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:

• 

  2008 Quest S Trim - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By boomboxjoe - February 8 - 4:30 pm

  I have only owned it for a month but I can say it has great power for a minivan. I can get 25 mpg Highway when trying. Have maxed out at 26.4 I have fun with the MPG display gauge and Tire PSI which i set at 44 PSI. Automatic hatch is great but the cubby hole where the 3rd row can fold into is great for food shopping. I feel for the money its a good van.

• 

  Oil Consumption - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By iliveforthis - February 8 - 1:43 pm

  I have a 6 speed and I am in LOVE with it. Very powerful but I still stall sometimes cuz the engine is so quiet. Not a bad thing. Has every option imaginable, including a heated steering wheel (very nice). Love the style of the car, black on black with tinted windows and 20" black rims. Only problem with the car is that it hit 80k and Im burning a quart and a half of oil per 1,000 miles. Thats 50% more than acceptable. That is huge for a luxury sedan from Nissan. Have heard the same complaints from others at 80k and no one wants to do anything about it. Besides the oil, I love everything else about it. Not bad on gas either, 6th gear is beautiful on highway.

• 

  Awesome - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By bobby1 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  The Maxima is a wonderful car to drive! I have to be careful not to over do it! I cant imagine what the 2002 must be like to drive! Get one, I highly recommend it!

• 

  Altima 3.5se - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By GABoy74 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I like it alot.

• 

  Car Review - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Ringram - February 7 - 3:53 am

  This 05 pathfinder is what we had been looking for and didnt realize it. We traded twice before finding this care. It gets good gas milage for a midsize suv and has nice luxury for the price. Weve had minor problems from the start but have been fixed promptly. overall i would buy it again without question.

• 

  Im a fan - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Beefjerky - February 6 - 1:13 pm

  Ive put nearly 1,000 miles on my 07 Nissan Altima 2.5 S w/ CVT Transmission. I really love this car. This is my first new car purchase and I am beyond satisfied. I test drove just about everything and nothing compared for the price. The exterior has a really clean look. I really like the blond cloth interior with the wood grain, and it is really soft comfortable cloth. Mechanically very sound. Virtually no road or engine noise. Just made a 400 miles trip and it was extremely comfortable. I also liked the accord, but the altima looked better, performed better and was the best bang for the buck. I think Toyota cut some corners on the 07 Camry. Good college grad program.

• 

  99 Maxima GXE 5 speed - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Dave - February 6 - 7:16 am

  Bought this car new in 1999. Nine years and 200000 miles later, still as fast and fun to drive as day one. Still has original clutch. Getting 22 to 24 mpg highway at 75 mph. Oil change every 5k miles. Black paint showing its age as well as some bumps and rattles. Replaced ignition packs and 3 oxygen sensors 2.5 years ago. Exaust pipe hangers rusted at 180K so put on new pipes myself. One axle shaft at 192K(boot failure) Normal maintenence, brakes, plugs I have done myself. The car not good in snow with all season radials. If you live in snow area, invest in 4 snow tires. What a difference. This is the best car Ive owned.

• 

  07 350Z Conv. - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By civicracer3000 - February 5 - 10:20 pm

  This is my first Z, I had a 97 240sx with an SR20 turbo motor in it. The 350Z is much faster and reliable. I love the Bose sound system and the wheels. Wonderful car and the bigest bang for the buck.

• 

  What a Truck - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Phillips - February 4 - 9:00 pm

  What a truck, fun to drive, work out of and have fun in

• 

  My Non Bimmer - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By TKWW - February 4 - 4:56 pm

  Great steering feel, transmission requires 200 miles befor it quiets down, tire noise also vanishes after 200 miles.