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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  Nissan Does Not Stand Behind Their Product. - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By fargo5 - November 10 - 4:42 am

  My Murano only had 58,461 miles on it when my transfer case fell to pieces. Replacement cost $3,800. Ive always driven it well and have done oil changes on time. I was under the 60,000 miles warrenty and my 5 year warrenty had only expired by three months. I called Nissan to see if they would stand behind their product. I waited three weeks before the represenative told me No, based on that I didnt do all my oil changes at the Nissan dealership. They didnt look at the fact that I did do all my repairs at the Nissan dealership. Ive done research online and there are a lot of unhappy Murano owners, that have had the same problem with their transmission. This should have been a recall.

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  Lemon - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By OCeansurfer - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Within 2 months of ownership of this new car, battery replaced and died 4 times, brakes and rotors replaced AND went out 6 times, paint on trim is peeling, multiple electrical issues. A real lemon and a dangerous vehicle to drive. I know 3 other people who purchased their 2009 Nissan Altima 2 dr Coupes in the 2.5 and 3.5 versions who have been having similar issues.

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  Had it right with 2012 - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By swallerstein - November 2 - 6:10 pm

  We leased a 2012 for a couple of years. Ran flawlessly, pretty comfortable, fun to drive. Lease ran out so we leased a 2013. 2013 engine is powerful with great gas mileage; weird high pitch whining, rattling though. I find the drivers seat to be one of the most uncomfortable Ive ever sat in. Very difficult to find a comfortable position that doesnt cause back pressure. Passengers in back dont find those too comfy either. Gearshift console is very instrusive which further compromises comfort. The dashboard is extremely reflective. Even in low light, you are always looking through a reflection of the dash. In strong sunlight, its a safey hazard. Designed by monkeys!

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  Miserable experience - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By spongebob - November 2 - 1:23 am

  I dont know what everyone is raving about, I thought this vehicle was suppose to be heavy duty and almost every bump i hit the suspension bottoms out. It may be able to expand in offroad situation but it cannot contract. It very annoying for city driving, unacceptable especially for a real suv. And those brakes spongy is not the word you gotta press all the way down to the floor to get it to stop. However the sound system was amazing ill give it that. However it wasnt enough for me to keep it. Thought nissans were more versatile than this. Very disappointed especially having the "OFFROAD" model. I even thought there was a problem they found none

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  Liked it better than the Corolla - 2011 Nissan Sentra
  By drivedrove - October 23 - 3:19 pm

  I recently drove a Sentra and a Corolla back to back, for a week each, and I prefer the Sentra. You ride up higher in the Sentra, and the cabin feels roomier. The CVT has plenty of power to get up to speed and pass on the highway and feels smooth and responsive. The cabin is quiet going around town, but fairly noisy on the highway, and opening the trunk seems awkward. Overall, though, I was impressed.

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  Piece of foreign junk!!! - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Awful luck with cars - October 16 - 8:50 pm

  I bought this 5-spd car in Nov. 2008 only because my 93 Buick Centry(oh how I miss you!!!) finally died. So the car was great for the first 5 months, then the battery and alternator died, but i expected this since the car was 8 years old with 101,000 miles on it, so no big deal. a couple of months after that, Mass Airflow Sensor died, then EVAP Sensor, then a coil in 1 of my cylinders, then my struts, springs and strut mounts broke on the driver side....oh yea, and my check engine light is still on!! Ive spent about 3k just trying to fix the car so it passed inspection, but after the struts blew, Im done!!! To make things worse...I still owe $2500 on the loan when I bought the car! My luck!

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  Hmmmm...well - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Cafasco - October 16 - 2:46 am

  Lots of room...luv the large trunk. CVT makes the 4 feel like a 6cyl (up to 65mph anyway). Doesnt help it sound any better though. MPG is pretty good @ 28 mixed driving, but stinks on the freeway over 65mph; quickly drops to 24ish at 75. Its not much fun to drive faster than that. It does handle the curves well, but road noise is more than I care for. Its great for around town and going the golf course. I owned a Pontiac G6 3.5L v6 that got 30mpg all the time, even at 95mph across Nevada. It didnt shake like a tractor while waiting at a stop light (like the Altima does) It was a far better road car...am looking to get another!

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  Awful - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By gp5454 - October 12 - 3:07 pm

  my 3rd Maxima I have owned and by far the absolute worst!! I have spent well over $8,000 on mechanical repairs (not maintenance) and it still has under 80k miles on it. Transmission valve body, both catalytic converters, both primary and secondary timing chains tensioners and guides, multiple sensors, 4 sets of headlights (considered maintenance if it were only 2, but 4 sets!!) I wish I still had my 96 which my neighbor still drives w/ 250k+ miles with minor repairs and maintenance.

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  Underpowered - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Very Disappointed - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I bought a new Frontier in May 2004 & I just got rid of it for a 2003 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner d-cab,4 cylinder because it is more responsive & has much better fuel economy. I was so disappointed in the Nissans poor performance, I took the loss & bought a much better truck.

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  bad brake pads - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Chesley Garrett - October 5 - 10:00 am

  The only problem I have had with my 02 Altima besides the bad dealership experience in a persistant squeaking of the brakes. Repeated forays into the dealer to have this problem remedied had proven to be an excercise in futility. They only say the Nissan brakes are just that way and the new Maxima does the same thing.