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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  Maxima: The best there is! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Chris24L - January 13 - 10:00 am

  The 2004 Maxima, in my opinion, is the greatest thing ever developed. I love every part of it. It has excellent power, looks great, is super fun to drive, and always leaves me ready to go on another drive!! Its the best car on the market in my opinion!

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  Is an OK SUV, will not buy again. - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mike - January 13 - 8:20 am

  The SUV looks good on the outside, the inside like its build cheap. Muffler or resonator needed work after 4 years at a cost of $850, which was ridiculous. Mileage is very lousy at 16 mpg city, 17.5 highway. I will definitely not buy again!

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  Grand Cruiser - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Dajie - January 13 - 5:43 am

  Just got back from another road trip, this time we drove from Salt Lake City Utah to LA and back. This car certainly made the miles go by fast. Its comfortable, sporty (I have the 5 speed model), reliable, economical. My dad has a 1998 Camry V6 XLE, I would never pick his car to go on a trip like this for as long as I own mine Maxima, and I am sure it will be for a long time.

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  Cant Beat it for the Price - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Thebigv21 - January 13 - 5:10 am

  I bought this truck after comparing with the Tacoma. The Tacoma is 5 grand more money and the Nissan has the power. The truck has a real solid feel. The utility track system in the bed is a great idea and I am looking forward to the first time I have to tie something down. When the truck is idling, you can tell it is a powerhouse. I havent owned it that long to encounter any problems. I havent had any so far. Hopefully, I wont. Fuel economy could be better, but you cant have it both ways. I had a Matrix. 32mpg, but no power or size. This truck has some weight to it and is a real powerhouse

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  Pretty Decent - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Tom - January 12 - 3:50 am

  Ive had my car for about 8 months now. It replaced a 1990 Ford Escort so by comparison I love it. Its only given me a few small problems, dipstick breaking, not the best power windows, and a rattling noise that my mechanic tells me is nothing serious, just an unimportant loose part. I dont usually drive around that many people so the lack of room in the back isnt that big of a deal for me. The people that have ridden back there are usually fine as long as the person in front of them is forgiving.

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  A great car!!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By bwc64 - January 11 - 10:46 pm

  After 7 months and 9700 miles, I still love it, its great car and Im very happy with it. Fantastic gas mileage 30 to 32 mpg combined city and hwy 38 to 39 in all hwy. This is my fourth Altima and the best one yet. Love the new style, quality and it is alot more refined over previous models its very quite and I love the upscale trim and smooth ride. The handling is great and I love it for long drives. I gets lots of compliments on the car and it style. Its very Infiniti like in the styling and Im not complaining about that. I had read about the issues the early models had so I waited and made sure I bought one produced later in the year, Mine was made in July 13 and Im glad I did!!!

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  What a PAIN - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Tizan - January 11 - 9:00 pm

  Bought it new, after 3k miles brakes went out, dealer replaced 3 times. Diff seal leaked, rattles all over, key gets stuck in ignition, front window regulator went out, drive shaft rusted, oil pressure sensor went out, makes me wonder what happend to Nissan. I am so disappointed that I want to call get rid of this truck. I have a 90 300zx thats been more fun, and reliable then this truck, I will never buy another Nissan.

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  Love my Sentra - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Janet - January 11 - 5:00 pm

  This is my 2nd Sentra. Enjoyed my 06 so much, I traded it on the 07 Showroom model, when I went in for a oil change. New exterior and the CVT out of this world. I have more power & pickup than some vehicles with V6. The Bluetooth, is the best. I dont have to operate my cell phone...I let my car do it, by a push the button on the steering wheel. I have all the bells & whistles and feel like I drive & own a luxury car with all the economy and pep too. The tire sensor is touchy, but if you adjust the pressure for the weather and drive 40mph for a mile, it will go off. The battery went dead at 16 mths and dealership couldnt find the reason. Cost me $55 to replace it.(warranty)

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  Great car....bad tires. - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Grooveguy - January 11 - 3:36 pm

  This car is an eye-catcher and gets all sorts of inquiries...."How fast have you had it?" being the front- runner. The only problem Ive had in the 8 mos. Ive owned, the front tire noise. Had it shipped from TX and right off the truck, it sounded like the rotors were grinding gravel and destroying the brakes. Dealer recommended switching the tires from the initial Potenzas to Mich Pilots (like the Infiniti G35 coupe uses) ... presto! ... problem went away and the drive was 10x better. Cost $230/tire plus labor, fortunately Nissan issued a recall and reimbursed me for this issue.

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  Death Wobble - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By voldog - January 11 - 2:36 pm

  It has a shake, wobble that is at times down right scary. Its always there but sometimes its light and sometimes it will shake the steering wheel out of your hands. I will never own another. Also, the front end shakes and shimmies when I hit a hole, like it was worn out and I have 16,000 miles on it. Im scared to take it on a trip. Ive owned Dodge, Ford, Chevy trucks and I would take any of them over this Titan.