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:

• 

  A Real Sweetheart - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By steve j - February 19 - 9:53 am

  incredible performance that easily outshines the competition. I currently have 2200 miles and car runs and rides great. Only minor problem is the rear door locks have been sticking. Im 62", and there is plenty of room ,and great features. I drive a lot, and a power lumbar support would have been nice.

• 

  written by Alex on 10 /08 - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mountain Man - February 19 - 6:30 am

  Had an 05 Off Road, Never had a problem,after 56K and several trips to ski in Colorado, traded it in for a 08 LE V8 very happy, great acceleration, good handling, love the audio system its fully loaded back-up camera, fuel etc. so far is better then on my V6 was. In city driving average 15m/g. Very happy with it.

• 

  2012 juk gas mileage - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By lexiw6 - February 18 - 11:01 pm

  Ive had my 2012 nearly a year. One of my main decisions was the gas mileage and the unique look. I love my car, it is fun to drive, however I am extremely disappointed in the mpg i drive mostly in town and get about 22mpg. When driving the hwy she gets about 24-25. I would like to find out how some others get a much better gas mileage.

• 

  Best family 4x4 ever! - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By hatchy4 - February 18 - 8:32 pm

  Picked up my 2008 Pathfinder SE with Premium package only 42Ks on it, drove 134km from home to get the best deal, the drive back was a real pleasure, mixed road conditions, snow, freezing rain, the works, and the Pathfinder handled it easily. All the instrument features are intuitive and extremely eay to use, no need to reference the owners manual. Dual climate control and heated seats are fantastic the lcd screen is a great size to view all the information. Really for how much kit you get its great value for your money, full side curtain airbags and Active head restraints, considered an LR3 but am extremely glad I went with the Pathfinder, the build quality is superior inside and out!

• 

  Nismo Hellion - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Orange Hellion - February 18 - 2:36 pm

  I am a previous 89 Maxima SE owner (still running with 210K miles son has it) and thought the down grade would make me miss the Maxima. This was not the case, I now have better performance and fuel economy (avg 29.5) and when I purchased it I added two tone black/orange leather. The NISMO cat back and cold air intake were worthy investments the performance increase with these put me now at 95/99 Maxima numbers (184 Hp@ 4k rpm and 195 ft/lbs @ 4K). The leather upgrade gave it a very upscale look to. Thanks to the guys at Maxwell Town North Nissan for making it all happen at a great price.

• 

  Hardcore - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By William - February 18 - 11:36 am

  I have owned nissans for years. I owned an 04 Armada and loved it. I purchased my 08 and love the new dash and interior. The new truck is a smoother ride than the 04, but I liked the stiffness of the 04 when it comes to hard cornering. The power lift gate is the bomb!!! I had 60K on my 04 without any major problems. Great improvement on the seat support.

• 

  Great car as long as you know what youre getting - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By gmarrese91 - February 18 - 9:51 am

  I have to say I am so surprised by how much I love this car. I wasnt expecting it to be so comfortable, so quiet, and fun to drive. Especially because I was coming from a 2010 GTI. I had enough with the constant problems and decided to take advantage of a great lease deal on a fully loaded 2013 Sentra SR. Really this car is great. Its quiet on the highway, seats are comfortable, GPS is awesome, all in all I actually like it better than the VW. Cant comment on gas mileage though.. I only have 350 miles on it so its not broken in yet. Only averaging 28-30 mpg, but I expect that to increase after I hit 1000-2000 miles on the odometer.

• 

  The Best-of -the-Best! - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Swat - February 18 - 9:10 am

  XE, kingcab, 4 cyl, 4x2, auto, bedliner, cruise, cd, priv/glass, slide-r-wind: excellent truck, tough, sporty and great on gas (23 mph in town). I chose over Ford, Toyota & Chevy. No comparison (quality + value). Daily driver. Big Nissan 4 cyl powers like the competitions 6 cyl! Rear suspension will handle heavy loads without dipping, "try that with an f150!" Ive owned Dodge, Ford & Chevy but Nissan sincerely is the best thus far.

• 

  Perfect SUV - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By KurtL - February 17 - 5:56 pm

  Had a 2003 Pathfinder lease and took a 2006 after 3 years. Like this one better. Roomier, smoother, more space, better ride and handling. Love the style too. Got both comfort and performance pkgs. Love it!! Gas economy is 17 back and forth to work etc., highway 21+. Only issue was backup lights didnt work at first, and dealer replaced the transmission in order to fix em(??). I found that odd. But its trouble free ever since.

• 

  Fast, Fun, and Fuel Efficient Reliabilty - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By dodgeman - February 17 - 9:46 am

  This car was my Moms 6th Nissan in a row, after she gave it to me in 04, She moved on to her 7th if that gives you any indication of how loyal we are to Nissan. This car has been extremely reliable and easy to own. In fact, just a few days ago on Christmas morning was the first repair its ever had done, a starter. The car is very high quality from the interior materials featuring soft touch leather and vinyls almost everywhere and soft touch plastic knobs, the the 8.5 year old paint thats never been waxed that still shines like new. Not only is it very comfortable and reliable, but it will run to 60 in under 7 seconds, all while achieving 30+ highway and 23+ city on premium fuel.