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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  Relentless Rattles - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Jason Devine - October 5 - 10:06 pm

  With a 1 year old, this was our first minivan. We were replacing a Mercedes C320 so my wife wanted all the luxury ammeneties. We narrowed our search to the Quest, Odyssey and Sienna. The quest had the latest features without the price premium on the Sienna. Weve had the car for nearly a year and love the drive, room, DVD and fold flat seats. However, build quality of the body is poor. Doors dont fit tight. There are constant rattles (back gate and side doors) and several trips to the dealer have not resolved them. Nissan extended the warranty to 5 years, nice gesture, but wed prefer doors that dont rattle.

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  5th Gear Whine - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Fred - October 5 - 7:00 am

  My wife and I really liked the Sentra when we test drove it. It was small (I am 62 and 250 lbs) but was comfortable enough for me to drive. There is no room in the back seat behind me when I am driving, but we are getting 38 mpg on the highway, and 33 - 34 combined and fuel efficiency was our goal. One thing that really disturbed me was the engine noise produced at 60 - 65 mph. There is a very audible whine that sounds a lot like electrical feedback. We had the transmission replaced, but the noise never went away. The dealership claimed that it was just part of the 5 speed Sentra. To their credit, I test drove another Sentra yesterday and it whined too. It may not bother you, but check

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  Buyer Beware - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By AB - October 4 - 2:20 pm

  Think twice before buying a Maxima. Yes Im sold on the horsepower and the beauty of the exterior...but this horse needs to be shot. With less than 17K miles Ive had to replace the rotors, struts, one tire (should replace all others)and the chrome trim that runs across top of the car. The turning radius is horrible...buy this car and youll become an expert at 3 point turns! Im afraid the beauty of this car is only skin deep...youve been warned...shell seduce you with her looks and power, but leave you sitting on the sideline (or in the service waiting area) with all the other Maxima owners.

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  Nissan Altima hybrid - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Bruce D - October 4 - 7:40 am

  Ive only had my car for 3 weeks, but so far so good. One of the big benefits is the roominess. Im 65 tall, and I have lots of leg room. The car has surprising power for a hybrid.

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  The Four-Door Sports Car - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By jphinney - October 2 - 10:50 pm

  This car has a bit of an acquired taste. It isnt very pretty when you first look at it, with its big shiny braces, and enormous wheels. It almost seems obnoxious, this one. The end is rather fat, the front is awful to look at, but there is something about this car that keeps you hooked. The inside is nothing to brag about, but whats under the hood, thats a whole different story.

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  real review - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By oaks - October 2 - 12:26 am

  fairly solid and quiet vehicle. plenty of power and torque. both exterior and interior lighting is excellent. I have not had any brake component problems...yet. Test drove all others available and by far the titan out- performs.

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  Problem Pairing Voice Connect with iphone - 2015 Nissan Rogue
  By hbjohn - October 1 - 2:20 pm

  I am very happy with my 2015 Rogue SV with one exception. When it works the voice connect is great, but Voice Connect loses pairing with my iphone 5 with ios 8.3 I have followed directions for pairing and even tried a factory reset. Voice connect worked for the first two weeks then it called a different number than the number the system displayed. The dealer had no idea how to fix. Up until yesterday it worked by magic. Now today I get The message on my phone is Connection Unsuccessful Make sure "My ROGUE" is turned on and in range I have followed directions for pairing and even tried a system reset I have been to the dealer twice. He says the system does not support IS 8.3

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  Reliable Transportation - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Joseph - September 30 - 10:40 pm

  I do my part, oil changes, tires, brakes, etc. and this car keeps humming along. I drive 70 to 80 miles per day at 70 plus mph. during the week and take the occasional Georgia Mt. trip over rutted red clay trails-never a problem! Tough and reliable transportation.

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  Highly Recomended Truck - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Truck guy - September 29 - 3:26 pm

  I bought this a year ago great truck so far taken it off road, commuted, towed, and snow. Not disappointed yet I once slid into a ditch in the snow just put in reverse and 4wd low and came right out. No body damage extremely tough truck can be used and abused high reliability. Only things I dont like I knew about going in was going to buy a Tacoma but Toyota wouldnt negoiate price and had a sticker of 27k configured same as the Frontier got this brand new for 19k sticker was 25k.

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  Shimmy in Wheel, warped rotots, etc.! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By dlevrph - September 29 - 8:40 am

  This review will change your mind about the Maxima. My mother & I both have the exact same 04 SE & we both have had the exact same problems. Bad shaking in the steering wheel at higher speeds, warped rotors that re-warp after being cut (more shaking), cupped tires & alignment problems. Both cars now have 15 & 18K mi, respectively, and its unbelievable how similar our problems are. Many alignments, balanced tires, replaced rotors, cupped tires & the problems just come right back. Dealer has not been helpful, thinks we are crazy. My cupped tires, warped rotors & wheel vibration started at 3K miles & remain today after many "fixes," I am fed up & ready to trade in! No other issues!