year old vehicle. Did need the exhaust system from the converter back replaced twice. Also had to go for rotors once and recently did the timing belt and water pump. The only real surprise as far as repairs was that the wheel bearings became scorched and had too much play. They were expensive as there are two sets in the front. The bearings, seals, races and a sway bar linkage was almost $1000, more than the timing belt and water pump. Still, it has never failed to start or stranded me.

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  one year old! - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By steve suher - March 9 - 12:06 pm

  Actually, I have two NAHs, both purchased March 07. I have loaded one with tech package, roof, etc., now have 34,000 miles, my wifes slightly loaded, she has approx 6000 miles. MPG as expected, for my car up until winter was averaging 34 - 35 mpg (mostly hwy driving) My wifes car, slightly better (more (suburban stop & go). I do keep very accurate gas records so these figures are actual consumption, not per computer (which is always higher by 5 to 7% MPG dropped to around 30 mpg for both vehicles, I suppose winter fuel and cold weather negatively impact mpg. Otherwise, no issues at all, very pleased with both vehicles.